We were lucky to catch up with Kemuel Browne recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kemuel , thank you so much for making time for us today. We can’t wait to dive into your story and the lessons you’ve learned along the way, but maybe we can start with something foundational to your success. How have you gone about developing your ability to communicate effectively?
Effective Communication is a major key to progress in any arena. I can best attribute a lot of that learning through being a musical director for over two decades. As a musical director your job is to know all the parts within the band, as well as what the lead act is doing. You have to find ways to communicate any and everything that may come up. You may have practiced something verbatim as a band, then on show day the artist may ask for a shortened verse, or while performing the backing tracks may fall out and you have to go fully live. All these things while keeping the main focus which is the integrity of the performance staying in-tact.
I remember once being on tour in Italy and we had to utilize a new drummer from Italy on the tour that we hadn’t practiced with. The show was that evening and he had a few hours to learn all the material, then come together as a band and execute. Oh, and he spoke Italian and maybe 1% English. No time for excuses, as the Musical Director my job was to make sure that we were ready. Step 1 was PATIENCE. Language barrier, no previous relationship, time crunch, patience had to be priority. Allowing him to go through his learning process and finding the middle ground that allowed him to feel that his learning pace was ok. Killing Ego was the second step. As the director we NEEDED him. Any sign of me showing frustration would’ve put the priority of the music on the backburner and could’ve distracted him from what I was relaying to him. FInally, keeping the main thing the main thing! Our job was to accompany the lead act that evening. My job was to aid him with that. Keeping him calm, reaffirming, keeping the environment calm, cool and collected, or even asking the lead act, “Hey can we empty the auditorium of the singers and everyone else for the next hour so there are no distractions.” This allowed us to use the unadulterated language of music, and we were able to get the music learned and have a great show that evening.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
At the core of me I’m a storyteller and orator that tries to create as many mediums that allows others to have their stories told that demonstrate mindset through resilience, grit, empowerment and elevation of self and those around them. Those mediums fall under FlyYoungIntellectual LLC, a multi-media production & brand development firm.
For myself, personifying mindset was integral to my self development. Some of those things for me personally were, “Look Good feel Good (Fly), staying youthful and vibrant as we continue to live our life, (Young), and staying FAR away from “boxed thinking” while continuing to learn (Intellectual). Taking those things through life while setting out to accomplish everything in a spirit of excellence and no fear, that is our overall mission for the brand.
Brand development is our leading service rendered. Providing resource, strategy, managerial support, and overall solutions for brand owners through research & development, content production, website development, public relations, marketing strategy and more!
The Fly Young Intellectual Podcast is coming back after a hiatus! I enjoy using this medium to push those things I spoke about before, while highlighting the journey of others who are on their own journey and finding ways to raise the bar. The podcast was created to Inform Inspire and Interact with our community. Also excited for merchandise we’ve been working on, that’ll be available. Our concentration is on finding ways to extend the reach of the mission through design, messaging, & product.
I’ve also been blessed to diversify my portfolio and enter the tech space. I’m on the board of advisors for Caribbean Water Technologies. A startup out of the U.S. Virgin Islands that is focused on providing high level drinking water solutions through groundbreaking technology. We are excited about some amazing products that will be available to the public very soon not only in the Virgin Islands, but throughout the the U.S. and eventually the world!
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?
Three qualities I believe have aided me on my journey are: Always be open to learn, seek ways to provide value before you can even make a dime, (I know that’s a tough one!), and spread knowledge,
Elevation requires an open mind that can adapt and continue uploading as the world evolves. That’s why being a student forever is essential. Don’t become a dinosaur.
Providing value is always the key to sustainable relevance. The more value you provide, the more people will want you to be around, be a part, and hire you/services. Develop what it is you believe is your strong suit, and sharpen that perspective.
Finally don’t be an information gatekeeper. Pass the knowledge you’ve acquired along so that you can inspire others and possibly aid them in becoming a better version of themselves, while bettering their situation if they want to!
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
That’s a great question and super relevant to where I am in my life right now.
I haven’t been great in this regard and honestly just started really paying attention to my sense of being overwhelmed and finding mediums that help me release in a healthy way.
One main outlet for me now is journaling. Writing out my feelings especially in the morning has helped me to get out my inner thoughts especially if no one is around to talk to, or I feel I need to just work it out solely.
Never underestimate the power of a good walk. Walking has allowed me to be able to take a deep breath, disconnect, maybe make a call to a trusted party to discuss my feelings, and great exercise overall!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.flyyoungintellectual.com
- Instagram: @FlyYoungIntellectual
- Facebook: Kemuel Browne
- Linkedin: Kemuel Browne
- Youtube: FlyYoungIntellectualMedia
Image Credits
Photos with blue suit in the restaurant business meeting are by Geneiva Weeks
