WYL Take Ownership Podcast EP. 7: Anthony Fraiser

Growing up in Newark, NJ, Anthony Frasier is an author, entrepreneur, and public speaker. Possessing a love for technology and video games at an early age, Anthony would eventually become one of the founders of The Phat Startup and Tech 808 conference prior to being named entrepreneur in residence at Newark Venture Partners.   Currently, Anthony is principal at his own company, ABF Creative. In addition to releasing his own book entitled, Don't Dumb Down Your Greatness: A Young Entrepreneur's Guide to Thinking & Being Great, Anthony has also had the opportunity to work with brands such as AT&T, Audible, and BET.     In this episode of our Take Ownership Podcast, Anthony speaks to us about his company ABF Creative, how we can go about creating our own reality, and why we should not dumb down our own greatness.  

ABF Creative...

Anthony created ABF Creative because he wanted to tell more stories about multicultural audiences. “I wanted to tell more black and Latino stories,” says Anthony. “I felt like we weren’t hearing enough. I’m really interested in telling real, original, and scripted stories where we are able to create the characters and situations. I want to expose the things that are happening in our everyday lives.”   In regards to the business of ABF Creative, Anthony mentions, “we help brands build relationships with audiences.” An example of this is an activation they did with Brooklyn Museum for their “Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power” exhibit. In addition, ABF Creative has also helped to produce podcasts with BET, Rutgers Business School, and Prudential Financial.

Creating our Own Reality...

“I believe that we can create our own reality,” says Anthony. “I’ve manifested everything in my life.” An example of Anthony leveraging his ability to create his own reality is when CNN’s, “Black in America 2” came out. Anthony told himself that he would meet Soledad O'Brien one day. Two years later, he was in the hot seat being interviewed by Soledad herself. “This is the reason why meditation and mental health is so important. We need to exercise that muscle as much as we can so that we can control it” says Anthony.

Don’t Dumb Down Your Greatness...

When Anthony wrote, “Don’t Dumb Down Your Greatness,” he wrote it so that it can be easily read. In fact, he wanted to make it long enough yet short enough for it to be easily read by an eighth-grade student. This was Anthony’s way of placing importance on personal development. “I felt like I had to dim my light to make other people comfortable,” says Anthony. “Not everyone knows our story. Not everyone knows what we have done to get to where we are. They only see us picking fruit from the tree. They never see us with the shovel digging holes and planting it. For me, it’s all about making sure that we put ourselves first, invest in ourselves, and invest in our personal development.”   Be sure to check out the full-episode HERE and CONNECT with us on social!   _________________________ (Uh • Kway • Us) Aquaus Kelley is a forward-thinking brand strategist, curator, and educator. As the Founder of A Lovers Ambition Lifestyle Group, he is extremely passionate about bridging the gap and building value between brands, communities, and culture. His ultimate mission is to use his influence to project positivity across the globe and invest in the collective future of society through the arts, education, entertainment, and leadership. Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | SoundCloud | YouTube