We were lucky to catch up with Sean Brinkley Jr recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Sean , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
My years following graduation from Kennesaw State University in 2018 with a BA degree in Music and Minor In Dance have been challenging yet rewarding. I took my diverse skill set and entered the field of higher education despite my studies in my undergraduate years. I had a deep love for my artistry but wanted to help recreate beneficial experiences for students of color that were similar to my own. I then went on to launch two LLCs between the years of 2020-2021. Built on the tenants of accessibility, representation, and advocacy T.A.P Arts LLC and C.R.E.E.D Media LLC were born. It is here that I fused my passion for the arts, education, media, and social justice. There were many risk that I took on this journey to where I am today but the creation of my two businesses has been one of the biggest. Everything from learning how to use a camera to taking out business loans to fund my projects. Despite the critiques of my career shifts and broad client focus my vision has continued to grow. There are moments where I still find myself anxious about if I have made the right decisions but my success speaks for itself. I think going after the things you are deeply invested in is about taking a leap of faith. As I continue to grow as an entrepreneur – creative, I am accepting that taking risk is a part of the journey.
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?
I graduated from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with a concentration in Composition and a Minor in Dance. Through out my collegiate years I served in various roles across campus. everything from a Resident Assistant to President of the Alpha Beta Theta Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. It is here where I developed a love for higher education. Following my graduation I went on to work as a Student Life Advisor at Georgia State University and later ended up back at my alma mater Kennesaw State University as a Leadership Development Coordinator. As I progressed through my career journey in higher education, I wanted to share more of my personal stories about my post grad experience. I also wanted to continue utilizing my degree to create works of art in the Metro – Atlanta area. It is here that T.A.P Arts LLC and C.R.E.E.D Media LLC were developed. T.A.P Arts LLC AKA The Apollo Project began has a platform for me to showcase my works. Understanding the struggles as a black creative in college, I wanted my platform to do more. I later rebranded as a Black Arts Advocacy brand that is focused on highlighting and supporting black creatives. C.R.E.E.D Media LLC AKA C.R.E.E.D Entertainment began as a youtube channel. It is here where I discussed my first year following graduation and my career path in higher education. I enjoyed the creative process behind producing content for myself and this eventually lead me producing work for other creatives.
In an effort to bridge the gap between my platforms, I moved T.A.P Arts LLC underneath the C.R.E.E.D Entertainment name. It is here where I began to build a diverse portfolio and producing work for small black businesses and black creatives. C.R.E.E.D Media LLC now offers a wide range of services (included but not limited to Videography, Photography, Brand Development, Social Media Management, Creative Direction, etc.). C.R.E.E.D Entertainment helps create accessibility to branding resources – services and at an affordable price. It is systematically harder for black creatives and businesses to create sustainable infrastructure in multiple avenues so my media conglomerate aims offer areas of support. I am extremely proud of the amount of black owned businesses and creatives that I have been able to support over the past year.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My overall goal is to build media conglomerate that is built on the tenants of accessibility, representation, and advocacy. As a Queer Black Male from the east side of Atlanta, there where not many spaces of support or positive representation. It was hard for me to conceptualize what images of success looked like for myself in multiple spaces. Understanding the technological age we are in, I want to build out brands in the digital realm the focus on the topics of arts, education, media, and social justice. Through this ideology I hope to create a safer and more ethical space for people to engage online.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Developing a strategic plan for how you will fund and manage your fiscal responsibilities for your entrepreneurial efforts is key. I wish I would have known more about business credit, taxes, and bookkeeping very early on. Hiring a CPA can help you avoid many of the mistakes many business owners make when starting their business. They streamline many of your processes and procedures so that you are always clean on the financial heath of your business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/goldenlocks101
- Instagram: @goldenlocks101
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanbrinkleyjr/
- Twitter: @goldenlocks101
Image Credits
Sean Brinkley Jr Kemi Griffen