Lessons in Relationship Building, Start-Ups and Personal Branding with Growth Expert Bryan Wish

This originally appeared in Caribbean Digital Creatives by @Stephanie Lumley

Editor’s note: I first came across Bryan Wish in 2018 when Allen Gannett’s debut book The Creative Curve was about to be released by Penguin Random House. Being a book lover, I marveled at how seamless the book’s marketing strategy flowed and took a chance to reach out to Bryan for an interview.

After many emails back and forth spell checking and editing (I often joke and consider grammar editing as an occupational hazard), I am elated to share a one- on- one interview that spans Mr. Wish’s thoughts on start- ups, marketing The Creative Curve and that time he made his Junior Varsity basketball team in high school.

Q: As an entrepreneur, how do you leave a lasting impression when meeting new people?

BW: When running your own business, putting your best foot forward with every first impression pays long term dividends. I’ve broken this down into three steps!

Before my meeting, I do an hour of research on the person. I think about what questions I can ask, who I can connect them with, and how I can intentionally build the relationship. Most people go into meetings without a plan, but I truly believe treating new relationships with the same intentions you would with a best friend, goes a long way.

During the conversation, I ask questions 80 percent of the conversation. The more I can listen and ask focused questions, the more I can understand how I can help the person in the conversation.

The famous quote is “two ears, one mouth”. If the meeting is in person, I typically have a pre-written thank you note, as it is a great way to stand out because no one takes the time to be personal in our digital world.

After the conversation, I think about them and what I can share to advance their endeavors When I first met Allen Gannett after I moved to D.C., he mentioned to me he was authoring a book.

When I went home that night, I sent Allen my marketing plan document I had saved for a book I never published, which ultimately led to me coordinating his book campaign. I’ve learned giving without expectation can go a long way.

A great book on relationship building is “The Power of Who” and I’d highly recommend it for anyone looking to cultivate meaningful relationships.

Q: What was the spark that drove you to starting a groundbreaking business?

My first startup did not turn out how I envisioned and I recognized I needed to learn different skill sets from people who were already successful. I spent one year learning under Kairos, building their global community in 40+ countries.

That led to running marketing for Allen Gannett’s book The Creative Curve. These opportunities taught me how to truly launch a product (whether an investment fund, community, or book) and run a business for someone else.

I took the skill sets I built, packaged them together, and created a brand on myself at a small scale helping authors launch their books, brands build grassroot communities, and entrepreneurs develop their personal brands.

I truly believe if I’m successful building a business on myself, I can build a much bigger venture backed startup with a larger market-size and create more exponential impact.

Q: What’s your daily routine?

I wake up between 6:00 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. every morning. I head downstairs to my office, brew a cup of coffee, and start my work day. I’m most productive from 7:00 a.m. — 11:00 a.m.with heads down work. I typically check emails midday, and schedule all meetings/phone calls in the afternoon.

Between 5:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. I go to the gym and eat dinner. From 8:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. I work on more creative tasks involving project planning, writing, or reading.

Before I go to bed, I review my to-do list, make my plan for the next day, and repeat!!

What do you do to ensure you’re taking self-care seriously?

If you asked me two years ago, my story looked like this …

I was sick 1x/month sleeping 14–15 hours per night on the weekend and working most of Saturday and Sunday. During the weekdays, I woke up at 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. and worked without a daily/weekly plan, trudged through the afternoon, and then worked until 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. because I felt I didn’t achieve enough during the day.

Today, I try and sleep between 7–8 hours per night and get to bed before midnight. I am trying (work in progress) to drink a lot more water. On Saturdays, I fully shut off from business, and start the work week typically Sunday mid-day / late afternoons.

Which entrepreneur would you like to share a glass of wine with and why?

Mike Porath, Founder of The Mighty. He’s built a business by helping people with rare diseases and disabilities tell their stories. I have the utmost respect for him and the way he is building his platform.

What are some of your proudest achievements?

The greatest joy I’ve felt was making my JV basketball team in high school. Sounds cliche, but after being cut from a Freshman team that went undefeated, I had an uphill battle to climb. I’ll never forget the euphoric feeling of hearing the words “You made it.”