01. How is Brandon doing these days?

Super! Feels oddly good being back on the job market.

02. How do you explain to people what a copywriter creative director does?

I tell my mom and dad “I make sense of facts—creatively”. I’m wired like a journalist.

03. Do you follow the news?

Of course. Maybe too much.

04. Favorite news channel?

Pass. Give me a nice question.

05. That’s fair. So, what makes you happiest these days?

Family. Lots of time spent together these past couple of years. #blessed Just kidding, I’ve never used that hashtag. But nearly that same sentiment.

06. Describe your family.

Grizwolds. Off the Boat. Back in the day, my mother came to America from Asia with her culture in a third carry on, She married a white guy from Missouri and together they invented me,

07. What’s your favorite show of all time?

Murphy Brown. Back then, I wanted to be a “Murphy Brown” when I grew up. It was the first show that crossed Hollywood and politics. She made the cover of Time at one point. I had mine framed and hanging on a wall in my room.

08. Did it influence you into becoming a writer?

It introduced me to journalism, which led me to writing and advertising.

09. Oxford Comma—yes or no?

It looks better. But it’s not a must. Jury’s still out on whether a period goes inside or outside the end quote mark.

10. Who was the first person that left you star struck?

The late Shannen Dougherty. During college, I was an extra in a movie she was starring in and got to meet her. She wrote on a napkin, “to Brandon love Shan’”.

11. Who was the coolest celebrity you’ve met?

Brooke Shields was the nicest. I wrote a script for her in my early twenties. She was so kind. And she loved the script.

12. Any movie recommendations?

No Hard Feelings. Jennifer Lawrence cracks me up!

13. Favorite movie of all time?

Election is in my top five. Reese Witherspoon. Tracy Flick. Amazing. Please tell me you’ve seen it.

14. Where do you currently call “home”?

Well,… I’m currently based out of Seattle. But I’ll go anywhere. Life’s kept me on the move. I’m a citizen of the world!

15. What’s your favorite wine?

Something white.

16. What’s a good dessert to pair with white wine?

Good birthday cake.

17. Dinner parties or after parties?

After parties.

18. What makes a party great?

If I throw up at some point, it’s obviously a great party.

19. Who do you wish you could work with?

Annie Liebowitz

20. What’s the best quality of a boss?

Kindness, openness

21. What’s the best quality of a work partner?

Kindness and confidence.

22. What’s the most important thing that keeps you good at what you do?

Endurance.

23. What scares you the most?

Losing someone.

24. What angers you the most?

Delayed flights.

25. What’s your favorite curse word?

F*ck. That’s everyone’s favorite.

26. Which designers’ clothes are you wearing right now?

Right this minute: Lululemon. Nike. Impressed?

27. What’s a must-have item in your purse or backpack?

Passport. I can go straight to the nearest airport from wherever I am and get to wherever I need to be.

28. Item in your pocket?

A Sharpie.

29. What’s something you always seem to lose?

My wallet. Which I always seem to find within seconds.

30. What’s the coolest thing you’ve found?

My spouse.

31. Do you have spirit animal?

Flamingo. Well, that’s my favorite animal.

32. Do you have a secret hobby?

Sewing. Self-taught. During COVID, I bought a sewing machine and that was “thing” during all that.

33. Do you have a secret?

I’ll tell you after you hire me.

34. Can you keep a secret?

I’ve become a storage room when it comes to other peoples’ secrets. Not by choice.

35. What was your last big trip?

South Africa. I got married a couple months ago.

36. Where do you want to go next?

Iceland or Denmark. Somewhere with snow that’s not super cold. I spent most of the last year living in tropical weather.

37. What’s the hardest thing about being abroad?

Driving on the left. Metric system. And no Target stores.

38. Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s?

Trader Joe’s.

39. Trader Joe’s or Aldi?

Oof! That’s tough. I’ll stick with Trader Joe’s.

40. If you were hosting dinner, what would you cook?

Lasagna.

41. Got a favorite book or author?

The Little Prince.

42. What was the last book you read?

Probably something from George Friedman. I dig geopolitics.

43. What do you like to collect?

Airline miles.

44. What’s your favorite family heirloom?

Dining furniture from a great aunt on my dad’s side.

45. What’s an ideal holiday for you?

I love a last-minute three-day weekend random getaway.

46. What would be unideal?

Anything to do with cruise ships, ferries, boats and all that.

47. Are you scared of water?

I’m equally afraid of both the ocean and outer space.

48. So you prefer to fly?

Over oceans—definitely. I love going places. But the actual “being on an airplane” part is so boring.

49. How many countries have you visited?

Sixty-something countries.

50. Have you got a favorite travel memory?

My first time traveling alone. I was like 10. I can’t believe my parents let me do that.

51. What was your favorite chikdhood toy?

Easy answer: Legos. But…my great aunt gave me one of those old school click-clack typewriters when I was a kid. I’d eventually rise to the position of Resume Typer for my siblings.

52. Who’s your doppelgänger?

I had an Uber driver in Mexico City who looked exactly like me. Both of us awkwardly stared at each other in his rear-view member the entire trip.

53. Ghosts, aliens, or zombies?

Aliens.

54. Are UFOs real?

If we had more time, I’d tell you about an out-of-worldly whatever-you-want-to-call-it experience I had while living in Mexico City.

55. Aliens and UFOs aside, would you recommend going to Mexico City?

It’s one of the most incredible cities on this planet.

56. What’s the best life advice you’ve gotten?

From Dad: Make your bed. Every day.

57. Can you recall your dreams?

Yes. And, I’ve gotten so good at knowing when I’m in a dream and can play along.

58. What was your last dream about?

It was something basic. But I remember being friends with Jennifer Lawrence.

59. What’s an ideal evening for you?

Uber Eats and Bravo.

60. What’s your favorite quote?

“The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.” Oscar Wilde.

61. What’s your favorite type of weather?

Snow. Blizzard-level snow.

62. What’s your least favorite type of weather?

7.5 earthquake in Mexico City. I know that’s not “weather”, but it was the worst natural disaster-type thing I’ve experienced.

63. What was your first job?

Pasta maker at Olive Garden.

64. Favorite job?

The last place I worked.

65. Least favorite job?

Folding clothes at GAP.

66. What’s your favorite holiday?

Winter holiday.

67. What’s the best gift you ever received?

Tuition. A special thanks to Mom and Dad for that.

68. What’s the last gift you gave?

Lipstick. Every time I visit my aunt, I bring her a different color.

69. Are you funny?

Not on purpose.

70. Who do you get that from?

My grandmother.

71. What the funniest thing that’s happened to you recently?

On my wedding day, I popped a bottle of champaign. The cork ricocheted off a security camera and an electric fence wire and then hit my dad in the head.

72. Electric fence?

It’s normal in Cape Town.

73. What’s a random fact?

Of all the humans that have ever lived, 19% are alive right now. I saw it on the internet.