About
I was afraid of mistakes for as long as I can remember.
When I was 12, my brother died. Around the same time, I learned that being different could cost you connection. So I got very good at being perfect.
I spent 20 years in disability inclusion, including 6.5 years at Airbnb, where I trained more than 1,000 employees and hosts. That's where I coined FOMU — the Fear of Messing Up — to name what kept good people from showing up for each other.
Then I turned the lens on my own life. Harvard alum. Recovering perfectionist. FOMU had been running on autopilot for years. Once I learned to interrupt it, I wanted to help others do the same.
Today I speak and run workshops for organizations, coach individuals through FOMU to Flow, and run the Intentional Joy Club — an experiment in what happens when we make space for joy, even when we're busy.
When I'm not testing my own comfort zone, I'm writing, reading, or trying a new baking recipe.
- Coined FOMU
- 20 years in inclusion work
- 6.5 years at Airbnb
- 1,000+ people trained
- Harvard alum
Spoken for
- Airbnb
- Andersen
- NBCUniversal
- Deutsche Bank
As featured in
- Forbes
- USA Today
- NPR
For event planners
Everything you need for your program and your emcee.
Short bio
Brittany Martin Déjean is a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator who coined FOMU — the Fear of Messing Up. She helps leaders and teams interrupt the reflex to play it safe and get back to bold ideas, real action, and more joy. She has spoken for Andersen, NBCUniversal, Deutsche Bank and Airbnb.
Introduction script (about 30 seconds)
Our next speaker coined a term you'll be using by the end of today: FOMU — the Fear of Messing Up. Brittany Martin Déjean spent 20 years in inclusion work, including six and a half years at Airbnb, before turning that lens on the habit that keeps smart people playing it safe. She's spoken for Andersen, NBCUniversal and Deutsche Bank. Please welcome Brittany Martin Déjean.
Headshots
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