Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mrs. Chassica “CEE” Braynen-Thomas. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Mrs. Braynen-Thomas, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?
Starting with the dream my immigrant father had when he first came to this country from New Providence Island, Bahamas, I want my legacy to be that I carried forth the torch my father first lit almost half a century ago. His dream was to be a successful entrepreneur and he did just that. My dream is to be an extension of my father’s legacy for my 2 sons to carry forth even further. I want to be remembered as a fierce defender of my faith and family I want to excel in and outside of my career. Furthermore, I hope to own a diverse conglomerate of thriving family businesses. In sum, I want my legacy to be that I persevered and succeeded at this thing called life!
Mrs. Braynen-Thomas, 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?
Professionally, I am a network operations strategy planner with a major telecommunications company based out of Dallas, TX. I am also the president and General Manager of The Braynen Brand, LLC d/b/a Braynen and Thomas RV; and I co-own Blackrock Publishing with my husband and business partner.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
It’s funny you ask that because I have an armband I wear almost daily, that reads I AM RESILIENT. Although I received the armband prior to 2020, it took on a new meaning during the unforgettable pandemic that slowed the world down to a screeching halt. From 2020-2021 when many store outlets closed or reduced hours, when schools shut down and went to online learning, when events were canceled all around, I found myself having an inordinate amount of free time. I decided to use that free time to do what I loved doing as a young girl: WRITE. Three years and 7 books later, I am proud to say I used that time to focus on something so meaningful, it resulted in the development of an independent publishing company called Blackrock Publishing. Find out more at blackrockpublications.com.
We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.
Marketing ANY business is vitally important. Online marketing of a business in the 21st century is paramount. The serious-minded business owner must always recognize that data driven marketing is not just an option; it’s a necessary and essential building block to success. I know this not only because of fundamentals learned during my BBA and MBA business programs in college, but also because of experience I gained while working as an online marketing manager for three years.
Today, I market and sell products and services for each of my businesses online via numerous ecommerce platforms. The method in which I utilize internet-based tools depend on what I’m selling at the time. For example, for RV rental bookings, Braynen Brand clients can go to our social media pages which will direct them to Outdoorsy.com to find and locate available RVs and campers in their area. They can also order trendy travel merchandise at braynenbrand.com.
On the other end of the spectrum are online book sales. For tech saavy potential readers out there, each one of my books can be found on Amazon.com, BookBub, or authorandmompreneur.com, the latter of which is my own website. For more traditional readers, a small subset of my books can be ordered and delivered to Barnes and Noble bookstores nationwide.
Keep in mind that ecommerce platforms are just a tool. They are not the end all be all. The value and quality of what’s being sold must be on the mark, otherwise, you will be overrun by competition in no time at all.
Excellence is what I strive for. Using the solid foundation my father (and others) provided for me – backed by awesome family and resilient faith – I have resolved to be GREAT in every way possible.
Contact Info:
- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cbraynenthomas