Bird Bingo, Intense Creatives, and Leadership in the Environmental Movement with Brigid McCormack on Earthworks Podcast

Published on May 8, 2026

Brigid recently joined Marina Psaros on the Earthworks podcast to discuss the environmental movement, burnout, and insights from her own experiences.

The environmental movement has more tools than ever, and also more burnt out people than ever. Brigid McCormack lives on both sides of this story. In this episode, the former executive director of Audubon California and current California Environmental Voters board member answers questions from listeners about what’s happening right now in climate and conservation organizations, why they need more “intense creatives” who don’t fit in cubicles, and how to build the kind of resilience that lasts longer than a news cycle. We also talk about passing the baton, bird bingo, and a Zen master’s advice on environmental burnout. Plus I nerd out on bird aerodynamics.

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Brigid McCormack

Brigid McCormack is an evangelist for exceptional leadership. Brigid believes leadership is a skill that can be developed, cultivated, and honed over time. Brigid founded SpinDrift Advisors in 2022 to support and develop leaders seeking to transform their leadership, their careers and their lives. For the prior 24 years, Brigid worked inside mission driven organizations. As an executive and leader, her passion has been to identify and develop strong leaders, create inclusive cultures and enable employees to not just have meaningful careers but also to flourish.

Her journey began with a love of the natural world. At a young age, her father took her birding in California’s Sierra mountains, and Brigid quickly learned the names and sounds of all her favorites: the pileated woodpecker, the cedar waxwing, and the red-winged blackbird. Serving in the Peace Corps, she confronted the polluted legacy of a century of an extractive economy in Ukraine.

After eight years as a major gifts fundraiser—first at the Wharton School at the University of California and then at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business—her passion for protecting nature drew her to senior leadership roles at ClimateWorks and Audubon California. Then spent five years advising high net-worth clients entering the climate philanthropy space.

The drive for coaching

Herself the beneficiary of terrific mentors and executive coaches over the course of her career, Brigid always placed a premium on building the leadership skills of the team around her—from the early career managers to seasoned directors to C-suite. Among her proudest accomplishments is empowering some of California’s rising conservation leaders, working with leaders in the climate, conversation, philanthropic, tech, healthcare and many other fields.

Qualified and inspired

In addition to her own executive experience, Brigid is Hudson Institute trained executive coach, a Dare to Lead trained facilitator, and a Tara Mohr Playing Big Facilitator. She is certified IEQ9 Enneagram Accredited Practitioner (level 1) and as an Advanced Enneagram and Team Dynamics Practitioner (level 2). She hodls her ACC from the Internal Coaching Federation. She has a BA in History and BS in Biology from Santa Clara University and a MS in Environmental Management from University of San Francisco.

Brigid still takes time to get outside and listen to the birds of Northern California, while hiking, running, or backpacking with her family. The peaceful moments are important, fuel for her work with the people and organizations working hard to stop the climate crisis and conserve natural places.