Episode 319

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Published on:

3rd Aug 2025

319: You Get More Bees With Honey with Brandy Brown

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills



Everyone talks about PMO frameworks. We’re talking about the humans behind them. 

 

If your playbook starts with process instead of people, you're skipping the most important part of the work: understanding how your organization really functions—politically, emotionally, and psychologically. 

 

In this episode, I’m joined by Brandy Brown, one of our incredible IMPACT Accelerator Mastermind students, an enterprise PMO leader and organizational strategist with a background in industrial/organizational psychology. Brandy brings a human-centered approach to strategy and change, with a strong track record of driving sustainable results across complex organizations. 

 

We explore what actually creates traction when you're standing up or evolving a PMO. It’s not flashy launches or heavyweight governance. It’s sponsorship that challenges you, credibility built on quick wins, and a strategic approach to human behavior inside complex organizations. 

 

Whether you’re starting from scratch or working within an established EPMO, this episode gives you the perspective, tools, and mindset to lead real transformation.  

 

What You'll Learn:  

  • Why understanding human behavior is a PMO essential, not a bonus 
  • How Brandy used sponsorship to create traction and accountability 
  • The psychology behind quick wins and credibility loops 
  • How to design collaboration that builds pull (not push) 
  • What it means to lead with empathy inside political organizations 

 

👉 Press play to learn how to build a trust-first PMO that actually sticks. 

 

Connect with Brandy: 

Follow her on LinkedIn 

P.S. If you're ready to master leadership mindset like Brandy, join her and other industry leaders inside the IMPACT Accelerator Mastermind! With expert coaching, deep-dive workshops, and hands-on support, you’ll get the structure and guidance to lead with clarity, deliver with purpose, and create real, lasting IMPACT. 🚀 


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I welcome your feedback and insights! 

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Warmly,

Laura Barnard

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About the Podcast

PMO Strategies
with Laura Barnard
In this podcast, PMO leaders and those wanting to capitalize on the best of project management to deliver the organization’s strategy will uncover the hidden secrets of the best PMOs, learn the game-changing techniques that transform any PMO into a value-driven IMPACT Engine, and explore the best ways for the PMO to become an integral part of the fabric and future of an organization. After spending two and a half decades helping organizations deliver change, with 15 of those years in the shoes of PMO leader inside organizations, Laura strongly believes that there is more to making an IMPACT than templates, tools, and process. She’ll show you how to make the shifts necessary to become a business-focused PMO that will become an invaluable organizational asset. With her guests and insights, we explore the sticky situations and tough challenges PMO leaders face, from sorting through all of the “noise” about what the PMO “should” do to finding the best ways for your PMO to make an IMPACT. Listen in, and you can discover how to shift your focus from outputs to outcomes, fundamentally changing the game for your PMO and personal success.

About your host

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Laura Barnard