We recently had the chance to connect with Briahna Gatlin and have shared our conversation below.
Briahna, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day starts with a glass of water and prepping to drink my green juice (meal supplement). I dont drink it cold I drink mostly at room temperature. After that make time to do something personal for myself, whether it be morning meditation, a skin care routine or just sleep a little longer and do some breathing exercises. After that first hour, I’m ready to engage with the world. I try (sometimes I fail) to avoid grabbing my phone and getting on social media just to set the tone for peace and serenity.
That quiet time allows me to map out my day and check my calendar and get ahead of what the day brings me. The last thing I do is a house chore, I may wash a load of clothes or dishes, vacuum or clean a room. That usually takes 15 -20 mins and my last 15 mins are spent indulging in a little bit of cannabis to get my creative brain flowing before I get on a call or start writing.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Briahna Gatlin and I am a Entrepreneur / Publicist / Strategist of Swank Public Relations and the first person to do PR for Hip Hop in Chicago. Before I started my PR company, I was a journalist that wrote for The Source Magazine, Red-Eye, Allhiphop.com and more. I was the go-to journalist for many artist that came in Chicago and transitioned from breaking artist in major publications as a journalist to being apart of telling the artist story from the public relations side.
I started Swank Public Relations after recently starting a teen publication called True Star Magazine with a group of women, who purpose;y pushed me and another founder out of the picture. The magazine is still around today, while I served as the Editorial Director, I created the infrastructure of the magazine and launched it by doing interviews with the same artist labels would have me interview while working at Source Magazine.
Swank PR was birthed out of love for story telling and pure ambition to keep going despite high unemployment and being shut out of a brand I help build for some years. I started Swank PR in 2007 and have worked with multiple major artists and been instrumental in breaking Chicago artist specifically G Herbo, King Louie, Katie Got Bandz, and Tink from local to national platforms. In May 2013 I received Music Publicist of the Year from Chicago notable Mary Datcher/Global Mixx, in 2019 I was awarded the Illumination Award for Atlanta’s Behind the Scenes Awards. In 2024 I was named Female Entrepreneur of The Year at The 312 Music Awards and was an honoree for Chicago Women in Music for Women’s History Month.
Major publications including Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Rolling Out, Source Magazine, NDigo, and more have recognized me for my leadership and innovative tactics . Notable mentions in media sites include JetMag.com and Pigeons and Planes for her niche of connecting and inspiring her colleagues within the industry.
Swank PR notable clients include G.Herbo, Lil Zay Osama, Zenni Eyewear, Yahoo Finance Host & Entrepreneur Ross Mac, Earn Your Leisure, Westside Gunn, DropBox, The Chicago Bulls, The Gorillaz, Vic Mensa, Comedian/Actor Lil Rel, Chance The Rapper, Tobi Lou, Raekwon, King Louie, Sway Calloway (MTV), New Era, Complex Magazine, Mos Def, Sports Journalist Brandon”Scoop B” Robinson, Lupe Fiasco, Multi-Platinum Producers Christian Rich, Da Internz, G.O.O.D Music, Eighty81 (Lebron James, Rich Paul), Professional Skateboarder Stevie Williams (DGK) and more.
As a CEO & Principal Publicist I have branded Swank PR in various and unconventional ways creating a lane for Public Relations in Chicago of what was only considered a minimal asset. Being a major beacon in the industry within Chicago, my business model has become the blueprint for keeping my ear to the ground, connecting the dots, and creating a legacy and lane for upcoming new media.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I believed I was shy and soft spoken and didnt have much to say, as I got older that changed pretty rapidly and I noticed that i was always compelled to be authentic. I learned quickly I was not good at putting on a mask or holding things in. I had to express my truth no matter what the circumstances or outcome.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
One kind thing I would say to my younger self is jump off the porch and take that leap even if it feels uncomforbale, because you are driven, smart and creatively thoughtful in your moves. You will never doubt yourself or your ability once you become who you are meant to be.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
Smart people shouldnt get anything wrong if they realize, they aren’t the smartest in every area. A smart person will always know when to be the student and learn before assuming they know the rules of the game. Every industry and space has a different set of rules, you have to learn them in all those spaces. A smart person will understand they may get it wrong but its a lesson in failures.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What are you doing today that won’t pay off for 7–10 years?
Overthinking and doubting your self will not pay off in 7-10 years. Burning bridges and not reaching back for the younger generation or your colleague will harm you later in life. People remember how you treated them, how you made them feel and the absolutely remember if you help make them more or put them in a position to be successful.
Contact Info:
- Twitter: https://x.com/briahnaj
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SwankPublicRelations/
Image Credits
Sinematic Studios (B & W photo), Photo credit Swank PR, Briahna Gatlin
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
