Brandon Miller & That Guy’s Graphics, The Black Burdell and The Scheme Team
Schemin’ for all of the right reasons
You always hear people talk about how small the world is, and then there are those moments when you actually realize it. Officially meeting Brandon E. Miller was one of those moments.
Since that first encounter, I’ve quickly learned that Brandon really does it all. I’m most familiar with him based on his work with The Scheme Team. The Scheme Team is “a lifestyle focused on helping young professionals turn their dreams into reality.” His team is known to put together great events that are not just to have fun, but are for the greater good.
Over time, I’ve had the chance to learn about his many different organizations and projects. I mean it when I say I don’t know when Brandon sleeps!
It’s also been great to see our networks collide and to see friends of friends supporting one another on our numerous ventures.
Just this week, Brandon was featured on the Black & Gifted Blog, in Cosign Mag, and was named one of the 2017 TOP 35 Millennial Influencers by the NEXT BIG THING Movement.
And now he’s on the #2017BlackList.
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First & Last Name
Brandon E. Miller
Why did you decide to start all of your ventures?
After starting quite a few ventures over a short amount of time, I’ve realized that, for me, all of my ventures have formed when connecting my passions with a personal need that others could benefit from. For example, I started That Guy’s Graphics when I was a sophomore in college; I was always somewhat creative, and as the president of my fraternity, I was tired of paying other people for graphic design work. I spent a couple months learning Photoshop, and a few months later I started a sustainable business that is still up and running today. Similarly, I co-founded The Black Burdell, Inc. because as a young, black entrepreneur I struggled with not having access to mentors and the resources I needed to catalyze my own success, so my co-founders and I created a platform to do just that.
When you can package your personal wants, your specific passions, and others’ needs into a unique good or service; you’ve created a sweet spot for your personal venture.
What do your ventures mean to you?
Having multiple ventures, they each hold a unique and distinct importance:
That Guy’s Graphics was my very first business and by all means was it a shot in the dark. I had no one to teach me what starting a business really entailed: from business formation, to the accounting components, to relationship management. Being that I “figured it all out on my own” to an extent, this business is a testament to, “Damn, I did that,” haha. Whenever I’m in a position of discomfort, this venture reminds me that I can do it and I have the network, resources, and mindset to make anything I’m passionate about work.
The Black Burdell holds a special place to me, mainly because of its purpose and its impact. The Black Burdell originated as a service to be everything that I needed when starting my first business, but now it has evolved into a source of hope and a silent hand in helping so many others to be successful. Now, seeing high school students put their business plans together, seeing entrepreneurs I look up to reaching back to help the next generation, and my peers grinding to make their business a success is nothing short of continued motivation and inspiration for me to keep building, working, and growing.
Finally, The Scheme Team. This business is a personification for who all of our co-founders are. It highlights that you can really have your cake and eat it to — because the world is at your fingertips. Growing up we hear so often, “focus on one thing,” whether that is work or school. With The Scheme Team, we want to showcase that you can grind every day at your nine-to- five, hustle every night turning your dream into a reality, pop champagne bottles on Friday, then hop on a plane and visit Dubai for a couple days. It’s a business that breathes the work hard, play hard lifestyle.
What have you had to overcome in order to achieve success?
All my life, my dad would tell me, “It’s all mental,” from sports, to business, or to whatever challenge I was facing at the moment. Wildly, so much in life is really mental, but getting over that mental hump isn’t always easy. I used to have all kinds of ideas that I would never execute on because I feared failure and rejection; I simply would think, “I can’t do that,” or, “that’s stupid.”
I was probably a sophomore or junior at Georgia Tech when I just woke up one day and decided: 1) to take, “can’t” out of my vocabulary, 2) that I’d no longer care what others thought of me or my ideas, and 3) that I’d no longer fear failure. Ever since then the sky has literally been the limit! I know making decisions like those just mentioned are easier said than done, but the sooner you can come to grips with knowing what you’re passionate about, and you have the faith that you can make your dreams a reality, you’ll be successful without a doubt.
As a young, black entrepreneur, I struggled with not having access to mentors and the resources I needed to catalyze my own success, so my cofounders and I created a platform to do just that.
What does it mean to be a black business owner?
This is question almost seems tougher than it ought to be, mainly because it makes me really think. Given the current cultural climate, especially in the United States, there’s almost an important responsibility in being a black business owner and creative. After seeing numerous instances of police brutality, the mass and biased incarceration highlighted in Ava Duvernay’s 13th, and the polarizing presidential election — racial tensions have been extremely high and it’s hard to stay consistently positive.
Although, I may not be consistently positive, what has been consistent is the pride and joy in having something that I own, that I created, that’s mine. It’s empowering to have control of your own narrative and not rely on others for your own successes. Business ownership is something to smile about on a daily basis and I want to ensure that everyone that has the slightest aspiration of having this feeling, gets it.
When you can package your personal wants, your specific passions, and others’ needs into a unique good or service; you’ve created a sweet spot for your personal venture.
What advice do you have for people who are ready to follow their dreams but are hesitating?
My advice? Screw it — just do it.
Life’s too short to keep balancing the “what if’s,” if you have a passion and conviction you are going to be successful. I’ll say that one more time for those of you that are skimming — if you have a PASSION and CONVICTION you WILL be successful.
You will never have all of the resources you need and the stars may never be in perfect alignment, but the most valuable part of executing your dreams is the process itself. The sooner you start, the sooner you fail (we all have failures); the sooner you fail, the sooner you’ll learn and succeed. I’ve interviewed over thirty millennial entrepreneurs and have asked each one their “keys to success,” I’d say some of the most common are:
1. Having faith in yourself and your purpose.
2. Network with, connect with, and learn from others.
3. Fail fast, fail forward, fail often.
Bragging Rights
Man, I feel like every day I’m up to something new, haha. For the time being, I have a lot of huge things in store for 2017, my main premise in everything that I do is to in some way, shape, or form help others.
Check out the Guide 2 Greatness e-workbook which serves as an accountability and success plan to ensure your 2017 is a GREAT in partnership with Rwenshaun Miller. Also look out for some pretty cool events, fundraisers, and trips that The Scheme Team and The Black Burdell will be hosting throughout the year.
Want to contact Brandon for more information?
✦ Learn more about Brandon via his website, brandonemiller.com, and Twitter and Instagram via @thatguybmills.
✦ To learn more about That Guy’s Graphics, visit thatguysgraphics.com and follow along on Twitter and Instagram via @thatguysgraphics.
✦ To learn more about The Black Burdell, Inc., visit theblackburdell.com and follow along on Twitter and Instagram via @theblackburdell.
✦ To learn more about The Scheme Team, visittheschemeteam.com and follow along on Twitter via @the_scheme_team and Instagram via @theschemeteam.
Easy right?
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Do you know a Black Creator or Tastemaker? Of course you do! Let me know in the comments so I can feature him or her this year!
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