Meet Alicia Sample East | Producer/Writer, Brave Voices Media

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alicia Sample East and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alicia, what role has risk played in your life or career?
An interaction with my last boss (who turned into a client) redefined my idea of risk and reset my life’s course. He insisted that everyone had a price and he was looking for mine. What would it take for me to relocate and work every day in the office with him—creating content under his brand? This job was comfortable! What with its predictable income, 401K matching, and all of the related (perceived) stability. It felt risky—and maybe even irresponsible—to head out on my own and build something from scratch. As I considered my options, I pictured myself in my 80s and tried to get in touch with that woman’s perspective. I asked myself how that woman would think about the choice. It was suddenly clear that the real risk would be staying in that position and slowly going dead inside while my own dreams withered on the vine. That woman would want know she had gone for it—regardless of the results! There was no price on her dreams—on her spark and soul and freedom. I’ve pivoted many times since, but I’ve never looked back!
Even now that my business/life partner and I are responsible for kids and a mortgage, I still picture that woman and think about her when I make decisions. I want to do her proud!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Brave Voices Media is a full-service production company. Creating compelling and emotionally-engaging stories that move audiences to a desired action is our sweet spot. Through the power of story, we help companies, nonrprofits, and individuals communicate their values and core message.

We handle everything– from the scriptwriting and filming all the way through editing, color, music and delivery. We help clients craft the story from start to finish by identifying central characters, conflict, resolution, stakes and more.

We love people. We’ve sat at tables with refugee families, filmed in operating rooms and waited beside parents as their children go through operations. We’ve followed young people from a theater program as they traveled from Selma to Broadway to perform an original show.

No matter the cause, we LOVE amplifying brave voices and capturing stories about changing lives and the world for the better. Nothing compares to the spirit and energy of people uniting under the banner of a cause bigger than themselves. Our favorite stories to tell are ones that embody that kind of spirit. They’re the ones out there, pounding the pavement every day and doing the hard, worthwhile, world-changing work. They represent the qualities we teach our kids–servant leadership, hope in action, and championing the underdog. It just so happens these qualities make for the most compelling stories, too.

The “that’s it” moment gets us out of bed in the morning.

All the raw ingredients of a great story already exist within the organizations and stories we serve. We just help put them together. In video, that means bringing the images, music, and script together to express the inexpressible (also known as the magic of art!).

When we met 13 years ago, my now husband Joseph and I connected on one thing: our desire to tell stories that matter. Whether we are doing that for a company, a nonprofit, or a community activist, that has remained the core of our business and mission. I am so proud of that! I’m also proud of the fact that almost all of our business has come from referrals from happy clients.

Nothing about starting or growing a business has been easy but staying in touch with our purpose has helped us weather the challenges and more importantly, learn from them!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My best friend/spouse Joseph is my partner in business/life/parenting as well as my ride or die in all our big “unreasonable” risks! It’s not just the big moments, either. For me, true romance is in the little things: like when he gets the car seats in place and lunches packed when he has to leave early. That’s love!

Website: https://www.bravevoicesmedia.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bravevoicesmedia/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brave-voices-media/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brave__voices

Other: https://vimeo.com/bravevoicesmedia