We were lucky to catch up with Christopher Brown recently and have shared our conversation below.

Christopher, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

“Following Footprints Media” is a name that embodies themes of creativity and exploration which are prominent in my work. The name originates from a song I produced in college, many years ago, which had a moody and mysterious vibe – a feeling of traveling into the unknown. As I prepared to save the initial audio file, I chose the title which immediately came to mind – “Following Footprints”. Once I began releasing music, I needed an artist name. I went through several ideas – none satisfactory – until suddenly I remembered that early track. The name was perfect. Over time, I became serious about photography, filmmaking, and professional work in History. As such, the name has become even more fitting, through the idea of exploring places and stories from the past in a variety of media via “footprints”.

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 background is quite varied. I have been a lifelong lover of all things artistic – especially cinema and music – as well as history, travel, and cultural studies. I received a BA in Film and though I worked on some minor projects, I lost interest in doing professional cinema work. In the meantime, I began producing music and later my visual arts background translated to photography. With nearly 20 years in the Financial industry as my main profession, I finally decided I wanted to follow my passions and obtained my Master’s in History. For a thesis project, I decided to combine my two fields of study – Film and History – by making a documentary about the demolition of Boston’s West End in the 1950s. Though I simply hoped to receive a passing grade, the film ended up winning two awards (so far), receiving significant attention on YouTube, and being screened a number of times in Boston.

I decided to coalesce my various passions and skills into a singular business – Following Footprints Media – which centers around themes of exploration and curiosity via photography, filmmaking, music, and through history projects (in-person tours, documentaries, oral histories, and presentations.) I strive to educate and inspire – to encourage viewers to find beauty, mystery, depth, and a sense of the profound in their lives, their travels, and their relationships. I think the world is a fascinating place and our individual and collective experiences as human beings deserve to be remembered and explored. I think true stories and real places are as incredible and fascinating as anything that can be imagined.

I bring this mindset to any project I undertake, whether exploring the world through still images, films, tours, or presentations, I love exploring new stories and places and sharing them with the world.

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

I’ve had to pivot, and to RE-pivot, a number of times!

As a child, my dream was to be a professional drummer. As a teenager, I decided to be a filmmaker. Both of these dreams died out, ironically upon graduation from Film School. I felt disillusioned with the industry and the filmmaking process. Plus, having moved to a small city apartment, my drums were left behind (and eventually lost). Though I had played since age 8, I didn’t touch the drums for 15 years and despite a few minor attempts at video work, filmmaking seemed like a lost cause.

Upon graduation, I worked in retail until I ended up in an excellent job at a financial company, where I remain to this day (20 years later). In a total pivot from my music/film background, I ended up as a respected Anti-Fraud investigator and Data Privacy professional. While I remain grateful for the steady career at a fantastic company and continue to explore and grow in that environment, I yearned to pursue my passions, at least on the side.

I pivoted again in my mid-30s by getting a Master’s in History… something I would never have expected. In another twist, I ended up dusting off my Film degree and making (for the first time in my life) a REAL movie in the form of a documentary as my thesis project. Not only did I enjoy the process – unlike in Film School – but the results were highly successful.

Meanwhile, my love of music never died and I produced electronic music over the years. Some of this ended up in my documentary, coming full circle. Further, after 15 years without drumming, a colleague at my financial job invited me to jam with his musician friends (professionals who had toured the world). This allowed me to rekindle my passion and rebuild my skills. To my surprise, this eventually led to a number of professional gigs around Boston with several bands which continues to grow.

So, my two childhood dreams – being a filmmaker and professional drummer – DID come true. And my financial job, which remains a bedrock of support, created unexpected musical connections.. My pivot into History unexpectedly rekindled my love of filmmaking, and now I’m involved in a number of significant History projects which allow me to combine all my artistic passions into one place… An unexpected and serendipitous turn of events.

Funny how life works!

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I find networking and human interaction to be the most effective means for making connections and moving up in the world. I am not shy about introducing myself and talking about my passions and my work, and (equally important) learning about others. When we connect with those who are like-minded and who resonate with our goals and our interests, we can create wonderful bonds that lead to miraculous things. At the very least, perhaps you’ll make a new friend and you never know where things will lead. We’re all in this life together and if we approach each other with genuineness, respect, appreciation, and openness, we can work together and help each other live our dreams and serve the world in the ways best suited to us.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.followingfootprintsmedia.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/followingfootprints/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-brown-3570a0206/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FollowingFootprintsMedia

Image Credits

Anna Morgan