Meet Bryan Jordan | Former Professional Soccer Player. Current Actor and Owner of his own production company.

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

Hi Bryan, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
After retiring from a professional sport, I have a different idea of what work is and I’m highly motivated to go above and beyond.
Originally, it occurred to me that actors can benefit from operating a loan out company, so it just started with that simple idea. I named it BJ6 Enterprises with the thought that more branches would soon be following under that umbrella.
The more that I’ve applied myself, I’ve learned that if I can’t always be the talent on projects, I might as well get involved with the production end of it. I’ve been working on sets as a sports coordinator or soccer/stunt tech, consulting with the creatives on projects and helping them understand what would be realistic to players in different situations.
I feel like I have a unique view of things at this point because I’ve not only been the athlete, but I’ve also been hired as the acting talent for gigs and I know what they need to do and the pressures or obstacles that both of those roles might find themselves in. Now along with both of those roles, I’m also on the production / consulting side where I can give advice or a certain direction to help make things easier for production and capture the best that their skill has to offer. A lot of these players are so skilled and I want to do my best to portray them in an accurate way.
I also feel like although soccer is the global game, it doesn’t always get full respect here in United States, unfortunately. I would love to continue to tell important stories around the game and showcase it in a way that will continue to raise its’ status here. I’m very passionate about that.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Social impact: how does your business help the community or the world?

A big goal of my business is to help elevate the status of soccer here in America. As we all know, soccer is a global game but it has quite the competition here in the USA. I’d like to see it get its due respect.

Also, as I continue to build out my company and become a key decision maker on major projects, I would love to help different communities with opportunities and employment – including some of my good athlete friends who retire from their sport and don’t quite know what to do next but want to stay around sports and entertainment. It can be difficult finding your next thing to focus on after retirement and I would love to be a resource and offer opportunities for a post-playing career.
Finally, I am hoping that the projects that I work on with my business, as well as my story itself, will help inspire young athletes and entertainers to push for a career in this field and realize that it’s very much possible! Being a role model to young athletes and showing them that a career as a professional athlete is just as valuable and important as a career as a business man/woman is also a big motivation for me.

Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career?

Well, if you believed my Zodiac sign it would indicate that I don’t really like taking risks and in some ways, and I guess there might be some truth to that. But if you look at my career or a lot of my choices throughout my career, most people might disagree. I actually do enjoy a good risk or two… I mean, even choosing to pursue a career as a Professional Athlete is quite the risk when you look at the odds of success. Also, when I was an active Professional Athlete, I definitely was a player willing to take more risks and put myself on the line for my team. Since retiring, along with acting I also do a bit of stunt work, which can be extremely risky and dangerous. The way I like to look at risk is simple: Everything is a risk in a way, the risk just has to be worth it and you have to approach it carefully. I plan for difficult things and think about them in great detail before I attempt them. I try to make sure I fully understand every angle of the risk before I attempt it. Typically, if I’ve prepared myself well enough, it just doesn’t quite feel like a risk now after all, it’s just something that now all I need to do is execute. If I choose to do something, I’m definitely going to get it done!

If you are a parent, what do you think is the most important thing you’ve done as a parent in terms of the impact on your children?

I am not a parent just yet but I really look forward to the day when I have a family of my own. Family is very important to me and I am very close to my parents and my sister. They have been a huge blessing to me in my life! I know it’s because of them that I’ve made it to where I am today and because they’ve given me the greatest foundation of believing in myself. I really hope I can instill that in my own children one day.

What is the most important factor behind your success / the success of your brand?

The most important factors behind my success have been self-belief, determination, and persistence, (not taking no for an answer.) Without those things, it’s much easier to give up before giving yourself a chance to really make it. I’ve grown so much from my successes, leading with this attitude and mentality led me to the opportunity to play for my childhood favorite team (LA Galaxy). That really solidified my philosophy that if you believe that you can do anything you put your mind to, it can happen, and even now I carry that with me.

I apply this same mentality to my Brand and work I do now. The more people I meet and work with in the business world seem to have an appreciation for it. I’m so competitive and want to do good at something but I’ve also played a team sport and know how to lead and depend on each other. Wanting to work hard is the base level of anything even before your talent, that’s always been instilled into me. Mix that with genuinely wanting to do right by people and you’ve got a winning combination.

How to know whether to keep going or to give up?

This is a great question. It looks simple from the outside but I’ve grappled with this question on numerous occasions. When I was playing professionally, most of the time this question came up when I was debating rest days. I thought that every day I must take the opportunity to work hard and get better… sometimes running my body into the ground. But I came to realize that rest days are often just as important. Sometimes crucial! You need to be able to find a balance. I debated even more around this topic when it came to retirement which all athletes must face at some point.

Now, if you’ve tried to find that balance and you still truly want to give up or move on with something, you really just need to be comfortable with what you want out of the situation. Honor yourself by reminding yourself of all the hard work you’ve put in and make sure you feel that you excelled in it to the best of your ability. Give it one last try… and maybe then you could consider it. But just as I typed all this out my mentality’s kicking me saying don’t.

However, in most cases I would tell you… If you’re not dead, don’t give up. You have 100 more times to fail before you achieve it! You’re only this young once! Look at it as the more failures you accumulate, the closer to your goal you’re actually getting! Spin it into a positive and don’t look back.

Sorry I’m back and forth on this one, it really does depend on the topic for me. Even with my competitive drive there are times that it might be best if you walk away and truly you will know how you feel. You just have to trust and honor yourself in those moments.

Work life balance: how has your balance changed over time? How do you think about the balance?

I often hear that you’re supposed to have a balance, but I’m all for total dedication. So my mindset made it difficult to find an answer to this for a long time. I have always viewed it as you get out of it what you put in. Be obsessed with something. I’m a big believer in Mamba Mentality. It’s important to be proud of yourself for the work you’ve have put in but not be complacent and then along the way, you will know what you can handle and how much balance you do need. I really do think there’s a skill to it. I think you need to constantly adjust that and be willing to give what you can in that moment and then give yourself the honor to balance with rest, family time or things for pure enjoyment when you know it’s needed.

What makes you happy? Why?

Just doing! Doings of anything! Being out in the world and a part of fun projects, learning about new things, exploring new places or areas of interest, working out and using my body… It doesn’t take a lot to truly be at my happiest. I’d like to continue to build out my career so it can be something I am proud of and that success can support a family. I really am looking forward to the day I can find a true partner and build a family together and that is a goal of mine that I know will bring me happiness in a way that I’ve never felt before.

Why did you pursue an artistic or creative career?

Soccer was all I ever really dreamed of as a kid. In school, when they asked us what other interests we had, I remember I got in trouble once for having no Plan B. So when I had to, I would throw a few things out there but there was no real backing to them like, “I like animals, so maybe being a Vet?” or “Movies are cool, it would be so cool to be a movie star right?” I had those general thoughts at some point along the way, but never really took it too seriously. While I was playing, I had some opportunities to look into a more creative career outside of soccer and I even dated someone in the entertainment industry that allowed me to see a little more. Even then, I didn’t really think that I would take that path at some point down the line. But once I retired and was faced with not having my ultimate love of soccer around in the same way… I really pushed myself to find other ways to find that passion. For me, using my body or my talent for acting or stunts, really does allow me to connect with myself in a somewhat similar way. It’s the “doings” that I mentioned earlier. It’s just interesting to look at situations or characters from different perspectives and learn new things. Ultimately I believe that it might give me some form of influence to people I’d like to inspire.

How do you define success?

Success: Having an unwavering belief in yourself and going out into the world and creating a team around you of good people that want to see you succeed. Health, a little wealth… But most importantly, people you are truly close with and have a healthy and inspiring relationship with. That sounds pretty darn successful to me.

If you can get to the point of success where you’re able to help others around you be successful as well, then that’s really the cherry on top. I am always aiming for that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Ohhh, you trying to get the scoop on the places I keep for my good friends that visit. I’m going to keep some of the best spots to myself (hahaha) as it took me being a local years to find some of these. But for anyone visiting Los Angeles the city I love I tell them that they must see Santa Monica around the 3rd street promenade area, Beverly Hills, The Grove in Hollywood one of my favorite places. Old town Pasadena area just for a different vibe so you can get different senses of the city. Manhattan Beach is also one of the most amazing beach cities to go check the views out at as well. Once you get a sense of how large Los Angeles is and getting around to these different towns you will learn that the people and culture from town to town might give you a bit more of a range than what you might just hear about from other people or on tv.

As far as the food and the drinks, I’m such a big foodie I just go check yelp or your favorite food app and start scouting in the area that I’m in. Los Angeles has some of the best food! Tons of diversity, its incredible.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to take this time to thank first and foremost my family. I’m truly fortunate to have a close family that supports me and are some of my closest friends. Next to that, my management Meg Stewart, the rest of my theatrical and commercial teams, everyone else out there who’s just a friend or fan of mine, and the ones who are speaking well about you in rooms that you’re not in.

Website: https://www.bryanjordan.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bj_6

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-jordan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bj6

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BryanJordanOfficial

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bj_6

Image Credits
Carlos Serrao
Cibelle Levi
Matt Kalish
Robert Mora
Sarah Orbanic