Execution Is Everything For Producer Brandon L Smith

INSIDE Monthly (INM) sat down with media personality and entrepreneur Brandon L. Smith to talk about his journey in media, his growing ventures, and his vision for the future. From red carpets and radio to managing artists and inspiring youth, Brandon shares how passion and persistence have shaped his career.

How old were you when you first got into the industry?

(Brandon) I first got into the industry in 2017. I had a vision that I wanted to start something like a red carpet corresponding segment, so I just popped up and started going to events.

How did you end up working in radio and local television?

(Brandon) Growing up I always had the dream of being on TV and radio. I met a pastor I’d known for years who had connections to a local radio station. He introduced me, even though I had never done radio before, I always wanted to. I met the station manager, and we clicked. I was able to write and produce my own shows, bring in guests, and even pitch sponsorships. Radio isn’t as popular now with podcasts and social media, but I tell anyone who wants to get started—just start. For me, walking into those doors after dreaming about it for so long was phenomenal.

How did you come up with your name for Triad Live?

“When I first started wanting to do red carpet, I came up with the name Triad Live. We were in the Triad and I wanted to be live at the events.

Why do you think there was a need for it in the local area?

(Brandon) I think there is a need for media because there are a lot of unknown talents, a lot of unknown people that do not have the opportunity to have their exposure. That’s why I think positive media is very important here in the area.

How did you go about building a team for Triad Live?

(Brandon) It started as a big team. I wanted everybody and their mom to be a part of it. But as the years went by, the team started getting slimmer and slimmer because not everyone has the vision for your baby. Triad Live Media is my baby. I couldn’t get upset with them because they weren’t carrying the vision. They weren’t born with the vision—I was. So it became very small, real quickly.

Tell us about your media workshop series for kids.

(Brandon) I hosted and presented a media workshop for kids called So You Want to Be Media. I had some of my colleagues from the news station come, plus photographers and Picture Studios. Children who wanted to get involved would attend a three-to-four-hour workshop. They got hands-on experience learning about the industry—reading a teleprompter, doing the weather, working on a green screen. We had a meteorologist there teaching them, along with other media professionals coming together.

What should people know about your next event?

(Brandon) For our next event, I want people to understand it’s going to be about media. No way, no how about anything else. It will definitely be about media. If you have a heart for it, if you’d like to get into it, if you’ve said to yourself “Hey, I think I want to do this,” you should try to find a way to come to the event. You’ll be surrounded by people who do this for a living, and that can give you direction on where to go.

What other businesses do you own or plan to open?

(Brandon) I started The Zaymyah Agency, an artist management group. We help people who have a vision, goal, or dream but might not have all the tools to execute it. Some people are planners, some are visionaries, and some are executors. If you don’t have all three, my agency helps take that vision and make it reality.

What is it like working with Patrice Lovely?

(Brandon) Patrice Lovely never sleeps—she is up 24/7. Working with her is phenomenal. I am honored to even be on her team and to get the phone call to work with her. I had never flown on a plane before, and she gave me the opportunity to fly to different cities to assist her while she is doing plays as her character Ma. To see her transition from Patrice Lovely to Ma is phenomenal. Every time we get together we’re always laughing, dancing, singing—and I’m going to grab that tambourine one way or another!

Ty G is one of a kind. Tell us about his drive & work ethic.

Let me tell you Taiji is an awesome guy. I don’t think Ty G even know the gift that he has. I don’t think Ty G even is even close to where you know the doors that God is opening for him. Ty G is so so amazing and what I love about Ty G I tell him this all the time is Ty G is so humble. Very humble, very you know an easy guy to get along with. If I have any questions about you know media you know he’s not one of the the gatekeeping guys that want all the information for themselves. He does not mind helping out. That guy is so amazing and Ty G you know I love you homie you know.

Who would you love to go to lunch with if you could?

(Brandon) If I could go to lunch with anyone, it would be Beyoncé. I love how she went from Destiny’s Child to building her own brand. If I could just sit with her for a few hours and learn about her journey—it would inspire me to work harder. She’s the definition of working hard and staying relevant, and I’d love to learn from her directly.

Who would you just punch in the face if you could?

I’m going to skip this question—too many people come to mind.

Would you rather travel to the past or to the future?

(Brandon) Give me the past. There are people I wish I had walked past and things I wish I had not entertained. Going back would help me get to the right path sooner. And honestly, with the way the world is, I don’t even know if we’re going to have much of a future.