We recently connected with Brandon Baker and have shared our conversation below.
Brandon , appreciate you joining us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
As a digital personality I have made it my mission to redefine the nature of the fashion & social media industry. I want to create safe spaces where all people feel free to create and dream (ORGANICALLY). I want to build a legacy of authenticity. I want to inspire people, of all walks of life, to open themselves up and share their hearts with the world.
My greatest intention is always to have courage and be kind. So, I hope my legacy will serve as a tangible reminder of grace. Grace for self… grace for others… and grace for the world. I have experienced grace time and time again. Which allows me to have the utmost faith in people. I have faith that God will allow me to bring that spirit of trust, love, and compassion to the media & entertainment industry. I have faith that with each project I partake in someone will be liberated from seeing my face, hearing my words, or feeling my aura/interacting with my energy.
I know how scary it can feel to live in your truth and share yourself with the world. I, myself, have felt the sting of harsh comments & criticism which is why I am so adamant about showing up as my full unadulterated self. I have come to realize that it is NOT my job to prove myself to the world but to share myself with the world. Living out this simple yet profound truth has liberated me, and I hope to do the same for those within my reach.
I hope that I will be remembered for my bright light, my kind personality, my fun laugh, and my courageous wit. I want to be memorialized and remembered for being a loving and compassionate force on this planet. And hopefully even after I am gone, my life and my work will inspire future generations to embody the truth of their essence and to SHINE AS BRIGHT AS THEY WANT TO!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hi! Hello! Hola! My name is Brandon Nicholas Baker, and I am content creator and on camera personality. Some people might even call me an influencer…. Which I graciously accept lol. First & foremost, you should know that I HATE LABELS… they’re terribly constricting! Which is why I often struggle to find the words to encapsulate all that I do…. To be frank, I am a multi-hyphenate.
Meaning I do it all….
I create digital content for brands, I am a social media coach/free-lance brand strategist, I produce and host my own podcast (Breakfast with B.B.) while also costarring in The Group Chat Podcast. I creative direct, model, occasionally I am a fashion stylist, I take an awesome picture (photography), and I am an excellent chef… I also sing, act, manage social platforms, write (copywriting is my forte) the list goes on and on….
However, I especially enjoy vlogging. You can often find me documenting my day-to-day adventures—whether that be walking the streets at New York Fashion Week or on the set of a new campaign shoot…. I believe that every day is just another opportunity for adventure, and I WANT TO GET THAT ADVENTURE ON TAPE! One day I hope to look back over my life and marvel at what I’ve done and who I’ve been – so documenting just makes sense. Not to mention it’s the best way to build brand.
In fact, documenting my journey is what landed me the title of “influencer.” While in college, I took it upon myself to share my life on Instagram. And in the process, I grew a rather addictive love for social media. I absolutely loved the idea of capturing a moment in time and then sharing that moment with the world. I would share pictures of what I wore that day, new dishes/recipes I made for my roommates, and places I traveled. As I grew in numbers, I began to receive extra attention (in-person and online). And that attention eventually turned into tangible opportunities.
Fresh out of college, I began receiving emails from some very notable brands (to collaborate). In my first-year post grad I completed digital sponsorships with Godiva Chocolatiers, Barnes & Nobles, Polo Ralph Lauren, Marvel, Amazon, Express, and more. I was also invited to my first runway shows & presentations for New York, London, and Milan Fashion Week and attended 3 seasons of shows back-to-back.
During that time, I was interning virtually, apprenticing to be a designer at Pottery Barn, and serving at restaurants. I would create content before going into work and sneak off to the bathroom to edit and post my content online (You do what you must to bring your vision to life lol). Thanks to social media I have been able to build brand awareness and a steady list of clients.
I have worked long and hard to monetize my gifts and I am finally seeing the fruits of my labor. In the past few years, I have been fortunate enough to go on my first paid brand trip, walk for NYFW, be featured on Ivy Park’s Instagram page (Beyoncé’s clothing line), become a member of Buzzfeed’s Creator Training Program as well as film Pride content with Buzzfeed Cocoa Butter. I’ve spoken on my first celebrity influencer panel (with Tawkify), been featured in promo content for Disney’s live action remake of The Little Mermaid, become a member of Instagram’s paid creator program, and reach 200,000 views on YouTube.
To say that I am proud of myself…. would be an understatement. The road has been long and tedious, but I am so glad that I stayed the course. I have come to learn that my gifts much like my potential is limitless. It’s taken me a while to get here but I am finally confident standing in my STAR POWER! I am the moment, and the world will see that soon enough!
I bring a unique and lively energy to my work…. Whether I am coaching clients or pitching creative concepts to my brand partners, people enjoy working with me because I am a thoughtful and genuine creator. I make my clients/brand partners feel comfortable and confident, so they trust me to help bring their visions to life. I assure my clients that dreams do come true. And that you can achieve those dreams just by being yourself.
My services are inspiration driven, which is what sets me apart from other creators and coaches, because I grant people full permission to be themselves, BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES, and claim what they want as truth. Which frees them up to become the highest version of themselves. And, in turn, allows them to share that self with the world.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
In the past year, I’ve come to realize just how EXHAUSTING, yet necessary resiliency is. It takes so much strength, determination, and trust to get back up when you’re feeling wounded, broken, stagnant, depressed, uninspired, and/or confused…. And it can feel astronomically difficult to maintain focus when you’re hurting.
On December 2nd, 2022, one of my closest friends, Shemar Anthony Roberts (who was actually featured in Canvas Rebel—check out his article it’s beautiful) passed away in a tragic car accident. At the time I was hosting my 12-day Christmas countdown which is an annual social media tradition for me. In fact, I had secured MY FIRST sponsorship with a Christmas Tree Decor Company, King of Christmas.
It took me 3 long years to finally pull off this sponsorship so you can only imagine my chagrin when I had to turn in my content 3 weeks after deadline because I couldn’t even bring myself to shower yet alone hop in front of a camera and offer up some form of personality. On December 1st I was knee-deep in garland and super giddy about the holiday season. But little did I know that next morning I would wake up to the worst news I’ve ever received. That I would wake up to a text in our group chat asking, “Is Shemar, okay?”
December was the longest month of my life. And every month since has been confusing and difficult to navigate. Last year alone I lost Shemar, my cousin Marshall, my great Uncle Paul (my oldest living relative), an old friend from middle school, my Great Aunt (whose funeral I wasn’t even allowed to go to because I contracted covid). But losing Shemar was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
We literally called each other Zack & Cody because we were so inseparable. We both loved the arts and fashion and photography. We were both extremely passionate and hardheaded. We even had big plans to move to LA together and take over the industry! Whenever, I was down or doubtful Shemar would listen to me (even when I got longwinded lol), he would celebrate me, and reassure me that I was destined for stardom. He would take my pictures whenever I asked—and free of charge! He was truly a kindred spirit.
Losing such a loving friend so suddenly does something to you… It changes you— Lately I’ve found myself and my will power altered. I’ve found it difficult to want to continue in pursuit of my dreams but every time I think of quitting, I go in ward. I listen to what I’m feeling and honor my emotions. Because I know Shemar would want me to do so. And most times I realize that I’m just overwhelmed or missing my “Mar Mar.”
Remembering that Shemar believed in me often gives me the confidence I need to keep going… The confidence to film yet another TikTok… to edit one more YouTube video… to submit myself for an additional casting (when I just received a rejection email). His faith in me is what led me to premiere my podcast—I was working on it before he passed away (Shemar had already claimed his spot as my 1st guest lol).
There have been so many moments where I wanted to call it quits… Moments where I’ve wanted to just fold under pressure, but something keeps calling me back to this work. Something keeps moving me forward. I happen to believe it’s God’s grace and favor. Maybe it’s Shemar. But whatever it is I am grateful.
(I know that might have been a tad bit morbid but it’s the truth… My truth.)
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I’ve been forced to unlearn, or let go of, my attachment to outcomes. In the past, I had a very love-hate relationship with change aka the unknown. But change is the only constant there is in life. It cannot be avoided nor manipulated. You can’t outwork your fears. In this life there are just some things you can’t escape…. You must face them head on. I used to think if I worked hard enough and studied the most and meditated long enough, I could avoid making mistakes and rush straight into my dream life.
But life doesn’t work that way. What we judge as mistakes/missteps, or negative incidents are actually special events ordered by the universe to point us in a more beneficial direction. In fact, this time last year I was submitting weekly applications for content creator accelerator programs. There was one program that I was especially excited about, Snap 523, which is an initiative dedicated to helping black content creators through mentorship, financial support, and free resources.
I REALLY WANTED TO GET ACCEPTED INTO THIS PROGRAM! I spent days working on each essay and auditing my social channels. Finally, I submitted the application and surrendered it over to God. I really thought I had it in the bag because 4 different people sent me the application to apply. Not to mention Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith were heading up the program (in my mind Will Smith is like my second father because my dad and him favor each other). So, I took this as a sign that this opportunity was hand tailored just for me.
I was incredibly mistaken. I was rejected from the program and with that rejection I lost a bit of confidence in myself. At this point I was ready to call it quits on solo-preneurship and go start applying for jobs. But as fate would have it, a few weeks later, I received an email directly from the head of casting at BuzzFeed, suggesting that I apply to be a part of their 6-month intensive creator training program. Because of my recent rejection I was a bit hesitant … Nevertheless, I gave myself one last pep talk and submitted yet another application.
AND I WAS ACCEPTEDDDDDD! Just weeks later I was sitting on virtual calls with some of the top online creators and personalities of our time, getting advice on how to grow an audience, build brand, work with your dream companies, and navigate spaces like TikTok and Facebook. I’ve learned so much throughout my time with Buzzfeed and because I was in their program, I started receiving regular information about castings and booked my first on screen gig with BuzzFeed just this past May.
If I had made it into the other program maybe I wouldn’t be where I am now. Maybe I wouldn’t have achieved all that I have within this year…. The point is YOU CAN’T GET IT WRONG. You’re never actually making mistakes… essentially, we are all just judging ourselves for doing the BEST we know how to do. I’ve had to teach myself that it’s okay to be fearful but to remember that the fear is only an illusion. It’s only a tool…. A method of communication and how you channel your fears is all up to you.
I’ve had to teach myself to regard fear as a gift… Instead of just feeling frightened I petition myself (my inner being) to reach inside and harness every bit of power, faith, belief, and courage I have available. I once thought that fear was a roadblock, meant to hold me back when, in actuality, it was pushing me forward. Fear was there to help me realize the truth of who I am and the potential of what I could be. It was strengthening my sense of adaptability and helping me to forge new understandings of myself, my life, and the world around me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://brandonnicholasbaker.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandonnicholasbaker/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandon.baker.9083/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-baker-082805a0/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SupernovaBoyyyy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@brandonnicholasbaker/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@brandonnicholasbaker?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc https://youtu.be/UpofcK-lfck?si=EWgwZEJuKvKiVik1
Image Credits
Corwin Rhines, Taija Williams, BuzzFeed Cocoa Butter