We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chavaza D’Juan Brown, MBA, DOA. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chavaza D’Juan below.
Chavaza D’Juan, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us today. We’re excited to dive into your story and your work, but first let’s start with a broader topic that might be stopping many of our readers from pursuing their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. How have you managed to persist despite haters and nay-sayers that inevitably follow folks who are doing something unique, special or off the beaten path?
Great question! I have a few different perspectives or angles on how I persist, sustain, and maintain. They all culminate into the conglomerate of one essential term: Love. Your word utilized here in this context is haters or hating. My chosen word or words here in answering are to replace the words hate or haters with the words negativity or opposition. Reason being is that, as a proud man of God focused on character, morals and certainly compassion; I try not to use, feel or speak the word hate (its such a very strong word with a lot of division, etc), because I wasn’t raised to hate; my faith and belief system requires me to love everyone, and I just have so much love in my heart to give (even if I don’t receive it in return). Throughout my entire life, I have received so much love that it’s very easy for me to distribute love out to literally anyone. My advice is: Don’t let no one or nothing produce hate in you (ever)! Anyone who knows me knows that I’m very proud of my faith in God. As such, if you recall in the Bible days that even Jesus Christ (my Lord and personal savior) had haters (even His chosen disciple Judas) and continually received ongoing hate; therefore I as a servant of Jesus Christ certainly don’t feel that I get an exemption, if Jesus Christ himself wasn’t even exempt. I just sum it up as it’s simply life and it comes with the territory of life, happiness and certainly success. It comes with or without reason, and I mentally and proactively condition myself for environments, cultures or climates involving this type of behavior. It’s a “life” package and you have to have a great deal of mental and emotional willpower to consistently withstand and not bend, falter, or break. As far as challenges are concerned, I tend to get vulnerable when I’m not challenged. Challenges sharpen me. I’m a very driven, ambitious person; and have been that way all throughout life! I’ve been put in (or achieved) a lot of leadership roles throughout my life. With that; I’ve had to deliver (on stage or in public on many occasions) and in every opportunity or environment; defeat was not an option. So my mentors were very stern and strict disciplinarians who set great examples. For me, just doing one or a couple of things in life is humdrum. I enjoy having multiple portfolios of varying things going on at any given time. I’m always looking for the next thing to conquer or achieve!
Positivity keeps me encouraged; negativity keeps me on high alert! They both play off of one another for me and it actually and oddly creates a healthy balance for me. I don’t let my guard down easily when it comes to naysayers. My alertness of opposition or negativity keeps me from settling or resting at any given comfortable level. It actually creates both a perfect and a healthy balance for me. Yes, I absolutely love the encouragement and motivation, but I know for sure I would have not achieved as much or worked as hard as I do were it not for naysayers. Oftentimes, the naysayers were the only sole motivation I would squarely focus on as to not let their narrative materialize or come to fruition. For me, complacency and bare minimum would set in were it not for naysayers. Also for me it includes the pressure that comes from naysayers, because under pressure is where a lot of my success was birth, whether the arena is work, school or leisure. One notable example, even dating way back, is when I was in my undergraduate college program juggling being enrolled in 7 in-person classes, 21 semester hours, volunteering at my local church, completing a journalism internship at my hometown’s newspaper outlet, and working my campus job at the Southern University Police Department. Yet, I was able to achieve the Dean’s List, keep everything equally afloat, and produce one of my best academic semesters. Looking back, the pressure of all of that brought out the best of me in that specific situation; all while being told it was too much to handle and I should scale back. Some things and words you just have to lovingly tune out! Only you know your limits! And if it’s positive, constructive, ethical, rewarding and most importantly legal; then I say do what absolutely makes you happy and enjoy the journey in the process of doing so. Criticism often comes from voices that can’t conceptualize or quantify your level of success. In my role, I encourage youth all the time to examine the source of the criticism, and to ask yourself is the voice you’re hearing achieving what you have achieved or more; is the voice even on the same path that you’re traversing; and to let the answers to those two questions be the compass of where you dispose negative criticism and its source. Take the ‘high road’ and always be respectful and pleasant. Everything doesn’t need a response. You are in complete control of your destiny! Your destiny was not given to you for someone else to manage, or else it wouldn’t be your destiny. Your destiny belongs solely to you!
Uplifting wisdom that I regularly advise the youth I mentor is that anyone can say anything (freedom of speech, free will, and personal entitled opinion); not everything is true or proven; but your responsibility is to not give the naysayers validity of speech by conducting yourselves in a manner that substantiates or corroborates the negativity.
So I say love and appreciate the naysayers (and appreciate the pressure that comes with it), because in my experience, that has actually and surprisingly helped me, and kept me driven and keeps me focused on how I can outdo myself and how to outperform the last or most recent of my accomplishments. No pressure; no diamond is my constant encouragement! Naysayers are an ‘active audience’ of spectators; always know that you control the stage and your stage presence; so consistently produce immensely and don’t ever disappoint you, yourself, your opportunities, your affiliations, and everyone else who supports you and believes in you! Shine and never dim your light! Success and more success is the best response to any negativity or opposition. For every attack; respond with success (allow that to push you and drive you forward)! Success will speak for you always. Be your best and always give your best! Remain positive and keep love in the center of your heart! Each day be 1 percent better than you were the prior day! Warren Buffett has often said, “the best investment you can make is in yourself.” My mother pushed academic success. My father pushed professional success. Those were the core tools I personally needed for life, aside from the character morals and values they preached. Opposition can improve you or make you better if you strategically allow it to and positively channel it properly. Always turn a negative into a positive! Increase your love daily and always improve areas of your character! I regularly thank God for my mental willpower and mental toughness to always withstand. Never hate; only exhibit love! God rewards love! God is love (1 John 4:8)!
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?
Sure! Here is where I can give you an update about some of the exciting things my two businesses are doing. As you know, my two businesses are The Chavaza Brown Foundation, Inc and Chavaza Gives Back, LLC. Both at the core have a philanthropic concept attached to them. Hence, as we approach the holiday season, I am excited to announce that this will be our inaugural year launch providing fully cooked and fully prepared meals for both the Thanksgiving holiday, and Christmas holiday.
In years past, we have provided food supplies (i.e. can goods, frozen turkeys, frozen hams, fresh fruit and vegetables, seasonings, utensils and cutlery, à la carte items, etc.) that all required some form of preparation; however this year we are both purchasing and preparing the food. We have a dedicated team of volunteers and supporters who will help make this plan a success as we navigate giving back and serving and supporting the community we so dearly love. My mother has had a respected reputation of arguably being the most generous person in her entire neighborhood and church community alike; and to have an established business that can give back and honor the legacy (of generosity and love) she instilled in me as her child is something that’s very near and dear to me. Her longtime hobby and post-retirement craft was bakery and catering, and I’ve witnessed firsthand the countless people and dozens of homes she blessed with that craft. The morals and values of extending love and generosity is what truly makes her proud, so I’m glad to have her influence in similarly doing so to enrich the lives of others via the example she provided, and I grew up observing.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Yes sir; sure I can provide some advice, areas of knowledge, and wisdom that has helped me down through the years.
One particular piece of advice I received that has been invaluable for me is carefully selecting my surroundings and associations. Stephen R. Covey once said to “always surround yourself with people who are even more talented and competent than you”. I would say surround yourself with very positive people who are going to push you towards greatness. Your associations should be people who discuss goals, visions and ideas.
I have been blessed to have a great team around me and a huge support system. I value them and I give them a lot of credit. The Bible gives me two essential reminders that I consciously remain cognizant of: That iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17), and that I should be a man of valor (Judges 6:12).
I may have some occasional visibility in a sense due to some of the public roles I may fulfill; however, my advice is to always screen, assess, and vet your accessibility parameters, because associations can promote you or demote you; be a compliment or detriment; destroy you or elevate you.
I’m a very sociable person; I’m just very discerning and always conscious. My core inner circle is intentionally very small, and I’m extremely selective in who penetrates it. I purposely enjoy time with my inner circle and self equally, and I find that to be a very healthy balance as well. That’s by purpose and design. I have also discovered that to be another way of protecting peace, and self alike.
Additionally, I would say have a respectable and honest set of values. Dr. Prem Jagyasi, puts its best when he reminds us that our “values are embedded within us irrespective of whether we discover them or not. Even if you never discover them, they still will govern your life. Remember, that when you discover your values, always respect the values of others. Believe in yourself and you will realize that even small steps taken in the right direction can produce great results”.
Lastly, I would encourage living a life full of compassion. Earlier in our interview, I spoke very highly of love and the critical role it has played in my life (both past and present). Daily, I exercise compassion, but I do so concurrently against the parallel of interjecting kindness with it. Compassion and kindness have paved the way for me. Love, compassion, and kindness are three of my personal pillars in life. Compassion is that unwavering gift that will carry you all throughout life.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale is probably my favorite book. I’m a very positive person who anchors faith, inspiration, encouragement, and optimism at the forefront of my life. In a society where the alternative can be very prevalent, I find it very vital to protect your mind, heart, and entire being with hope and positive insight. The Power of Positive Thinking focuses on the core principles of believing in yourself; cultivating a positive mental attitude; reframing challenges; embracing gratitude; and incorporating faith and spirituality.
An excerpt from the book that regularly inspires me is to “start each day by affirming peaceful, contented, and happy attitudes and your days will tend to be pleasant and successful. Such attitudes are active and definite factors in creating satisfactory conditions “. So never let anyone tell you; you can’t achieve or accomplish the worst challenges or assignments. Fire although it burns; it also cleanses and purges impurities. At the end of the day; the day has to end. Every new day is a chance to begin again. Stay encouraged; keep love in your heart; stay positive!
(Credit: The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale)
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