Meet Brieanah Schwartz | Advocate & Copywriter

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

Hi Brieanah, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Losing a parent, especially one who you considered your best friend, has a way of shifting your perspective on life. Of course that usually includes determining what’s most important to you, making you aware of your own mortality, and teaching you how to persist. But there’s more if you really look.

For me, I internalized that nothing in life could be worse than losing my mom. Nothing.

When you’ve already been through the worst and survived it, then the world looks different and opportunity is suddenly everywhere. I traveled abroad solo, I went sky diving, I said yes more often than no, and I let those I loved know it every chance I could.

I didn’t want to waste a single day. 

I wanted to meet each day full of joy.

When it comes to my career and future plans – maintaining this mindset helps me dare to dream big.

For example, I originally chose to go to law school to see if I could be an attorney that protected wild horses because wild horses, and horses in general, were a passion my mom and I shared. And it wasn’t long before I was embodying my dream. 

My advisors tried to get me to think beyond this goal, and consider other options, but I held tight to my dream. I worked for free at a few nonprofit organizations after law school, a financially risky decision. But I eventually landed at a small firm that served nonprofit clients. And one of their largest clients? An organization that — yup — saved wild horses. 

But dreams change, shift, mutate, and grow. It took me a really long time to realize and accept that, and if I’m being honest I’m still working on it. I’ve never been a fan of change. I prefer predictability and planning, but there I was at the end of a global pandemic finally seeing my time as a wild horse lawyer coming to a close.

I realized what drove me to law school wasn’t the law at all. It was my passion for being a voice for those that need to be heard — first and foremost animals. 

And there are SO many ways to be a voice for those you care about. 

So, I decided to give attention to my creative passions. By doing so I found copywriting and took another leap. After a few training courses, I started my own freelance business and now I plan to grow into a full-fledged one-stop-shop for organizations that are dedicated to helping animals, the environment, and women. I will use my legal background to consult on advocacy initiatives, my copywriting expertise to draft their materials, and my creative mind to help bring a growing awareness to their mission.

What started from a tragedy in my life, ultimately led to moments of exponential and awe-inspiring change. And since that day, changes have continued to shake my plans in pretty fantastic ways. 

Sometimes I may fall, but I never stay down for long because I still have the same fight, passion, and spirit that inspires me to take risks, seize each day, and continue to make my mom proud.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I see the world a little differently as a photographer. I’m drawn to contrast, light, angles, and shadow. I catch myself, or more accurately my English Mastiff, Dandy, will catch me, staring into the trees capturing the moment in my mind — she’ll nudge my hand to bring me back.

By far my favorite subjects to photograph are wild animals. In college, I self-published a book filled with my photography and research about the Cumberland Island wild horses who live off the coast of Georgia. The island is captured in time – huge trees, rolling sand dunes, and of course wildlife everywhere you look.

The horses are not managed by the National Park Service, and to me, that makes them even more special. While tourists frequent the island, and the horses have become used to their presence, the horses’ behaviors remain essentially natural; providing a unique look into wild horse behavior in a rather unlikely spot. Cumberland Island will forever be one of my favorite places for wildlife photography because both the environment and the critters provide a myriad of opportunities to capture what wildness can be.

I founded Pink Barn Creative, my sole proprietorship, so I could have a place to house my creative endeavors. It started with my photography but has grown with freelance copywriting. I plan to continue growing my business so I can help organizations that are creating change achieve their goals through advocacy, compelling copy, and evocative imagery.

It took me a while to realize my goals for Pink Barn Creative; to figure out where I was headed after I decided to leave law and become a creative professional. It wasn’t an easy transition by any stretch, after all, I was challenging myself to embody, believe, and trust in this new version of myself and to have the courage to embrace the greatness of my dreams.

I learned the power of community can help you achieve anything you want in life.

My copywriting program, the Copy Posse, also offers a coaching program called Reign. I took a huge leap and invested in my professional growth by paying the membership fee – a fee I couldn’t afford at the time (thank you credit cards). What I found was not only personal development and education but amazing people. The Copy Posse has designed a community that supported me when I didn’t believe in myself, brought supportive people into my life that inspire me every day, and delivered a program that continues to challenge me to dream bigger every moment.

Before the Copy Posse, I was rather independent, and I was a pretty private person. The program and coaching I’ve received have completely changed my outlook and confidence in myself. I feel genuine joy again, and perhaps more than I ever felt in my legal position, and I know a large part of that is thanks to the amazing Copy Posse community.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in a rural area, on five acres with my horse in my backyard. So, in my opinion, we wouldn’t have to go far to have a nice, relaxing time!

I’m also within an hour of Washington, D.C., so occasionally my friends and I will get together for Sunday Fundays and explore different parts of the city. We like to start with a bottomless brunch, then visit a few museums. We’ve also gone to hockey and baseball games, fun runs, bar crawls, and concerts over the years. D.C. is also home to one of my favorite restaurants. As a vegan since 2017, I was eager to explore the options in a big city like D.C. The Fancy Raddish is by far my favorite spot in the city, and I can’t wait for my next visit!

Living an hour outside the city also means I have access to Virginia’s wine region. Yes — Virginia has a wine region! So if we aren’t heading into the city, we will likely be visiting a winery or cidery. On weekends many of them have food trucks or music and the visit can turn into a relaxing all-day affair. Beyond the wineries, a little farther West is Shenandoah National Park. Full of hiking and horseback riding trails, it’s a great day trip destination. Shenandoah also has Skyline Drive, so if you aren’t up for hiking, or if my horse just says “not today!” you can still go for a scenic drive.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My friends for sure. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my supportive circle of powerful women. I’m incredibly lucky to know each one of them, some since the 6th grade, and be a recipient of their support.

We’ve chosen each other as family, driven hours to each other because they needed us (not because they asked), stayed up late to be an ear, waxed poetic over a bottle of wine, celebrated on New Year’s Eve, blew out candles on birthdays, dried each other’s tears, and made each other laugh til we couldn’t breathe.

Each of these women shaped me, as I helped shape them. They have my love, support, and respect forever.

Website: https://www.pinkbarncreative.com/home

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brieanah-schwartz/

Image Credits
The image of me riding my horse is by Hoof Print Images. The others are my own.