Today we’d like to introduce you to Brock Grady.
Hi Brock, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Two sport collegiate athlete, Baseball, and football at a division 3 school (Washington & Jefferson College, or W&J). Graduated with a BA in accounting and minored in Entrepreneurial Studies. As a Senior in College I obtained the opportunity to project manage renovations and repair needs for the 200+ locations spread throughout 32 states. My career progressed in the Healthcare logistics & technology sector, where I was a project manager, implementing new technology & physical transport needs for hospital systems, including specimens, pharmaceuticals, central sterile equipment, medical records, mail, etc. It was an all in one solution where we let hospitals focus on healthcare, while we brought tracking and tracing capabilities to allow for less errors & minimizing opportunity for loss. I took the opportunity to implement new markets in a new state every 3 months, which provided immense help to the overall healthcare operation.
I left to peruse and opportunity in the medical cannabis industry in Florida. The company didn’t have any revenue on the books, as no retail locations were open to be able to sell to Florida medical patients. As this was so early in the license approval process, opening doors was expensive & took time. As I had a unique “Medical Logistics” background & some law knowledge from time studied at W&J, I took a leap into an unknown field to try my hand in something new. During the next year, I launched Statewide Delivery, set up and oversaw the patient care representative teams, fulfillment & inventory personnel, as well as the delivery staff. As I began to wear too many hats, I pursued another in Michigan where I was employee #59, and helped the company grow to over 1,500 employees while my time there. I began as Logistics Manager before getting promoted to Sr. Manager of Continuous Improvement where I oversaw all company projects.
During my time spent traveling, I was approached a few times in regard to modeling, where I never really thought anything about it. One day I was offered a small advertising campaign for a company, when I was coincidentally in Clearwater, FL at the time. One of the 1st shoots of my life (if you are not familiar with Clearwater beach), is that there are thousands of people any time of day & year. Well, this happened the be the 1st time I wore a speedo, my 1st paid shoot, and turns out was a focal point of that day for whoever was at the beach that day, but nonetheless it was a blast.
Over the next 5+ years, I have loved every second of photography & the industry, as it fascinates me how Art comes in so many forms, & fashions. Through modeling I have met some of the most amazing people, who are arguably some of my closest friends to date. Without this in my life, I am not sure where things would have taken me.
Recently, I have launched an online resale business, where I focus on quality fashions, at quality prices. Knowing that most 2nd hand clothing (& even new/never worn) ends up in a landfill, the goal is to help & have an actual impact on the environment. Fast fashion is harmful to the environment and hope that one day others will see that too.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have been many, from working 100+ hour weeks, to only getting 1-2 days off a month, to losing some of my closest friends. Mental, physical, and emotional challenges were endured. I was unfortunate, but also fortunate to have such amazing people around me that were able to support me when I needed it the most. Without my family, the remaining close friends I have left, I would not be where I am today without them & express gratitude each day.
Everyone goes through their own trauma, & it is also what makes us stronger. But I also cannot lie that it is also the absolute worst in the moment, & without an end in sight. Setbacks happen but it’s about the mindset we have to bounce back. Having an athlete mindset, I was able to look at each outcome as an opportunity for improvement & growth. This continued to carry with me throughout both my professional, as well as modeling career. Just like a sport, we can get better at everything we do with some focused time and dedication.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have years of experience in focusing on both personal and professional improvements. I have learned how to look through different lenses (pun intended), through both the artistic real, as well as the artist. Some additional fun points, I have been internationally published in magazines, shot for swim campaigns, as well reside as I am the resident model on 45+ books in the romance, paranormal, & other novel/novella realms. I simply love working with other artists when it comes to vision. I only know what I know, so living in the area that I do, there is ample inspiration everywhere you look. In addition to being on the cover, I have also been the photographer to book covers wearing the shoe on the other foot if you will. It’s still a work in progress but look forward to trying my hand more in this sector.
Co-Founding and launching a new business (Positive Finds LLC, Positive Finds) has been an absolute blast. One of my favorite things to do is find rare and unique, or quality brands and keep them out of landfills. Recently launched online shopify store where everyone can locate these awesome fashions, at awesome prices. With a studio in mind, stay tuned for another project coming soon.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I would have to say my sense of humor, aka. Dad Jokes. I do not share 98% of the punny things that come to my head, but now thinking about it, I should. Also that I am training to be a yoga instructor. Soon to be bring Free & donation classed to the local Tampa & St. Petersburg area this summer & beyond, as well as online fitness program that people can help better achieve their goals! I look forward to making new friends through these projects, just like I have in the past.
As for My resale brand Positive Finds, the fact that people don’t know where clothes go once, they are donated. There are not ways you can recycle clothing and other goods; I would like to spend some time focusing on education behind this & supporting those companies are able to find ways to eliminate waste. I care deeply for the environment, as it is what keeps us alive & we need not lose sight of that.
Pricing:
- 9.99
- 39.99
- 99.99
Contact Info:
- Website: brockgrady.wordpress.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brock_gradyy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brock_gradyy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brockgrady/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Brock_Gradyy
- Other: https://positivefinds727.myshopify.com/
Image Credits
Instagram @corystierley
