Sleepwalker Showcase: Paul Brawley Jr.

It was the first time I had ever taken photos for a magazine...forget a cover shoot! I was feeling excited and nervous. My contact was a man named Paul Brawley, Jr., the Distribution & Marketing Manager for IMARA Woman Magazine. We corresponded over the phone several times up until the day of the shoot. As I pulled into the driveway where we were taking the photos I saw a young man walking towards the car. It was Paul, and I was surprised because I thought I was dealing with a man outside of my age range. He had his stuff together, and had a passion for the family magazine (IMARA) his parents had started.

Paul Brawley, Jr. is the son of Paul & Wendy Brawley, the founders of IMARA Woman Magazine. IMARA has been around for 9 years out of Columbia SC and is a personal growth and lifestyle magazine. Entrepreneurship is in his blood. He attended Francis Marion University in Florence for two years before becoming a father to his daughter Zaria. It was during that time that he really started Sleepwalking. In recent years he founded with Young Political Minds:

“Young Political Minds (YPM) was an idea I came up with about 3 years ago. It was designed to get the attention of our young people about politics and community issues in a fun and new way. I was sitting on the idea for the right time to present it. The 2008 Presidential Primary Election was the perfect time to launch the statewide organization. We started out with Four members and now we have more than 300 active member across  SC and the world. YPM has held meet and greets, youth rallies, photo shoots, and interviews.  My biggest goal for YPM is to stay connected to the young people. In order to do this, we must continue to stay where young people are...I think that is key. People always say they want to help the youth but are never seen hanging out in places where the young people hang.”


Currently enrolled at Midlands Technical College for a Pre-Health and Business Degree. As the Founder of Young Political Minds and the Distribution & Marketing Manager for IMARA Woman Magazine, Paul is a Sleepwalker with a lot on his plate. I asked him the top 5 Sleepwalker questions and this is what he had to say:
 
When did you first start Sleepwalking?
I first started chasing my dreams about 7 years ago when I became a Father! I knew I had to step my game up to provide for me and my daughter.

What motivates you to keep going after your dream?
Haters are what motivates me to achieve my dreams!! I Love the Hate, it lets me know that I am doing something positive. My second motivating factor is my family. I was always raised to believe it wasn’t anything we couldn’t accomplish together as a family.

Wake up: What have been some of the biggest challenges in going after your dream?
My biggest challenge is to remain grounded and focused. I love to stay connected and I feel that my hard work is finally starting to pay off.

Don’t sleep on this: What’s one thing you have learned in your craft that fellow Sleepwalkers shouldn’t sleep on?
The number one law I learned from my craft is loyalty. Hard work, loyalty, and remaining grounded keeps me on top of everything.

Top 5 accomplished Sleepwalkers you admire in your craft and why?
My role model in politics is my Father, Paul Brawley Sr. Richland County Auditor. He is the first African American to be elected countywide. Other Sleepwalkers include President Obama,  Tupac, Nas, and Malcolm X.

Paul is very passionate about his jobs because he can see the positive changes being made in the communities across SC and the world. “I feel if we can change peoples health, politics, and keep our youth involved then our work will continue to speak for itself!”

For more information on this Sleepwalker, visit myspace.com/youngpoliticalmindssc and www.imarawoman.com