We were lucky to catch up with Briana Serpone recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Briana , 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.
How did you develop your ability to take risks?
Taking risks does not come easily. From outside forces driving your decisions whether it’s conscious or unconscious, to self doubt and fear, taking a risk is ultimately the best thing you could do for yourself. I was 19, freshly dropped out of college and had no clear path in sight. Where i grew up, everyone went to college, found a job, got married and then started a family. Straying off the path and going to vocational school made you a “loser” and that was my mindset at the time because of my environment. During college i failed most of my classes and partied for the year til i realized i needed to get it together if i wanted to make something of myself. I transferred to a smaller college for a semester and felt even worse there just focusing on school. With no idea at this point what my goal was i decided to drop out again. I felt defeated and like a mess up because of what i was conditioned to think was the “norm”. After going over what i want my life to look like i started to think of my passions. I always loved makeup but i would be considered a “loser” if i went to beauty school right? Wrong. I had moved out of my home town 2 years prior why was i still letting people I’ll never see again dictate what i do with my life. I was blocking my own blessings and decided to enroll in beauty school. From there my life changed for the better. I completed beauty school and got hired at my dream job right out of school. The connections and knowledge i gained both in school and at my first makeup job will always carry forth with me. Taking this risk after college led me on a path of truly not caring what anyone thinks as long as i am happy with my life. Over the years i worked my ass off til Covid hit, i put makeup to the side and started my journey as a DJ & producer. I never thought starting my DJ project that in 5 years of hard work and dedication that i would be able to leave my full time corporate job to become a full time DJ. I had a goal in mind and knew what i had to do to supplement the income from my full time job. All i needed was 2 DJ residences and i could leave and start my new journey. I was presented with an opportunity in August of 2024 and knew it was time to take the next leap of faith. It’s now may 2025 and i have 4 DJ residences and counting. Believing in yourself is the most powerful asset you could have. Not fearing what’s unknown but setting goals and actively working towards them to lead you to a better life and your dreams. If you’re doubting yourself, look in the mirror and remember who the f**k you are! Take the risk.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
At the moment i consider myself an Artist & Entrepreneur because it’s too hard to label specifically what i am. I dip my toes in many mediums of art and have ran with all of them. My main medium is DJing and producing, i go by two alias’s SiRPENT, which is my creative outlet and then SIR which is my professional project. My other mediums are makeup as well as photography focusing on production as well as nightlife. I was putting myself in a box for so long, thinking that i can’t have multiple passions or avenues just because i was focusing on one at the time. My love for art is eternal and I’m sure in the coming years I’ll try out more and more.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Resilience, acceptance, and confidence are the three most important qualities you’ll need on your journey. With art you will get a ton of rejection whether it’s from labels, venues, or clients. It’s hard not to compare to others success but the biggest thing to understand is rejection is the universe’s protection. Even if it’s something you have been wanting it may not be the right thing for you at the time. There have been many times I’ve been rejected from something and have obviously been super upset. Then months down the line, a better opportunity arises and i realize that i was not meant to follow the path i thought was right for me, but this new path that was always meant for me.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
The biggest area of growth for me the last 12 months has been putting myself first and showing up for me. A year ago i was still working full time at my old job, not working out, roughing out mental health issues, and just overall not taking care of myself. Once i started therapy, left my job, and started showing up for myself my whole perspective changed. I was waking up at 6 am for a job but not taking care of myself and doing the same for me. It’s hard but if you can wake up and do that, you can wake up to go to a workout or a business networking opportunity. Both things are hard but to do but if you don’t start today it’s just gonna get harder in the long run.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Sheissirpent , sheissir , sirlooksmua
- Facebook: Sheissirpent
- Twitter: Sheissirpent
- Youtube: Sheissirpent
- Soundcloud: Sheissirpent
Image Credits
@shotsbysuave
@dreamviewprod
@pedro_skyp3r
@vlossvisual
@paxton_loves_u
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.