We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Briana Stroman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Briana below.
Briana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Any thoughts about whether to ask friends and family to support your business. What’s okay in your view?
The funny thing is it hurts more when a friend/family member gives you their word that they’ll support you, but it’s the complete opposite. I happen to receive a little more support from strangers, & it’s usually because friends/family want their services done for free, even if I’ve already given them a discount (which I shouldn’t always have to do). To support me, there’s of course booking a service, right? But even spreading the word about my services or referring me to people also counts as support. It costs nothing to repost or mention me whether it’s in person or on social media.
There’s also the factor of knowing the media styles I provide, which means a potential client should do their due diligence & review my portfolio before booking me. What happens is they know I’m family/a friend, see that I provided these services, but then expect me to capture a style that’s out of my scope. My communication goes “Unfortunately I don’t specialize in xyz, but I can capture it like zyx. Here’s an example & let me know if this meets your approval.” They’ll say yes, I provided the service, deliver the draft or final product, & turn out to be unsatisfied. That tells me that they didn’t book me for my style & creativity, only for the convenience. I’ve actually blacklisted family & friends due to these experiences or providing me false hope, and I don’t feel bad about it either.
Briana, 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?
I’m a creative from Philadelphia, PA who has both media, design, & IT experience. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Lock Haven University in 2016. However, since high school (2008-2012) I’ve had experience in film production & web design. My interest in photography came much later in 2020.
In 2018 I started Disturbriana Media to provide videography services. I’ve capture various things from events, to interviews, YouTube vlogs, BTS, weddings & etc. In 2020 I added photography & web design services to show that I can provide more creativity. I also included LLC services for business in PA as I wanted to help people in Philly file their business entities to get their company started. I also opened a photo/gallery studio in 2020 with my business & romantic partner Jeff Manning, which was very risky in the mist of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, we’ve successfully been in business for the past 2 years & still currently operating.
One thing that my clients love about me is that I’m a 1-stop shop, especially my branding clients. They can come to this one person who can get everything done: file their LLC, do their branding photoshoot/promo video, & create their website. They don’t have to wait for other entities to send things to me as I have access to everything to make things move smoothly. However, working with a 1-stop shop creative requires the client to know what they want. Another thing that clients love is that I’m a fauvist. Although there’s the industry standards of visuals, I love to be different & bringing out the pop in colors represents my vibrancy.
Lastly, my clients know that I’m a very transparent & resourceful person. Although I provide media services to maintain a visual identity, I’m not a branding strategist (not yet anyways). There are media creatives who are both photographers/videographers & a branding strategist. However, that’s not me & sometimes people get the two confused. I don’t claim I can provide a service that I’m unsure of, but I will provide the best resource for them & we can collaborate. I will always find a way to get the job done.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
My business & romantic partner Jeff Manning & I met at his school in 2014. We both share the same best friend Mike Moore, who’s an audio producer/engineer & recording studio manager. Jeff is a graphic designer/digital artist. Mike & Jeff went to the same school & had the same job as student workers at the school’s media equipment center. job. I often visited Mike at their job but around that time him & Jeff didn’t have the same schedule. At some point they started having the same work schedule & I started seeing Jeff more often. I was still in school myself that was located 3 hours away, so when I met Jeff it was during spring break when I came home for a week. After saying hi & shaking hands, I he noticed a beanie I had on & told me that the liked my hat, but I thought he said “I like your head”. That immediately turned into a comedic moment. The more we hung out, the more I started to like him, I pretty much made first move of talking to him on a dating level, & a month later we made it official. Ironically, the name of our studio FourNineteen represents our anniversary of being a couple (April 19th, 2014).
Although we’ve been a couple for 8 & a half years, we’ve only been business partners for 2 years. Sometimes there’s blurred lines of business talk happening at home & personal talk happening at work, but as a fairly new business we’re learning to create that fine line of boundaries so that we’re focused on both areas separately.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I’m currently a member of Black Women Photographers (BWP), which is a community that provides advice, resources, & opportunities to black/minority women & non-binary people of color. The community was founded in 2020, which is around the time I started doing photography as a service. I wish I knew about the organization around that time so that I could’ve been further in my career now. I’m appreciative of what I’ve learned from them soo far & meeting/speaking with the amazing photographers in the community. However, I often imagined where I would’ve been in my life right now & the opportunities that I could’ve secured.
Contact Info:
- Website: Service Website: www.disturbriana.com | Conceptual Portfolio: www.brianashaunte.com
- Instagram: Service Page: @disturbriana.media | Conceptual Page: @briana.shaunte
- Facebook: Service Page: www.facebook.com/disturbrianamedia | Conceptual Page: www.facebook.com/brianashaunte
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/disturbriana
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCCyA046c7ymmRbzQ8135HuA
Image Credits
Londyn Dae, Sharmaine Odunde Festival, Alisha Clark, Aprils Rain, Jeff Manning, Lola Akinsola