[Moises Ramirez]: Hello, good morning everyone, and welcome to the first episode of
Local Business
Spotlight. I'm Moises Ramirez, Director of Business Engagement here at Dallas College, and I'm really
excited to
kick off this series with our first guest, Glenn Bradley, the CEO and founder of Big Hits Productions.
Today, we're
going to go ahead and take a deep dive into his entrepreneurial journey, and we're going to get an idea
of how
you’ve taken ideas and turned them into a success story. And let's just dive in. Glenn?
[Glenn Bradley]: First of all, my name is Glenn Bradley. Our company, we've been in
business since
2005. We started out as Big Hit Productions, and now we're Big Hit Creative Group. And so again, we like
to kind of
brand ourselves as a brand recognition leader. So we do a lot of brand recognition for government,
higher education,
universities. We have a few enterprise clients, too, that we work with right now. We are actually the
exclusive
brand recognition partner for DFW Airport, which is the largest airport in the entire world. So I'm
happy to say
that we've been working with them for a couple of years. But we also work with Dallas College, work with
Collin
College. We've worked with a number of other universities, but we're proud of the partnership,
particularly that we
have with Dallas College because we've been a partner for over 10 years. So I'm happy to say that.
Yeah, but it wasn't always an easy, you know, kind of starting out as a as a you know
[Moises Ramirez]: you know what, let's let's start with that. Why don't you tell us
where it
started? Tell us where the idea for Big Hits.
[Glenn Bradley]: OK, oh, yeah, it's actually a pretty funny story. So we started out
again as a
video production company. I actually I was supposed to be in a movie, right? So it didn't it really
wasn't going to
we weren't even going to do like production. We weren't going to be an ad agency. I just wanted to be in
an action
film. I was I was a martial artist. I did some acting and Jet Li was going to make a movie over
overseas, which, you
know, unfortunately, they didn't they didn't do the movie because of a natural disaster. However, the
movie was
going to happen over there. And one of the prerequisites to getting over there was you had to do a demo
reel to show
like your skill. Right. So I'm an actor, I'm a martial artist, and I I do a write a five minute demo
reel. And the
name of it was The Final Fight because, of course, it was all you have was five minutes. So I had to
make it like
the final five minutes of like a like a movie. Right. So we called it The Final Fight. And so we put all
this work
into it. I hired a bunch of why I didn't hire. Yeah, I brought a bunch of friends. They're all
filmmakers and then
some martial artists. And we produced this five-minute short. We produced this short film and it
collected dust
because the movie got put off indefinitely. So the movie got put off. Here we are with all this footage.
So we're
thinking, you know, what are we going to do with this? Let's just make an entire movie over it. So we
made a movie.
We tried to run it the festival circuit. We ran it. It didn't gain much traction. So we had to you know,
I had to
pull the plug on that one. We wanted to make more movies. So obviously, that first movie we
bootstrapped. We did all
of the you know, we paid for it all. We bootstrapped it. Then we were going to make a second movie, but
we didn't
have the money. And so rather than using our own money, we wanted to go and earn money. So we started
doing
commercials. So this is how we got into video production. We started making commercials, call time
warning cable. We
kind of got lucky because I called one of the sales people. I was like, hey, we made a couple of
commercials. Can we
get it on the air? And he's like, you make commercials? And I was like, yeah, we can we can make
commercials. And he
was he was he was like, well, all of our salespeople we're making, you know, we're selling air time, but
we can't
get our clients on the air. Can you help us, you know, because our in-house production team is
backlogged. So we
started making those commercials for their clients, getting them on the air. And then it just spiraled
spiraled up.
Right. So we were here. Here we are making commercials for a lot of the time warning cable clients.
We're just
making commercials and getting them on the air. We, man, we were cranking them out fast. We did well,
partially it
was because we did them so so cheap. They were free all month. So yeah, I did all these. Needless to
say, here we
are, you know, 20 years later down the line. We never went back to making movies because the commercial
business got
good to us. So that's where we are now. So so from making videos and making commercials and kind of
stumbling into
something that we kind of actually started to like. Some of those clients needed more services. So here
we are, you
know, providing more than just video production. Some needed brochures, some need a graphic design, some
need a
website. Some needed, you know, they were going to trade shows and they needed marketing material.
So we started to do more creative work, got into graphic design, got into making billboards, even did a
little bit of
audio recording for radio. And so here we are. That evolution 2000 and 24. Here we are being creative
now because
we're a big, you know, creative agency. We have nine people here local. We have 12 people that work
abroad over that
are remote. So, yeah.
[Moises Ramirez]: Yeah. So I'm going to ask the real question. If I wanted to, am I
still able to go
online and find the final fight?
[Glenn Bradley]: You know, yeah, yeah, you could, you could. I'm not going to tell you
to go and
watch it. It was it was so low budget. But what it looked like an old like a 1980s.
[Moises Ramirez]: Those are the best. Those are the best. So, wow. You know what? And
it's from from
such a humble start and essentially what felt to be like life happens and it was a redirect. What are
some of the
key milestones that you say that you think that company has gone through?
[Glenn Bradley]: Well, man, I'll tell you, when we first started, it was a handful of
friends just
kind of doing something that we wanted to do, something that we love, we're passionate about. But then
at some point
it got serious. Right.
So now we have to we have to take this business serious. You know, there's invoicing, there's, you know
what I mean?
Now we can't we're not just creative people looking for something to put on a resume or to make a
reputation or a
name for ourselves. Now we have to pay because there's this jobs. There's, you know, there's people,
there's rent.
There's people that.
[Moises Ramirez]: People need to pay rent
[Glenn Bradley]: Yeah, exactly. So at some point, there comes a point where you're, you
know, you
have to take it seriously. We did all that we could with what we knew. So maybe about the first three
years, three
to five years, we weren't really making, you know, big profit. Most of the people still had a full time
job. But
then where do you find that, you know, when do you when do you make that jump? Right. Do I continue to
like do this
on the side on weekends at night? You know, all of all of my friends at the time, you know, it's like,
well, we've
got to we have to do something we have to survive. I can't keep giving all this time out and we're not
getting
something back. So then, like I said, we have to create a structure. We have to turn it into a real
business. Learn
how to charge. You have to do market research and, you know, surveys, what, you know, what are the
clients looking
for or how do I monetize my talent? You know, and so at some point we hit a wall, right? It's like, how
do we turn
this into, you know, a real business? And I stumbled in, of course, to a chamber of commerce, just like
a meeting,
you know, and it was one of my mentors. She called and she's like, Glenn, you need to be at this event.
And I'm
like, well, I don't want to go to an exam after like work, right? I'm editing. No, you really need to
go. And so I
go and I go to a chamber of commerce event and then I go in and I see Chris Bradshaw and Paul Burt from
the Goldman
Sachs 10 KSB program. And they're talking about, you know, you go through this program, there's the
Babson College
information and you learn this and it's like having an MBA for business owners and I'm like, wow, I
always wanted to
go and get an MBA. So so they're like, you know, come and join the program. You'll learn this. You'll
learn
processes. You'll learn, you know, X, Y, Z to get your business to that next level. And I was like, man,
I already
hit a wall. I didn't know what to do next. This is what I needed to hear.
[Moises Ramirez]: Yeah, exactly. You know, it's fascinating. You describe it that way,
because one
of the things that I end up hearing most people describe the program as is an MBA program on fast
forward. And when
they come out of it on the other side, they always tell me this is next level. And so when you heard
that, you kind
of touched on this a little bit. But when you heard them tell you about the program a little bit, what
were your
thoughts and what did you end up doing next?
[Glenn Bradley]: So when I heard when I heard them talk about the program, I was like,
man, this is
the magic button. This is what I've been looking for, you know, because for so long I had been I'd been
I was
struggling, you know what I mean? And I don't mean just kind of financially, you know what I mean?
Again, I still
had kind of a full time job when we got the business going. But I was struggling kind of like mentally.
Right. It's
like, oh, my God, what do I do? I feel like I'm like hitting the wall, you know, just keep hitting this
wall. I
don't know what to do. So when I heard that message, I'm telling you, it was like a weight lifted off my
shoulders.
It's like, I know what I'm going to do next. I applied for the program. And it wasn't again, this part
wasn't really
super easy, easy either. But it was it was it could have been easier. But I was not able to be found. I
was always
working. I'm running this direction, running that direction. And I go into a small business expo. And
this is again,
I had already applied for the program and I go into the small business expo and I run into Paul Burt
again, you
know, strangely, I'm running into this guy again. And he's like, Glenn, Adrian has been looking for you.
I'm like,
for what? Well, she's got to talk to you. All right. So I go and he walks me over there to where Adrian,
Dr. Adrian
Thomas, so I'm sorry. Dr. Adrian Thomas. He walks me to her and then she's like, Glenn, Glenn Bradley, I
have been
trying to find you. You're in the program. And I'm like, I made it into this program, right. So I can
see from that
point my life taking a big change. Right.
The career taking a change, the business taking, you know, a forward fast forward move in the right
direction. And
I'm telling you, going through that program was like being drinking water from a fire, you know what I
mean? It's
like a lot of information. However, it was it was just what I needed because I needed that extra push.
Because
again, I had been hitting the wall for so long. I was ready to, you know, next step.
[Moises Ramirez]: Well, And for the sake of transparency, tell us a little bit about
your experience
while going through the program, like work-life balance, the managing your time, the workload. You know,
how did you
find that? And then we'll touch on after you graduated.
[Glenn Bradley]: All right. OK. Yeah. So.
So the program wasn't super. It wasn't a big time commitment. They're they were it was serious. I mean,
it was it was
a series of their modules that you had to go through. But I think that as far as kind of the courses,
you probably
spent one day or two days a month actually there. So one of the one of the qualifying factors was that
you had to be
able to get away from your business and your business still operate. Yeah. And so now I was fortunate
because I had
team members that could stay and do all the work. I didn't have to do everything. So I could stay away a
day or two
and still not have to worry about things just falling apart. The modules were very intense. They're
detailed. And
there was a period of peer learning. So a lot of the other business owners that were there, I actually
got a chance
to learn from them. So now not only were there facilitators there, but there was also the other business
owners that
I had an opportunity to learn from. We had projects. We had to create marketing strategies. We had to
create
processes. You know, we had case studies that we had to work through. So it was it was again, yeah, it
was it was a
serious, intense MBA for business owners to be honest with you.
[Moises Ramirez]: And while you're going through it, all of these modules, you are still
working on
your business as you're going through the program.
[Glenn Bradley]: So I went through the program in 2016 and..
[Moises Ramirez]: Cohort Seven.
[Moises Ramirez]: Yeah, Cohort Seven, 2016. And so I'll say a lot of the best practices
and
everything that we did back then, I still use just a lot of the like building a process is I still have
live
documents, you know, kind of like as far as kind of projections, what are we going to do over the next
one, three,
five, ten years, you know, 20 years. And so I still kind of work through all of that and I visit that in
multiple
times a year. So.. Yeah.
[Moises Ramirez]: Its Amazing. And so, I mean, 2015, here we are nine years later.
Right.
And another really fascinating thing that I love to hear. You had a fostering connections while you were
going
through the program, right? Networking with other business owners. Do you still have those connections?
[Glenn Bradley]: Yeah, yeah, yeah, we still we still connect. I mean, we still get
together from
time to time. Everybody's busy. I've seen some of the friends sell their businesses and that's what
their goal was.
I've seen some people grow from a certain dollar amount to 70 million plus or whatever, you know, I
mean, they're
doing great. We've done great since then. I mean, even, you know, there's this one piece where, you
know, in the
course where they talk about, like, what's your growth plan? What's your growth plan? What do you see?
You know,
kind of and I think about that all the time, you know, I think about my growth plan changes, you know
what I mean?
So once we hit that milestone, then boom, it's time for another plan. You know, I have a next goal or
next, you
know, a step, you know, on the way. So I mean, yeah. So but again, yeah, we still I still stay in touch.
I've
fostered managed to foster a lot of really good relationships and friendships. I even and part of my
growth plan was
actually working with Dallas College. OK.
And so we ended up working together on a lot of initiatives. So this is how we, you know, kind of ended
up doing a
lot of the brand recognition for Dallas College and partnering with, you know, from video to
photography,
photography, promotional products and things like that.
[Moises Ramirez]: Well, actually, we can segue to the next question because that's
perfect. So you
went through the program, you took the tools that you learned and you made your business and along with
yourself
more successful. You were able to implement all those tools. It's fascinating and inspiring. So in
addition to the
Goldman Sachs program, you kind of touched on this a little bit at this point. We as a college have been
lucky
enough to be able to partner with yourself. Tell us a little bit about those partnerships. What are they
like?
[Glenn Bradley]: You know what? That's actually a really good question. So, I mean, the
partnerships
again, whereas I value the partnership and being able to do, you know, a lot of the business with Dallas
College,
that was part of my growth plan. But again, I think that it's mostly beneficial because I get to kind of
give back.
Right. And I think that when you mention like partnerships, I think that's the right that's the right
term. You
know, it's all about partnerships. Right.
And so with regard to those partnerships, I've been able to sponsor a lot of events. And this is another
thing that I
love about Dr. Adrian Thompson is because she introduced me to sponsorships. Right.
And so I was looking for it a way to kind of give back. Right.
And so she's like, Glenn, I have, you know, let's meet. I have an idea. So, boom, we're doing these
events and we are
looking for sponsors. You get the opportunity to work with us and, you know, you get the attention, you
know, I
mean, so it's kind of a two way, two way street. Right. So it's not just about, you know, kind of. Me
always, you
know, doing business or selling something or, you know, I mean, it was kind of a give and take your
partnership.
Hey, we can use your support for this area. We can use your support in this area. And so working with
sponsoring a
lot of opportunities, one of them being like my favorite one is the bits and bytes. But do that. This is
kind of a
culinary experience for those that hadn't heard of it. It's a really awesome event. They'll usually do
it at the
Dallas Arboretum, and there's probably 30 to 40, you know, different local shifts. They'll come out and
even
students, you know. And I think it it's a good opportunity for the local culinary students or the Dallas
College
culinary students to see some real work happen. It's awesome.
It's an awesome event. That's one of the events that we do get the opportunity to sponsor every year.
[Moises Ramirez]: Some great food, too.
[Glenn Bradley]: Yeah. Oh, of course, man, the food is spectacular, man. They really
they really
bring it. They bring it. Yeah. But then, of course, some other events. And there's ones that there's
the, you know,
the Dallas College Conference Day is police national night out and the bike rides. And, you know, a lot
of different
events that we get an opportunity to part of.
[Moises Ramirez]: Which, again, is amazing. It does end up helping with brand
recognition. And it's
it is definitely a two way street that that's part of the partnerships, you know, aside from that,
obviously, you've
done a lot of logos and brands and all that other stuff for Dallas College. What other kinds of
partnerships have
you been able to do through Dallas College, like internship opportunities?
[Glenn Bradley]: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Obviously, one of our just kind of our
values, our
goals is to increase the availability of a good education for our students. I mean, I have two daughters
and both of
them are Dallas College students. Well, one is actually on her way. One is already in her third year.
And so I think
that once you find once you can find that alignment with your with a client or with an organization, I
think that's
where you probably get the most for sure, that's where you get the most out of that partnership.
Right. So you got to make sure that your values align. Since our values, you know, is first of all kind
of feeding
the hungry. The other is, you know, making sure that we can supply a good or provide a good education
for our
children, you know, and so being able to partner in that capacity, again, I think, first of all, you got
to find
where that alignment is. Right.
And so we've hired a few interns, actually, over the over the years, we've hired interns from the Goldman
Sachs
Fellowships program. We've hired a few from the Dallas College, the Dallas College Internship programs.
But, yeah,
we've actually hired them full time, had them, you know, working for us and then brought them on as
just, you know,
kind of summer interns as well.
[Moises Ramirez]: Wow.
[Glenn bradley]: Yeah
[Moises Ramirez]: Excuse me. Yeah, that's and you hit the nail on the head. You know,
the goal for
our institution as well as when we partner with other business owners that provide these internship
opportunities,
the goal is always to help our students become successful. If that ends up looking to be in the capacity
of
providing them with guidance, training, real world experience, that's what we aim for. And clearly
that's what
you've done. And so I think it's a really noble path to consider. And so aside from internship
opportunities, we
also end up having platforms such as our Handshake platform where people can post to higher students and
provide
some something along the same lines either part time or full time. Have you had an opportunity to
essentially dip
into that?
[Glenn Bradley]: Oh, yeah, actually, I have. And I've been working with Josh over at the
kind of
fellowships program. Yeah, so they have worked through Handshake and kind of picked up some. So I've
seen a lot of
really good resumes and invited some students out and worked together. But yeah, I mean, I think that
platforms like
that do make it easy. Yeah, I think that technology is on the rise. I think that people, you know, not
only just, I
mean, of course, business owners, but everyone in general, you should take a serious look and embrace
that
technology and take advantage of it.
[Moises Ramirez]: I agree. And so going back to Big Hits, right, what do you feel sets
you apart
from the rest?
[Glenn Bradley]: Oh, man
[Moises Ramirez]: I mean, that touches on what's helped you become successful.
[Glenn Bradley]: Well, I think that that's a good question. So what do I think that sets
us apart
from the rest of the fact that we're better than everybody knows, but no, that I'm humble. No, no, the
fact that I
make sure that our leaders stay true to what our message was initially and that it's not watered down
throughout all
those years. Right. And so that message, the truth of the matter is, is that I strive to provide
exceptional stylish
marketing to our clients, right, something that will help them grow, something that will make them look
good, right.
And so that our clients get to look back, take a step back, look at what we've done and say, wow, you
made me look
good. You made us look really, really good. I mean, because honestly, I don't know that it's about Glenn
or if it's
about the brand or, you know, BHC, Big Hit Creative. But I think it's more about making sure that the
client walks
away feeling like they were taking care of the right way. Right. I mean, I'm a customer. Whenever I go
somewhere or
whenever I make a purchase or whenever I ask for a product or service, I expect a certain level of
excellence.
Right.
I like to be taken care of. And so I feel like as long as we remember that in our approach with our
clients that
listen, you know, you go to a restaurant, this is somebody's lunch. This is somebody's dinner.
Right. Or if you go to a hotel, this is somebody they need, you know, to to to have a nice accommodation,
they can
relax and rest. Right. And so I think that when people come to us, we need to always remember that they
came to us
for a reason, you know, because we're the professionals and we know how to do it right every single
time, it's
always going to be perfect every single time, not inconsistent, not sometimes, not whenever you feel
like it. And so
I think the fact that the thing that makes us better or makes us exceptional is that we always bring
that to the
table every single day, every single hour, every single project.
[Moises Ramirez]: So then essentially every customer has a uniquely catered experience.
[Glenn Bradley]: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Oh, every single time. There's, you know, there's no way we can't half step it. We can't like, you know,
99 percent
won't do 120.
[Moises Ramirez]: So then the challenge in that case, because I mean, this is
fascinating. The
challenge in that case would be staying with the times. So what does Big Hits do in order to keep with
the current
trends?
[Glenn Bradley]: Well, I mean, we say, well, definitely we say ahead of the curve. I
mean, we
definitely embrace technology. And so we always been innovative. So if there's not a product out there
on the
market, honestly, we've created it. We've learned how to build our own our workflow, our systems, our
productivity
backs. I mean, everything that we use internally, we built. I mean, there's a few tools that we don't
that we didn't
break. There's a few. But we built our own CRM's. We've built, you know, again, we're creative. We're
big, get
creative. And it's not just about making a logo, right? I mean, we find a way to make our operations
work. And so
part of my team includes engineers. So I take care of that side of it as well. So we're creative at
making sure that
projects get off the ground right. And even if we have to employ artificial intelligence, AI technology,
we know how
to use it. A lot of people come to when you think about artificial intelligence or AI or modern
technology, some
people get to be honest, some people get afraid. They think, well, AI is going to take my job, but AI is
not going
to take the job. And here's how it's not, because if you take advantage of learning how to use the tool
the right
way, you become a master at it, right? Of course, you don't tell everybody what's in your toolbox. But
if you go and
get a shovel and put the shovel out there, it's not going to do it. Right. The shovel is not going to do
the work.
You have to learn how to really use the shovel to get the most out of it. Right. So just think of it as
a, you know,
an electronic or a technology based shovel.
[Moises Ramirez]: Embrace it.
[Glenn Bradley]: Embrace it. Yeah. Learn how to use it. Master it. Don't just use it.
Right now.
[Moises Ramirez]: So then what would you say is one of the most rewarding factors behind
leading Big
Hits?
[Glenn Bradley]: Let's see. So I think that. Again, and I'm going to I'm going to go
back to my
Goldman Sachs days. It's always the people. It's about the people, right? As as a leader, I think that
me being able
to take a step back and not always want to be the guy to control it because I don't. I just want to I
want to take a
step back. Right.
And then allow my team to fly. And I think that as a as a business leader, whether you're an
entrepreneur,
entrepreneur, if you're working in a company, your department leader or whatever, if you allow your team
the
opportunity to spread their wings, either fly or fail, don't let them fail. But if you give them enough
freedom to
learn, then they're going to grow. Right.
And so it just stretches them. And again, I have a high level of I require excellence. I do. But it also
gives, you
know, with the with the proper training, you can get that excellence, you know, but then again, you
still have to
give them freedom to make mistakes. Right.
And I think that being the right leader means that you allow other people the opportunity to grow. Right.
And so you
can coach them to success. You know, and I don't I don't I don't stop them. You know
[Moises Ramirez]: Love that. And it helps people grow and become better.
[Glenn Bradley]: Yeah.
[Moises Ramirez]: Awesome.
So then. Going back a little bit, because you did have obviously a lot on this when it comes to the
resources that
you've been able to tap into with Dallas College, clearly one of them was Goldman Sachs in that program,
I can tell
you firsthand, I've witnessed how amazing that program is. But if you can bullet point some of the
resources that
you've been able to take advantage of, that you can recommend to some of our viewers, what would they
be?
[Glenn Bradley]: Hmm.
You mean, do you mean just kind of outside of the program?
[Moises Ramirez]: Yeah, outside of Goldman Sachs, other programs that you've been able
to take
advantage of with Dallas College. What would you recommend to people, the viewers to be able to take
advantage of?
[Glenn Bradley ]: Well, you know, again, I think that it's important to give back, you
know, and so
if you find a need, I think that most, I always feel like it's better to give than to receive. Right.
And so the food pantries are important, right? I mean, our students, they're our next generation, right?
They're
growing. But then a lot of them, honestly, they come to school and then they're hungry, you know. So I
think that
the more you give, the better opportunity that you have to make a huge difference, you make an impact on
somebody's
life. And then it's going to reciprocate, it's going to come back to you, you know. And so I think that
as long as
you look at it from a selfless perspective, I think that you're giving back again, it's going to it's
going to
double, triple what you get back in return, you know, if you give, you'll receive, right? So one of the
resources I
think that, you know, would be a great opportunity to get involved with is that the food pantries give,
you know, if
you find an opportunity to hire an intern to bring them in, it doesn't have to be about, you know,
getting free work
out of a kid. It could be about mentorships, you know, it could be about training. It could be about,
you know,
educating your next workforce. And so that's kind of where that's where I would say, you know, give
back. But that's
just me. That's where I live, you know.
[Moises Ramirez]: And to provide a little bit of context, that's each one of our
campuses has their
own food pantries. We also have the foundation, which gives you an opportunity to give back. And then
you've touched
on providing internship opportunities for our students. We definitely have those opportunities
available. And
clearly you've had a lot of good success with that. So thank you for that. I guess the next big question
is, what's
next for Big Hit?
[Glenn Bradley]: Wow.
OK, so there's I mean, there's always there's always a growth plan. And so the next big thing for Big Hit
Creative is
wow. There's a lot of big things. We're just we're still growing our team right now. And so I'm not I'm
not I'm not
looking for applicants. But we are we're restructuring our training, internal training program. We're
looking to
grow the team by 30 additional employees right now. So over the next 18 to 24 months, there's some we
definitely
have some dollar amount goals that we're trying to reach. And so it's going to take a bigger workforce
to get there.
Right. So we definitely want to be able to service our current clients and then be able to definitely
provide more
jobs and help the economy. So that's what we're working at. And I actually have, again, I already know
who these 30
with these 30 positions are. And we're going to, you know, trinkle those up over, like I said, the next
18 to 24
months. Love it. That's the next big thing for us.
[Moises Ramirez]: Yeah, the next big thing. Yeah, I love it.
[Glenn Bradley]: Yep.
We're looking at acquiring a company out in Houston as well to kind of. Yeah. So that's I can't tell you
how soon
that's going to happen. But it's in the work on the lookout.
[Moises Ramirez]: Yeah, big stuff. So I have to imagine that we have a lot of up and
comer
entrepreneurs that are viewers. Obviously, this reporting is going to end up living in one of our
landing pages. So
in the future, I'm sure other people will end up running into this. All of that to say. If you can give
a
recommendation to anybody that's out there looking for advice, what would you say to up and coming or
current
entrepreneurs?
[Glenn Bradley]: Well, always be willing to learn, read, find out what you don't know,
be genuine,
especially even when it comes to your outreach programs or you're looking for new clients or you're
looking for the
business or you're looking to grow your team, be genuine, be genuine in your approach. And I'll be
honest, keep God
first in everything that you do. And that's just my contribution to that. But you be genuine, always
learn, read,
give back. That was pretty much that.
[Moises Ramirez]: Love it. Fantastic words from an inspiring man. Thank you, Glenn. Now,
clearly, we
have a couple more minutes and I want to open the floor for anybody that might have some questions. We
have somebody
that here assisting in case there's any posted questions. We'll give it a couple of minutes, but very
inspiring
words, Glenn. Thank you for spending the time out of your busy, busy day. Appreciate it. And thank you
for giving
back. I've seen firsthand how much you can give back to our community, to our students, and to be able
to have the
opportunity to spread that idea, spread the word. I'm honored to be a part of that.
[Glenn Bradley]: Oh, man, thank you. No, thank you for inviting me. I really appreciate
it. You
know, I didn't. This is unexpected. I didn't know. You know, I try to stay behind the scenes a lot. I
try to fly
under the radar, but it's awesome when you get recognized. Yeah.
[Moises Ramirez]: And you know what? In the end, it's OK to accept that recognition
because it's you
you've gone through a journey, you know, and to find that recognition after such a journey. I mean, it's
understandable. And I also want to let our viewers know that after this this interview, we're going to
end up
providing all of the attendees with a follow up email that will contain a copy of this interview, as
well as some
additional resources in case anybody's interested in finding out more information about some of the
resources that
were touched on today, along with others that are still available. You are all more than welcome to
reach out to
myself and our team. And with that, are there any questions?
[Danielle Stellrecht]: Yeah, that's. It's another one. So then what are your favorite
brands that do
really well in advertising or other marketing avenues?
[Glenn Bradley]: Oh, wow, that's a good question. Oh, man. I mean, I think that my
favorite brands
are. Kind of the same brands that most people have, like Dunkin Donuts, I think they did a really cool
ad. It made
me want to go and get a copy from them. But I think Dunkin is a really, really good. Although, again, I
don't know
how many locations they have, but they seem to have lasted for years because I remember going to like
Dunkin, which
is Dunkin Donuts as a kid, and they're still around, which is like it's huge, you know, and so we're not
talking
about, you know, big Nike or big Coke, which is what they're my favorite. You know, AT&T, Adidas. I
mean, you
know, I have I have favorites because, again, they tend to, they know their audience and so they lean
into the right
audience so they know what to say to them. And I think that's important when you're thinking about
advertising,
marketing. First of all, you can't just talk to everybody, you know, because not everybody is a customer
for every
single every single brand. Right.
So I think that I mean, I'm a coffee drinker. So much that, you know, the Dunkin ad spoke to me and it
had it was a
Ben Affleck, J-Lo on there. And, you know, I mean, it was just really funny and I like comedy. And I
think the way
to a lot of times, the way into like people's hearts is to bring laughter, bring enjoyment, bring light,
you know,
and that's kind of and I think that even we talked about it back in my at the other office where we
talked about
like not every customer is the type of customer that we get to work with.
Right. I mean, we I mean, we're bright, you know, it's colorful. It's creative, it's happy. You know, I
want to
provide like a happy place. So yeah. So with that, yeah, pretty much those are some of my favorite
brands.
[Moises Ramirez]: And you know what? That leads me into another question because you
touched on some
really great stuff. And sometimes being part of or being able to be successful in creating the right
path is.
Picking your paths. Right.
Yeah. And picking your clients and your customers. I think that your perspective on that was fascinating.
And I'd
love for the our viewers to hear a little bit more.
[Glenn Bradley]: Yeah, I mean, like I said, every customer, everybody out there is not
for every
company, every brand. You know, I mean, we're like I said, we're more conservative. I like I like art,
you know. And
again, we started out as a as a as a video production company. I like to create. I like design. I like
layout. You
know, I like colorful, bright, you know, like textures, you know, things like that. And it's just my
personal
preference. And so I think that the key to success is being able to find the client that aligns with
your values
aligned together. Right.
Right. It's not all about, you know, hey, it's just not about just the money or they serve me, even if
you have to
compromise your own values. You know, oh, why would I do that? Why would I expect the client to, you
know, why would
I, you know, I don't want that. I think it's about finding that perfect alignment. And then that's where
you see the
success, even if you have to niche down, you know, don't I think maybe don't always be so broad. Some
businesses can
do it successfully. But I think that the key to like that that success when you find happiness and you
find
fulfillment is being able to find that alignment, you know.
[Moises Ramirez]: So then what makes people nervous is saying no, because there's this
idea that
saying no leads to failing because you might end up having less clientele. So the question would be, how
do you how
do you successfully or properly say no to those that don't align? say no to those that don't align?
[Glenn Bradley]: Well, I'll tell you how I say it. I usually will I'll give people the
time that
that I can give them. And so if we, you know, if we discover during a call or even if I know right off
the bat that
they're not the right fit, I will offer a suggestion, I'll offer a recommendation. Hey, unfortunately,
we're not the
right fit for whatever the reason may be, but I do have a recommendation for you. I have a friend or and
the good
thing is that I know a lot of people. And so I think part of working with Big Hit Creative is the fact
that, you
know, you get. Access to my network, you know, and maybe there's not a direct access, but through me,
there's a
whole big, broad, a talent pool out there that I have access to. Right. And so I think that being able
to say no is
not just say no. Here's an alternative for yeah,
[Moises Ramirez]: it's a no. But..
[Glen Bradley]: yeah, I have.
But yeah, I have. Yeah, exactly. It's not for me, but I have something that could work.
[Moises Ramirez]: You don't bring your bridge that way. But it does look like we have a
couple more
questions.
[Danielle Stellrecht]: What is the most basic part of marketing that you found helpful?
In-person,
virtual?
[Glenn Bradley]: Oh, man, I like in person marketing, I think that. Oh, well, I mean, if
the
question is both like a profitable or whatever, the virtual and in person. I think traditional marketing
is very
ideal. So if you if you are in person with someone, again, be genuine, always be straightforward what
you can do,
what you will do and what you won't do. Don't, you know, over. Over extend or over promise and under
deliver
virtual. Yeah, definitely. If you resort, if you resort to Zoom or social media or marketing like that,
then you do
what you can do what you can. Not everybody is super outgoing. Not everybody wants to be in front of the
camera. I
am personally not the biggest social media person out there. So I will let someone else do the work for
me.
[Moises Ramirez]: Well, what's the next one?
[Danielle Stellrecht]: What one word or phrase encompasses your art for marketing?
[Glenn Bradley]: Excellence. I think that you have to. Some people don't think that you
can be. I
don't think that I'm perfect, but I do strive for perfection. The closer I get to it, as far as kind of
delivery of
a product, I think that the again, we're talking about because, again, it's not about it's not about me.
It's about
delivering a perfect product or as close to perfect as we can get it every single time. So I think that
if you're
excellent and if you think or you strive for that excellence, then you'll get close.
[Moises Ramirez]: Yeah, right. It allows that cushion for improvement. Yeah, of course.
[Glenn Bradley]: What leaders or role models influenced you to become the leader you are
today?
[Moises Ramirez]: Oh, man. So many. So, so many. I can't just like pick one.
[Moises Ramirez]: We've talked about this before, and I think you do have kind of a
laundry list of
influencers, right?
[Glenn Bradley]: Yeah, I mean, wow. That's a good question, man. I don't I don't mean to
be
political. I like Obama. I'll be honest. He was a clean guy, man. But, you know, again, I don't I don't
want to get
into politics because some people really get kind of big offense to political situation.
[Moises Ramirez]: I mean, you know, moving past the political side of it, I feel like
Obama was
always a very well spoken person that was quick witted, you know, a smart guy. I can definitely see
that. Right.
Right. So would you say that the biggest pocket of leaders that you feel like influenced you came
earlier in life or
later in life?
[Glenn Bradley]: I think it was a combination. I mean, of course, I've had my positive
influence,
kind of positive influences growing up. I mean, we've also had negative influences in that sometimes can
influence
your decisions as well as like, OK, that's the direction that I don't want to go, I know that that won't
be
happening, you know. And so I think that what you get out of it, you know, we're all a just kind of
combination of
our of our past and our history. Right. So all these different things that happen to mold us into who we
are today.
And I think that part of who I am today has a lot to do with influences from, you know, neighborhood,
you know, the
neighborhoods or schools, even kind of. Yeah, you know, there's people that I grew up with in elementary
school
teachers, playing, you're going to be somebody someday. Remember this guy, he's going to be famous. You
know, I've
heard that I've heard it a lot. And so there are a lot of positive influences along the way. And I
promise you, I
can't even remember a lot of the names. But along the way, I would always. I was able to hold on to
those positive,
you know, kind of like nuggets that were dropped, you know, into my personality along the way.
[Moises Ramirez]: So, yeah, awesome. Do we happen to have any more questions?
[Danielle Stellrecht]: One question that we have is, what do you want the world to know
that we
haven't covered yet.
[Moises Ramirez]: That’s a great one.
[Glenn Bradley]: Well, I think that I think that I was able to kind of maybe get. Maybe
my
personality out there, you know, kind of tell you who I am and what I what I believe in and what I'm
about. But I
think that it kind of strives, always learn, you know, always be willing to learn. Never think that you
know it all
and don't rest. You know, unfortunately, I'm not unfortunately, but for some people, they think so. I've
heard
people tell me, Glenn, you have way too much. You and my kids, where do you get energy from, man? How do
you do
this? You know, you never sleep, you never stop, you never quit. And I think that the moment that you
decide that
you're going to quit or give up, then you do. You know, and so I think that if I could give you advice,
I would
always say dream big, dream so big that it makes people think that you're out of your wits, you know
what I mean? Of
course, just dream, dream. Think about where you would be if nothing could stop you. Think about where
you would be
if there were no barriers, no walls, and you didn't hear any of the negative voices from the past trying
to stop you
and tell you that you can't do it, you know, always dream big and then run as fast as you can into that,
you know,
the things that that scare you. Chase those things down and find out why they scare you and then just
defeat them,
you know, accomplish your goals, you know, dream big and just chase your dreams.
[Moises Ramirez]: Wise words. Thank you very much, Glenn. I guess last question on top
of that would
be, are you holding any martial art classes?
[Glenn Bradley]: I do body combat right now, but I don't hold any more classes. I just
take it a
break. Well, thank you again for your time.
[Moises Ramirez]: Thank you to our viewers. And, you know, hang tight for a follow up
female here
soon, soon in the future. All right. Thank you all. Bye bye.