Influencer Brimstone Shares His Top Selfcare, Wellness, and Beauty Tips

An Interview With Ming Zhao

Surround yourself with positive people. Negativity breeds negativity on the inside and out. Positivity does the absolute opposite. Choosing the proper people to reside in your inner circle can be rough; but it can make a world of difference keeping drama to a minimum! Toxic family, friendships and relationships in general do nothing for either party… break ties with the toxicity and watch how your overall view of yourself and life changes for the better.

At times it feels like wellness or elevating one’s well-being, is diametrically opposed to high achievement and high performance in one’s career. The stress, mental energy, long hours, lack of restful sleep and preoccupation that result from a high-achievement life seem to directly inhibit wellness. And yet, in order to sustain the creativity, flexibility, mental acuity and resilience that are necessary for high performance, wellness and wellbeing of the mind, body and soul are also mandatory. So how do we achieve both? This is the question I’m hoping to answer through conversations with high-achieving leaders and influencers who are practicing their own philosophies about how to maintain their wellbeing.

As a part of our series about “Social Media Influencers Share Their Top Self Care, Wellness, and Beauty Tips, I had the pleasure of interviewing Brimstone.

Brimstone has had a successful and rewarding career spanning well over four decades; participating in numerous entertainment fields boasting a list of titles including professional wrestler, radio host/professional podcaster, actor, voice actor, author, musician, philanthropist, food critic and comic book/animated/children’s book/video game hero. He’s been called a Renaissance man by many, but more accurately described as a well-seasoned entertainer, celebrity personality and serial entertainment entrepreneur.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory of how you came upon this career path and to where you are today?

Absolutely! I actually started my career in entertainment early, around the age of five (I’m currently 47)! Something that not everyone realizes is that my career was kick started as a child actor on iconic shows that include Sesame Street and Romper Room. I’ve since toured the world as a drummer and then again as a professional wrestler. I have had the pleasure of becoming a comic book character, kid’s book character, animated character, and the subject of an array of toys and games! I’m an on-air host of multiple popular podcast series’ including The Grindhouse Radio, The Dirty Little Secrets Club, Within Brim’s Skin and Truly Inconsequential. I’ve always been the type of person who is goal oriented and likes to entertain, create, build, grow, teach and ultimately leave a legacy that will be remembered for years to come! I never wanted to be a one-trick-pony and have always desired to do a variety of different things — pretty much anything that interests me. I consider myself a jack of all trades, master of some!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

There are a lot of different people who have played their role at different points throughout my career; however not to sound cliché — but I owe my wife that honor as she has been my rock now for twenty years! If I did not have the support of my wife and children… none of the things I do would be possible and most would certainly not exist! Unfortunately, with any success — there must be a more than fair amount of sacrifice that goes along with it. Many people see someone brew up in the media who they immediately classify as an ‘overnight success’ — though they did not see the five, ten, fifteen, even twenty years of hard work — blood, sweat and tears that went into finally making it to that moment! People tend to see the final product; or believe that anything prior to that final product is considered, ‘less than.’ It is sad state of affairs, as many people stop following their dreams based on what random people consider successful. If I personally allowed random people to affect my ambition and drive, I would have literally stopped years ago and would’ve never become the entity that I have blossomed into! Hell, my own brother even asked me why I don’t cut my hair and be ‘normal’ — My response was simple… because I am a profitable brand and I get paid to look the way I look (which is 100% true). Why would I want to change? Family and friends in general mean well and truly want the best for you; however if they are not in your shoes and have never driven the road that you are traveling — they are NOT the right people to offer up any advice! I find it comical when anyone who hasn’t accomplished an iota of what I’ve done in my lifetime tries offering up advice concerning my career. I’m not at all being pompous or egotistical; but would you think that a landscaper should be offering career advice to a stock broker — or vice versa? The answer is no. They are both their own entities with their own set of challenges and skill sets. The moral of the story is to seek advice from people who are doing the things that you do; or want to do! Thankfully, my parents both came from having a creative background — so they both pushed me to stay creative; but to also understand the importance of staying balanced and comprehending the business aspect of entertainment and entrepreneurship. If it weren’t for my folks — even though they weren’t in the same house with me… I wouldn’t be as well-rounded as I am today.

Can you share a story with us about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? What lesson or take-away did you learn from that?

Honestly, that’s a loaded question… simply because the mistakes I’d made weren’t necessarily humorous; but I did learn a LOT from them. My biggest mistake(s) have all been more or less the same — trusting the wrong people. It is difficult navigating through all the people who come out of the woodwork and sometimes the wrong ones can squeak through the proverbial cracks. I’ve learned how to identify them after a few bad apples and now tend to keep my inner circle a lot smaller. At the risk of sounding pessimistic (which I am certainly not), there are countless people who either dislike you for no good reason whatsoever; or others who aim to ride on your coattails. Then you have the folks who only contact you because they want something… it gets old really quick! I’m a good and giving person, so it should come as no surprise that I‘ve unfortunately dealt with many people over the years who have taken; or tried taking advantage of me by mistaking my kindness for weakness.

As an influencer, you have been blessed with great success in a career path that many have attempted, but eventually gave up on. In fact, perhaps most people who tried to follow a career path like yours did not succeed. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path but know that their dreams might be dashed?

Did you know — most people who opt to give up are usually right on the verge of succeeding! I couldn’t fathom ever giving up on my dreams… I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself had that occurred. Don’t get it twisted, I’ve had the thought on countless occasions; but never allowed it to happen. I think it’s also SO important for people to understand that they shouldn’t fear failing. Failure should always be worn as a badge of honor. You can’t move forward in success without taking a few missteps and encountering a failure here and there. It happens and it’s ok! Failing allows you to take a few steps back and evaluate what went wrong — what matters most is learning from the mistakes and using them to take ten steps forward! I personally enjoy the challenge — nothing in life is easy, so why put your eggs in someone else’s basket and build their dreams when you could build your own instead. I’m a firm believer in the fact that you can do anything that you put your mind and 200% effort into… never take no for an answer.

Can you share with our readers some of the strategies you’ve used to build an engaged, loyal, and large online community?

I truly believe that the reason behind my consistent growth and connection with my audience is that I am unapologetically authentic. I personally respond to each and every person who reaches out to me on social media (as long as they are respectful). There was a time where I didn’t respond or reciprocate on social media and it was extremely detrimental to my brand and presence! It was never because I didn’t want to respond; but because I was overwhelmed with everything else I needed to accomplish — I found it difficult to keep up with social media on top of my already ginormous workload. Thankfully I realized that social engagement is nine tenths of a successful online presence nowadays — so I shifted and started to get back to basics… which essentially was to be accessible to fans, as well as put my content out to a maximum amount of people.

Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of our interview. In my work, I focus on how one can thrive and care for oneself in three areas: body, mind, and heart. You are a busy person with a demanding schedule, can you share with our readers’ two self-care routines, practices or treatments that help your body thrive? (Kindly share a story or an example for each.)

JUST BREATHE. Yeah, sounds simple right? Why is it that most of us reluctantly take the time to just stop, relax and breathe? Proper oxygen flow by taking full deep breathes are a proven method of relieving anxiety and stress. Take the time to relax; get up and move around regardless of what you’re currently in the middle of… it can wait!

SLEEP MORE. One of people’s biggest issues is that they can’t shut their brains off long enough to get an adequate amount of proper sleep. On average, most adults should really be getting between seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Sleep deprivation directly takes away from your true potential, ability to be creative or make proper decisions. I’ve found taking fifteen minute power naps to be helpful when I’ve got a full schedule ahead of me and haven’t had the proper sleep in a couple of days. Pulling all-nighters are sometimes a necessity; however make sure to compensate by dedicating time for resting in between.

Can you share with us two routines that you use to help your mind or heart to thrive? (Kindly share a story or example for each.)

SAYING NO IS A WONDERFUL THING. At one point in my career, I said yes to everything. I wanted to do everything and be everywhere regardless of my exhaustion and sanity. Maybe I just wanted to prove that I could do it all, or just thought that I needed to? It eventually got to a point where I was overwhelmed and over my head. I didn’t have the time to spend on myself or with family and friends. I found that I was forever committed to who knows what! Often, these commitments were not necessarily worth my time or effort. You live and you learn. I learned to start saying that magical word… no!

Trust me, take this invaluable advice!!! It’s truly liberating and will offer you ‘found’ time that you’ll two hundred percent thank me for. Imagine being able to focus? Imagine taking advantage of once ‘lost’ time to engage new opportunities that’ll take your brand and business to the next level… what could YOU do with that extra time? Just say NO. Yes. FOMO will no doubt set in; however you’ll relish in massive amounts of less stress from feeling the need to appease other people; as well as the availability to concentrate on higher priorities.

TAKE A BREAK. Everyone needs to take a mental break… time to wind down and chill. Again, you can’t be productive if you burn yourself out. I’ve learned over the years that you need to separate home from your workspace (which is devastatingly difficult if you’re an entertainer or an entrepreneur who works from home). Albeit I personally work from home too when not at my studio or on tour; it’s more so in terms of social media; or tweaks to my website. Perhaps a few emails or calls here and there. You need to really try hard to make the separation though. Once you get home, be home.

Can you share five ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”? (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. As I’m a man… I don’t know if I have ever felt ‘beautiful’ per se’; but feeling good about yourself and your position in life should essentially count as equal to beautiful right?
2. Surround yourself with positive people. Negativity breeds negativity on the inside and out. Positivity does the absolute opposite. Choosing the proper people to reside in your inner circle can be rough; but it can make a world of difference keeping drama to a minimum! Toxic family, friendships and relationships in general do nothing for either party… break ties with the toxicity and watch how your overall view of yourself and life changes for the better.
3. Dress for Success. Dress the part
4. Find something about yourself that you are truly proud of and wear it as a badge of honor. Honestly, you really just need to accept yourself for who you are — nobody is perfect… even people you think are perfect, are not! Learning to love and appreciate your flaws will take you to a whole new level of self-esteem.
5. Take care of yourself. Eating properly and daily movement may be good for your health; however both also release endorphins that are guaranteed to make you feel good! Ever go to the gym early in the morning, get in a work out, and then feel energized for the rest of the day? That’s your body rewarding you with a natural high — Take advantage of it!

Is there a particular resource, a practitioner, expert, book, or podcast that made a significant impact on you and helped you to thrive? Can you share a story about that with us?

To be honest, not really. There are various people who I respect in the motivational and inspirational space; however I consider myself more of a leader rather than a follower. I hope that doesn’t come across as pompous — I’m just more prone to finding my own way as opposed to listening to regurgitated information that has found their way from one “expert” to the next, just said in an alternate way. I prefer to walk to the beat of my own drum.

Do you have a story about the strangest, most bizarre or funniest wellness treatment that you’ve ever experienced?

TMS Therapy happens to be the most bizarre method of treatment that I’ve seen thus far… it is like electroshock therapy for the brain and find it mildly disturbing; however I don’t know too much about it in order to really judge. I have a friend who has been doing it for depression; but find it awkward and strange — to each their own. I have considered trying Floating before while out touring — It is when they submerge you in a blend of salt and water and leave you to float in a chamber with no sound, etc… but I can’t seem to bring myself to do it.

As an influencer, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

What I always ask from people is to do one thing… think of a cause that you can get behind. Maybe a family member suffered from Cancer; or a friend’s kid has Leukemia. Perhaps homelessness is an issue in your area; or you’d like to make sure that no child goes hungry? Whatever cause means something to you personally — I ask that you take one day out of your year, month, or week and donate some of your time to a specific charitable cause. No, I’m not asking you to spend money — I’m requesting that you donate time volunteering, fundraising, etc. for your chosen charity. Doing something selfless for people in need… it’s priceless. Being able to give back and make someone smile… honestly, the personal rewards are incredible! Helping others who truly appreciate it — and lives may depend on it, there’s no better feeling in the world. We need more love in this current landscape of the world we live in, there’s a huge shortage — do the right thing and be good to one another!

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world with whom you’d like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this. :-)

Any big names who’d like to use their influence for the better of others. I enjoy meeting and getting to know like-minded folks who don’t forget where they came from.

What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?

Absolutely! You can find everything on my Official website: therealbrimstone.com — There are links to all of my social directly on the site. I personally run all my social media — it isn’t my assistant, an intern or my wife… it’s me! So if you reach out — it will be me responding to you directly, and I love engagement. I am most active on Instagram at @therealbrimstone; but I’m everywhere including Twitter at @entrancetohell and Facebook at @Brimstone. If people are interested in using me IN their social media… you can find GIFs of me by searching Brimstone, gotBrim and @ghr among other keywords; or grab them from giphy.com/ghr.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!