We recently connected with Brittney Robinson and have shared our conversation below.

Brittney, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Taking a risk is scary, however, I’ve learned, making yourself uncomfortable with the unfamiliar is the fastest way to grow.

I never expected to have a career paying 6 figures without a college degree at 21 years old. I had everything I could ever need or want, but I was unhappy. Something was always missing. I always felt homesick (in my penthouse) for a place I couldn’t identify.

Someone gave me some life changing advice one day and that was, I was so obviously unhappy with money and my life that I needed to completely do a 180 degree change. They told me to flip my life upside down and completely challenge myself.

I sold everything I owned. I got on a flight to Malaysia and joined a travel program with about 30 other strangers that I was going to be spending the next 12 months in 12 countries with.

I never looked back. I even ran out of money. No more fancy hotels and dry cleaning service, it was hostels and community busses for me now, I still never looked back. I was still happier than I had ever been.

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?

My name is Brittney and friends call me Bird. I am a digital nomad and a global photographer. I also specialize in business strategy. I gave up corporate life and six figures for an independent, abundant, nomadic lifestyle.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I had no idea about photography. I just knew I was putting too much time into a job that wasn’t giving anything back in the terms of passion. I picked up an old camera one day and started shooting all of the beautiful abandoned and decaying buildings in Detroit. This was in 2006z the city resembled something like Chernobyl. Nobody was around.

I was a huge urban explorer so I liked going into all of the abandoned buildings and one day decided to start bringing along my camera. That’s when my life took an unexpected but exciting turn.

I was photographing buildings people would never think of stepping foot in. I was giving people insight to what was going on – and showing them beauty in decay. There is nothing like seeing a completely abandoned mall taken over by nature with plants growing up the escalator and filling the store windows. With old nostalgic things that take you back to another time.

I started posting my photos on instagram and my following started to blossom, this is when the platform was still new and useful. Lol.

I ran into one problem, as Detroit grew and came back to life, security tightened on abandoned buildings and I was forced to start photographing people. I had little to no friends because I worked so hard and such long hours and limited resources.

I took a very beautiful coworker and photographed her. I learned to do hair and makeup. I figured out lighting. I taught myself everything! The only problem was I only had one “model” friend. Nobody wants to shoot with a “photographer” without a portfolio. So we shot. Every single day after work. I learned so much about hair and makeup. We made her look like a different person in every shoot. We used materials we had and none of it was high end gear.

People started to take notice. Things started to take off from there. I started printing my work on canvas and hosting art shows all over the US. I have now lived in over 43 countries and shot models in every single one. I’ve been published more times than I can count and I still to this day will use a clamp light from a hardware store and a roll of wrapping paper from a dollar store as a backdrop.

I’m not bragging by any means. I’m trying to imply that anyone can create beauty and magic. Any budget. It’s about YOU and your imagination, it’s not about and has never been about the gear you use.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Recently I have had to pivot my travel career due to the pandemic. I remember I was laying on the beach in Greece and I was the leader of a group of digital nomads that’s I coached weekly to assist with success in their new lifestyle. My boss said “I’m sorry, there is a pandemic and you need to come home, we can no longer run the program”. I felt my heart drop to the bottom of my chest, I didn’t want to come back to the states. I was learning and growing so much

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @detroitbird
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100013464480692&mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Other: https://kavyar.me/detroitbird