We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dennis-Michael Broussard. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dennis-Michael below.
Hi Dennis-Michael, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
How did I find my purpose? As many people do, I have many purposes in life; each one directly related to interests that lie somewhere on the spectrum between “mild obsession” and “intense curiosity;” but all of them are things for which I am passionate. My purposes, though seemingly divergent, all align with my personal mission statement and with who I want to be and become. But really, I found purpose with anything I wanted to be a part of or contribute to.
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?
In simplest terms, I produce events. I create experiences or I get hired to execute events. My work functions primarily in the cultural realm, but the full scope of my work is much more general. I’ve created many popular events in San Diego, including the San Diego Ramen Festival, the Asian Cultural Festival, the Filipino Sun Festival, Fangaea Con, the San Diego Anime Con, among many others. I’ve worked with the San Diego Padres for their Korean, Japanese, and Filipino Heritage Celebrations and pre-game shows, SeaWorld San Diego, Legoland, the San Diego County Fair, the USS Midway, and several local film festivals, and countless others. I’ve produced events in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans, Omaha, and others.
When I am not working on events, I am often spending my time in San Diego’s International community. I serve on the boards of the United Nations Association of San Diego, San Diego World Affairs Council, San Diego International Sister Cities Association, the House of Pacific Relations in Balboa Park, and I was appointed by Mayor Todd Gloria to serve on the City of San Diego’s International Affairs Board. I am the current President of the House of France and I am working on building a formal and internationally recognized relationship between San Diego and the city of Marseille, France.
One of my ongoing side projects includes “The Humanitarian Project,” an initiative whose mission is to “help humanity” by planning and executing humanitarian projects for impoverished people around the world. One of my first projects through “The Humanitarian Project” involved the distribution of teaching supplies and school equipment to a very poor school district in the eastern part of Nepal. Not long before I did that mission, I was inspired by what a local nonprofit I worked with was doing with water filters in developing countries, so I decided that I wanted to do something similar.
In 2017, I returned to Africa, this time to Kenya and Tanzania, to once again distribute water filters to slums, schools, orphanages, and churches, and help people get access to clean drinking water. I’ve also raised money to distribute water filters for a village in the Philippines that had tested positively for infected water sources. Right before the pandemic, in the spring of 2020, I once again returned to Africa and brought water filters to school, churches, orphanages, and the city council office in northern Uganda, where clean, safe water is needed by all.
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?
There are three simple things that have made a difference in everything I do. They’re simple, but not always easy. This includes having a clear vision of what I wanted to accomplish. Goal setting, time management, and prioritization were key elements of having a that clear vision. Secondly, discipline and dedication. Nothing good comes without sacrifice and discipline. Lastly, execution. To put it succinctly, showing up, following up, and following through. I think these qualities made a difference for me in being able to achieve everything that I have, which includes the five degrees I have earned while doing everything I have been doing.
For people starting on their journey, the best pieces of advice I can give include developing those qualities above; finding a mentor or someone who has succeeded in the field in which you have an interest and desire to embark and being able to learn from them; and finally, caring about the success of others.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am always looking for people to collaborate with. I get involved with things that get people excited (especially me!). The range of projects I work on include humanitarian, cultural, educational, environmental, and even diplomatic. I can work on anything, and I have learned that I can do anything, but I can’t do anything GREAT without the input, interest, and contribution of other people. I couldn’t have brought as many water filters to as many places in need of clean water without the help of people who spread the word, donated, or even came with me to those developing countries. The Marseille – San Diego Sister City project I have been working would be no where without collaborations. The San Diego Anime Convention we created would be no where without the contributions of other creative and talented people. The upcoming horror convention we are creating will only come alive with input from other folks who are as obsessed with horror as we are! The types of people I want to continue collaborating are passionate, curious, obsessives, like me! If someone wanted to be a part of the things we work on, they can send me an email at [email protected]
Contact Info:
- Website: http://thehumanitarianproject.us/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dennismichaelbroussard
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/dennismichaelSD
