The Brandon Green Report: Remembering Anything is Possible - Brandon Green

We are losing our ability to see what’s possible across our lives, our businesses, our families, and the world. As a result, more and more people feel that a life of connection, meaningful fulfillment, joy, and peace is unattainable.This is hugely consequential, and it’s a big part of why I started The Brandon Green report—and how we’ve gotten to Issue 2. I want to do my part to help people see things from a different perspective, unlock their vision and creativity, and inspire a plan to do something about it.

To that end, in this issue I highlight recent business formation statistics and reflect on the journey of building a personal brand. I also discuss a conversation I had with Katharine Manning, who helps leaders navigate trauma in the workplace by increasing their emotional intelligence. We are all traumatized to some degree right now, and I found our conversation particularly impactful. Lastly, I share some recent success by the Washington Master Chorale—real creative fuel to inspire you.

This newsletter, and the greater vision behind it, is a team effort, and I thank every single member of my team for their role in putting it together. If you missed the first one, you can find it on my website here.

If this is the first time you’re reading this, thank you for taking a moment to see what we’re up to

— Small Business & Entrepreneurial Insights —

In the October newsletter, I highlighted some pieces of good news pertaining to business and the economy: This year has seen record numbers of business formation applications. For entrepreneurs, particularly those well-positioned for digital operations, the time is ripe with opportunities.

In Q1 of 2020, ending on March 31, just two weeks after the initial big hit of the pandemic, there were 842,582 business formation applications, a total that was down 4.4% from the final quarter of 2019. In Q2 of 2020, though, ending on June 30, there were 883,018 applications—up 4.8% from Q1 totals. And that’s up despite having the biggest adjustment period to the pandemic in that time. Q3 was predicted to be particularly strong and, as the U.S. Census Bureau graph shows above, the numbers did not disappoint: 1,566,737 total business formation applications—a 77.4% increase from Q2 and an 82.3% increase from Q3 in 2019.

A further breakdown of the numbers and report by the Census Bureau shows that the increase didn’t happen for just one type of business application; it happened across the board, for high-propensity businesses, those with planned wages, and those from corporations.

Takeaways…

These numbers give us just one snapshot of what’s happening in the business sector. They don’t show the closures, or the businesses about to close, or the level of success any of the new businesses are seeing. But they do tell us that our ingenuity is robust, our resilience is strong, and that we will continue to innovate through even the most inexplicable and unpredictable of times.

— Featured Article —

Why and how do you build a personal brand?

Since 2001, I’ve worked incredibly hard to build my career in the real estate space as well as my network. The real estate industry gave me an open platform through which I could turn my ideas into a reality, forge the lifestyle I envisioned for myself, and positively impact people along the way. By 2017, I couldn’t shake a burning question: Do I continue down the known and predictable path? Or do I start to imagine and create other possibilities for myself?

I decided to pursue my longer-term vision, and to help make that vision come to life, I knew I needed to invest in building up my personal brand. That process has involved everything from writing a memoir and studying up on digital media and video production to building a team of experts in branding, web design, content, and strategy to help me. The last couple of years have been incredibly introspective.

If you’re thinking of building up your personal brand, read my full article to learn more details about my journey so, the team I’ve put in place to help me, and what you might want to consider as you embark on the process for yourself.

— entrepreneur spotlight / KATHARINE MANNING —

Katharine Manning spent 15 years advising the Justice Department on victim issues in its most challenging cases, from terrorism to child exploitation to large-scale financial fraud. She is now the President of Blackbird DC, an organization dedicated to helping institutions prepare for and respond to the challenges they face involving employees and members of the public working through trauma. She has recently written a book about her work, entitled The Empathetic Workplace, available in February 2021.

I recently had the pleasure of talking with Katharine about how leaders today can increase their EQ and how business owners can more effectively navigate the trauma their customers and employees are facing as a result of Covid-19. Listen to the interview here.

Learn more

— Green Speculations / NOVEMBER 2020 —

I have a passion for the performing arts, so earlier this year, when I was asked to join the board of the esteemed Washington Master Chorale, one of our nation’s premier choral arts organizations, I was thrilled. Before what we’ve come to know as 2020 really took hold, I was looking forward to spending my first year of board service getting to know the choir and identifying the impact I might make.

By March, it was clear the pandemic had other plans as we, along with all arts organizations, were faced with urgent and unthinkable questions about our future. The very art we loved to create was incredibly dangerous to our patrons and ourselves.

For us, fully shutting down was not an option, so we immediately began to imagine the possibilities. How could we perform safely? How were others managing their season? Who else was trying something innovative?

We researched, brainstormed, and debated aplenty, and over the spring and summer, we created and advanced a plan to debut our fall season in October. This past Friday, on October 30, we did so with a combination of virtual and in-person formats, and I couldn’t be prouder of what the team accomplished. Please visit our website to see our recent performance, “Illumination,” and see what’s coming in the rest of the season.

The lesson? During what is likely to be a difficult winter for many, we must not lose sight of the power of our vision. We must challenge ourselves to unlock any rigidity holding us back. When we stay focused on imagining what can be, assemble a team of talented people to join, and create a plan to make it so, anything is possible.

What’s possible for you in 2021, and what are you going to do about it? Please share your story with me. I’d love to help—and perhaps you’ll find yourself featured here next year!

— YOUR IMMEDIATE PATH TO PROFIT: MASTERING THE P&L —

On November 11th, I am offering another public profit and loss webinar. Master your P&L statements and learn to take control of your business’s finances with tools, strategies, and an action plan. Utilize them all during our 120-minute live virtual workshop and optional 90-day group program focused on implementing the strategies to improve your profit margin.

Learn more and register for the event here.

Our mailing address is:

1300 I St NW Suite E410

Washington, DC 20005

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