Daily Inspiration: Meet Brandon Woodford-Whalen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Woodford-Whalen.

Hi Brandon, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up in a small town, Louisa Virginia, I was provided a creative imagination and encouraged by my family. I asked a lot of questions, and still do. Curiosity creates experiences. I’ve always leaned into my skillset for learning, becoming a thriving academic as well as connectivity to the Arts. Once graduating from high school and attending multiple universities, I threw in the towel on achieving an undergraduate degree and decided to let my passion and experience guide my career. After working my way through the trenches of entry-level banking and retail positions, I then reached the management level. Continuing through my professional journey, I encountered devastating personal losses which influenced me down paths of multiple streams of addiction and lost my connection to God. For years I battled and worked and battled and traveled and battled and prayed that those addictions would one day cease. I wanted to find my way back to God, then the pandemic hit, and that all but amplified my battles, but by then I had been running so hard there was no mindset of slowing down, I was trying to make up for loss time. I finally achieved my dream of working for the global luxury powerhouse Louis Vuitton with that achievement I found no need for the comfort of my addictions. Little did I know, a few years in I would get burned out, falling back into my addiction streams, professionally discarded, and then have to what I feel was “start over”. It’s amazing how one minute you’re on top of the world, and then the next you just don’t want to live anymore. I got to a moment where I needed assurance..I needed safety..I needed clarity. After months of being unemployed, longer than I had ever been without a job in my life, I decided to go back to church. In that reconnection with God, I found clarity, was given vision, and in my baptism my addictions began to cease. While I was searching for the next company/brand to use my skills, I began to think “Why not use my skills to build my own brand to then help others enhance their business and brand experiences?” Without a second thought, I launched my business BEGIN BEING, with the tagline “bringing your vision to life”. My entire professional career I had been managing and leading teams to success, driving millions of dollars in revenue, while just touching the surface of a six figure income. That math just didn’t make sense anymore. It was time for me to bet on myself to win, using every tool in my box to not only build my brand but in that to help others identify what’s breaking down in their business. Today I’m still building and growing the foundation of my brand, which takes time. With more networking and exposure, I’m confident the business model I’ve created, and that continues to evolve, will foster into the successful brand that I’ve seen in my dreams.

Alright, 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?
Rocky Road. Honestly, it’s been from my lack of patience, which is something I’m constantly working on. Patience is also a test of my faith, so I’m encouraged every day to trust the process and trust God’s plan for my life—in every area of it.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My specialty would be business management, in banking and retail. Specifically, luxury retail is what I have been afforded many experiences that have influenced me to have an innovative mindset. By experiencing curated moments, all around the world, it has allowed me to think bigger ..wider..no limits.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My family and friends are my biggest supporters. I don’t think I’ve ever had an idea where a friend or my family didn’t say “oh yeah, you should definitely do that”.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beginbeingconsulting
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-w-874325b5?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios