Gary Sheng & Brooke Joy Strategic Life Conversation - June 14, 2025

Meeting Context

Participants: Gary Sheng, Brooke Joy
Location: Coffee shop/venue in Austin, Texas
Duration: Extended philosophical and strategic conversation
Background: Follow-up conversation between Gary and Brooke, covering professional challenges, personal insights, and strategic advice

Key Topics Discussed

Gary's Alpha Schools Situation & Professional Reflection

Event Cancellation Incident: Gary described how a middle manager at Alpha Schools created a PowerPoint presentation to take ownership of events and cancelled Gary's planned event, despite people flying in from Asia to attend.

Gary's Response Strategy:

"I was like, wow, this is ridiculous... I was still able to kind of give them like a personal tour... still make it work. I haven't spent like a ton of money... but more so just quality time with them without the distractions of other people."

Strategic Realization:

"Honestly, like there's so many cooks in that kitchen that I realized if I'm going to be around Alpha I'm going to like kind of work on other stuff while doing some TV for them. Because my strength is relationships like high level relationships."

Surveillance Culture Critique: Gary described Alpha's employee monitoring system:

"They have surveillance technology for every computer where they track all your clicks. They take screenshots of your screen every 10 seconds... you're literally incentivized or you are basically asked to live in the fear that if you're not just like clicking around all the time."

Brooke's Life Updates & Personal Development

Living Situation Management: Brooke shared her successful negotiation with her Austin landlord, reducing rent by $200/month while maintaining flexible lease terms.

Plant Medicine Insights: Brooke discussed how psychedelics have provided important life revelations:

"So yeah, I feel like I wish you could microdose everyone... one of the nights we had the bar checker and he did like two surgeries like this and she was like doing a phase offering people like Microdosing."

Career & Children Revelation:

"It's interesting because I've talked about that a number of times in my life, but I think some of it was because I didn't get into a career that I wanted to pursue... I used to, like, love babysitting. I loved kids. I had this really neutral good energy."

Human Design Understanding: Brooke identified as a "projector" type:

"I'm a projector... I need generator manifestation energy. I take all this energy. So I also need space. But basically, I like to be invited to use my voice versus involving myself in things that I'm not invited to."

Strategic Advice Exchange

Brooke's Counsel on Alpha Dynamics: Brooke provided sophisticated analysis of Gary's workplace challenges:

"I think that there's like this trust factor... once they start really trust and obviously you've shown what you can do at Zachary's Ranch like you've shown them what's possible but there is this energy of like how do you build more trust so that like this guy isn't trying to bulldoze your event."

Collaboration vs. Solo Execution:

"In your mind you're like well I'll just do it cause I can do it and I'll just get it done and then no one has to worry about it... it's not that you're not winning either... it's just that people fear the unknown and it sounds like if they're getting already fear by like people watching their computers and shit it's like it's already a fear based environment."

Dr. Alexander Partnership Discussion

Talent Agent Role: Gary explained his evolving role with Dr. Alexander:

"I'm really realizing that part of the utility a big part of the utility of like a talent agent is helping someone say no. Because if you're like if you have a big heart like Dr. Alexander does, he ends up saying no to a lot of his friends for like projects that are not that important."

Scale Recognition: Gary's role in helping Dr. Alexander focus on highest-value work and avoid undervaluing his expertise.

Neurodiversity & Cognitive Differences

Gary's Aphantasia: Gary revealed his complete lack of visual imagination:

"I had no mind's eye. So if you asked me to picture an apple, I'd tell you to do that. It's complete black, always black... It's basically like a missing piece of hardware. I don't even know what that's made of."

Brooke's Visualization Abilities: Brooke demonstrated strong "mind's eye" capabilities and discussed how this affects her event design work:

"To me, I think that the more I did it, the more I was feeling. I could feel the customer experience. It was like how is it going to feel for this person to have this experience."

Cognitive Diversity Discussion: Extended conversation about how different neurological capabilities shape professional strengths and personal experiences.

Customer Experience Philosophy

Brooke's Design Approach: Detailed discussion of her experiential design philosophy:

"That's when I think that first second you touch a customer, that's where the entrance is a big deal for me. Or the email, or the invitation... How do you want them to feel before they even interact with you?"

Dinner Party Example: Brooke shared story of hosts waiting outside to greet all guests simultaneously, demonstrating thoughtful experience design.

Personal Philosophy & Spiritual Development

Gary's Flow State Philosophy:

"I've come to the rough conclusion that I don't want to be butthurt about anything except a loved one when he's passing away... The right way to look at that is like, oh wow, they weren't a friend. And I'm glad that they revealed themselves."

Gary's Calling Recognition:

"I think God put me on earth to force multiply... I think a lot of people know I can't prove that like scientifically that God for sure created you uniquely with unique superpowers. But it's totally better to live that way."

Prayer & Divine Guidance: Gary described his evolving relationship with prayer and divine guidance:

"I think prayer is just like being willing to just let God down those steps... it often comes on a walk, right? Just on a load."

Dating & Relationship Dynamics

Modern Dating Challenges: Gary shared frustrations with contemporary dating culture:

"I was like, I don't want to play these games at all... everyone is just like so it doesn't make any sense... they put themselves in these situations where then it becomes like this reinforcing thing where like, you're insecure about what the guy is in commitment."

Dating App Critique:

"Do you think that dating apps incentivize commitment either no, they're not they literally lose revenue if they get you off the platform right so it's just like a bunch of it's like a whole flaky culture."

Authentic Connection: Discussion about the ease of platonic vs. romantic connections and how gender dynamics complicate authentic communication.

Professional Boundaries & Energy Management

Gary's Learning: Recognition of the need to balance proactive helpfulness with strategic energy allocation:

"I try to be I have tried to be like overly helpful... Sometimes more than I can actually be helpful... I'm always like trying to move I have been move fast move fast and... but like sometimes they take it really the wrong way."

Space & Invitation Strategy: Brooke's example of giving her landlord space to come up with solutions rather than proposing ideas immediately.

Geographic & Social Commentary

Austin vs. Other Cities: Comparison of Austin's social scene with Denver and New York, noting Austin's unique energy and lifestyle benefits.

Generational Patterns: Discussion of how their generation approaches relationships, career, and life milestones differently than previous generations.

Key Quotes & Insights

On Professional Growth:

"I'm authentically trying to create good things that we people in anyways I think that you're trying... it's just that people fear the unknown." - Brooke

On Personal Calling:

"I find it like funny to think about someone like debating that. It's like no. I'm not special. And I life is completely meaningless here. It's like it's just not the right hill to die on." - Gary

On Emotional Processing:

"You can also have feels about things too. Just maybe don't get stuck... I feel like sometimes you gotta feel something. But not like, you know, not like... exactly. But I think that if the invitation to do something else, something doesn't work out, I don't know if the invitation to do something else." - Brooke

On Trust Building:

"Everything moves and flows at the speed of trust." - Gary's recognition

Strategic Outcomes

• Gary gained clarity on collaborative vs. solo approaches to work projects
• Brooke provided valuable perspective on organizational dynamics and fear-based cultures
• Both explored personal growth through different modalities (spiritual practice vs. plant medicine)
• Exchange of strategic advice on professional positioning and energy management

Future Directions

• Gary's continued evolution in his role with Dr. Alexander
• Brooke's potential involvement with Wildwood project
• Both participants' ongoing personal development journeys
• Continued friendship and strategic counsel exchange

Network & Relationship Insights

This conversation demonstrates the value of having relationships that combine personal depth with strategic counsel. Both participants brought sophisticated frameworks for understanding human psychology, organizational dynamics, and personal development. The exchange shows how professional colleagues can provide mutual support for navigating complex career transitions and personal growth challenges.