We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brandon Pinder. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brandon below.
Brandon, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
I wish I could take credit for this but this all stems from my upbringing and how my mom raised me. My mom is a firm believer in “things don’t JUST HAPPEN they HAPPEN JUST how they are supposed to”. For as long as I remember she’s been telling me sayings such as that and things like “wake up every morning and look in the mirror and tell yourself ‘I Love You'”. I never used to understand why when I was younger but as I grew up I felt the difference in myself and my outlook on life in general. I always see things through an optimistic view no matter how grim things may seem. Even if I am at my lowest I know I have no way to go but up. I can’t even count how many times things have worked out in my favor even when it seems like there is no way possible for it to happen. God & my mom have instilled this way of thinking in me and its my core belief system. If you look up optimistic in the dictionary it will read “hopeful and confident about the future” and thats one thing I’ll forever be. No matter how many times I’ve failed or messed up or fallen down my mindset won’t ever allow me to stay there because there is always something to be thankful for and there is always a positive way to think in any situation and thats the one I choose to focus on. If you ask anybody who is around me they will tell you this is who I am and who I always will be.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My name is Brandon, I am a business owner and consultant. I own and operate Thank U God For Another Day™ Clothing as well as One Of One Consulting™. You can visit these websites for more info www.tugfad.com & www.oneofoneconsult.com. My clothing line is a faith based fashion and accessories clothing company curated from a saying my mom has been telling me for years. We are going on our 7th year in business. My consulting business is something I embarked on and really have a passion for and comes from my love of seeing ideas go from a thought to a physical form. We handle everything from starting a brand to helping established brands tap into other markets and even extra business consulting areas. This business is going on our 4th year. Aside from these I have taken on a hobby of Photography and I enjoy it a lot. It helps me relax and deal with some of the stressful days. You can check out some of my photos on instagram (@tugfadphotoz). Something new I’m working on is an investment group to dive into a new business I have been intrigued about for the last year. Real estate & general contracting has been an interest of mine and I am hoping to launch this within the next 6 months. All of these things are near and dear to me because everything I am doing or want to do is something I am very passionate about and learn about daily. Also its about the legacy I am creating for my daughter and those who will come after me. Everything is for my last name.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three qualities I would say are the most impactful would be perseverance, discipline, and a willingness to learn and apply it. Perseverance is a must for me because no matter what you are pursuing in life there will always be obstacles and bumps in the road and if you are easily swayed and aren’t persistent you won’t make it. You have to have the attitude that no matter how long it takes to get there you’ll stay focused on your goals and build the life you want to live brick by brick. Discipline is another key quality you must have. Having discipline will help you learn that instant gratification is a road that leads nowhere. You will miss the parties and the fun for a while but you will gain something greater. All of the things that are fun now will still be there when you get where you are going. Doing the hard thing when the easy thing is also doable is a choice that will open an area of your character that not many posses. Staying focused on what you said you will do long after the feeling has left you is what will separate you from most people. Another important thing is a thirst for knowledge but not only that lets go a step further and apply that to your life. A lot of people may read books and take courses or go to college and get degrees but not a lot of people apply the knowledge to their daily lives. Its not enough to just be a sponge to the plethora of information we all are privy to nowadays but you also have to use it to better the life of you and those around you. My advice to anybody early in their journey is to take these three things and implement them in your life daily and find me in 5 years time and I’ll bet you’ve done something amazing and made something of yourself. I dare you to be great.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
Last year my father passed away. After it happened I was completely lost. Before I knew it 6 months had passed and I didn’t know what was going on. My life fell apart. One day I woke up and I had to look in the mirror and ask myself some serious questions and really self reflect. Was I going to lay down and let this loss take me out or was I going to turn this pain into purpose? I chose the latter. Over the next 6 months and still currently I am continuing to work on my character, my responses to trauma, and just me as a person in general. I believe God broke me all the way down to build me into the man I am supposed to be. No person on this earth will ever be perfect but we can all strive to be better than we were yesterday until the day we are called to leave this place. That is my main goal. I truly believe the old me would look at me now and be proud of the journey I am on. I won’t say it’ll be easy shedding the old skin and becoming a better version of yourself but its definitely worth it. You may lose relationships, friends, family, or money, but you will gain YOU! At the end of the day who matters more to you than yourself? Remember you can’t pour from an empty cup. So I’ve said all that to say my biggest area of growth would be that I learned to focus on me and improve myself in all areas so I can be the best Brandon K. Pinder. Love.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tugfad.com
www.oneofoneconsult.com - Instagram: @tugfad
@oneofoneconsulting
@kalipops
@tugfadphotoz
Image Credits
@tugfadphotoz
