Meet De’Ja Brown | Brand & Experiential Marketing Strategist | Sports, Culture, Lifestyle, Fashion & Entertainment

We had the good fortune of connecting with De’Ja Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi De’Ja, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m from Burlington County, located in South Jersey in the Philly metro area. My background and upbringing definitely had a huge impact of who I am and where I am at, especially in my career. I grew up playing basketball for over 10 years. Playing against hoopers all over Jersey, Philly and New York definitely brought out a different type of “hustle” in me, that I carried way beyond the basketball court. That hustle that was instilled in me brought me various types of scholarships, allowing me to be a first generation college graduate. I’m also the first in my family to have attended graduate school, where I obtained two master’s degrees. I have consistently strived to break generational curses and look forward to continue to do so, now that I am pursuing a career in the sports industry, which is a male-dominated career field.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Currently, I am a Brand & Experiential Marketing Manager & Strategist! I believe that what sets me apart from others, is that I’m a go-getter. I possess an entrepreneurial mindset and spirit that organizations and brands typically want and need.

Getting to where I am at today has not been easy at all. It took a lot of patience, hard work and determination. I knew that if I wanted to get far, I had to do more. Which is what prompted me to pursue and obtain a dual master’s degree in my field — an MBA concentrated in Sport Business and a Master’s of Science in Sport & Entertainment Management. While I was both undergrad and grad school, I always worked anywhere between 2 and 3 jobs simultaneously. There were several nights where after I was done working, I would stay up late to work on assignments. I sacrificed fun and sleep to maintain my gpa and scholarships, where I accomplished graduating with honors, both times. I’ve learned that nothing worth having comes easy. In addition, one key quality that has helped me get to where I am at now, is networking. SO many people have been an asset to my journey. I constantly used to reach out to people who were currently where I aspired to be on LinkedIn, just to pick their brains and gain insight and advice. Although a lot of people never answered, there were plenty of people that did. Because of that, I’ve developed so many long-lasting relationships in this industry, and look forward to create more. Community is so necessary when it comes to success, and not a lot of people will tell you that.

I want people to know that nothing catered to my success was handed to me, and that’s okay. I hope to inspire people to want to build their own legacy, despite the barriers that are placed on young Black women like myself. Faith without works is dead, and my story is a true epitome of the phrase.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I LOVE this question!

Although I am still new to the city, I find exciting things to do all the time. I’d probably see what festival is going on that weekend, because all know that Atlanta STAYS hosting a festival! I’d hope its an R&B or food themed one. As for food, we’re definitely hitting up Toast on Lenox and Suite Food Lounge for brunch, and probably Roc South Cuisine for some soul food. My best friends love sweets like me, so I’d also definitely hit up Sugar Shane’s to grab some delicious cookies.

For touristy activities, I’d take them to Stone Mountain to hike, the Botanical gardens, Aquarium, and would want to catch a sports game. More than likely an Atlanta Hawks or Atlanta Dream game!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First, I would love to shoutout all of the Black women who are currently excelling and succeeding in the sports industry. Those who love to serve as mentors, don’t gatekeep, and truly strive to inspire those who come after them. However, I would more specifically like to shoutout Nicole Lynn, who is currently a sports agent and became one of the youngest sports agent in the industry at 26. She is constantly breaking down barriers, inspiring those like myself to not only desire more, but also achieve more! I am currently reading her book “Agent You” and would recommend to any young black women like myself, whether they are in a similar industry or not. She truly shares a lot of gems, and is the epitome of breaking generational curses in order to begin a new legacy.

Website: https://www.dejabrown.net/

Instagram: dejabrown_x3

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/de-ja-brown-/

Image Credits
Paul McPherson