“Curiosity and passion are the engines of growth.” In this episode of the podcast “A Turn of Events,” Annette Naif interviews Darnell Brown, a fractional growth strategist & designer who helps creative and non-creative entrepreneurs power up and impact lives through his courses, frameworks, and community. Some of his clients include BAND-AID, J&J, /dev/color, and Passport Parking.
Annette and Darnell discuss a recent low moment Darnell experienced when a client he had been working with for several years ended their relationship. Darnell admits that he made the mistake of relying too heavily on this client for income, and when the relationship ended, he felt like he was back where he started. He reflects on the lessons he learned from this experience, including the need to diversify his income and address his own money beliefs and stories.
Annette and Darnell discuss the challenges of being an entrepreneur, including the need to constantly uplevel skills and adapt to new situations. Darnell emphasizes the importance of curiosity, determination, and varied interests in personal growth. He also highlights the role of energy and presence in his work, noting that his passion and authenticity resonate with his audience.
Annette and Darnell discuss the personal nature of business and how it can be turned into a business strategy. Darnell emphasizes the importance of intimacy, storytelling, and being a great problem solver. He encourages entrepreneurs to focus on changing one person’s life at a time and to listen and observe their target audience to better understand their needs and desires.
Quotes:
- “I’ve learned other ways of making money in the industry, not just through my fee for being an event planner, right? My event planning fee. There are other ways that you can make money, which I teach. So that’s the key is if I had not learned about all those different ways that I can make money, not just through my fee in the industry, I would have left hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table.” (10:30 | Annette Naif)
- “The successful businesses are really just great problem solvers. And great problem solver, to become that, you have to be a great listener or a great observer of who your people are that you’re in business for in the first place. And almost be pretty much obsessed with solving their problem for them.” (42:52 | Darnell Brown)
Links
EVENT AND WEDDING PLANNING WORKSHOP – If you are looking to start your own event or wedding planning business (without making costly mistakes), or have an event or wedding business you are struggling with and don’t know how to turn things around, join us in the Event Planners Society FB Group where we will be announcing our next Workshop. You won’t want to miss it!
EVENT CONSULTING – If you are looking to host a live, hybrid or virtual event and have no idea where to start or need help finding a great venue for your event, reach out to us to set up some time for a FREE consultation call at events@naifproductions.com. Happy to help!
Connect with Darnell Brown:
Website: darnellbrown.com/join
darnellbrown.com/tomorrow-starts-tonight
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/darnellbrown
Instagram: instagram.com/bulletproofhustle
Facebook: facebook.com/bulletproofhustle
YouTube: youtube.com/@darnellbrown
Connect with Annette Naif:
Website: https://www.naifproductions.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naifproductions
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annettenaif/
Event Planners Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/eventplannerssociety