Meet the OG Chief Troublemaker
I’m Courtney Broderick—a Silicon Valley survivor, late-diagnosed neurodivergent woman, and the founder of Chief Troublemaker Co.
For two decades, I worked in tech sales and HR strategy at companies like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Handshake—usually hired as the “change agent,” but always punished for being inconvenient.
I didn’t create Chief Troublemaker Co. because I had a tidy career arc.
I created it because I got tired of contorting myself into every boss’s definition of “professional”—until I finally realized: I was never the problem. The system was.
After twenty years of climbing ladders, burning out, speaking up, and getting shoved back down, I stopped trying to fix myself and started building a business that could actually hold people like me:
Bold. Neurosparkly. Disruptive on purpose.
Chief Troublemaker Co. is where all that lived experience meets strategy.
It’s where I teach women how to weaponize their truth, build unapologetic personal brands, and stop being manageable in systems that never deserved their brilliance to begin with.
Every job I held taught me two things:
These systems weren’t built for women like me.
I could either keep adapting—or start breaking the rules.
GLOSSY LINKEDIN VS. MESSY REALITY
Let’s be real: the sanitized LinkedIn bullet points never show you the gaslighting, the burnout, the whispered warnings to “tone it down.” The carefully curated professional profiles we present to the world rarely tell the whole story.
My journey through corporate America taught me how systems often silence the very voices they claim to value—especially those of neurodivergent women. Each role below represents not just a job but a step in finding my authentic voice amid expectations to conform.
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Publicly: Healed major trauma wounds, owning my zone of genius, and thriving mentally.
Privately: Still facing insecurities as I make things up as I go - prioritizing only what feels good to ME. Breaking through years of being told I was "too much" to find my unapologetic voice. Healing is NOT A STRAIGHT LINE, and old patterns are hard to break.on text goes here
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Publicly: Crushing it professionally and finally finding "my place."
Privately: Having a wildly rocky first year, dealing with strained relationships, and feeling misunderstood while earnestly trying to advocate for change. A breast cancer scare shook my sense of security and forced me to question what truly matters in my professional journey and whose definition of "success" I was chasing. -
Publicly: Built a GTM playbook from scratch and set up sales processes in HubSpot, driving accessibility in live learning for employees.
Privately: Battled suicidal thoughts after doctor after doctor dismissed my health concerns and accused me of lying. Was literally being shushed in meetings at work and ultimately lost my job and insurance the month of my wedding, paying thousands out-of-pocket for medication. A painful lesson in why finding your authentic voice is literally a matter of survival. -
Publicly: Joined a mission-driven company, worked on LinkedIn content creation because I believed in the "employee culture" so much, and collaborated with major global brands, building relationships I still have to this day.
Privately: Felt demoralized after being fired in month seven, just as I started closing deals, with a female executive telling me there was "no chance" for me to be successful so there was no point in coaching me. "It's not that our system is broken—it's that we don’t believe you can be successful, so you are not worth coaching." This triggered imposter syndrome and deep self-doubt that took years to unravel. -
Publicly: Joined a mission-driven company, worked on LinkedIn content creation because I believed in the "employee culture" so much, and collaborated with major global brands, building relationships I still have to this day.
Privately: Felt demoralized after being fired in month seven, just as I started closing deals, with a female executive telling me there was "no chance" for me to be successful so there was no point in coaching me. "It's not that our system is broken—it's that we don’t believe you can be successful, so you are not worth coaching." This triggered imposter syndrome and deep self-doubt that took years to unravel. -
Publicly: Closed a major deal with a Fortune 50 brand, achieving 100%+ quota and becoming the top AE.
Privately: Panic attacks became a norm, I uncovered leaders taking credit for my work and I faced a cancer scare that heightened my already serious health concerns. -
Publicly: Implemented a scalable pre-sales playbook and coached teams, increasing discovery calls 4X.
Privately: Completely disconnected from leadership, working only to keep my household afloat while my partner pursued his degree, battling the constant sense of being trapped. -
Publicly: Built and scaled the GTM strategy for a sales org that was eventually acquired by Checkr.
Privately: My mentor was fired, and his replacement didn't align with my values. I faced worsening health issues, including hemorrhaging during my periods, sleep apnea, and discriminatory medical treatment due to my weight. -
Publicly: Promoted after a year, mentored other reps, and joined the LinkedIn High Performer Program.
Privately: Endured a two-year recovery from a botched ankle surgery, which resulted in permanent damage. Anxiety attacks became constant as I navigated painful workplace transitions and eventually walked away from an environment that was not serving me. -
Publicly: Mentored new hires, contributed to significant business growth, and earned my first promotion in tech sales.
Privately: Clashed with male leaders who felt threatened by my relationships with the team, leading to increasing professional tension.
TURNING THE GASLIGHTING AND CHALLENGES INTO MY MISSION
Looking back, I can see the pattern clearly: I wasn't failing at these jobs—I was failing at contorting myself into shapes these environments demanded. The very traits often labeled as "difficult," "too much," or "not a culture fit" became the foundation of my success today.
This journey wasn't just professional development—it was an advanced course in breaking through limiting narratives and reclaiming my authentic self.
Now, I help other neurodivergent women recognize these patterns, find their unapologetic brand voice, and build futures where their unique perspectives become their competitive edge.
The corporate world didn't break me. It did not tone me down. It did not make me compliant.
It accidentally created exactly the revolutionary it needed all along.
Sales Leader at LinkedIn
“Courtney is one of the brightest people I’ve had the pleasure of working with. She has a great depth of understanding - whether it was for her clients or the company’s needs.
Small Business Owner & Corporate Wellness Leader
“Big picture, I think this will help professional women who have felt silenced find the words and power to be the game-changers we need in the corporate world.”
Product Management Leader