We were lucky to catch up with Brian Green recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Brian, thanks for 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?

It’s funny because I think about this a lot. If you had asked me this when I started my business in 2008 I would have said that it was to be the best event planner I could be and executing amazing events all across the Globe. But I’ve done that, But 2020 changed me irrevocably.

Not only the pandemic and losing several close people to COVID-19 but that entire summer of the murder of Black people really refocused my entire mindset and what really mattered, and how I would use my voice for change. What came out of that was a more vocal, very raw, and honest business owner who was ALWAYS proud of being Black but now I wanted you to be absolutely clear that I was as well. I moved into advocacy and became the Chairman of the National Society of Black Wedding and Event Professionals – the only 501-C6 non-profit in the industry that champions the cause of Black industry pros.

I kicked my speaking business into high gear so that I could take the conversations of JDEI to our industry far and wide as well as speaking on other related industry topics from my over 20 years of experience in the field.

My legacy now to me is one of leaving lasting, impactful change that can allow someone that looks like me to thrive in this space without feeling as if they are not worthy of the same features, and interviews that I have been afforded over my career. The legacy is to ensure that the walls I have climbed are easier for the next group because I have left a road map for them to success. That is most important to me now.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Brian is an award-winning event planner with over twenty years of experience in the international events industry.

He is the Chief Event Architect and Creative Visionary of By BrianGreen LLC based in Atlanta creating amazing social and corporate events across the globe. He is a former Diplomat for the country of Barbados. In 2017, he was the featured guest expert on The Steve Harvey Show on Fox for their annual Wedding Hour where he presented great tips and advice on how to host the best wedding while avoiding the usual pitfalls (S5, Ep 168).

He has his designation as a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), as well as his Certificate in Meeting Management (CMM), and is currently working on his first book with a publisher.

Brian has been featured and published in every major publication including Grace Ormonde, Bride’s Magazine, Inside Weddings, Munaluchi Bride, Essence, The Knot, B Collective, just to name a few.

As part of his strong activism and belief in Equity & Inclusion, he currently serves as Chairman of the Board for the National Society of Black Wedding & Event Professionals.

In 2021 he was named a Mentor for The Knot Wedding Wire (TKWW) Fellowship for Change program and in 2022 he was named a TKWW WeddingPro Educator – selected from thousands of professionals to be an ambassador for our industry and educate our peers on better business practices.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Very simply – Leading with empathy. Empathy as a management tool is often overlooked but is the most effective way to ensure that teams that work with you feel respected, seen, heard, valued and motivated.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Pivot was the only word we all learned to overuse during the initial lockdown of the pandemic. Everyone in the events and wedding industry was basically unemployed as all events were shut down. Many did pivots to making soaps and all kinds of unique ways to keep the lights on. For me, I took the processes that I use in my business and turned them into digital products for other pros to use so that they could have some of my expertise for themselves. It was a way I felt I could be true to my brand, pay my bills like everyone else but also find a way to help other pros improve their systems

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.ByBrianGreen.com
• Instagram: @ByBrianGreen
• Facebook: /ByBrianGreen
• Linkedin: /BrianAMGreen
• Twitter: @ByBrianGreeb

Image Credits
Charlton Inije