MSS8 Angela Brown-Vann ep21
Dave Winston: [00:00:00] Are you good? All right.
Angela Brown-Vann: Here we go.
Speed.
Dave Winston: One.
Michael Schweisheimer: Welcome back to the Mission Story Slam podcast, brought to you by PWP Video. I'm Michael Schweissheimer, the executive producer at PWP Video and Mission Story Slam. We started Mission Story Slam to share the stories of the organizations that we serve at PWP Video. So those include nonprofits, big corporations, triple bottom line companies, and sustainable organizations.
People who are on a mission to make the world a better place. We gather in person, pick the names of volunteer storytellers out of a hat, and they compete for a 250 donation to their favorite non profit. The audience also submits votes for the crowd favorite story, which gets a 100 donation. And that is sponsored by your part time controller, LLC.
We videotape the stories for sharing on social media and with friends and supporters. So this [00:01:00] podcast is about the story behind those stories. What motivates someone to tell a story in front of an audience? How did they choose a story they were going to tell, and what was the experience like? And we get to learn about the storytellers themselves.
Today's guest, Angela Brown Van, was the big winner at Mission StorySlam 8, when the theme was The Next Chapter. I'd met Angela once before when she'd sold a story at Mission StorySlam 7. Angela didn't win that night, but came back and took home the 250 donation for Power Interfaith Philadelphia. Angela's background involves a lot of career changes, and actually, I'm just going to let her tell
Angela Brown-Vann: it.
Did I ever tell you about the story of when I was a cereal? Career changer, a serial career changer. When I was a little girl, I was always asked the question, What do you want to be when you grow up? That was always the question that people would ask because they would say, you're so smart, and they would say, I was so smart, I was so gifted in [00:02:00] school.
And so my answer would change all the time. I always had different answers. I want it to be an engineer. I want it to be the governor. I want it to be ML, the female MLK Jr. I want it to be so many different things. I want it to be a preacher. I wanted to be a teacher, I wanted to be a whole lot of different things.
Uh, and my mother always would brag as I was growing up that she was with the same company for five years, for 10 years, for 20 years, for 30 years. That was her thing. But my thing was, I didn't want to be at the same place forever. The one life. One career imperative for me just had no merit. And so, as a matter of fact, my first job was the local, uh, the local candy store.
It, it was [00:03:00] my store. It was a shoe box that I had outside of our apartment, and my products were the candy that I bought for a penny from the candy store, and the pom poms for your skates. That I made, and so the candy, I only sold it for a penny, but the pom poms, those were the feature items. But, when I sold out that very first day, the store closed, because I am a serial career changer.
And so, it's important to me not to keep the same hustle forever. And so... So throughout school and throughout college, I mean, I just kept changing the thing, you know, like I went to, I wanted to be a biomedical engineer. And so I was at Villanova taking engineering courses and couldn't figure out why [00:04:00] I didn't feel like reading all that stuff.
My eyes were, I was just like, nah, I can't do this engineering stuff, the computer stuff. So I was like, just finance. And so, so I left when I, when I graduated from college, now I got to start working. And so the interviews I really didn't want to do because the interviews, they were going to ask me questions like, How long are you going to stay?
And for me, it wasn't going to be that long. And so I didn't want to lie because, you know, I still am a preacher at heart. So I'm not lying. But I really don't plan on being here for 20 and 30 years. And so my first job was at a collection agency as an account specialist. But I couldn't sell them because they were new.
Nobody wanted that company. Well, I can sell really well, but I couldn't sell them. So that didn't last long. But I [00:05:00] knew not to quit. Cause you can't get unemployment if you, you quit. I knew that much. And so, they fired me. And so I had to start all over. And so eventually I became a lender. Because I got a degree in finance.
So I became a lender. And so, people wanted me to work for them. Investors wanted me to be their lender. And I did very well. I had very good relationships. I'm a serial career shifter. And so, so family members of mine got in some trouble and And I decided, Hey, I'll stop working for a little while and I'll come move in with you and help you out for a while.
But then my car got repossessed and I had to rethink the career shifting thing. And so, but I'm very young at the time. And so, so then I started working for a company and I started regaining relationships and you know, I started doing some [00:06:00] great things. And then one day as I'm traveling because they're sending me all over the place, I'm traveling and I'm, I'm running because at the time I ran a lot.
And so I'm running and I'm the only black woman running all these white folks. And, and this guy, I was in Nashville and he sees me running with all these white folks and I'm leading the pack running. And he says, don't you quit. Don't you, that's not something you say to a serial career changer, and he's like, don't you quit?
Don't you quit? And so that's stuck in my mind all these years. Don't you quit? Don't you quit? Whoever he was. And so along the path of me continuing to be a serial career changer anyway, I keep him in mind to say, I quit when I get ready to quit. And, but, but don't let any, any obstacles make me quit. So I choose the quitting time.
I don't let the obstacles or tough [00:07:00] situations make me bow out before it's... quitting time. And so along the way, I started doing other things. I became, I went to another company because I'm a career shifter. And so when I went to the this other company, though, the obstacle that came up for me was I was traveling way too much.
I was flying home first class, tired because they had me traveling 85% of my time. On an airplane, people think first class travel is so great and it was the worst experience in my life to travel 85% of my life when the flight attendant said you can't get up before you get off because the plane is landing.
And I had to go to the bathroom and I couldn't get up because the plane was landing and I had just awakened from a deep sleep and I peed in the seat. [00:08:00] I want to tell you when it's time to change careers,
don't, don't wait until you have to pee in the seat and embarrass yourself. When it's time to change, get up out of there. If you have it in your head that it's not time to quit, just go ahead and quit. Don't embarrass yourself.
Michael Schweisheimer: Angela Brown Van, thanks for joining me on the Mission StorySlam
Angela Brown-Vann: podcast. Hey, thanks for having me.
Michael Schweisheimer: So, I'm really looking forward to talking with you about both of your Mission StorySlam appearances. Okay. And I got to spend some time preparing and listening to both stories together, and it really does give quite a window into who you are. One thing I am curious about with how wide open that window is, is like, are you always so open when you're in a room of strangers?
Is that part of being an ordained [00:09:00] minister, or is that part of who you are?
Angela Brown-Vann: An
ordained
Angela Brown-Vann: minister is who I am. The answer would be both. I've been ministerial as a person all of my life. Waxing and waning in between trying to find out who I am, but wanting to also be a people person, that person who helps people, that person who rescues someone because I'm definitely a rescuer.
you are. I'm definitely a helper. So I think in that vein, it's always been necessary to tell my story and to get honest with people because, you know, I've been in positions where someone who was on the street and they needed help, it's easier to connect with them when I have an of, listen, I've lost my job before and didn't know how ends were going to meet either.
So I know where [00:10:00] you've been. Instead of me saying, you know, Hey, I have a lot of money in my pocket. Let me give you all, you know what I mean? So I've had to be real and it's comfortable for me.
Michael Schweisheimer: Is there a similarity you think between storytelling and either preaching or ministering or is like being a preacher influenced your approach to how you're telling your stories?
Angela Brown-Vann: I don't know. That's hard to say because. I'm very linear, you know, in over 50 years of life, it has taken me a while to connect all of life together. If it's a preaching instruction manual, I do well with that. Connecting them both took me a while. Do you know what I mean? So it's storytelling for a different audience.
Took me a while to do because I don't want to seem preachy to an audience that didn't come for that.
Michael Schweisheimer: I don't really think I introduced the fact that you spend a lot of time organizing for Power Interfaith [00:11:00] Philadelphia.
Angela Brown-Vann: As an organizer, and for folks who volunteer in social justice, it's important that you tell your story, that you're able to tell your story of why you came to the work, and that's how you get the movement to grow.
For myself, I would like to tell my story more in order to motivate people on a different level outside of organizing. I
Michael Schweisheimer: have to say, I feel like storytelling as a tool has really been on the rise with activism and organizing. At least it appears that way to me. Or has it always been part of the, a major part of the toolkit when you're trying to get regular people to help make social change?
It's
Angela Brown-Vann: definitely been a regular part of the toolkit. If you listen to any of what Fannie Lou Hamer. Barack Obama, Jesse Jackson, if you listen to any of [00:12:00] their recordings, you will hear their stories and that's what captivates you into joining their movement. And when you hear people talk about organizing from their perspective, they will highlight those things about their movement.
Even if you think about Donald Trump, when you think about him, his story is something that captivates his followers. And it connects his followers to him. So stories are very powerful for everyone. And so it does organize a base. Sorry.
Michael Schweisheimer: I'm just digesting the fact that you are right in terms of the power of story in the world of Donald Trump, that it's, that's a lot for me to take in, but I'm going to do it.
It's,
Angela Brown-Vann: it's actually what happened.
Michael Schweisheimer: Well, listen, I don't think that Donald Trump would necessarily be eligible to come to Mission Story Slam. [00:13:00] Because your stories have to be truthful. So, though it is true best of the storyteller's recollection. So by his own, I think, approach, you might sneak him By his own
Angela Brown-Vann: approach, exactly.
Michael Schweisheimer: I'm going to move us out of that sphere for just a minute and get back into Mission Story Slam. Just, yeah, that's a rabbit hole that's Yeah. We could get very lost in. Uh huh. So, at the beginning of your story from the recent slam, you had started out saying that you really weren't feeling ready, that you had actually started writing like a few minutes before you took the stage.
Yeah. And I'm trying to reconcile that. You had quite an arc built in from little girl to full grown adult. And, so if you were writing that... quickly. I'm just wondering, like, when you're starting a story like this, do you start with that big arc? Did you start with the kind of catchphrase of the story about serial career changer?
Or was there a theme that got you started? Because that's a very cohesive piece for having put it together in a short period of time.
Angela Brown-Vann: Yeah, [00:14:00] so I say. Speak, and that's part of, that is part of preaching. So you asked about that. So I do like to have a theme and you know, that was the theme and I need to have that because part of my epilepsy is memory loss, right?
So I have a lot of memory loss and a difficult time sometimes focusing. And so to keep me focused, I have to have a lot of repetition. With that, I wouldn't lose myself and I wouldn't be able to stay within the five minute time frame.
Michael Schweisheimer: No one really stays within, but yes, you were very
Angela Brown-Vann: close. So, but I had to figure out what the starting point was.
I thought, like, where did that come from, to be this way? The serial career changer, where did that come from for me if I liked something and I wanted to do it. That was my goal to accomplish it before I die. [00:15:00] So I think I needed to start at whatever the beginning was, but make sure that I didn't stay at childhood for a long time.
I needed to make sure that I captivated the audience with that quick laugh. And then, you know, and then move on into the later years.
Michael Schweisheimer: So one thing that I am hearing, and I actually, in my process might, maybe I'm similar, or maybe I'm just making assumptions is, it sounds like you had been thinking about what you might talk about for a while.
Before that night. So even if you were structuring out the actual thing a little bit last minute, it sounds like you had been gestating and chewing through this for a while before you got there?
Angela Brown-Vann: On the car ride there. So on the car ride there, I was thinking about what could I talk about going back and forth with my husband between where are we going again?
The same place we went last time. I [00:16:00] don't remember where we went last time. Going through all of that and then what is my new chapter because I always have a new chapter and so all the way there There's the
Michael Schweisheimer: light. Yeah, I always have a new chapter.
Angela Brown-Vann: Exactly. Had I would have preferred to have been ready to do the story.
I didn't know it was going to end up on YouTube. So I wanted to be able to practice it and I fumbled my way through a story Then I'm going to look stupid twice.
Michael Schweisheimer: You mentioned dealing with your epilepsy, which is part of your first story. We've talked about telling two stories. I think that your first story was also very good to be honest with you.
Let's listen to that first story. There's parallels in terms of you. You also had a long arc in the structure. There was a theme, there was even a little bit of a lesson. So, there's a lot early on where you're talking about your BFF of your grandmother and a lot of the challenges that she had to overcome, but I [00:17:00] want to skip and listen to the part about you.
Angela Brown-Vann: Her stories taught me how to not be afraid of giants. Her stories taught me how to not just survive, but to thrive. Her stories told me how not to be afraid of giants because giants would get in your way. And so when I was 27 years old, when I... Uh, was diagnosed with a seizure disorder. The first person I saw when I woke up a day later was my grandmother.
Uh, my grandmother's face in her, in her stories of her resiliency reminded me that everything was going to be alright. Uh, all I needed to see was her face. And so, but a few years later, though, after the, the, the seizure medications just weren't making me feel good. And every now and then I would have breakthrough seizures.
Sooner or later, though, the, the doctor said we [00:18:00] need to do another MRI. So then they noticed in seven years, there was a tumor that had been growing on my brain, right? So this tumor that had been growing, now they said you, you have to get the brain tumor out. Um, and I think you should get it out right away.
So here goes another obstacle. But grandmom said, we can survive things, and not only survive things, we can thrive. So this is a small thing for you. A brain tumor? Yes, a brain tumor is a small thing for you. So I got the brain tumor out, but here's epilepsy. And so what I learned though, was that's a small thing.
I can overcome these small things, even the epilepsy medication. But what happened was we talked about menopause, right? Earlier menopause came menopause and epilepsy. They don't, they don't go together. And so I [00:19:00] started forgetting things, sleeping all day, getting weaker and lost my job because of it. But guess what happens?
I still remember what my grandmother said. My grandmother taught me how to thrive through it. And I want to pass on what my grandmother said. You can go through obstacles, but are we going to be giants or giant slayers? If you're a giant slayer, you can thrive through it. But if you are a giant, if you're afraid of giants, you're just gonna survive it.
I would rather thrive through it.
Michael Schweisheimer: I really appreciate that you show up at Mission Story Slam. Being very genuine, being brave, but also like, I've talked about this with some other people, like, I always feel like it's a very supportive room because it is a room of people in the world of doing good, be it activism, sustainability, nonprofits.
Is that something that you've picked up [00:20:00] on? Or are you always leaning in and you do seem like a brave lean into new things person?
Angela Brown-Vann: Yeah, that's how I am. I'm brave. I'm very brave. And I lean in because. When I leave the room, I expect somebody's life to be changed for the moment that I was there. So I want to leave having impacted the room.
That's how I want each day to be for my life, right? Some people feel very uncomfortable because many people are not willing to be that transparent. And that's okay for them. I'm okay if they're uncomfortable. I have friends who are uncomfortable with that, and I'm okay with that. They're
Michael Schweisheimer: uncomfortable with your level of transparency, or they're uncomfortable being transparent and open themselves?
Both.
Angela Brown-Vann: I find that people are not comfortable with mine because they're not comfortable with that for themselves.
Michael Schweisheimer: Okay, so there's that feeling like if you're gonna be [00:21:00] so transparent, you're now setting up this expectation that I need to bare my soul and tell you my truth also.
Angela Brown-Vann: Yeah. So it's not because it's not my choice.
It should not be your choice. You know, it's almost like I would never wear that. Why would you wear that where you feel like your choice should also be the other person's choice.
Michael Schweisheimer: Oh, that's really interesting because I actually don't, you're so right in terms of how judgy people do that judginess, but I often find myself just befuddled by the vitriol that large groups of people have towards the behavior of people that aren't them.
And so that's a very interesting way to think about it.
Angela Brown-Vann: It breaks my heart to think that anybody would judge anybody for their choice. Because even if I would say that's a sin, it's not up to me to run up to someone who's [00:22:00] lying and say, that's a sin. So am I running up to all the liars in the area and you're, you know, I just don't have time for that.
So
Michael Schweisheimer: I would be very busy.
Angela Brown-Vann: I think we're all too busy to run up to everybody or to try to create laws to legislate. Morality. I think if you live a moral life, um, and if enough of us lived moral lives, then we could show people how to live moral lives. Rather than to judge everybody for the outfits they wear or for the way that they are transparent.
Dave Winston: Hi, I'm Dave Winston, and I've been a storyteller all my life. Sure, I started out telling whoppers about who broke mom's favorite lamp. But now I tell true stories for a living as a producer for PWP Video. And occasionally [00:23:00] I take to the stage at various Story Slams. Today I'm talking to you as the producer of Mission Story Slam.
Michael Schweisheimer and I developed Mission Story Slam for the nonprofit community of Philadelphia to help us come together and share the stories about how we came to a mission driven life.
And our ancestors who gathered around hearths and campfires, sharing our history and our truth. And I think that's what makes us truly different from animals. It's not the opposable thumb that makes us human. It's the stories we tell. It's the way we teach knowledge and values to future generations. As I mentioned on the last podcast, the first thing we often tell Mission Story Slam storytellers is it's not a TED Talk.
The second thing we often tell them is it's not stand up comedy. Now that doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't be funny. We love funny. We [00:24:00] say it's not stand up comedy because there are no hecklers. And there is a fundamental difference between a stand up comedy audience and an audience who has come out to hear stories.
A stand up comedy audience often comes to the show with the attitude of, Okay, make me laugh, I dare you. And that's great for stand up because it builds the tension that is eventually released as laughter, but it can be brutal for those who try and fail. When you stand up to tell a story at a Story Slam, the audience is on your side.
They're pulling for you. They want you to succeed. The second time I told a story at a Story Slam, I followed a great storyteller who told a story that moved me so thoroughly, I completely forgot the story I was there to tell. So, when they called my name, I staggered onto the stage and stared out at all those faces waiting patiently for my tale, and the energy of the previous storyteller was still running [00:25:00] through the crowd.
I was still entranced by what story they had told. I don't think I could have gotten my name right at that moment. I stepped up to the mic and I said, I'm drawing a complete blank. Now, a stand up audience would have eaten me alive, and rightly so. But the audience at that show applauded and called out, That's okay.
Take your time. Take a minute. And the host offered to come back to me later. I powered through it and the audience was very appreciative of the effort, if not the story. It takes a special environment for people to reveal themselves in the way that makes a truly engaging story. It's an environment where people can share their raw and sometimes embarrassing truths.
And our audience... Jealously guards that safe space. So when you come to tell your mission story slam story, know that everyone, and I mean everyone is pulling for you to succeed and is there to [00:26:00] support you because that is how we get the best stories. And I'll be talking about these things and more on future episodes of the Mission Story Slam podcast,
Michael Schweisheimer: the work that you do with Power Interfa. I'm curious if that's part of what brought you to an interfaith movement, specifically, because it is people of so many faith traditions and so many different approaches working in community
Angela Brown-Vann: together. So, I bumped into the Work and Power Interfaith through my congregation.
My congregation was introduced to them, uh, through... The ministerium in Bucks County, I think they were ready for an interfaith movement, but I don't think they were ready for the social and the justice together. Part of the interfaith movement. But that started in me when [00:27:00] I helped to found an organization called churches take the corner in Wilmington, Delaware, which we had Muslim congregations and other.
Non Christian congregations joining with us to stop violence. This was back when President Joe Biden was Senator Biden because Joe Biden was helping us with some of the missions that we had at the time. And the answer, I believe to, to social justice work, to all the justice work and bettering the community is when people of faith.
Who are supposed to be the ones who have a moral compass, actually come outside of the walls of where you worship and say, let me help direct you to resources. Let me help direct you to better opportunities because sometimes people who [00:28:00] commit violence and robberies just need better opportunities sometimes.
So let's come out of our congregations. Stop preaching about it and let's do something in the communities.
Michael Schweisheimer: So that's what led you to Power was, was starting the the congregations take
Angela Brown-Vann: the corner. Yeah. That's what interested in me in Power.
Michael Schweisheimer: So listen, um, when we were getting ready to start recording, you said you were thinking about using your story file.
You, you mentioned a contest and a grant, or is it kind of the, are they both the same?
Angela Brown-Vann: So the contest was a little contest in a Facebook group. It was like it was a Mother's Day contest and you could win. an iron on and a gift card. And it was like, tell the story of a mother or grandmother or something in your life.
And I was thinking, and I was like, wait, I've got that video. So I just put that video link in there. And I won the contest and I got the iron on. And I guess they sent the gift. I didn't even [00:29:00] check my email yet to see if I got the gift card.
Michael Schweisheimer: As another child of the 70s, the fact that iron ons are making a comeback is fantastic news to me.
I'm very excited by this. And
Angela Brown-Vann: it says, Mom. A step up in an iron on game because it's rhinestone iron on. So it's like an... Well,
Michael Schweisheimer: things have to advance. So that's the contest. Congratulations. I'm glad we were able to help you get that,
Angela Brown-Vann: that victory. Thank you. And the grant, I just, the grant opportunity I just found yesterday, and it's, shoot, it's motivational speaking opportunity in Africa.
So... And i'm not sure which video to put I was thinking the first one is better
Michael Schweisheimer: I do not think the one you won with is awful, but for a motivational speaking grant i'm not Certain that you want to end with don't wait till you pee your pants to quit
Angela Brown-Vann: i'm, just excited that it is a [00:30:00] Motivational Speaking Opportunity Grant, and I found it on Grants.
gov.
Michael Schweisheimer: One of the things that my whole team really wants to see happening from Mission Story Slam is that the videos of stories are useful. And so the fact that you are, you've got your iron on, but you're also are putting this into a, an application for a motivational speaker, like that's exactly part of what we're hoping for is that.
these stories and their recordings can have life outside of the slam itself. So thank you for doing that. Is there anything going on that you would like to promote or get the word out about right now that we should share with the
Angela Brown-Vann: audience? So now, no, I wish there was. My husband wants to start a business, so I'm doing research for my husband's business.
That's been my concentration lately. And so while I'm building his business and working on my businesses, because I do have, I have an Etsy shop, I have an eBay business, so I do [00:31:00] have some online e commerce businesses.
Michael Schweisheimer: So how would someone find you? Is there, do you have a website or would they message you on a social
Angela Brown-Vann: app or?
Yeah, so I'm on socials as Angela Brown Van on Facebook. And Angela rise three, Angela
Michael Schweisheimer: rise. R I S E.
Angela Brown-Vann: Yep. It's like angel arise and the number three. On Instagram and always be Angie B on Twitter.
Michael Schweisheimer: Cool. Well, now we can find you and follow some of the adventures and do me a favor. I feel like we referenced power a lot.
What's the URL for power interfaith? Power interfaith.
Angela Brown-Vann: org. All right. Yeah. And power interfaith does some awesome stuff. So people should really check out power interfaith and find some way to plug in.
Michael Schweisheimer: We've had the pleasure of doing a little bit of work supporting one of their virtual events. So, um, yeah, really fun.
And next time. So for Mission Story Slam [00:32:00] 9 in the fall, you should get a fan club out of power to come out and at least watch you tell a story if they don't even put their names in the hat. It'll be a good
Angela Brown-Vann: time. Yeah, they said they wouldn't be willing to do it. And I have other people who said. That they would be willing to actually come and tell their stories.
That's
Michael Schweisheimer: great. We really enjoy This hard work of building this community around storytelling and around storytelling particularly with people who are trying to do good in the world I mean, this is how it happens and uh I'm, so glad that you are part of our world and I really appreciate you're taking so much time with me today To be on the mission story slam podcast.
Yeah.
Angela Brown-Vann: Thanks. This is great. Thanks for inviting me
Michael Schweisheimer: And I really want to thank our audience for joining us. You are the reason we created the Mission Story Slam and this podcast. We are absolutely inspired by our community of do gooders and the people we like to call missionaries. And we really love to hear from you.
So please reach out, let us know how we can make the podcast better. I'd love to hear stories from you about how storytelling keeps you engaged with your [00:33:00] mission and your work. Just get in touch. Building community is what this whole project is about. You can find us and reach us through our website, that's MissionStorySlam.
org, connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and you can even still find us on Elon's Twitter. Share this podcast with friends, colleagues, other activists, people that you think would enjoy what we're trying to do with the project of Mission Story Slam. And if you like this podcast, I'd like to encourage you to check out another pod that we're producing here at PWP Video.
Funny enough, the name is the Mission Business Podcast. It's from your part time controller, LLC, and it highlights professionals and stories from the non profit sector and beyond. It's hosted by YPTC managing partner, Jennifer Oliva, and she does a great job. The show weaves together fascinating interviews with non profit leaders, and there's some other unique segments from other members of the YPTC team.
And if this... podcast is useful to you. I have a feeling that that one will be too. Um, it really hits on a lot of top level ideas for the [00:34:00] nonprofit sector. So this podcast, the Mission Story Slam podcast is produced by Dave Winston. It's edited by James Robinson and brought to you by PWP Video. We are video with a mission and you can find us at pwpvideo.
com. We'll be back in about a month or so with another episode. But until then, I am Michael Schweizheimer. And I do look forward to sharing the next story behind the story with you
Angela Brown-Vann: soon.