People in Fundraising, ep. 128: Brooke Wiley Burke, Geisel School of Medicine

Yesterday marked seven years since I left my first employer, Harvard Business School - and today I am honored to share a conversation with the outstanding person who immediately succeeded me there, Brooke Wiley Burke! I left a legacy of multiple daily chocolate milk cartons in Brooke's office.

In our conversation, Brooke, a first-generation college student who worked two jobs through college in addition to a work-study job, shares:

* Why past "People in Fundraising" guest Bruce Berg remains her #1 mentor

* Why prospect research is "the coolest job."

* The exhilaration of embracing challenge in one's career, and Brooke's desire to "do bigger and bigger things." How this internal drive resulted in Brooke's career stops at Milton Academy, Babson College, and elsewhere, and how she wanted to manage a team and develop prospect management programs at various places.

* Brooke's advice for people considering transitioning from education to healthcare fundraising, for example: "Be ready to learn, be ready to cry." The learning piece is because "things rapidly change in a healthcare fundraising setting," while the cry piece is because of how moving hearing about patient stories is.

Thank you Brooke for a wonderful conversation! I was delighted to connect with you and have you share some of your career story and advice.