Meet David George of David George & Co. in Echo Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to David George.

David, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Growing up as a kid in Boston, Massachusetts I was always passionate about the arts and finding creative ways to express myself. I loved creating little businesses with my siblings, where we would sell our old toys and books in order to make our own money, peaking my interest in entrepreneurship before I even knew what that term meant.

To give you a little background, I come from a family that encouraged me to “just get a job” because I was “too poor” to go to college and an environment that conditioned boys to play sports, rap or be involved in the streets. So that left me very frustrated with the dismal examples being set by my surroundings, making me even more hungry and DETERMINED to find access a better life.

Fast forward a couple of years, my journey into adulthood was very unconventional. I did make it to college (yay), but I attended three different schools, transferring twice before attending and graduating from St. John’s University (Queens, NY) with a B.S. in Business Management in 2012.

I moved to New York City because my plan after college was to follow my dream of becoming a professional Dancer. Growing up in the 90s (and in my opinion, one of the best eras of music), I was obsessed with music videos, pop culture, and the idea of being a performer. So I decided it was time to put all those years of training and performing to the test, once and for all. It was a tough journey, but with patience and persistence, I eventually signed with one of the top commercial dance agencies (Bloc Talent Agency) and had opportunities to travel the world and work with some amazing people and brands as talent and a creative decision maker.

To the New York City dance scene, I was regarded not only as a talented dancer but as a businessman who possessed the ability to make things happen. Driven by an underlying desire to own my own business one day, I sharpened, and then capitalized on the skills I felt were important to my industry, eventually becoming the “go to” guy for everything from choreography, to editing dance reels, to advising/styling photo shoots, to music edits, directing, business advice, and more! A hustler indeed, but more importantly I was a young adult that wasn’t afraid to fall in love with the process, and help my peers along the way. That led to the birth of my first company D.G.B. Productions, which later became known as David George & Co.

As a Brand Architect & Creative Director, my mission is to use my voice to be an advocate for people of color while using my experience to help diverse, daring and ambitious creatives amplify their purpose, and build personal brands centered around their passion.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My path has definitely not been a smooth road. I believe all of the adversity and obstacles thrown in my path have made me the fighter I am today, but at times it was very hard to keep moving forward.

-After college, it was very hard for me to find stability, as I invested most of my time in a career that takes a lot of years before you see any results. Therefore, I had financial struggles and often felt very lonely on my journey.
-I gained and lost plenty of great opportunities, due to not being prepared for them. However, I take everything as a life lesson, and I don’t regret any of those experiences.
-Working in an industry where people cast a lot of judgment based on your image, I battled with self-confidence and being sure about my identity. I worked on myself a lot and learned the concept of self-awareness. I chose to dive deep to discover who I was versus who I thought I should be.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about David George & Co. – what should we know?
David George & Co. is a creative/consulting agency that is committed to re-imagining how people build and communicate their brands to the world.

Coining the term Brand Architect, I work with innovators and creators of today to design and establish a brand identity that best showcases their talent & ability, attracts their desired clientele and exposes them to new jobs & opportunities! As a Creative Director, I support personal and commercial brands with vision development and content creation. In simpler terms, I work with people on strengthening their professional development skills and building their personal brand.

I started doing this type of work because when I was a dancer, I was surrounded by so many other artists and creative people who limited themselves, and neglected the value of developing strong professionalism and business skills (in addition to talent) that I knew were important for a long-term career. I am most proud of my ability to motivate my peers to get off the bench, do more and create the biggest vision possible for their life and career.

David George & Co. is testing out a few subdivisions, that includes a talent management platform that will focus on creating more opportunities for people of color, and a creative community called The Creator’s Club, that recently partnered with Capital One to offer free professional developmentand branding workshops in the greater Los Angeles area.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I really hope I don’t forget anyone, but my biggest credits go to the following:

Alison Brown – A passionate educator who saw my potential at a very young age, and made huge efforts to nurture and support me beyond what I could have ever asked for. She is a huge reason, I continued to study in the arts and knew that I could create a career out of it.

The Dibinga Family – This family is truly inspiring as community partners, black entrepreneurs, and have given me some of my first and biggest opportunities to be a leader and young entrepreneur.

My friends – I believe who you surround yourself with is everything, and I know I can count of my friends to be honest with me through good and bad decisions.

Cynthia Brown (my sister) – Has been my backbone since day one, and is currently on this journey with me.

Peter Joel Mercado-Reyes – Someone who came into my life much later, but is one of my best friends who understands my vision the most, and is always there when I need thoughtful advice or to talk through my ideas.

Contact Info:

• Address: Echo Park – Los Angeles, CA
• Website: www.davidgeorgeco.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: instagram.com/idavidgeorge
• Facebook: facebook.com/idavidgeorge
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-g-brown-b2bb7047/

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