Toxicity trickles down from the top - Anonymous employee Breef Employee Review

1.0
1 Jun 2023
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Most (if not all) hires bring a positive attitude and willingness to step out of their roles to solve problems around the company.

Cons

Working for a couple as founders can have its difficulties, so beware. Founding team lacks the emotional intelligence to check personal issues/agendas at the door, as well as the leadership skills to get others to buy into their vision, or the collaboration skills to build together with more experienced team members. Crying and yelling were often-used tactics to push the team (especially those they held more influence over) to do their bidding, as opposed to constructively plotting a path forward. Add to that what felt like a preference to outsource high-value functions (with little-to-no foresight on continuity loss), a mostly impressionable in-house team (understandably) hesitant to offer up opinions/ideas, an emphasis on a dispersed workforce (keeping the team disconnected), valuing time online (even weekends) over real effort or results, founders seemingly more interested in status than problem-solving or pivoting from years-old ideas...this doesn't feel like a recipe for success. It also regularly felt that people at this company were more often treated as resources and expendable assets, rather than highly-valuable teammates of a typical startup of this size. Most of the culture the company preaches is smoke and mirrors - talked about or outlined on a slide deck maybe once a quarter, but never any substantial thought/effort/energy to make those values a reality of working for the company. If the business acumen existed at the top to counteract all the above, one might consider this company bearable or at the very least, likely to succeed.

Explore other reviews about Breef

5.0
19 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

● I was drawn to this job because of the company’s aesthetic ● I love that we constantly get feedback from clients and agencies on our design ● Leaders respect personal time–and also provide quick feedback ● Leaders understand that results take time–and are patient ● Coworkers are easy to collaborate with and have extensive knowledge about the industry ● Remote work is a bonus–as are flexible hours ● Clear communication and direct feedback

Cons

Leadership is very process driven. This means you have to follow their way of doing things–which takes getting used to.

5.0
11 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I get to share content with Amazon, Netflix etc Those clients share insights all the time–which helps me grow my portfolio Focus on crafting campaigns that stand out in a crowded market Speed from concept to launch thanks to strong team work Variety of projects, so it’s not boring Management with clear expectations and vision–and give me the ability to use data/insights to craft my work

Cons

The pace can be fast at times, good multi-tasking skills are necessary

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All