We had the good fortune of connecting with Brea and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Brea, how do you think about risk?
Risk taking can be tricky. Without taking risks and chances, you gain nothing. However, some risks can cause you to actually loose more than you bargained for. There should be a balance between risk and staying grounded. I took a risk when I became a recruiter, because I had no idea what to expect and where the road would lead. It’s not a typical career path that you study for in college and I didn’t know anyone who was in this field at the time I started. I took a risk when I branched out into the TV/entertainment industry. Again at the time I didn’t know anyone who could mentor me or even ask advice to at that time. Plus, most people I knew who made good money followed a more traditional career path. “Banker, Lawyer, Accountant, Nurse, Teacher, etc. Taking the life less traveled can be a little lonely when starting out and often times you end up becoming your own cheerleader. It’s not until you actually start making strides in what your trying to accomplish, that some people will then really start to validate and support you. I eventually ended up finding some great mentors along the way. In taking risks I have become a Sr. Technical Recruiter in the Power industry that has helped provide Consultants with jobs worldwide. On the flip side I have landed a TV host role, radio host, tv commercials, and etc that would have never happened if I didn’t take the risks that I did and branch out.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a Recruiter I am most proud of the fact that I have a huge Network of consultants who follow me no matter what company I work for. They trust me to deliver the best job/contract to them and know that I will always be upfront and honest with them throughout the hiring process. I have put people to work in Africa, Sweden, Venezuela, Bahamas, The Philippines and on several other international assignments as well as throughout most of the U.S. I am also proud to be a part of the Descendants of the Truth Charity Nonprofit organization. As the Program Manager I have helped to organize events here in Atlanta to bring awareness to the organization. Descendants of the Truth has aligned themselves with UHHM (Universal Hip Hop Museum) https://donorbox.org/capital-campaign-launch to help with their campaign to raise money for the construction of the 1st ever museum dedicated to the preservation of Universal Hip Hop. By both making a generous donation and promoting the agenda. We are both nonprofit organizations, but DOT just wanted to show its support for such a monumental task. Also, we are working closely with the JTC list https://thejtclist.com/ as well as Women of Color unite (https://wocunite.org/press/wocu-launch-startwith8-uk/ ) for the highly anticipated episodic tv series of the life of Sojourner Truth. These organizations combine collectively consist of 3500 women worldwide that are either producers, writers or directors who seek to land their 1st or multiple opportunities in the film industry. Lastly, I have a Podcast with my partner Kim out of Atlanta called “2 Dope chicks” where we interview influential people in the entertainment/cultural industry, as well as highlight fun & Interesting topics to our viewers. Lessons I have learned along the way is that there will always be times of struggle and doubt, but your perseverance can get you through almost anything as long as you are consistent. No one is just going to hand you what you want, you have to earn it. Earn it through respect, hard work and a will to want to make a difference.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Here in Atlanta there are countless restaurants, one of my favorite spots to eat and drink at would be Six Feet Under Pub & Fish House off 11th street. It has a beautiful roof top skyline view of the city at night. Another favorite spot I like to take friends or family who visit from out of town is TWO urban licks, again there is a great view, ambiance, food and drinks. There’s usually always something going on at Centennial Olympic Park and its free, well except for the parking of course. Atlanta Botanical Gardens is always a blast for anyone of all ages with lots to see and one of my fav places to visit is Stone Mountain Park and taking the summit skyride up the mountain and exploring. Which just like Atlanta Botanical Gardens is usually catered to the different seasons with a tons of activities for any age. Lastly, for a more simple but cool experience Atlanta has a drive in movie theater called “Starlight” which is great to do now especially with the recent Pandemic & social distancing.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have a ton of people to give credit to in regards to my professional corporate career, but the main ones that stand out are Jonathan Sisson out of Atlanta (HR Consultant for ADP) who gave me my first shot at recruiting after I left the mortgage industry. I also want to mention Al Simon, out of Missouri (President & CEO at APS Solutions) who was my first manager in the energy industry. He was a huge mentor of mine in regards to staffing in the Power industry. As far as Entertainment goes I want to give a huge shot out to Rodney Lundy (CEO of WHTV 1 & Officialmusicbible.com who hired me as a TV host and provided a great experience for me out of Atlanta. Lastly, I want to shot out Artist & CEO of Top Notch Home Improvements, Cory (Nokamichi) Mcliechey -Descendant of Sojourner Truth- out of Grand Rapids, MI. Last year he named me the Program Manager for the Descendants of the Truth 501c3 – Southern Region.
Website: https://descendantsofthetruth.com/
Instagram: @bizzybreasworld
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brea-s-07b1a45
Youtube: 2 Dope Chicks
Image Credits
Pat Molnar, Jarek James, Kali Reyes
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