One might wonder what chicken wings, sports announcing, nursing, parenting, entrepreneurship, and admissions have in common. If you don't know, then you haven't met Brandon Elliott. I met Brandon several years ago at a speaking engagement I had, and we have been connected ever since.
In this conversation, Brandon and I talk about being a male nurse, how he's overcome discrimination in his work and in his life, how he makes a difference teaching social media to kids in his S.M.A.R.T. program (S.M.A.R.T. stands for Social Media Awareness & Responsibility Training), sports, and a whole lot more.
More about Brandon Elliott
As a graduate from the College of Mount St. Joseph Brandon earned his nursing degree while playing football. He was a captain on their undefeated team in 2004 as well. Brandon worked in the hospital setting before finding his niche in long term care. He became a director of nursing services by the age of 26 and is currently known in the Cincinnati marketplace as the nurse liaison for Oak Pavilion nursing center. As a nurse liaison Brandon has become known as a straightforward, responsive professional to the discharge planners in all the area hospitals. He is also using his nursing platform to speak with teenagers about the healthcare field and the wonderful field of nursing.
Here is where chicken wings come in. Brandon's in-laws run a local watering hole, which he takes his turn working.
It is a great place for him to catch up with friends while watching his beloved Bengals and Reds.
Speaking of spare time, Brandon seems to pack a lot into a little. As a graduate and student athlete at Purcell Marian high school here in Cincinnati, Brandon supports his alma mater in several ways. He is a mentor to many of the African-American athletes starting at their first day of school. The most notable role is that of Internet broadcaster for the athletic contests at Purcell Marian.
Brandon proudly represents both The National Black Nurses Association and The American Assembly for Men in Nursing. His spearheading of the annual fundraiser event has made it possible for more scholarships to be awarded for thriving students. He has recently been named the Chair for Social Media/Technology for the National Chapter. It was not a surprise to see Brandon listed as a recipient of the 1st Annual NBNA “Under 40” award!
Brandon is also the co-founder and CEO of the social media awareness and responsibility training (SMART) program. This non-profit organization was created with his best friend after seeing several student-athletes lose out on scholarships and opportunities because of their social media image and brand. The SMART Program’s mission is to teach students to teach students to use social media in a mature, savvy way, for the purpose of creating a positive personal brand. Our goal is to reach 1 million people by year 2020. 2016 has been great with 40 presentations in the books and over 20 scheduled for 2017!
The most important role that Brandon fills is that of father. Brandon is married to his high school sweetheart and has three very active and pretty daughters, Avery, Macy, and Laney.
Connect more with Brandon Elliott and his SMART program
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