Meet Brianna McKinley

We recently connected with Brianna McKinley and have shared our conversation below.

Brianna, 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?

My resilience comes from a deep-seated determination to keep going, even when the odds are against me. When I first started screenwriting in college, I was told I wouldn’t be good at it. I was told by a professor, “we don’t need another Spike Lee”, ultimately that statement had me shocked because I love the beautiful works of art that Spike has created. Instead of letting that define me, I self-taught myself, starting back in 2016, from reading books about writing, investing in screenwriting software, and entering competitions. I failed many times, but every setback was a lesson, shaping me into a better writer.

Then, in 2020, my world shifted. In the middle of a global pandemic, I lost my father—my best friend—right before my 26th birthday. I was a daddy’s girl through and through, and losing him shattered me. My creative spark disappeared for nearly four years. For the first time in my life, I felt truly lost.

Fast forward, it’s almost the end of 2024, I turned to something new: prayer and the Bible. I prayed about my grief, my creativity, and the way loss had changed me. Physically, emotionally and spiritually. Slowly, I started to feel a shift. My resilience wasn’t gone—it had been waiting for me to find it again. And now, as I reconnect with my purpose, I realize that resilience isn’t just about pushing forward; it’s about allowing yourself the time to heal and rediscover the passion that was always there.

Now at 30, I find myself rediscovering who I am—not just as a writer, but as a person. Losing my father changed me in ways I never expected. For years, I thought my creative spark was gone, but in reality, I was evolving. Prayer and faith helped me see that resilience isn’t about always pushing through; sometimes, it’s about pausing, healing, and allowing yourself to grow in new ways. I’m very grateful for my wonderful friend (Lauryn) that inspired and motivated me along the way. Now, as I step into this next chapter, I’m not just reclaiming my creativity—I’m redefining what resilience means to me.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I like to think of myself as the southern, fluffy, and comedic queen who loves putting her pen to paper—whether that’s crafting engaging content, diving into screenwriting, or meticulously proofreading legal documents. By day, I’m a lead legal proofreader, ensuring official documents are polished and precise. It’s an exciting career yet kind of stressful but I love every aspect of the job from start to finish. Also, that happens to be the perfect way to fund my creative passions and travel adventures.

Once I step away from the legal world, you’ll find me fully immersed in content creation—whether I’m sharing my latest foodie adventures, documenting exciting experiences like seeing Beyoncé live, or pouring my heart into my blog, TTYL, Nikki B! It’s my little corner of the internet where I deep dive into all things television, life, love, and the journey of redefining what my thirties will look like.

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 three qualities that were most impactful for my journey are resilience, adaptability and reinvention. Resilience kept me going through setbacks, whether in screenwriting, career shifts, or personal loss. Adaptability allowed me to pivot when life didn’t go as planned, from navigating grief to balancing my legal proofreading career with my creative passions. Most of all, reinvention gave me the freedom to evolve—whether it was relaunching *TTYL, Nikki B!* or redefining what my thirites would look like. These qualities shaped my journey by helping me push forward, embrace change, and create on my own terms.

Advice that I would give others early in their journey:

Building Resilience

Life will bring many life, twists and turns yet it’s always about looking at it through another perspective. Expect setbacks—they’re not signs to stop, but lessons to grow. Treat failure as feedback. Every rejection, every “not yet,” is refining you. Develop a mindset of perseverance. Even when you doubt yourself, take small steps forward.

Adaptability and Reinvention

Curveballs can almost hit home, and sometimes your original plan won’t work—that’s okay. Be willing to pivot. If one path isn’t working, explore other creative outlets. Stay curious. Expand your mind. Learning new skills and perspectives will keep you evolving.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

One challenge that I’m currently facing is fully stepping into my creative career while balancing the stability of my current legislative career. Yes, I do have the passion, talent, and resilience, but finding the time, energy, and confidence to truly bet on myself has left me with second guessing myself. Will I overcome this current battle? Yes. Will it be hard and outside of my comfort zone? Most definitely.

I’m overcoming this challenge by shifting my mindset to believe that I deserve to be in big spaces, even when doubt creeps in. That means putting myself out there—reaching out to brands, writing my best work on my website, and creating without being consumed by views or likes. More importantly, while I work hard in my corporate job, I’m prioritizing dedicated time for content creation, creative projects, and even moments of pure joy. It’s a reminder that I am not just my job—I owe it to myself to nurture the passions that truly fulfill me.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Where does your self-discipline come from?

One of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. We asked some

Productivity
Working hard in 2024: Keeping Work Ethic Alive

While the media might often make it seem like hard work is dead and that

Resilience
The Power of Persistence: Overcoming Haters and Doubters

Having hates is an inevitable part of any bold journey – everyone who has made