Branden Lark is an entrepreneur who is well versed in the business development and social branding space. After co-founding ExtraOrdinary Concierge, a corporate and personal lifestyle management company used by entertainers and sports teams, Lark started handling personal branding freelance for business and television personalities. He is the current CEO and founder of Branding by Branden, a company focused on brands that sell consumer goods. Lark has served as Brand Manager of several brands in a variety of industries. Lark studied Business Administration at the University of Maryland. As a business strategist, he helps students, institutions, and corporations understand the importance of branding from various standpoints such as marketing, social media, search engine optimization, and online advertising.
About the company:
Branding By Branden is the fastest growing branding and marketing agency in Long Beach, CA. We focus on helping mid to large size companies from around the world grow their businesses. In the past 12 years, we have helped our clients generate over $13 million in revenue using strategies focused on web development, SEO, social media marketing, and online advertising. We focus on brands across sectors such as apparel, beauty, entertainment, personal care, and retail.
www.brandingbybranden.com
facebook.com/brandingbybranden
Instagram.com/brandingbybrande
1.) What elements and/or characteristics made you say to yourself that you wanted to do branding for a living? Who are your influences/heroes/role models?
I have been looking at brands and trying to understand why consumers buy them since I was in high school. I studied business and international business in college and after giving a few people some sound advice to help their brands, I just decided this was what I enjoy doing and would create a business providing this service. The United States Marines Corps helped me mold my people skills and Corporate America taught me how to negotiate effectively and communicate differently.
Role models or influences I try to learn something from everyone I encounter. From some people, I learn things I want to incorporate, and for others, I learn things I never want to do. I am always learning, being influenced, and growing.
2.) If you could compare your business to another business, who would that be and why? If you don’t like to compare your business with others, then what separates your branding and marketing business from other branding and marketing businesses out there? What is it about your company’s brand strategy, website design, social media marketing, etc. that is different from your competition who offers the same services?
There is no other company like mine because there is no other me. My experiences and approach to business are based on my unique learning over time. What sets my company apart from other branding and marketing agencies (besides me), is that I also own a consumer goods brand. So, the things that I implement for my clients are things I am putting into practice for my own business daily. I believe in giving my clients tools that they can act on in real-time. At the core of our company is strategic thinking.
3.) Everyone in life goes through adversity of some sort. Is there anything in your life that has any influence on how you approach your work? What is the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure on your path to becoming an entrepreneur/business owner?
Adversity – I am a Black man that alone in this world is adversity. That is the biggest one. Yes, I have others, but I can’t walk into a room without being prejudged because of the color of my skin so nothing I mention outweighs that.
4.) Aside from money being a motivating factor, how do you prepare yourself to produce the results necessary to exceed the expectations of your client? What is your process?
Money is not a motivator for me, it is simply a measuring tool. I take discipline over motivation and passion any day. Discipline is what keeps me going when I am not in the mood to work. My job is to help my clients reach their full potential. We help reshape business models and reform opportunities for our clients to create new results. This is our process.
5.) Unfortunately, the creative industry is full of talented individuals who more or less become the “starving artist” and don’t get any recognition for their talent and/or work. What do you think those talented individuals need to do to make sure that they stand out and get noticed and do not fall to the wayside?
Learn the business. Artists are all about the creative and neglect the business aspect of what they are doing. That is why they are starving artists. With my consumer goods brand, my business partner is the creative mind and I am the business mind, so we balance one another out. I do not get caught up on design, color, or other factors of creating. I focus on the numbers and what is marketable in today’s world.
6.) Social media is obviously an extremely important element in today’s world, especially when it comes to business, branding, marketing, etc. With that being said, how do you think the internet and social media affected multiple industries, and how professionals are able to market themselves? Do you think anyone in the professional world will be able to survive in today’s economy if they’re not social media savvy?
Can you survive without social media? YES! It is a great tool, but it is not a requirement. It comes down to your strategy for your business. These are brands that come to mind that are not using social media but are highly successful, Trader Joe’s, Apple, Marlboro, Metropolitan Health Network, and Viagra.
7.) When it comes to the creative industry and the digital marketing industry, what do you think is a black creative professional’s place in it? Does a market exist for the black creative professional? If so, what major changes (positive or negative) do you foresee in the future? If not, why do you think we don’t have an industry of our own?
Black creatives are the tastemakers in almost every industry. We collectively must own it. The media will make it seem as though some fair-skinned person is moving and shaping culture, but it is Black creatives. I hate to use this example but look at the Kardashians, a large part of what they are celebrated for has been part of black culture for centuries. We must challenge the media and call them out on their bias. Social media is a great platform for us to be heard. We must collectively speak up.
8.) It seems that black entrepreneurs have to really fight to be seen and heard in a world that more or less doesn’t embrace black business. With that being said, what are some issues that you feel that black business owners face when it comes to gaining the momentum necessary to compete in a white-dominated capitalistic society?
Learning some key fundamentals about business. I see so many black people wanting to start businesses, but they are skipping many essential steps of getting their business started. They lack structure and basic knowledge. These are things that will help them be competitive.
9.) If black entrepreneurship is one of many avenues to black economic empowerment, do you think we will see more black entrepreneurs coming on the scene? If so, what do you think it will take for black businesses to truly compete in a world that seems to be rapidly advancing?
I do think we will be seeing more black entrepreneurs in a variety of industries. What will it take to be competitive? KNOWLEDGE and SUPPORT.
10.) What advice would give to the black men and black women out there who are interested in pursuing a career in the arts, whether it be graphic design, web design, photography, branding, marketing, etc.?
Research and gain a working knowledge of the industry. You do not have to be the most proficient at the business side but don’t go in blind.
11.) There are multiple ways of attaining clients and building up your clientele, so what are some ways you acquire clients? If you were to advise an up and coming entrepreneur on how to get more clients, what advice would you give them?
To be honest a large portion of my clients come from referrals. I have been truly blessed to foster great relationships with my clients and produce results worth telling others about. If I were advising someone looking to grow their clientele, I would tell them to focus on providing real value. If you are providing value, the clients will come.
12.) Professionally, where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
In 1,825 days, I have no clue where I will be in the world, it is moving at such a fast pace. I think this question is used to help eliminate yourself from contention based on how it is answered, so I will say I’m excited to see where my journey will lead over the next 5 years. This allows me to keep my options open.
