When I Grow Up...Becoming an Entrepreneur
And I'm back with another edition of When I Grow Up! Today we're hearing from Bron Austin Deal. For simplicity's sake I'm calling him an entrepreneur, but he does so much! I'll let him tell you all about it in a minute, but first a little introduction. I knew Bron back in college when he was president of our business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi. He was an inspirational leader then and he's even more inspirational today! Without further ado, here's Bron Austin Deal.
As a child, I wanted to be a ______ when I grew up. Rodeo Clown and/or Garth Brooks, essentially I wanted to be famous.
How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? At this exact moment, I am living my dream as my current career.
What is your official job title? Founder, Speaker and Clothier of Bron Austin Deal Enterprises LLC and Bron Austin LLC.
Ok, now what does that really mean? As Founder, I created my brand. For Bron Austin Deal Enterprises LLC, I own a professional motivational speaking company called THE IMAGE Dress for Success. In this, I am also co founder of Brand and Dress Market to Success, a double keynote motivational speaking experience with speaking partner, Mr. Los Ellis. This is where the Speaker part takes priority. I am also the founder of my professional how to app (launching this spring) called THE IMAGE App. This app will be a personal consulting service for young professionals looking to gain the edge in the professional world from dress for success to how to ace an interview. Lastly, for Bron Austin LLC, I am a Clothier for my custom professional clothing line, Bron Austin. Through this, I also have a ready-made line called Austin by Bron Austin (www.bronaustin.com launching this spring for clients access only). This site will be tied in to my App and will offer clients and app users premier access to Austin by Bron Austin clothing. You can see more at Facebook.com/bronaustin for the time being.
What is a typical day like? This may be a better question for on of my interns. Haha. My days comprise of conference calls, client meetings, client wardrobe designing, Non-profit meetings, runs to the cleaners or tailors, working remote or in home office, etc etc. Basically, my days are completely different from the last. I may be working here one day and then hopping on a plane the next minute to see a client or to speak in a different city or state.
How did you end up in this career? This has literally been my dream since high school. I do not condone a self employed career for most people. The structure is hard and the hours are very random. I tried working a "9-5 corporate" job and found that it just wasn't for me. I launched my brand because I had a demand for my dream. It does not work this way for most people. I had people asking for my products before I had left my corporate job.
What kind of education or training did you complete for this career? I have a BBA Marketing degree from the University of Oklahoma. I continue my training by investing in the community through networking, non profits and civic organizations. I say this as it continually keeps me in front of others and learning from other community leaders. This training is invaluable.
What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career? If it is not your true passion (meaning you are not in it for money or success), then do not give it a go. You have to be truly invested in your passion and your customers.
Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? I love this question. I am always dreaming. I have accomplished a lot at the young age of 31 but my list continues to grow each day. I would love to own a diner where I could visit with customers every day. I also would like to run for Mayor of Prosper, TX. But more obtainable, I am in the finishing stages of writing my first novel. I started this project a few years ago to corral some thoughts and now it has turned into a full fiction novel called Letters From My Heart, A Love Story.
Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do “when they grow up”? Never stop dreaming. There is ALWAYS a way to obtain your dreams. However, things don't happen on our time. They happen on his time. Trust the path God has given us and know that his plan for you may not always been the route you think is best. I read Philippians4:13 every day. "I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me."
Huge thanks to Bron for being a part of my When I Grow Up series! I love hearing about people following their dreams and succeeding, and Bron definitely is. His clothing line is great, I actually gave my dad one of his ties to wear at my wedding :)
