AAPI Achieve Mentor Spotlight | Brant Collins

Name: Brant Collins | Business/Profession: Collins Media

Can you share a bit about your professional background and what inspired you to become a mentor for the AAPI Achieve program?

I have over 25 years of media and marketing experience. My grandfather was from the Philippines and everyone that knew him says I am most like him. So part is to connect with my own heritage, but also to help make Little Rock a more inclusive city.

What do you hope to achieve by mentoring other AAPI professionals, and how do you plan to support your mentee in their career development?

My mentee has a clear set of goals to further his business and I hope to offer as much experience, guidance and motivation to help him reach those goals.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were starting out in your career?

Don’t wait to be chosen, choose yourself.

In what ways has your cultural heritage influenced your career, and how do you integrate these experiences into your mentoring style?

I have studied martial arts most of my life. The philosophy and discipline of martial arts guide my own life as well as my mentoring style.

What is a professional achievement that you are most proud of and why?

Becoming a NAVY Diver. It was the most physically and mentally challenging thing I have ever done. THere is not a day that goes by that I look to that training to get through challenges. One of the common sayings in dive school is, “The only easy day was yesterday.”