We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bo Dean. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bo below.
Bo , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I come from an era and city where we didn’t have people to follow for a blueprint on how to make a name for ourselves, so everything was trial and error. We just learned from our mistakes and successes. Being that music (entrepreneurship in general) is something that I love dearly, it wasn’t discouraging to fail, because I knew eventually I would elevate to the next level. Seeing other people in my profession make it that were in the same boat that I was in has always been even more motivation to keep pursuing my aspirations.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I wear many hats. For one, I am an artist. I have been in the music industry for almost two decades. Music has always been my first love and It will be something that I do until I die. Finding clever ways to put words together that convey my thoughts for the world to hear has always been fascinating to me. I have reached many plateaus and accomplishments with my music and still have way more to reach. As I grow and mature in my craft, I feel that I am only getting better and finding new ways to express my art. Not just rapping but other avenues as well. Throughout my journey, I have explored video and music production, modeling, and acting, and created my apparel brand. So when I say I’m an artist, it is not just in one realm of artistry. Sometimes when I’m not inspired by music, I work on my other artistries to get back inspired again.
Another passion of mine that I take pride in is education. I have been an educator (English Teacher) for about 10 years now. I decided to enter this profession because I was already good with words and as a high school English Teacher, I figured that lane would be fairly easy. My main goal in this profession was to help inspire and mold the minds of the next generation. I had many great role models who were teachers who played a part in not only keeping me on the right track but also valuing education and staying out of unnecessary trouble. I feel that is what a lot of youth are missing nowadays. They just need people to believe in them. Tell them “Man, you can do whatever you put your mind to but you have to work hard for it and go about things the right way.” A good pep talk can take you a long way.
I recently got my master’s in Education Administration and I plan on becoming a principal in my next phase of this career path.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Maintaining a good reputation. Having a good name will always be more of a positive than a detriment on your path. Having a good name and reputation can help open up doors and opportunities you may not even know are waiting for you.
2. Always be willing to learn. Be a sponge. One thing that consistently helps me become better at my craft is having the understanding that I do not know it all. I always take the opportunity to learn from others whether they know it or not. I wouldn’t be the artist, teacher, or creative that I am today if it weren’t for learning from others around me.
3. When you make connections with important people, try your best to keep building those relationships. Out of sight, out of mind.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
Everything that they did throughout my life helped me in one way or another. I may not have understood their actions, decisions, or words of wisdom when they occurred but eventually, it all made sense. As I got older I understood why I couldn’t go to certain places, why having certain morals was important, or why having an education would be beneficial for me. Most importantly, they showed me that they loved me. I had never questioned if they loved me or would be there for me if I needed them and as I see kids in my profession, I am reminded how blessed I was because a lot of them do not have that type of love and support.
Contact Info:
- Website: fronationapparel.com
- Instagram: @bovemberdean and @fronationapparel
- Facebook: bovemberdean
- Youtube: bodeantv
Image Credits
Photo creds (A.G Shaw, JazB Snappin, TreParmalee and The Biz Hippie)
