Brandi M. Fannell

Mentorship Commitment Preference: Engage in a long-term mentorship (connect with your mentee throughout the semester, outside of LinkUp events — frequency and format are flexible). Available for online mentoring.

Industry: Consulting

Employer: The Anchored Collective Co, LLC

Job Title: Founder

Areas Brandi is interested in mentoring: 

• Resume Review
• Career Planning
• Interview Preparation
• Skill Development
• Leadership Growth

Bio: Brandi Fannell, Ph.D. is a seasoned HR and organizational development leader with 15+ years of experience helping organizations align people, culture, and strategy. She has led talent, leadership development, and culture initiatives across industries including finance, hospitality, government, and nonprofits. Brandi is also the founder of The Anchored Collective, a platform equipping women leaders with tools for wholeness and impact. Passionate about mentorship, she enjoys supporting students as they navigate their career paths and discover how to lead with both confidence and purpose.

If you were starting your career today, what is the one piece of advice you would give yourself? If I were starting my career today, I would tell myself not to rush into proving my worth by doing everything at once. Slow down, build relationships, and trust that your skills will open the right doors. The strongest careers are built on clarity, confidence, and connection... not constant hustle.

In what ways has your career path been unique or unconventional? I actually started my career working through temp agencies as an Administrative Assistant, before moving into the pharmaceutical industry, where I nearly pursued a path as a Clinical Researcher. From there, I crossed industries—finance, hospitality, government, and nonprofits—often stepping into newly created roles where I had to build the roadmap as I went. Alongside corporate leadership, I also launched my own venture.

What makes my path especially unique is that I didn’t initially care much about the jobs I held, because my plan was always to earn a doctorate in Marital Therapy and open my own practice. Every role felt like just a means to an end. But along the way, the work itself sparked interests I hadn’t anticipated, which ultimately led me to change my doctoral specialization. That shift gave me the rare experience of applying what I was learning in class in real time on the job—a turning point that set me on the career path I’m on today. 

What skills or experiences have been most valuable in your career?

• Adaptability,
• Relationship-building
• Strategic Thinking

Because I’ve worked across different industries and often in newly created roles, I had to learn how to quickly assess what was needed, bring people together, and design solutions from the ground up. Just as important has been my ability to listen, ask good questions, and connect dots between people and ideas.

Brandi is open to participating in informational interviews.