Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Breian Brockington. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Breian, great to have you with us today and excited to have you share your wisdom with our readers. Over the years, after speaking with countless do-ers, makers, builders, entrepreneurs, artists and more we’ve noticed that the ability to take risks is central to almost all stories of triumph and so we’re really interested in hearing about your journey with risk and how you developed your risk-taking ability.
I have always positioned myself to step outside of societies box for fat, black, loud women. There are so many saying that coin loud women as ignorant and that couldn’t be further from the truth. It is often said women should be seen and not heard. I am here to push back on it all. Even as I hold all of those stereotypes I still find a way to show up and bet on myself.
The riskiest decision I have ever made was deciding that I deserved good in life. I deserved a little adventure. After living in my father’s now ex-wife’s spare bedroom, I made the bold decision to move to South Korea. That idea did not just fall out of the sky. Just one year before I was a shining star at my intern in Washington, D.C. I worked so well advocating for children in need, someone impressed upon me that I would be a great international teach. I can guarantee you that was not on my Bingo card in 2007. However, I didn’t not act on the opportunity until 2008.
I often ask myself, why was I so sure of that opportunity? How did I know it was going to work out. I didn’t? But something about traipsing on the other side of the world intrigued me. Plus somebody told me I couldn’t and I knew they were wrong. This was the moment. The moment I learned to trust my understanding of who I am. This decision to move to Bucheon, South Korea changed the trajectory of my life. All I had to do was go all in, follow through, and commit to the assignment.
So where was the risk? The risk was in trusting my 23 year old contract negotiating skills. The risk was in getting sick and having emergency surgery in a foreign country without telling your family. I took a risk when I decided that I would dedicate the next 10 years to international education. And it took me around the world. I have lived in the beautiful mountains of Morocco, a place I call my second home. Before Saudi Arabia was open to non-Hajj travelers, I lived and taught in its prestigious universities.
Sometimes we have to bet on ourselves, even when the full vision is not clear. We have to trust that the destiny that is meant for you will show up in full if you just risk the safety of your norm. So how did I develop my ability to take a risk? I did it scared, a little unsure, but with all the heart I could muster.
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?
It get excited about the world, its many celebrated cultures, and travel. I have spent the past 15 years building an International education and program developer for refugee resettlement. So naturally, I wanted to share all of my amazing stories and adventures with friends and family. I began curating domestic and international trips. My travel company Kurvy Girls Travel, curated adventurous itineraries that partnered with international small business provide unique lodging, amazing excursions, and cultural impact.
Today, I am getting back to my roots and educating the masses. Through The Resettled Project, I acknowledges the duality of continental moves. TRP aims to be a resource and to hold space for the asylum seeker, the wanderlust, the degree chaser, the corporate relocator, the refugee, the military family, those on a permanent gap year, and everyone in between.
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?
When starting a business, a new family, or deciding to move abroad, it requires a flexible mindset. We all have expectations but flexibility allows one to expand their understanding of their situation. Being flexible allowed me to move to a different city in Morocco when I was having a difficult time in Tetouan. I was not treated very well in that city. but I knew the whole of Morocco did not share the same biases of that city. Secondly, connect with people and make community. This is one of my greatest regrets after living in South Korea. I connected with Americans but made minimal friends with locals in my community. I have carried this lesson with me. Join social groups, make friends with your neighbors, and be kind to strangers. Lastly, never wait until you are out of options to make moves. If you wait until their are little to no options, you will make decisions out of desperation.
If I could offer advice on how to develop your own core qualities it would be to utilize the resources around you. If you are in school, take advantage of the career center. If you are a working professional, connect with your city’s workforce commission. They often off professional development opportunities for little to no cost. Get connected. Where you are planted, you will grow.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Right now I am in a space of shift and growth. I have all of this knowledge and experience and I want to pass it along. I intend to do that through The Resettled Project and the nonprofit arm of the organization. But to make that happen, I need to connect with more parents of college age students. I want to connect with colleges and universities the hold large BIPOC populations. More specifically, I am looking to connect with HBCU’s and their student body. Black Americans only attribute to 6-7% of study abroad programs and our presence in International workforce is even less. I want to change those numbers. We should be represented globally. If you fit that description you can definitely connect with me by email at breiansb@gmail or on socials @mydopegloballife.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mydopegloballife/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/breiansb/
- Other: TikTok: tiktok.com/@mydopegloballife
