We recently had the chance to connect with Bria Gallardo MacNeil and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Bria, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I’m up at 7am for reformer pilates four times a week. I honestly do morning classes purely to get me out of bed early in the morning. Then, it’s getting my dog, Junebug’s, breakfast ready, making a coffee, and catching up on the news before I start working. My job kind of requires being in the know, so I like to catch up on everything that’s happened before anything else.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Bria Gallardo MacNeil, and I’m a pop culture content creator! I research iconic (or infamous) pop culture, reality TV, and social media moments, and then tell those stories on my socials – usually TikTok and YouTube. I also host a podcast called “This is Niche, But…” where my husband, Will, and I cover random internet and pop culture stories of the week.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
My dad. He’s extremely hard-working, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him give up on any sort of dream or goal he’s ever had. All of the work advice I’ve ever gotten from him has been about resilience, and that is one of the most important parts of my job today. Content creation is about entertaining and teaching, sure, but it’s mostly about choosing to keep going even when no one is cheering you on or motivating you. I definitely got that from him.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear of being misunderstood! I’ve always been terrified of being perceived differently than I actually am, and it held me back from doing a lot of things for a very long time. So often, I think about how I wish I had my current confidence in my early 20’s. I definitely would be a lot farther along than I am now! It took me a really long time of putting myself out there to gain the knowledge that being misunderstood or perceived differently than you want is a normal part of life. No matter what you do, you will have to deal with being misunderstood. What matters is how you feel about yourself and if you can stand on business. Now, as long as I’m being true to myself and my values, I don’t care who doesn’t get me.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
My husband’s! Honestly, if it weren’t for his idea, I wouldn’t have even started making the kind of content that I do today. He’s a great sounding board and offers a really unique perspective on a lot of different things. I trust him and his creativity completely.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Definitely. I attempted to climb the corporate ladder for a long time because I thought that was what I wanted. I got farther along, got promoted, had my own coordinator, had the salary boost – but I still wasn’t happy. I felt super limited by other people’s visions for my role, especially because it relied a lot on my creativity. Even though I technically was getting where I wanted to be, I still wasn’t satisfied because I was compromising my values, beliefs, and creative vision. I couldn’t live with that misalignment, so I left my job and decided to build my own career.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bria.stuart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Bria-Stuart/100077955858558/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bria.stuart
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bria.stuart
Image Credits
Will G. MacNeil
