Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brandi Diaz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Brandi, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Thank you so much for having me!! The most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on has definitely been my music project and band, Nada Rosa. The band was born out of a time of tectonic shift in my life, and has been the mirror for my evolution as a person and an artist.

I’m originally from Boston, MA, and the summer of 2017, my best friend and I decided to sell everything we owned and hit the road going west with no solid agenda other than to work the film festival circuit, sleep on couches, and find somewhere new to call home. It was a beautifully wild and freeing moment in my life, and just as soon as it started, it came to a screeching halt.

About 3 months into the roadtrip, and without going into too much detail, I got a devastating call that forced me to move back to Boston for 5 months and take care of my family. As you can probably imagine… the situation was extremely taxing on my spirit. To process all of the unknown, I turned to music.

As the months went by, the life I intended to live before this felt so far away. I decided to make a promise to myself that if I made it through this impossible moment with my family, I would move back out west, and start my life again with an even deeper intention. Having been so close to having all of my freedom taken away by nearly becoming a newborn’s full-time caregiver, I became hyper aware of my time and what truly mattered to.  Me.

Thankfully, the situation resolved, and I was able to start my journey again. A move to Seattle, a new home, new community, and a whole ass pandemic later, those songs I started writing in my bedroom eventually became our first record, and have since taken me to places I didn’t imagine I could ever be in.

This project means so much to me because it marries my intention in life, my desire to serve others in a way that also feeds my soul and purpose. With Nada Rosa, I embody the highest version of myself— the self with no fear, the self with complete faith and trust in the unknown. Through this project, I continue to learn how to love myself and others, and deepen my ability to surrender. It is the greatest gift and lesson in connection, transcendence, and love.

Brandi, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

For sure. I’m one of those people who thrives in the chaos of the “creative kitchen,” stirring multiple pots all at once. I am a writer, musician, photographer, entrepreneur, filmmaker, facilitator, and DJ. At this moment in my life, my music project Nada Rosa, and my creative portrait and video studio, Tigrebomb Studio, are my two main focuses.

What motivates me to create reveals itself more and more over time, but the constant thread that drives my work has been to document the precious moments of my life, empower others, especially women of color, be courageous enough to tell my story, evolve, and share my heart and shadow all at once. My art is all about preserving my story and the story of the people in my life in the most authentic way possible.

Through music, I find so much joy in collaborating and offering an experience that hopefully helps people to transcend and connect to source and self. My portrait experiences are designed to be the result of genuine connection with my clients, and I see my role as more of the documenter of an intimate, playful and collaborative experience, rather than simply a portrait session. All I want is to continue building community, and connecting and empowering people, through all of my creative mediums, until the end of time!!!

If you wanna connect, you can find me at www.tigrebomb.com/@tigrebomb for my portrait/video work, and www.nadarosa.com/@nadarosaaa for my music :).

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

My way of building my social media following has been “non-traditional” in the sense that I only post when I truly feel like it. More than numbers, my interest lies more in building relationships, and sharing things that feel true to me. I think that social media can be a beautiful entry point to connecting with people and building friendship and connection. I try to see it as another artistic medium and form of expression, where I can be silliest self, inspired, and share my world with people who want to show love. I also take lots and lots of breaks from it.

For anyone just starting to build their online presence, I would say to make it work for you. Make it fun, and challenge yourself to create art or creative content that speaks to you. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind or do things differently than others. Create your own path and the people that resonate with that will show up and support you. Good music and art will always get to the people it’s supposed to.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Yes! So many!!

Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry and the manifesto, Rest is Resistance, truly changed my perspective around the hustle and grind culture our society portrays as “normal”. She inspired me to think deeply about the effects of capitalism and white supremacy on our bodies and souls, create my own path, and refuse to sacrifice my sacredness and humanity for the sake of these broken systems.

adrienne marie brown’s book Pleasure Activism sparked my journey to developing my relationship to self-love, joy and sustainability in regards to activism/career/and any long journey in life.

Brooke Castillo and Mel Robbins are also two powerhouse women who both have podcasts that are truly rich with education and insight on the entrepreneurial/personal development journey.

Most recently, I’ve begun listening to The Sufi Heart podcast with Omid Safi, which features teachings and stories about a sacred tradition of love, drawing primarily on the wisdom of the Islamic tradition as well as the legacies of the Civil Rights movements and other wisdom teachings. The podcast is an invitation to meditate on the transformative power of love and recall the necessity of linking healing our own hearts with healing the world.

Thank you so much for having me!!

Contact Info:

• Website: band: www.nadarosa.com // photo studio: www.tigrebomb.com
• Instagram: @nadarosaaa // @tigrebomb
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NADAROSAAA/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandi-diaz-36594169/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/nadarosaaa

Image Credits
Brandi Diaz, Valerie Calano, Francesca Eluhu