The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish
Oct 14, 2025 · 1 hr 45 min · 14 segments
This week I sat down with Warren Buffett's former financial assistant Tracy Britt Cool. In this exclusive interview, you'll learn how she went from writing a cold letter to Buffett to being sent in to…
Tracy Britt CoolGuest
Shane ParrishHost
I was out navigating and trying to find resources, support, people who had come before me who could help me in that seat.
Tracy Britt Cool is the co-founder of Cambric, a long-term investment partnership focused on building enduring businesses.
She is best known for working directly with Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway, where she served as his financial assistant before becoming CEO of Pampered Chef and serving on the board of several Berkshire companies, including Benjamin Moore and Kraft Heinz.
She combines investor discipline with hands-on operating experience, bringing a rare perspective on what it takes to grow and sustain great companies.
So we're really selective at finding the highest quality businesses that have a long runway.
I also think a lot of investors haven't actually been operators, and so it's really hard to go into a business and say, "This is what you should go do to operate a business," if you've never actually operated a business.
When it comes to hiring, like what does that process look like? Like what does that nitty-gritty look like in the detail?
It is, I think, single-handedly the best simple book on hiring, and there's a few components to it, and we've augmented it and- and added our own.
And so a good scorecard in my- our mind has three sort of critical components.
Members get access to an extended version of this conversation that goes further into frameworks, definitions, and strategies Tracy uses to build lasting companies.
Sign up today at fs.blog/membership.
This episode of The Knowledge Project is for informational purposes only.
The views and opinions expressed by Shane Parrish or our guests are solely their own.
Nothing in this conversation should be considered investment advice, financial guidance, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
Always do your own due diligence or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.
It's time to listen and learn.
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I was out navigating and trying to find resources, support, people who had come before me who could help me in that seat.
Tracy Britt Cool is the co-founder of Cambric, a long-term investment partnership focused on building enduring businesses.
She is best known for working directly with Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway, where she served as his financial assistant before becoming CEO of Pampered Chef and serving on the board of several Berkshire companies, including Benjamin Moore and Kraft Heinz.
She combines investor discipline with hands-on operating experience, bringing a rare perspective on what it takes to grow and sustain great companies.
So we're really selective at finding the highest quality businesses that have a long runway.
I also think a lot of investors haven't actually been operators, and so it's really hard to go into a business and say, "This is what you should go do to operate a business," if you've never actually operated a business.
When it comes to hiring, like what does that process look like? Like what does that nitty-gritty look like in the detail?
It is, I think, single-handedly the best simple book on hiring, and there's a few components to it, and we've augmented it and- and added our own.
And so a good scorecard in my- our mind has three sort of critical components.
Members get access to an extended version of this conversation that goes further into frameworks, definitions, and strategies Tracy uses to build lasting companies.
Sign up today at fs.blog/membership.
This episode of The Knowledge Project is for informational purposes only.
The views and opinions expressed by Shane Parrish or our guests are solely their own.
Nothing in this conversation should be considered investment advice, financial guidance, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
Always do your own due diligence or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.
It's time to listen and learn.