We had the good fortune of connecting with Harold (HB) Branch and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Harold (HB), what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I became an entrepreneur as a teenager, performing poetry for events and schools. That transitioned to speeches, trainings, events, and continued to evolve from there. The thought process that has kept me in the world of self-employment and small business creation is my own search for my authentic self and a feeling of responsibility. I have always sought to understand myself better. Who am I, really? I want to explore my limits and simply see what I can do with the gifts, thoughts, and work ethic that I have. Why be here if I am not seeking to get better? The challenge is jobs haven’t provided me the freedom for that exploration. I have always been an extremely hard worker and held down multiple jobs at times; but that was merely for survival, not growth. Working for myself allows me to bet on me but also make my own decisions, set my own schedule, and explore the directions that are on the same path as my personal journey. This means, I get to make fatherhood my #1 priority and build all my business around being a full time, coparenting dad. I can prioritize my mental health and do whatever I need to do to remain balanced. And I can make ethical decisions that align with my morals and values so my spirit remains intact and I don’t have to compromise my honor, integrity, or dignity to keep a roof over my head. Most have to make those compromises, just like I have had to do in the past, so I understand. I also know that it traditional jobs don’t bother most people as much as it drains me, and that’s ok. But self-employment is the only path for the life I want, even when it is at its worse.
I also feel a responsibility to use all the talents and gifts I have been blessed with and have nurtured over the years. This reason is simple. I don’t want to underuse what God has given me, the belief my family has given me, the support my friends and community have blessed me with, and the dreams I have excited myself with. I owe it to myself and all these people to do my best to succeed my way and leave things better than how I found them.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I began writing poetry at 14. It was out of necessity. I struggled with depression from a very early age and all the trauma and triggers of my neighborhood just made things more difficult. So poetry was my escape, expression, and way to get my inner voice out of my head and onto paper. Now it’s 30 years later and I am still writing for the very same reasons. I am most excited about the authenticity of my work. Over the years, I have been able to express hard to express ideas and feelings in a way that people of all backgrounds can relate to and digest. I’ve been told I have a gift for connection and this has be the foundation of my artistic work. I also continue to be very vulnerable in my work. The honestly I’ve been able to maintain is a result of my need to be authentic and, right or wrong, I can say to myself that I represented my thoughts and feelings accurately. This has not been easy at all. This era of spoken word poetry wasn’t as popular 3o years ago as it is now, so I’ve seen the art form go through many changes. Staying relevant has always been something I took seriously. If I’m going to not just write my poetry but express it to others, I need to continue to bring value to those who see value in me and my work. I used to write and perform so much more, but life demands different things at different phases so as a father I stopped having the same freedom to travel and even write simply due to bandwidth. I evolved from only writing to reciting to traveling to hosting to producing events and giving other poets opportunities to develop and and nurture their talents. It’s difficult being both an artist as well as a business man. Success in both areas seem to demand two different sets of skills. I believe this is why my entrepreneurship is so diverse. Simply writing and reciting poetry didn’t pay much at all. I would joke and say “poetry doesn’t pay you well until you die”, but there is some truth to that. So I had to diversify my skill development and nurture other gifts while thinking outside the box. This led me to become a guest speaker on an array of important topics, teach poetry classes, develop curriculums, facilitate life skill development, build sales teams, produce a variety of events, write books, produce albums, and more. Easy? Not at all. Worth it? Absolutely
I learned to succeed anyway. I have every reason to fail. From a young age I was dealt a pretty crappy hand, but that doesn’t change what I wanted for my future. So, we have to acknowledge the challenges of the past but do our best to leave them there succeed anyway. I also learned to diversify my skill set in order to be undeniable. There are forces who don’t want us to win, so I can’t ‘barely’ succeed. We can’t be ‘slightly’ better. I believe in being absolutely undeniable. Be so well rounded, thoughtful, hardworking, diligent, equipped, competent, and capable that massive success will be no surprise to anyone. Once the dreams come true you don’t want people shocked. Everyone around you should expect it because of what they have seen you do. Lastly, I’ve learned to work for ‘peace’ not for ‘money’. I know people way more financially successful than me but have no peace or joy in their life. I believe in 360 success, which includes all areas like family, health (mental and physical), spiritual, romance, finances, intellectual, cultural, etc. This is what I work for.
I want the world to know that my brand and story revolves around using my gifts, life’s challenges, lessons, passion, and insight to develop environments where people can find peace and nurture their growth to their ultimate potential, whatever that looks like for them.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely take them to Sedona to hike and visit the vortexes. Such a peaceful and balancing place. I am a nerd and what I enjoy can be very different from most. I would show them my favorite antique bookstore the Book Gallery as well as Bookman’s. We would have to hit the only Black bookstore in Phoenix Grass Rootz bookstore. I love taking folks to Zia to see all the alternative, weird things for sale. If it’s a Wednesday I would take them to Poetic Soul open mic ran by my friend Qosmic Qadence. Blues music at Char’s, drinks at Bitter and Twisted, Mil Avenue, Tempe Marketplace, and Westgate are all great times. And of course, sushi. Kasai is a great place for that.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I owe where I am today and where I am going to so many people, organizations, and sources of inspiration that have influenced and encouraged my journey. My number 1 motivators are my two children, Harold (my moon) and Ella (my sun). My son balanced my waters/emotions and my daughter brightened my sky. I owe all of my drive and resilience to them, even before their birth. My older sister Ricquia spoke hope into me my entire life. The entire community have shown me more love than anything else. The people from my old Westside Chicago neighborhood, grade school, and church all the way to the Phoenix, Arizona community have believed in me and told me I would be great. Always so much more love than anything else. My mentors have been priceless and their are just too many to count. Lastly, the books I’ve read grow and push me closer to the man I’m meant to be. The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Richest Man in Babylon, Rich Dad Poor Dad, Tipping Point, Mindset, and so many more.
Website: www.goodenergyproductions.com
Instagram: Homebasepoetry, Goodenergyproductions, and becomingHB
Facebook: Good Energy Productions, HomeBase Poetry Open Mic
Youtube: Good Energy Productions