We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Pharaoh Muhammad (Bradney) Khalil (Hernandez) a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Pharaoh Muhammad (Bradney), thanks for joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later?
If I could go back in time I would definitely start sooner and invest a lot more heavily into it than I did in other hobbies or pass times. I started doing poetry at about 12 or 14 years old and decided to start doing spokenword at 16. From then on its just been a constant grind to continously build up my name and recognition that honestly could’ve started a lot sooner in my career if I had been focusing on myself rather than impressing the people around me. The importance of doing what you love isn’t when you start doing it (whether it’s sooner or later) but how much of yourself you invest into your craft and the path you’ve chosen. The only difference for me in starting sooner is the mentality change on how the money flows in and out of the business. It’s the exact same idea with my photography and event management.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I essentially got my start in the poetry/event industry about 5 years ago in Hawaii while I was serving in the Navy. I had created an alternate reality within my life by writing and performing in front of others while doing my regular day to as a sailor. Once I started going out to events recognition was easy to recieve as I was constantly outside and networking at every event possible. First impression are everlasting and it was the first big lesson I learned in the industry. Ever since getting back into Grand Rapids, Michigan I’ve been bringing the community and energy that I felt at every poetry and hip-hop event from Hawaii to our small city.
Since being back I’ve been providing people with connections to event spaces, organized said events, provided photography and essentially kept the peace with the atmosphere I create in my own personal events. Helping other artists get their name out by giving them a stage to perform on is the main point of my business. Sometimes free sometime paid, I’m here to provide what I can in the capacity I can provide it at.
I’m most proud of my work as an Exhibition Coordinator at ArtPrize, the largest art competition in the world hosted right here in the heart of Grand Rapids. Along with the HeartSide Business Association, I was able to put together 4 different shows and put multiple performers along the streets to allow them to get paid for doing what they love. I also worked closely with artists of all types to make sure they felt listened to and provide a sense of actual community amongst each other. I want to make sure any clients and partners feel as comfortable in my presence and at the events as possible, as comfort and preparation lead to extraordinary results.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish I had known about how easily available grants are for people who are just like me: Minority and community based businesses looking to provide as much as they can for the people they’re around. Everyone deserves a place of peace and education and that can easily be achieved by looking through your cities local grants. No matter how big or small the amount is, it’s important to invest wisely on yourself and business. Networking and connecting yourself with the right people can lead to easy generation in leads and the extra funding is never not helpful.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My goal with my work is to build my name and funding up enough to build a non-profit organization focused on teaching the unhoused (young and old) the things they need to survive. Whether it’s self-defense, reading, writing, financial security, mental health awareness, etc. everyone deserves a chance to live and not just survive. That’s why my focus is building a space that is comfortable for anyone to be a part of. Whether, it’s the Word For Word Poetry Slam, Small Business Highlights, or even small photoshoots for local artist’s it’s extremely important to make sure everyone is taken care of in every aspect. As someone who has couch hopped and struggled with housing before it’s important to understand everyone’s struggles and be patient, as every flower blooms in its own season and TLC is the only thing that can help them grow.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/candidman616?igshid=YTQwZjQ0NmI0OA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091533477266&mibextid=ZbWKwL
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pharaoh-khalil-3401902a1?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pharaohkhalil
- Other: Photography portfolio https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1W-r_AHjDrVqalngOLgN7jROpti_E7qCu
Image Credits
Candidman616 (me, Pharaoh Khalil)