Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Bran Black. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Bran, so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risk?
I think my willingness and ability to take risks started pretty early for me. Coming up, I was fortunate enough to have a family full of business owners, and I’ve always been ultra observant to everything and everyone around me. So, since an adolescent, I’ve seen the action of betting on yourself and going all in, for what it is that needs to be done. In addition to that, which is what I think is required for risk taking, is preparation. Apart of the reason why I’m so comfortable taking the leap of faith and taking the risks, is because I work for it. I put the actual work in. If I never trained or lifted a single weight in my life, and randomly decide I want to take the risk of attempting to bench press 400 pounds, I more than likely wouldn’t go well for me. However, I’m constantly in the gym, eating right, taking proper nutrition, etc…that risk becomes a lot more attainable and comfortable, because I’m prepared for it. So, working to put yourself in the best position to land on your feet is equally as important to taking the actual risk itself.
I also must add…my faith has a lot to do with my confidence in taking risks as well. Having a relationship with God allows me the luxury of trusting Him, to always catch me if I fall short (by His Grace). So the building and development of my willingness to take risks comes by my upbringing, work ethic, and faith.
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?
What consumes majority of my time, passion, and effort currently is branNEWmedia, branNEWrunway, and management for music artist, Chris Van Gogh. Across these three entities, they keep me on my toes and striving for the next “thing” within each one. Pertaining to BNM, we’ve been laser focused on our services, Release Rollout. Which is our all inclusive service that provides music artists a full music rollout plan and strategy with many tools, knowledge, and items to implement not only in their next release, but throughout their career. We’ve also been pouring a lot into our in-house blog, The Lookout Blog, lead by our Journalist, Tasha. Shoutout to Tasha! As for BNR, our fashion division, we’ve super locked in on a few different things simultaneously— our service to designers called Creative Development, which is coming soon. As well as elevating our daily content for our audience, and gaining exposure. Shoutout to Lys, Jas, and J. Hibb. As for CVG, we’re in a really good space of consistency and at a high level of quality. A lot of really good sounding music is loaded up, as well as visuals. Our best to date, actually. Very much so looking forward to 2024, it’ll be special. Shoutout to CVG, Mikey, and Aniyah. TSO…
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?
The qualities that come to mind that I feel like I needed to embrace would probably be patience, self-awareness, resilience, intentionality, and empathy. I think this collection of qualities can steer you on a path worth taking. If you’re at the very, very beginning or contemplating on even starting the journey of chasing more and higher, simplify it. Be ultra intentional about every, single, thing. Literally, Allow nothing to go in vain. Everything counts and matters. Being self-aware will allow you to acknowledge when you need to improve on something or even if you are not doing well in other realms. Be aware of how you are spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically at all times. Really tap into yourself, and stay locked in with you. patience and resilience go hand in hand. Things will absolutely not always go how you plan. You have to learn to adopt resilience to not allow yourself to feel defeated and your path is rerouted, having patience that it end up working out in your favor. And lastly, empathy. Feel for others. Have compassion for the people around you or that you cross paths with. Having a pure heart with empathy will come back around to you 10fold. But do it just because it feels right.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Feeling overwhelmed is actually something I try to lean into when I sense it. I know that may sound strange. But, when you can shift your thinking and perspective, a lot changes. When I feel myself starting to feel overwhelmed, I can register that, oh this is something that’s making me uncomfortable. And being in a productive uncomfortable position is beneficial for your growth. Now, with that being said, I must also mention that it’s a really weird feeling. Especially with me already having anxiety. So, honestly the best way I’ve been able to overcome an overwhelming moment, is to sit in it and trust my preparation and faith— everything will fall into place.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brannewmedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceobran/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bran-black-35a762141/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ceobranblack
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@brannewmedia
Image Credits
Aniyah Word
