Hi, I'm Bryant Raymond

Founder of Strengths1st

Building a Life, Strengths-First

As a Filipino American, first-generation college graduate, I followed a career blueprint that was a point of immense pride for my family. My path, with a BA from UCLA and an MBA from UT Austin, and roles at Deloitte and LinkedIn, was all about creating a stable life and making my parents proud. But even as I climbed that corporate ladder, a slow-building dissonance was growing inside me. I felt like a cog in an impressive, but draining, machine. 

The real spark that changed everything for me happened at LinkedIn when I took my practice as a Gallup-certified Strengths Coach to the next level. I coached over a thousand of my colleagues, and I saw a light switch on when they finally had the language to describe what they were naturally great at. This experience of seeing people light up by focusing on their natural talents made me realize my true passion wasn't just helping companies get ahead. It was helping the people inside them feel more human at work. 

My layoff was the ultimate plot twist, a catalyst that shattered my old blueprint and gave me the key to redesign my career. It was the final signal I needed to build a life and business aligned with my mission to advance authentic potential through strengths.