Meet Brandon Dilemma | Creative / Digital Marketing Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Dilemma and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I began really questioning my definition of work-life balance during a semester I spent studying in Florence, Italy. One day, I visited a local sandwich shop down the street and struck up a conversation with the server. I was sharing how I was taking business classes there and was excited to experience the classic Italian lifestyle. What the server said next sparked an existential crisis like no other.

“You know, you Americans love work. You live to work. That’s our difference. We work to live.”

I left the shop with my sandwich in hand but suddenly had no appetite. I sat down in the piazza around the corner, thinking, “What just happened?”

It was then that I really started to reflect on my goals for my career and life. As a creative, there’s always a battle between making your hobby your job or keeping it a hobby. Once your creativity becomes your job, it can sometimes lose that special feeling it brings. I’ve learned that if I can incorporate what I love into my work, then there’s no need to calculate a balance—it just naturally happens.

While I’m just beginning my career, I have high hopes. I have a creative eye and look forward to how I can incorporate that creativity into my everyday life. My goal is to never have to plan my life around a 9-5, but to keep adapting to my surroundings and follow the path that allows me to grow as a person.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
While my career is just getting started, I already find myself reflecting on the aspects of my life that have led me here. I’ve always had an eye for visual storytelling, and during my time at the Leeds School of Business, I discovered how naturally I could apply this strength in my career. After taking some marketing courses, I quickly realized I’d found my path.

What sets me apart from most marketers is that I don’t just work with content—I take pride in creating my own. During my time at Zeal Optics, I regularly took my camera and drone out to shoot content for our digital marketing campaigns. I love adapting to trends, platforms, and needs to stay ahead of the curve, and doing this through content creation allows me to truly thrive. The frustration of thinking, “I wish we had an image like that,” is easily solved when I can just go outside and capture the shot myself.

I feel it was relatively easy to get to where I am today. Of course, “easy” can mean different things to different people, but for me, as long as I stayed true to myself, things seemed to fall into place. I’ve just taken a position at a luxury fashion company in New York—a role I only dreamed of a few years ago. No, I didn’t stay up late every night studying, nor did I get straight A’s on every exam. Instead of stressing over school, I focused on practicing what I love, like my photography and creative skills. Honing these skills and understanding my natural strengths are the most valuable lessons I took from college.

Another huge lesson I’ve learned, and recently started exercising, is that there’s no shame in asking. People are often afraid of rejection because they see it as a failure. I see it more as a redirection. If you want a raise but are too afraid to ask for one, think about why. The worst they can say is no, but the best they could say is yes. It’s a 50/50 chance—some of the best odds out there.

I want the world to know that I’m just getting started. I have a perspective on life and the world that I’m excited to keep growing and eventually share. I look forward to bringing transparency to what life can be when we stop defining work and life separately and instead just live. At the end of the day, we aren’t here to make the most money or have the biggest job title; we’re here to love and be loved.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
While I live in New York now, Ill answer for Denver.

I love having people come and visit. Since I grew up in New Jersey, many of my lifelong friends have not been out west, so when they come to visit me it’s usually their first time seeing the mountains. For outdoor activities, I love bringing them on a hike up at Chautauqua in Boulder, Brainard Lake in Nederland, or Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain. If we have time, maybe a day trip up to Breckenridge or a night in Aspen.

In Denver, our first stop would be Jelly Cafe on Capitol Hill. Then we would explore some of the shops in the area and maybe go hangout in Wash Park. Around the area, We would definitely go to the Boulder farmers market, check out a sunset up on Flagstaff Mountain, and go for a drive on 93. I love a nice evening drink at the Rosetta Hall rooftop. Late night would love to show them around RiNo in Denver and hang at Larimer Lounge.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This goes without saying, but I must shoutout my mom. She is such a strong, open-minded person and I can only hope to be as wise as her one day. Her deep understanding of whats important in life has allowed me to prioritize whats best for me and maintain a positive outlook on the future at all times. Her perspective on life is so optimistic despite her personal challenges, including living with Cerebral Palsy and going through breast cancer twice. She does all this while being a full time preschool teacher and devoting so much time to her kids and their growth, which I will forever admire. She is truly an inspiration.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandondilemma

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-dilemma-8a963190/

Image Credits
Brandon Dilemma