We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Brandiss Pearson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Brandiss, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting my business was my personal journey. My journey of bridging out of poverty was difficult, to say the least. I initially wanted to offer my support to individuals and so I earned degrees in social work, nursing and later executive leadership through an educational doctorate. But I found that my reach would be far greater if I used the tools I acquired through my various work experiences to create a system that could be accessible by anyone from anywhere at anytime, while they are on their journey.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I am no stranger to life’s transitions. My introduction to adulthood was rough, to put it mildly. After becoming a mom to my oldest son, Shaun, at 18 I found myself living in public housing and being the recipient of government assistance to care for him. Two years after Shaun was born, I gave birth to my youngest son, Brandon, who was born with Down syndrome and a slew of associated health challenges. I spent nearly the next decade of my life trying to figure out who the stranger was staring back at me in the mirror.

With the love and support of my small circle of family and friends, along with a deep faith, I was able to fight my way out of the darkness and find my way back to my “happy place”. As a child, education was always my respite. I would get lost in solving math problems and exploring a good “choose your own adventure” book. My greatest dream was to graduate from college. But the situation I found myself in as a 20-year-old, single mother of 2 children, one with special needs, living in poverty, made the thought of graduating from college seem far beyond my reach. That’s when my “water table moment” happened.

One day, the social worker who made regular visits to my home to provide support for myself and my children challenged me to revisit my wildest dreams. She asked me what I would do if I had no barriers. She asked me to think about what I would do if money, child care, time and access were not a consideration. I replied without hesitation, “I would graduate from college!” What she said next changed the trajectory of my life. She told me to take my word processor with the 5” x 5” green screen and write out the 3 most important goals that I wanted to accomplish in the following 3 years. Next, she instructed me to come up with a set of action steps I could work toward in the short term that would get me closer to those goals. Suffice it to say, that was the motivation I needed. That was my “water table moment”. I got back in the race and accomplished the majority of my educational, career and life goals. I’ve earned multiple degrees, moved my family into a newly built home and I have been able to impact lives in a meaningful way. But I am not out of the race just yet.

I would never consider myself a runner, but I often think of life as a marathon. I imagine, much like racing through life, when a marathon runner reaches their point of exhaustion and justifiably considers throwing in the towel, that is the moment when they approach the water table. I imagine the water table being surrounded by well-wishers offering encouragement and refreshments to re-energize and motivate the runner to stay in the race. I have found myself navigating this marathon of life, facing what seemed like insurmountable obstacles and nearing my breaking point more times than I care to admit. I have learned to pause, take stock of my resources, tap into my grit and resilience and look for my water table.

My brand is my life. M.I.D.A.S. is an acronym that stands for Make It Direct And Simple and that is how I live my life and the way that I seek to partner with others on their transitional journey. Life is tough enough, why overcomplicated it.

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?
Whenever I have visitors come into town they always want to go to Breakfast at Barneys, they have the most delicious soul rolls and fish & grits! The atmosphere is always great. So that would probably be Sunday brunch. Monday – Thursday we would likely find some good food around town. Maybe Peachcobbler Cafe for some of their delicious peach cobbler, Hattie Marie’s for some BBQ, Mikkey’s for some salmon philly steaks, Slutty Vegan because it’s a must.

Going into the weekend I would get glammed up by the best make-up artist around, Brandi Mallory, and hit up a few places to laugh, dance and vibe. Maybe include a tour or 2 of some historic sites. Atlanta has so many options. It’s hard to choose. We would probably do something different each night and each visit!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout has to go in so many directions. My family has really been my rock. My mother has always been my biggest cheerleader and my children are my reason to keep going. My brothers and I have a healthy competition to become and maintain our own self-defined success. I have a tribe of sister-friends who hold me up and hold me accountable. Being a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Incorporated was one of the best decisions I ever made. To be a part of a sisterhood dedicated to service and scholarship is directly aligned with my personal mission. I also have mentors from various industries and disciplines who have made it their business to pour into me to make sure that I keep my foot on the gas and to stay in my lane. I am also an avid reader. I love all sorts of books from self-help to fiction. The Alchemist is one of my favorites. Purpose Awakening and Wholeness by Pastor Toure’ Roberts were very influential. Atomic Habits has been a game-changer for my daily practice and goal-setting journey. Lead from the Outside by Stacey Abrams, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, Do Less by Kate Northrup and Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki are all in my library. I could go on and on! Reading is kind of my thing!

Website: www.branpear.com

Instagram: @_midascoach

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/branpear/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQD83ylhYSCKFMiNV-NYqfw/featured

Image Credits
Shomari Evans Brandi Mallory

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