Founder’s Story

I’m Brian Kelly, Founder and CEO at HUMAN Factors Consulting.
We evolve core human skills to keep your people thriving in a changing world.

But before I founded HFC, I had to confront something within myself.

I had an unhealthy relationship with vulnerability.
I believed what the world taught me: that vulnerability equals weakness.

That belief—reinforced by cultural messages, social norms, and influential voices in my life—became my lived belief, not just a learned one.

And it cost me.

I muted my voice. I suppressed my ideas. I devalued what I had to offer.
I felt I had something to say—something meaningful to contribute to others’ growth, happiness, and success—but I lacked the awareness and belief to fully express it. So instead, I assimilated. I tried to fit in. I played small.

In doing so, I slowly disconnected from myself.

I dimmed my light. I felt isolated—trapped in a prism of expectations built by others. I lived in a world of outdated beliefs about manhood, leadership, and success—where command-and-control styles thrived and self-interest was prioritized over collective growth.

And I was unhappy. Unfulfilled. Directionless.
My personal and professional life weren’t aligned with the life I truly wanted to live—or the leader I aspired to be.

But here’s what changed everything:

I began to challenge that core belief.
I realized that vulnerability was not weakness—it was strength.
That judgment, fear, and control were not traits to hide from—but relationships to heal.
And that curiosity, confidence, and connection were muscles I could grow—starting with myself.

This journey changed how I saw myself—and how I helped others see themselves.

Over the past 15 years, I’ve worked with executives, leaders, and high-achievers across the world, helping them grow through evolving their own human skills: vulnerability, fear, control, empathy, curiosity, acceptance, and more.

What I’ve learned is this:

At the root of all meaningful change is an unhealthy relationship with one (or more) human factors.

That’s why I started HUMAN Factors Consulting—to guide people and organizations toward more HUMAN-centered leadership. Leadership that sees our humanness not as a liability to be managed—but as our greatest untapped strength and source of greater contributions.

Because when we develop healthier relationships with our human factors, we don’t just perform better.
We live better.
We connect more deeply.
And we create better—together.