We had the good fortune of connecting with Sam Brazenas and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Sam, what role has risk played in your life or career?
When most people hear the word ‘risk’ they tend to think only of the big things: changing careers, moving overseas, etc. When I hear it, I think about the small stuff—the risks I take every day maneuvering through the unknown. What I realized in my professional journey is that most people are afraid of working outside of their comfort zone or vocalizing their ideas. I developed my skills and passion for building technology by releasing my fear of failure and accepting the risk. I dive deep into technology platforms, often breaking shit to understand how it works, to rebuild something even better. It can be intimidating—what if I build this and it doesn’t work? What if no one cares? What if I spoke up about this, and I was wrong? But taking those risks leads to innovative solutions and ideas.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My professional journey began right out of college where I landed a pretty dope job traveling around the world recruiting creatives to study in the U.S, but ultimately, I wasn’t fulfilled. I quit that job and ended up as one of the first hires at a startup. This is where I discovered not only am I really good at building systems and designing processes/workflows, but I also really love doing it. I enjoy solving problems and utilizing technology to streamline daily tasks. No, it wasn’t easy to get here. I had no idea what I wanted to do professionally and I felt lost at times. I wasn’t even sure this was the right path for me because teaching yourself new skills is challenging and super frustrating at times. I’ve beaten my head against a wall trying to figure out what piece of my code was breaking the script, or why I was continuously getting a failure on an SQL query that I swore was correct. But each “failure” came with a lesson learned and a new skill unlocked. I learned to enjoy the journey instead of letting the anxiety and uncertainty overcome me.
All of that brings me to where I am today—off on my own journey with Breezy Solutions taking those skills and lessons learned and helping others. I craft tech-powered solutions for badass entrepreneurs whose businesses are rapidly growing but need navigating the digital landscape. I build scalable solutions, so that they can focus on growth. I want to rescue people from the weeds. There’s no need to drown in a sea of manual tasks and scattered processes when we’ve got a plethora of SaaS systems and no-code solutions at our fingertips. I’m obsessed with the art of solutions architecture, and I want to share that with cool people doing cool shit.
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?
A whole week? Let me try a day… They would have to begin their day as I do mine – a walk with my dog to Grant Park, then come home and get in a quick yoga sesh. Then we could hit up the Civil Rights Museum, because it’s obviously the best museum in ATL. Afterwards we could grab a quick lunch + coffee, like Victory or something in IP so we could walk around the beltline after and hangout in the park. Later on maybe go play pool in L5P, or see some music at Northside Tavern. Idk, man. I’m super low-key so planning someone else’s good time is hard. I go with the flow, especially at home.. However, if you want me to plan a trip abroad, I got you.
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 to give props to my brother, Adam. He was the one that planted the seed for me to venture out on my own. I hadn’t thought about it seriously, but he kept telling me I could package my skill set, sell it, and work on things that I am excited about. And here I am, on this journey trying to make that dream a reality.
Also, I’m super lucky to have a network of entrepreneurs and creatives in my circle who aren’t trying to gatekeep their success. I’m always grateful to the people who want to see you succeed and actively engage in that journey. You all know who you are. I have so much gratitude to all the homies who have been nothing but encouraging and supportive.
Instagram: @breezy.solutions
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sbrazenas/
Image Credits
Maya Spencer