We had the good fortune of connecting with Brittani Millington and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brittani,  where are you from and how did your background and upbringing impact who you are today?

Well, I’m from Dayton, Ohio. Currently, though, I live in South Florida. Being from there and having early life experiences, I never thought I would be where I am today and who I am now. A wife, and mother, and running my small strategy and design studio.
Anywho, being from Dayton, the oldest of 8 kids, and someone who grew through struggles, I had to really sit back and think about how I got to where I am today. Sometimes I still can’t believe the journey I’ve had till now of becoming this entrepreneur today.
When I looked around Dayton, it was filled (and still is) with small businesses in every direction. It just dawned on me that I grew up around it. There were a lot of entrepreneurs in my own family too, and it was just a part of what they do. From my Nana side hustle creating elaborate gift baskets, my aunt running her hair salon, cousins in construction work, and others having booths at flea markets. They all had something they did under themselves. So it was natural if anyone around me had a side hustle or business, I was helping growing up. Especially when creative and organized skills were needed. I loved the feeling of helping others achieve whatever they were trying to do. To be a part of their success in some small way.
Being surrounded by small businesses I found myself learning how to help them blossom, along with how they stay established and grow. Fancy marketing, designs, branding, and websites can only get you so far. It can help, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not what keeps them in business. It’s the effort, consistency, story, and connection with people that help keep them going. When that’s truly intact, whenever adversity hits them they can withstand it better and even bounce back.
Now, being the oldest of 8 kids. You learn how to deal with different personalities and become responsible and dependable, real quick. It’s a part of being the oldest. My siblings taught me how to deal with clients with care and understanding. Also, how to collaborate with others to achieve common goals. Even finding ways to help them understand things they didn’t get at first, so they can understand the situations they were in or how to deal with things they were trying to do.
Reflecting on all of this made me see how much those experiences impacted who I am today. Being resilient in my own business through the ups and downs and growing pains. Plus, seeing why I care so much for my clients and what’s important to them.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

I live for problem-solving and apply that kind of critical thinking to both business and brand challenges.

I love getting to know my client’s brands from their point of view and unlocking the golden nuggets they didn’t know they had. From strategy to design my intent is to always have my clients feeling empowered to control their brand with a strong foundation—the heart of the brand—so they can confidently focus on what truly matters and make an impact.

We believe with the right mindset, roadmap, and identity system our clients can create the growth they’ve been looking for in their brands.

Since starting my business I’ve had the joy of working with clients and brands like Squarespace, SOBEWFF® for 4 years in a row, Black Professional Network, the City of WPB, Whole Story Studio, 1909, Foster+Glass, and more. In addition to being involved with the entrepreneur community 1909, in West Palm Beach, FL.

Along with running my business, I also donate time and free resources to help educate business owners on understanding how branding benefits their business in the local community. Offering branding education is important to help small business owners use what they have and help their brand look more professional to build trust as they build their business.

What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

Recently I became a mother! Working for myself for the past few years, I was honestly worried about how I’ll handle things. Will I be able to manage it all, be there for my child and attend to clients? Will people still want to work with me after maternity leave? A lot of questions came up. However, I have been able to manage things the best that I can and still had a lot of great things happen over the past year that I wouldn’t have thought possible. Even with a baby!

This past year I have spoken and moderated at a few conferences with brands like Squarespace at their first annual Circle Day and Black Professional Summit, to name a few. These events were geared toward helping brands and small businesses in their endeavors in customer experience, brand strategy, and marketing. Speaking engagements have been a goal of mine and to be able to have these two under my belt is a great accomplishment.

Along with winning Emerging Business of the Year 2022 with Palm Beach Business MatchMaker. Also, just found out I’m currently nominated for Young Professional of the Year by the Black Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County. I am grateful to be recognized for the work I have been doing within and outside of my community. Over the past year, I have conducted workshops and presentations covering strategy, branding, and website. Even partnered with the City of West Palm Beach in providing marketing consultations for local SBEs! Getting these opportunities was a result of years of showing up to networking opportunities, shooting my shot (a few times), and getting to know what the stress points brands and small businesses needed help with the most.

By the way, winning Emerging Business of the Year is so aligned with my brand because my elevator pitch is :

A visionary supporter for emerging brands to transition from stillness into growth through strategy and design.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

One of my favorite brunch spots for good food, drinks, and music is Sassafras (@sassafraswpb)! Their fried chicken or smashed-patty double cheeseburger is so good. Also, RH Rooftop restaurant for the great food, vibes, and design inspiration all in one place.

There are cool spots to hang out on Clematis Street and always something going on with block parties or unique shops and experiences to get into on the weekends.

I love going to art museums wherever I travel and love the local one, Norton Museum of Art with its indoor and outdoor exhibits.

If you are looking for a few good BBQ spots that many probably don’t know about. Here they are, Okeechobee Prime Barbecue and Fosters BBQ. They are places where you need to get to them early because they sell out the exact thing you came to them for!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband, Corey Millington. He has always been supportive and encouraging throughout this journey of mine. He’s been through it all with me and I’m grateful to have him cheering me on in this journey.

Website: http://brittanimdesign.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brittanimdesign

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/brittanimillington

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@brittanimdesign

Image Credits
Gabby – https://www.instagram.com/emagenphoto/ Tiffany – https://www.instagram.com/tiffanywrealestate/

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMiami is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.