Meet Brandon Stuart: Creative Director and Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Stuart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, what makes you happy? Why?
I love this question, because in many ways it captures the deeper intent behind our behavior. I’ll focus my answer on my professional happiness as a Creative.

What makes me happy is creating products from scratch that I believe need to exist, and then seeing them valued by strangers. When I see the potential for a new idea to bring value into the human experience, I have a hard time unseeing it. I find a great sense of fulfillment putting the work in to bring it to life and seeing it begin its existence in the wild. Across all of my ventures, there was always a moment of awareness that something I was experiencing could be better, and happiness kicks in as the Creative journey begins.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve never fit perfectly in a role or job description. Ultimately ideas have been the currency of my career. I’ve applied ideas in Marketing and Creative roles, as well as in entrepreneurial ventures and passion projects.

I am proud of the fact that I have always gone for it when I knew in my gut a concept was sound. That is not always easy as there is an opportunity cost to every minute, dollar, and ounce of emotional energy put into an idea, but it’s taught me so much about product development, people, myself and what I want to do next.

I’d love to see the role of ‘inventor’ formally reintroduced and accepted in our culture. I believe a person can be an idea generator without the requirement of immediately having to produce a sustainable business. There is so much discovery out there still to pursue.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I lived in El Segundo for the last 8 years and am a big fan of the small downtown. El Segundo Brew Co is a favorite spot of mine and serves as a great stop at any point in time in the day. Some of my other favorite restaurants are Boss Sushi, Bartz BBQ popups, and basically anywhere that has an epic breakfast burrito.

If I were hosting someone and could get out of having to hit Hollywood and the Santa Monica pier, I would make sure we spent time in downtown (Arts district, a Laker game, enjoying great food) and exploring the beaches around Palos Verdes (which are breathtaking).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people that have contributed to my journey so far. My dad is an incredible creative thinker, across all formats and outlets, with an entrepreneurial spirit and strong business savvy. He has undeniably influenced my willingness to take risk and pursue my ideas. The rest of my family (four brothers, sister, mom, wife, and even my 4-year old twins) have all also influenced my creative ambition. From supporting each other creatively as we all explore ideas, to my kids inspiring me by reminding me what pure discovery looks like, I have always felt like nothing was off limits or out of reach.

In a professional context, I am grateful for HR Exec, Kathy Mandato, who has always made time to advance my career and bet on me no matter what. She has undeniably played a role in the professional experience I’ve had to date.

Website: www.pallaby.com, www.thebokee.com

Instagram: @pallabypet, @the.bokee