We’re looking forward to introducing you to Dr Ava Brown. Check out our conversation below.
Dr Ava, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
What Are You Most Proud of Building — That Nobody Sees?
People often ask me what I’m most proud of building — expecting me to say a book, a business, or a festival.
But truthfully?
It’s none of those.
What I’m most proud of building is two incredible human beings.
As a single mother of two children who are polar opposites — one born in the UK, the other in Jamaica — I’ve walked a road that hasn’t always been easy. Balancing love, discipline, school runs, work deadlines, and dreams that sometimes seemed too heavy to carry — I’ve done it all with faith, grit, and sometimes, tears no one ever saw.
There were nights I questioned everything, days I felt stretched beyond my limits, and moments I wondered if I was doing enough. Yet, seeing who my children are becoming reminds me that grace shows up even in the chaos.
My 13-year-old son, Mikhel Kai, recently aced his GCSE English, scoring the equivalent of an A*. His discipline, humility, and quiet determination leave me in awe.
And my daughter, a young woman with courage in her pen, has just launched her blog — pouring her voice and perspective into a space she’s carving out for herself with maturity and depth. https://www.instagram.com/barewithnae/
They are independent, well-measured, grounded children — who have endured, adapted, and evolved through life’s transitions with strength that humbles me.
So, when I pause to reflect on what I’ve truly built — beyond the festivals, books, and business ventures — I think of them.
Because raising children who thrive despite the storms is the quietest, hardest, and most beautiful legacy of all.
✨ To every parent doing the unseen work — I see you. What you’re building may not trend, but it will last for generations.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Dr. Ava Eagle Brown — author, storyteller, publisher, creative entrepreneur, and founder of the Black River Film Festival in Jamaica. But above all, I’m a mother and a woman who has turned pain into purpose.
My story began in rural Jamaica, where life taught me resilience long before I understood what that word meant. I left Jamaica in my early twenties, built a life in the UK, and returned years later to pour back into the communities that shaped me. Over the years, I’ve worn many hats — international speaker, best-selling author, educator, business coach, film festival founder, and community development advocate — but each one connects to a single purpose: to empower others to tell their stories and transform them into legacy and opportunity.
As the Founder and Festival Director of the Black River Film Festival (BRFF) — Jamaica’s first rural-based international film festival — my mission is to bring global visibility to local talent, bridge the gap between creativity and opportunity, and build St. Elizabeth into a cultural and creative hub that fuels both tourism and economic growth. The festival now hosts filmmakers and industry leaders from over 15 countries and has attracted the attention of Netflix, Canal+, and international media including The Guardian and The Voice UK.
I also lead Book2BizPublishing.com, a publishing and coaching company where I help aspiring authors transform their manuscripts into profitable brands and screen-ready stories. Through initiatives like Book2Screen and Book2Biz Masterclasses, I’ve guided dozens of authors worldwide to use their books as business cards that open doors to speaking engagements, film opportunities, and global visibility.
But my proudest title remains “Mum.”
I’m a single mother of two remarkable children — a son born in the UK and a daughter born in Jamaica — who are both polar opposites yet equally extraordinary. My 13-year-old son, Mikhel Kai, recently aced his GCSE English with an A*, while my daughter has just launched her own blog, using her voice to inspire others. Watching them grow into independent, grounded, and purpose-driven individuals is my greatest achievement — one that fuels everything else I do.
Right now, I’m focused on expanding the Black River Film Festival 2026, themed “AI and Production: The Future of Caribbean Filmmaking,” while continuing to champion voices through publishing, storytelling, and creative empowerment.
What makes my journey unique is not perfection, but perseverance — the unwavering belief that our stories, no matter how painful or imperfect, are powerful enough to change lives. I’ve lived that truth, and now I dedicate my life to helping others live it too.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
There have been many defining moments in my life, but one that truly reshaped how I see the world was the period when I was rebuilding myself after surviving domestic violence and starting over as a single mother.
At that time, I had lost almost everything — confidence, stability, and, for a while, my voice. I remember standing in my small London flat, looking at my daughter and realising that I had a choice: either allow my circumstances to silence me or use my story to rise and help others find their voices too.
That moment of clarity changed everything. It taught me that our pain can become our purpose, and that broken pieces, when put back together with faith, can form something stronger and more beautiful.
Since then, my entire worldview has shifted. I no longer see challenges as endings — I see them as invitations to evolve. It’s why I write, publish, coach, and build platforms like the Black River Film Festival and Book2BizPublishing.com: to show others that even when life strips you bare, you can rebuild, rise, and stand tall again.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
The moment I decided to stop hiding my pain was the day I spoke aloud one of the hardest truths of my life — that I had been sexually abused by my father and later raped at gunpoint.
For years, I carried that silence like a shadow — heavy, unspoken, and shaping how I moved through the world. I smiled in public while privately breaking inside. I thought that silence meant survival, that if I kept it buried, it couldn’t hurt me anymore. But silence is a prison — and healing cannot live there.
The day I decided to share my story, everything shifted. It wasn’t easy; it felt like peeling back layers of shame that never belonged to me in the first place. But in that vulnerability, I found power — the kind that comes when you take ownership of your narrative instead of letting it own you.
That was when I stopped being defined by what happened to me and started living by what was rising within me.
Since then, my life’s mission has been to help others do the same — through my books, my speaking, my coaching, and the Black River Film Festival, where storytelling becomes a bridge between pain and purpose.
I share my story not for pity, but for permission — permission for others to know that they, too, can transform their suffering into strength.
Because when we stop hiding our pain, we start healing. And when we heal, we lead others out of their darkness too.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
Experience has taught me that fads make noise, but foundations make change.
In every industry I’ve worked in — from publishing and coaching to film and community development — I’ve seen trends come and go, each one promising quick success or instant visibility. But the difference between a fad and a true shift lies in impact, longevity, and alignment with human need.
A fad is loud, flashy, and often driven by ego or popularity — it burns bright and dies fast.
A foundational shift, however, quietly reshapes how we live, work, and think. It may start small, but it sustains because it meets a real need and adds genuine value.
For example, in storytelling and the creative industries, AI isn’t just a passing trend — it’s a foundational shift. It’s transforming how stories are told, shared, and monetized. But even as I embrace that evolution, I remind myself that technology can’t replace truth. It can only amplify it.
So my filter is simple:
If something helps people grow, connect, heal, or create more authentically, it’s a shift worth building on.
If it only feeds ego or illusion, it’s just a moment passing by.
Real change doesn’t chase applause — it stands the test of time.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What are you doing today that won’t pay off for 7–10 years?
Everything I’m doing today is rooted in legacy — not instant gratification.
The truth is, I’m not just building for now; I’m building for next. The seeds I’m planting through the Black River Film Festival, Book2BizPublishing.com, and my community development work in St. Elizabeth are all long-term investments in people, culture, and systems that will outlive me.
I’m developing a framework that fuses storytelling, entrepreneurship, and film — not as isolated ideas, but as tools for economic and generational empowerment. What I’m doing won’t always trend, but it will transform.
I’m investing in young filmmakers, authors, and creatives who may not yet see their brilliance. I’m pouring into a community that’s often overlooked, helping to make rural Jamaica a hub of innovation and creative tourism.
These efforts won’t yield overnight results — but in 7–10 years, I believe we’ll see a self-sustaining creative ecosystem emerging from places people never expected: villages, classrooms, and humble homes that dared to dream.
I’ve learned that legacy takes time. Quick wins fade; deep roots endure.
So every conversation I start, every story I help someone tell, every young person I mentor — it’s all part of the foundation of something that will blossom when I’m no longer here to water it daily.
Because I’m not just building a brand — I’m building a bridge.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.avabrown24/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wwwavbrownorg/
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