Driven: Darren Brand

"Laughter heals all." - Darren Brand

Darren Brand is known for his personality, passion, and distinct comedy style delivery.  For anyone who has come in contact Darren, it’s easily learned that his natural aura is just as authentic and original as his comedic delivery.  From the outside, it’s easy to assume that you have a general understanding of a person’s background and how they got to where they are.  The bad part about this is 9 times out of 10 we’re usually wrong.

Outside of being an outlet to thousands of people through his experience in event planning, motivational speaking, hosting, and comedy, Darren Brand has a story behind his successes.

As a native of Southern Pines, North Carolina, Darren has had occurrences within his life that could easily cause one to detour on a path of negativity or cause a lack in enthusiasm.  These two things are definitely not defined in Darren’s dictionary.

When asked what triggered the desire of his current successes, Brand had this to say.

“Being able to tell my story, coming up with a hard upbringing, and proving you can go to school and not quit. I use laughter to hide what I go through and it’s therapy so why not pass that along.”

CHECK OUT THE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW!!!

“Failure is not an option.” one of the quotes that Darren has used throughout his life has proven to be true as he continues on the ladder to success and pursues his dream of being a rising star.

Darren has performed shows in Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh and Durham North Carolina.

Check out the website! http://www.darrenbrand.com

For bookings, please email: noroommanagement@verizon.net

For some of Darren’s videos peep  http://www.youtube.com/DarrenBrandTV  and be sure to follow Darren on Twitter @darrenbrand.


CLICK HERE TO READ THE INTERVIEW

 

So Darren, what triggered your desire for your successes so far?

Being able to tell my story, coming with hard upbringing, and proving you can go to school and not quit. I use laughter to hide what I go through, and it’s therapy, so why not pass that along. Laughter heals all.

You mentioned a hard upbringing, what was your home life like growing up?

Ummm… hard.  My family had financial struggles. My real father used drugs.  At home I had a lot of verbal abuse and drama. Even though things got out of hand, my mom instilled the idea that college was the ONLY choice. Music and tv sitcoms also played a big role as my outlet.

What advice do you have for people who went thru what you went thru?

One quote that got me thru it all was "failure is not an option" because I was on my own in undergrad. If I didn't finish school and find a job, I had nowhere to go. I moved out my parent’s house for good when I left for college.  You also have to understand that everything isn't going to go your way.  It’s going to go His way.   So pray and push till you can't anymore.

So what made you want to chase the dream of being a comedian?

I've always had a love for the stage. I pay a lot of respect to past comedians such as Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, The Wayans, Martin, and Cedric. Of course the new school: Kevin Hart, Kat Williams, Redd, Dan Cook.  I've felt like I've always have had the energy and the blessings to do this.  Also, with comedy, I can tap and touch a lot more people and hopefully uplift and give them guidance to go out and chase their own dreams.

What’s the hardest thing you've had to overcome or endure?  How did you do it?

Getting through school financially and finding out who I was. It took me 21 yrs to understand how different I am, and how I look at past experiences.  I got over it by not quitting school or falling into the typical standards of a “young black man”. I also give big thanks for my support team in undergrad. Without those positive influences I wouldn't have finished.

Speaking of support systems, how important do you think they are?

You can't make it on your own. When I grew tired or fed up, my support system was there to push me when I couldn't do it alone. It is always good to have that person, or people, there to bring you back to reality, to lift you up, and just keep it real about your dream, your craft, or you as a person individually.

Where can people check out Darren Brand?

www.darrenbrand.com, follow me on Twitter @darrenbrand , and darrenbrandtv on YouTube.

Could you give us a list of everything you were involved in while at North Carolina A&T State University? Just to give us an idea of how flexible you were during the hard times as a student there.

Campus Life Mentors, Aggie Maniacs , Orientation Counselor, Student Government-Vice President of External Affairs, “Unofficial” Mr. Aggie, President of 910 Club-Hometown Organization, Couture Productions Member

Whew, wow that was a lot! So Darren, what's next for you?

Wherever my God and my dream take me

Next show?

June 20th at The Comedy Zone in Greensboro, NC