Meet Brook Grant | Creative Marketing Specialist & Artist Developer

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

Hi Brook, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind the success of my brand is not being afraid of rejection. The work industry itself is full of rejection–no matter what a person chooses to pursue; however, the entertainment industry is KNOWN for its competitive nature. I have to remain grounded–and sure enough of myself–that the right opportunities will not pass me up.

So, rejection is not an ‘end all be all’, but a redirection to what’s really for me. With this mindset, I became unstoppable in seizing the moment and taking full advantage of the opportunities that are given to me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Growing up, I’ve always been fascinated with the arts and creativity. It was one of the only beautiful things I found from this life–besides pretty flowers and my mother.

I’ve tried many different things: played the guitar for five years, tried out for the volleyball team, tried to learn how to draw, sing, and even act (thank you high school drama club!), but the one hobby that stuck with me was dance.

Dance became my passion at 7 years old, when I first tried out for this local studio named ‘Studio Elite’. Scared for my LIFE, I was able to make it to their preteen division, dancing with around 20 kids that were my age or a bit older. Back them, the intimidation and imposter syndrome got to me bad. I used to think that I would never amount to my peers because my mother was a single mom, who paid all of my extracurricular expenses on her own (which was a pretty penny. Did you know that dance was so expensive?). I blamed my lack of training on my lack of resources, and therefore, always felt like the ‘underdog’.

This made dance my first love, but also my first real enemy. I wanted to excel, but found comfort in blaming outside factors and not my lack of passion. Truth be told, the hardest challenge I had to overcome was myself. Telling myself I couldn’t improve at the same rate as other kids my age because ‘Mommy has no money’ or ‘I didn’t start early enough’. It wasn’t until i was about 16, where I came to an epiphany: the only person in my way, was me.

So I began to work at a restaurant for extra money for extra training. I started dancing with friends (which is where I became super close to my now bestfriend, Zena Ude.). I started filming myself and friends and getting more comfortable with posting and telling people about it. Naturally, when my confidence grew, my dancing improved. Once my dancing improved, I started booking jobs and being noticed by my dance faves.

Confidence was a big key to my ‘success’ in the dance industry, and I’m honestly not even as far as I want to be. A true game changer was me gaining a peace of mind, and getting rid of those negative affirmations! The only person who controls my destiny is me, so why not put in that necessary work?

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh so you’re visiting LA?
We’re going out!

Eateries:
1. The Original Dave’s Hot Chicken (On Fairfax): Need I say more? The different chains across the state does not amount to the original chicken stand that spawned right in the heart of LA. My favorite is the #3 with one slider, one tender, and extra Dave’s sauce. Not too spicy, but just enough for a kick!

2. Teddy’s Red Tacos (By Venice Beach): The BEST street tacos/birria tacos in the city in my opinion. The meat is super tender and the tortillas are made fresh, in house! It’s right on the beach, so it’s a nice snack after a long day out in the sun–and it’s affordable.

3. Fixins (At L.A Live): I don’t typically eat soul food that isn’t prepared by me or my immediate family; however, Fixins is the closest I get to it. The chicken is super juicy and don’t get me started on their candied yams! It’s a 10/10 for me, and that says a lot.

4. Louisiana Fried Chicken (Off of Rosecrans and Central): Can you tell I’m more of a chicken girl rather than beef? I love their chicken nuggets at Louisiana Fried Chicken, and it’s a great substitute for Mcdonald’s (yucky).

Visit/Sight Seeing (Tourist Vibes):

1. Old LA Zoo: A old abandoned zoo, where late teens and early adults go to hang out. It’s filled with graffiti art and creative energy–taking fit pictures there is a must!

2. Griffith Observatory: I like the stars and sight seeing–so the observatory is a must. It oversees LA, and even has some cool solar shows that happen throughout the day, all through the week.

3. Griffith Park: When one wants to chill, but in a pretty, picturesque environment, Griffith park is your girl–however, its important not to stay there past dusk because it can get spooky (the scary side of LA that transplants talk about).

Hang out Spots (Local Vibes):

1. The Melrose Fashion District: Where all the hottest new drops live. This is where I get most of my statement pieces, and accessories. Only the creme of the crop shop there, and you also are likely to see a few celebrities whenever you visit. Fun fact: Playground LA (my home dance studio) lives in the Melrose Fashion District! Killing two birds with one stone?

2. Venice Skatepark: Whether you roller skate, or skateboard, Venice has a welcoming skate community that meets at the skatepark everyday! When I want to get outside and move my body, this is the first place I think of. Such a vibrant community!

4. Getty Center: A MUST SEE museum. I can’t even begin to talk about the many beautiful art pieces that live here. Its a experience that everyone should have when visiting LA–and who doesn’t like a cute little museum moment on their instagram feed?

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shoutout–oddly enough–my school and its environment. UC Berkeley has taught me many things (like how I’m terrible at chemistry but great at writing 30 page essays), but the biggest lesson of them all was that giving up is never an option.

There’s so much beauty in tomorrow. One can start a new life tomorrow, one can overcome a barrier that seems impossible tomorrow, one can even wake up rich and famous tomorrow (thanks to the fast-life of modern day social media)–but as long as you never give up, tomorrow is ALWAYS better.

I think of that when I’ve hit rock bottom multiple times. Instead of sulking, I’m met with people who never take no for an answer, and always find a way. This institution has instilled that grind in me. If I cannot get to it/do it today, there is always tomorrow. And if I do not make it to tomorrow, at least I tried my best today.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brookklynrenee/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooklynrgrant03