Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandy Brown.
Sandy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised under the sun in Southern California. My family comes from humble beginnings; both of my parents migrated from a different country. They left their families and comfort zones to take a chance on America in hopes of a better life for themselves and their children. I was the first of my family admitted into college with a desire to further my education to further myself and my families access for generations to come. I attended the University of California Santa Barbara, graduating with a Bachelors of Arts in Art Studio. After graduating, I immediately jumped into the workforce to help provide for my family far and near. I dove headfirst into the corporate world and began working my way through its terrain with hard work, patience and a willingness to learn. At the time, I felt working in the corporate world was my only option. I felt the pressure as a first-generation college student to instantly gain success and collateral to have something to show for the work I put in and the money I invested. I spent eight years with the same company, maneuvering my way up the ranks to greater opportunities and welcomed challenges. In return for my loyalty, I gained valuable skills sets in business development, a new way of looking at project management and built a stronger business acumen. Nevertheless, I did not feel I was living in my true purpose and those thoughts we’re taking its toll on my well being, so I decided to take action.
For my next move, I could have easily taken a role in a familiar position at a similar company, but I decided to take a scary leap of faith – and at 30 years of age I accepted a non-paid internship at Flourish Media Co via GenM.Co. I was told over and over again that taking an internship at my age wasn’t smart, that I should turn back and continue with the path I was previously on, but instead, I trusted my intuition and haven’t looked back since. Currently, my non-paid internship flourished into my current role as Global Events Director.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey has been far from smooth! I struggled with getting pigeonholed in a specific field and found it difficult to branch out to make a career change. I struggled with doubt and patience. I had to train my mind the same way we strive to train our bodies to remain positive through it all and to believe in the blessings of the process. I would tell young women, the same thing someone close to me told me, in order to catch the dreams you follow you must enjoy the chase. You must find a way to enjoy the early mornings, late nights, the working lunches. If you can locate the love in the process you won’t stray away from your goals.
I was curious about Digital Marketing and decided to pursue an MBA. Unfortunately, I learned that the curriculum did not expand into the digital marketing field. After obtaining an MBA, I begin self-teaching myself through online tutorials and videos. I watched hours upon hours of marketing techniques and strategies, facebook ads, sales funnels, and researched to learn how to use the many software platforms available. I was thrilled to discover so many amazing online webinars available to the public via skillshare and Lynda.com. I also plugged myself into local groups focused on women in tech and marketing, through that I was able to build a network who also contributed to my knowledge and passion for the field.
I would tell young women to self educate yourself as much as possible, feed your mind, specify your interests, take initiative. In addition, network as much as possible! Networking has improved my knowledge base, resume, and confidence that the marketing realm was the right career path for me. If I learned anything throughout this process, it’s that nothing is handed over, everything is earned. Get a head start. I took those words to heart and launched two E-commerce online projects: Brunch with The Girls (a jewelry fashion company) and LevelUp Hair Boutique (a premium hair extensions online store). I used both companies to put all the strategies I learned to practice and build my resume and experience. These two stores now act as another source of income for me.
I had to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, I had to find energy when I was exhausted in order to keep trying innovative ways to build the experience I needed and share my work with the world. I put myself out there in a way that was tough for me to do and I’m glad I did it. I would hope young women everywhere take that same leap too. Expect to fall, expect to fail, but expect it to all be worth it in the end. Enjoy the chase.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Today, I am the Global Events Director for Flourish Media Co, a marketing boutique agency specializing in branding, marketing strategy, and training. Our non-profit, Behind the Leaf, hosts PublisHER. A platform to bring women authors together to discuss all the hidden details between the lines of a self-published female authors’ life. PublisHER is a one-day event that allows attendees to meet many of their favorite women authors, purchase copies of new releases and hear from a professional panel on the pros and cons of self-publishing. It also serves as a book fair for tech-savvy storytellers and provides female authors with a loud voice to share their work and journey. I project manage the event from ideation to execution with the support of my team members at Flourish Media Co. PublisHER is a national tour and our next stops are Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and then Miami!
There are many moving parts when coordinating an event in order to bring a vision to life and create the ultimate experience for our panel and attendees. As Global Events Director I was in charge of the planning, marketing, and coordination of the event. I am great with time management and have a great way of ensuring everyone’s ideas are heard in a fair and timely fashion. My leadership style is follower first. I truly believe, in order to be the best leader you have to be willing to lead by example not by order.
I am most proud to be an integral part of an organization that extends services, tools, and training to assist female small business owners in growing their business so they may one day operate as corporations. Our annual event in Miami, Flourish Media Conference, gives business owners the opportunity to learn additional tools and strategies to build engaging and dynamic business platforms, leverage online engagement for offline results, and create sustainable brand models.
Which women have inspired you in your life?
Many women have helped add wood to the fire that burns within me, but none more than my mother. My mom, Delta Gamboa, serves as my biggest inspiration. She’s spent most of her life as a single parent of five needy children. I witnessed my mom work multiple jobs while struggling to learn a new language and navigate a new land. She sacrificed so much to support my siblings and I. Now, she is a successful real estate agent and I couldn’t be prouder. Her selflessness and strong-willed personality is what got our family through some tough times and into better days. She has shaped the person I am today and the woman I believe I can be tomorrow.
In addition, the women we have been able to help at Flourish Media Co via our services, trainings, and events have inspired me to do more and to continue running into my purpose. Our clients have amazing ideas and products and it’s truly a gift to see their determination breed fruits to their labor.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.flourishmedia.org/publisher, www.flourishmediaco.com
- Email: sandy.m.brwn@gmail.com
- Instagram: @sandy.m.brwn
- Other: www.shopbrunchwiththegirls.com, www.leveluphairboutique.com, www.genm.co
Image Credit:
33:15 Photography, Michelle Vantine Photography
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