Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1476674
Brandon Harris, 37 Owner of Nappy Hustle clothing store and Greenwood Bottom shopping plaza and Co-owner of Harrell's and Sons Barbershop Tell us about your job and why you chose your career field. I mentor entrepreneurs through barbering by providing a creative space to be able to find their niche and learn how to be successful at it. Whether it's becoming a barber, designer, or business owner, I help facilitate their dreams. Tell us about your activities in the community, especially what you're most excited about. Currently I am most excited about being able to lead the charge in revitalizing the historic district of Greenwood Bottom, where my family barbershop has been located for over 55 years. I'm overjoyed when I think about how Greenwood Bottom will add to the already thriving sector of Downtown Macon. As you look to the future, what are your professional and personal goals? Looking to the future, my professional goals are to develop more Preservation. Seeing all of the beautiful old buildings being brought back to life downtown and watching all of the new businesses popping up and giving Macon a wider range of fun things to do is truly an honor to watch and be a part of. I was once told that Macon is a wave that is just getting started and that creative small business owners are the ones pushing that wave. I hope to continue to push the wave for Macon and see it flourish and become all that it has the potential to be. What have you learned about yourself or people during the post-2020 era (taking into consideration COVID, Black Lives Matter, economy, etc.)? What do you hope people will do in response to any/all of our current events? I've learned that isolation is our community's biggest fear. Our society is extremely fragile, and I hope we can learn to be more compassionate and empathetic towards one another in order to ignite real positive change as we move out of this era and that people utilize their right to vote whenever possible! What is your vision for our community? My vision for our community is for the people of Macon to embrace change and cultivate opportunities and resources that will help future generations in Macon see how they can fully seize the potential of their dreams. When you talk about Macon to people who don't live here, what do you tell them? I tell them that Macon is a city filled with gorgeous historic buildings and houses, incredible restaurants, and so much soul! And then I usually attempt to talk them into visiting so I can take them floating with me at Amerson River Park. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2022 | maconmagazine.com 45