"What’s considered diversity and the best ways to incorporate it into company culture are evolving every single day"
As the Founder and CEO of Brianna Régine Visionary Consulting, LLC (BRVC), a full-service boutique agency, Brianna Régine Walston increases the exposure of brands, creatives and decision-makers through brand development, digital marketing, event coordination, and public relations support, both nationally and internationally. But Brianna is not only a young successful entrepreneur, she is also a seasoned public speaker and an advocate for wellness at work as well as diversity, equity and inclusion.
Brianna’s expertise has been highlighted on BET, Circle Around, and the HV Times. Brianna connects with others through workshops and speaking opportunities for platforms such as: “Power Hours” at Rutgers University, moderating CT Office of The Arts’ READI Talks series featuring a National Director at Sony Music, and moderating a panel featuring playmakers from Obama’s White House, Instyle Magazine and Sirius XM. In 2021, she launched University of Connecticut’s (Stamford) first Affinity Collaborative and Community Center to facilitate social connection and inclusivity among college students, faculty and staff.
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We’re happy that you could join us today! Please introduce yourself to our readers. What’s your story?
Brianna Régine Walston: Thank you for having me.
My name is Brianna Régine and I’m a brand growth strategist and CEO of strategic communications and marketing agency, Brianna Régine Visionary Consulting (BRVC). Ever since I was a child, I’ve felt compelled to help others–whether it involved playing peacemaker in the love affairs of my peers in kindergarten (what a time…) or strategizing growth objectives in start-up work environments.
During my last year and a half of college, I freelanced on a variety of creative strategy projects and worked at a PR agency. I enjoyed both but the freelancer work resonated with me more because I got to connect with the individual behind the brand. Therefore, I got to play an active part in bootstrapping their growth methods in ways that were innovative and inclusive of branding, marketing, public relations and operations.
So, when senior year came to an end, and the PR agency had a full-time job ready for me, I decided to blaze my own path and launch an agency that grew brands, with a human-centered approach.
Kinda daring for a college grad, but, my circumstances allowed me to take a leap of faith that has worked out for me. (Thank you to my parents, brothers and sister, family and friends for being an amazing support system for me.)
I’m grateful for it.
CEOs and leaders usually have different motives and aspirations when getting started. Let’s go straight to the beginning. What was your primary goal for starting your business? Was it wealth, respect, or to offer a service that would help improve lives?
Brianna Régine Walston: I believe as your business grows, your perspective, behavior and how you show up in the world is going to grow as well–so this is such a good question.
When I started BRVC, I wanted to be the go-to company for those who feel underrepresented, the underdogs. I really wanted entrepreneurs and go-getters to know their visions are possible with strategy, consistency and most importantly, by being who they are. This mindset pretty much has stayed the same. But now I’d add that I want my company to be a part of generating wealth not only for me and my family, but also my clients and my team.
I’d also like BRVC to be a part of my legacy, which I’m proudly building off of being myself, operating in all phases of my truth and my purpose. That’s what I’d like to be respected for. I want the company to be an example for others–especially other Black girls–that you can do anything you put your mind to.
Tell us about 2 things that you like and two things that you dislike about your industry. Share what you’d like to see change and why.
Brianna Régine Walston: Two things I like in marketing and communications is:
1) No matter which part of the industry you’re in (i.e. internal vs. external communications, social media marketing vs. funnel building, non-profit vs. tech…), no one day is the same. The industry gives you the freedom to think outside of the box, strategically share stories that matter to various audiences, and elevate brands–all of which started as ideas. It’s kinda wild when you think about it.
2) It’s interpersonal and involves getting to know others.
Two things I dislike about the industry is:
1) How often people interchange the services within marketing and communications. While marketing and communications go hand in hand, they each have their own objectives and several different ways to achieve them. Marketing is typically tied to quantitative returns (i.e. sales, numbers of subscribers, conversion rate, etc) whereas communications is typically tied to qualitative returns (i.e. brand awareness, the kinds of opportunities that come in because of the increased awareness, consumer perception, etc). I’d like to see more brands, and consumers in general, do their research to make an effort to understand the differences between marketing and communications. More importantly, I’d like them to use their findings to intentionally hire the necessary support to adequately provide marketing or communications in their organizations (vs. hiring one person to fulfill the needs of both).
2) It can be thankless and the amount of work to effectively produce results is often downplayed. There’s a lot of moving pieces to market and elevate the profile of a brand in a strategic way that resonates with consumers and maintains the integrity of the brand. It’s not as easy as it looks and results do not happen overnight.
Companies around the world are rapidly changing their work environment and organizational culture to facilitate diversity. How do you see your organizational culture changing in the next 3 years and how do you see yourself creating that change?
Brianna Régine Walston: What’s considered diversity and the best ways to incorporate it into company culture are evolving every single day. As various experiences are amplified and represented daily, I want to continue being proactive about celebrating what diversity looks like.
That is not only reflected in the people we hire or in the safe spaces we create for every voice to be heard but also in the diversity specialist we bring on board solely to make sure our opportunities are accessible and equitable (i.e. our internship program is transformed into a paid apprenticeship program for underrepresented college students, who we can train, hire and integrate into full-time entry-level staff if they choose to).
I’d also like to provide opportunities that support disabled individuals, veterans and the homeless. While I’m not exactly sure of how these programs and resources will look yet, I believe that folks in those communities just want a chance to get on their feet and thrive. If BRVC can equip them with the tools to do so, I’d love to be able to do that.
According to the Michigan State University “An organization’s culture is responsible for creating the kind of environment in which the business is managed, and has a major impact on its ultimate success or failure.” What kind of culture has your organization adopted and how has it impacted your business?
Brianna Régine Walston: I agree with that statement.
The company culture and experience of my team are top priorities. As the CEO, I’d feel that I’d be doing a disservice to the sustainability of my company if it weren’t. At BRVC, we believe it’s important to feel supported at work–not only in the context of a role, but also in the context of the personal wellbeing that allows you to show up in that role.
BRVC welcomes the vocalization of career interests, internal rants (whether it be about a client or a chaotic weekend), intrapreneurship, empathy, and personality. Why? Because I strongly believe that happy, valued and supported team members happily produce valuable work that supports the company’s growth.
This culture philosophy has allowed us to retain hired team members on an average of a minimum of 1.5 years, support larger accounts, provide opportunities to more interns, and ultimately attract more business due to our collective work experience.
Richard Branson once famously stated “There’s no magic formula for great company culture. The key is just to treat your staff how you would like to be treated.” and Stephen R. Covey admonishes to “Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers. What’s your take on creating a great organizational culture?
Brianna Régine Walston: Treat your team like human beings, because they are.
I know the traditional thoughts in business are don’t take it personal or business isn’t personal. I believe that’s still true but only to a certain extent. Now more than ever, leaving personal life outside of work is a challenge. For many people working remotely or in hybrid situations, it’s even physically impossible. And it’s up to companies to be mindful of this fact and initiate new practices that work in this new state of the world where personal life blends in with professional life.
Valued, happy people will happily produce work you deem valuable. You show people they’re valued by being empathetic, an active listener, empowering and a leader who curates a safe work environment.
The overwhelming majority of more than 9,000 workers included in a recent Accenture survey on the future of work said they felt a hybrid work model would be optimal going forward, a major reason for that being the improved work-life balance that it offers. How do you promote work-life balance at your company?
Brianna Régine Walston: Flexibility and human connection are key.
Aside from work, people have so much going on. And while it’s important to not let external circumstances consume you to the point it prevents you from working, it’s my duty to create safe spaces for my team to be transparent about their needs for flexibility.
When working remotely, sometimes these circumstances can be more prevalent so I’m mindful and open to accommodating them, within reason. Ultimately, it makes my life easier because it promotes a healthy environment where morale can stay high and therefore productivity can be increased. Moreover, their life is made easier because they’re not worried about compromising their need for balance for the sake of keeping a job that pays their bills.
How would you describe your company’s overall culture? Give us examples.
Brianna Régine Walston: As a millennial, I agree with the findings of a survey* by Great Place to Work®, which states “More than any other generation, [we] seek equity, transparency, flexibility and purpose. And [Millennials are] not afraid to quit if an employer doesn’t meet their needs”.
BRVC’s culture is built off our values which include transparency, a mutual-learning approach to our work and prioritizing well-being. This looks like:
- Communicating the need for mental health days
- Google chats filled with sharing relatable gifs
- Scheduled time that’s intended to get to know each other (vs. talking about work)
- Monthly 1:1 check-ins between me and every team member (interns included)
It is believed that a company’s culture is rooted in a company’s values. What are your values and how do they affect daily life at the workplace?
Brianna Régine Walston: I value communication, honesty, people being themselves, and intentionality–all of which played a part in why I built BRVC, how I lead and the work environment I’ve created.
Share with us one of the most difficult decisions you had to make, this past year 2021, for your company that benefited your employees or customers. What made this decision so difficult and what were the positive impacts.
Brianna Régine Walston: Delegation.
As your business grows, you need help–it’s a non-negotiable. This means you have to entrust, empower and equip teammates to take on the tasks you can no longer do. In 2021, I expanded our team substantially and knowing that they would be involved with client relationships and overseeing account deliverables, created some anxiety.
However, it was the best move I could’ve made. With their good, quality support and expertise, I’ve been able to focus on business development and land more, higher paying clients. (After 5 years of launching the company, I was even able to go on vacation and have my business fully operate on its own.) Without my awesome team, BRVC would not have been able to make the strides it has within the past year, and more importantly, we would not be as far along as we are with overall company growth.
An organization’s management has a deep impact on its culture. What is your management style and how well has it worked so far?
Brianna Régine Walston: A few months ago, Indeed released an article on 10 Common Leadership Styles*, and it allowed me to put words on how I view my leadership style. It is a combination of coaching, servant, democratic and transformational qualities.
Collectively, these styles allow me to lead with empathy, mentorship, goal-setting and empowerment methods. From what I can tell, it has resulted in every team member I’ve ever worked with to feel like they not only learn more about their technical skills, but also themselves. And that means a lot to me because I want everyone that comes through my doors–client or team mate–to thrive.
Every organization suffers from internal conflicts, whether functional or dysfunctional. Our readers would love to know, how do you solve an internal conflict?
Brianna Régine Walston: By being an active listener and validating the feelings of others, before proposing or asking leading questions to get to the solution.
Internal conflicts are bound to happen from time to time, but if open communication and listening with the intention of hearing others (vs. preparing a rebuttal) are values that are always practiced, then it’ll be second nature to use these qualities when navigating conflict. Better yet, these qualities will make it so that internal conflict rarely happens.
According to Culture AMP, Only 40% of women feel satisfied with the decision-making process at their organization (versus 70% of men), which leads to job dissatisfaction and poor employee retention. What is your organization doing to facilitate an inclusive and supportive environment for women?
Brianna Régine Walston: Our core creative strategy and operations management teams are run by women of diverse backgrounds, skill sets and personalities—and I love it. We all come from different walks of life, and have an appreciation for each of our individualized experiences.
Work culture is important to me, so maintaining an environment that promotes transparency, vulnerability, and a sense of belonging gives women a place to be themselves, entirely (instead of being silenced, ridiculed, worried about losing their job, etc). If a mom has to be a mom and leave work early to attend to her children, we let her. If a teammate is having a challenging time because she’s PMSing, she has the space to be supported by her teammates–because we get it.
These examples can seem small, and non-work related, but it’s really these experiences that should be considered when making workplace decisions about PTO, or flexible work hours, or healthcare and abortion resources, or leadership promotions, or mental health days, or for in-person environments–accessibility to feminine products.
What role do your company’s culture and values play in the recruitment process and how do you ensure that it is free from bias?
Brianna Régine Walston: Empathy and compassion are at the forefront of everything we do, which means we recruit team members not only on their ability to do good work, but also on what makes them a good person. Do they want the best for others? Do they have emotional intelligence? Are they able to acknowledge their shortcomings, and possess a willingness to improve? Are they honest? Do they have goals of their own?
We are a company that prioritizes diversity, equity and inclusion, the maintenance of a positive/uplifting and high morale company culture, and supporting our clients.
Yes, we have an AAEOE policy. Yes, I’ve been involved with DEI related projects and seek insight from DEI professionals to ensure I’m staying equipped with knowledge and tactics that avoid bias. But more importantly, I feel the questions above keep our recruitment process open-minded to any individual–regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, marital status, veteran status or disability. And I’m proud of that.
We’re grateful for all that you have shared so far! We would also love to know if there was one thing that you could improve about your company’s culture, what would it be?
Brianna Régine Walston: I’m glad to be a part of this conversation.
I’d have a designated teammate that solely focuses on company culture. As the CEO, I believe I’ve done a good job at creating an inclusive and diverse culture. I appreciate every intern and contingent worker who has transparently shared feedback on how our culture has enhanced their technical and personal development, as well as their constructive criticism which has helped improve all aspects of the agency. But, as BRVC continues to grow, I would like to have the best work culture possible and whenever you’re looking to do something more intentionally, strategically and purposefully–it’s best to hire an expert.
In our future, I see BRVC retreats, paid apprenticeship opportunities year round, a fund for worker emergencies if they hit a rut, mental health resources readily available, a break room to reconnect to your inner peace so you can resume working, and potentially a non-profit entity that offers free services to selected businesses throughout the year–free of charge.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Brianna Régine Walston: Well, regardless of the business stage you’re in, there’s always a lingering question of “how do I sustain my success or how do I repeat the thing that worked well, again and again to keep growing the business?”.
That’s a challenge that never ends because there’s always room to do more, to make more money, to give more opportunities, to serve more people… That’s the reality of business ownership. But that’s also what makes it rewarding.
I think of it like this: if you did that successful thing once, twice, three times… that means you can always do it again; and you can probably do it better than the last time. You know you can overcome obstacles because you’ve done it before.
This has been truly insightful and we thank you for your time. Our final question, however, might be a bit of a curveball. If you had a choice to either fly or be invisible, which would you choose and why?
Brianna Régine Walston: Hmm, that’s a tough one.
If I could fly, I’d be able to get an impeccable view and perspective of the world. Plus, I’d probably be able to get to where I’m supposed to be a lot faster (lol). But if I was invisible, I’d be able to listen in on potential clients discussing my services and use the information for my next move (lol again). I suppose I’d pick both. That’s probably against the rules but as a CEO, bending rules a bit gets the job done (lol again and again).
Thanks for having me!
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Brianna Régine Walston for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Brianna Régine Walston or her company, you can do it through her – Linkedin Page
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