Dive into the inspiring journey of Brent P. Broussard, a man who defies the constraints of time to make a profound impact. As CEO of Broussard Enterprise Group, LLC, he spearheads the Youth Leadership Initiative and Beads by Brentley, blending entrepreneurship with social empowerment. In Lafayette, Louisiana, Brent’s dedication to mentorship transforms lives, guiding young individuals, particularly in African American communities, toward brighter futures.
Brent P. Broussard is an individual whose schedule is remarkably filled, given the universal constraints of twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. The extent of his engagement in both personal and professional arenas is initially astonishing.
However, this perception shifts upon understanding his motivations. Committed to a purposeful mission, propelled by altruistic intentions.
“It’s deeper than just making an honest living in society,” Brent tells Kreol Magazine.
So, where does most of his time go?
Brent is the Chief Executive Officer of Broussard Enterprise Group, LLC, his brainchild start-up established in 2022. Within this umbrella exist two distinct entities: the Youth Leadership Initiative and Beads by Brentley.
Turning to Beads by Brentley, this jewellery venture offers a diverse selection of artisanal bracelets, available both through online channels and physical outlets. And who crafts these exquisite beaded bangles? None other than Brent himself.
The Youth Leadership Initiative is the other part of the Broussard Enterprise Group, LLC. This non-profit organisation works with young people across Lafayette, Louisiana. In a nutshell, it’s a mentorship programme that aims to increase the life chances of youths across the city – many African American and from deprived backgrounds – by providing them with the skills, tools, and knowledge to get ahead.
In his own words, Brent summarises: “It’s about making the necessary impact on our youth and leaving them with some wisdom and guidance.”
These two endeavours alone could arguably take up the lion’s share of Brent’s time. However, they’re not the only projects and initiatives that he’s passionately involved in. Some of the other programmes he lends his precious time to include the Legacy Institute for Economic Attainment, 100 Black Men of Greater Lafayette, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana.
There’s no denying that Brent’s jam-packed schedule must make for a busy life. However, it also makes for a very happy – and indeed an enriching – life.
Broussard Hitting the Right Note
In October 2023, Power Poll released their annual list of Lafayette’s Most Powerful People 2023. There – among the who’s who of Lafayette – was Brent. He was naturally thrilled to see his name included on the list and humbly acknowledged the achievement of his connections on LinkedIn.
“It truly is a blessing to be named among 300 of the Most Powerful People in Lafayette,” he wrote. Brent added: “Let’s keep this momentum going, my fellow Powerful People!”
This is the most recent seal of approval for Brent, who was raised in the city and attended Northside High School. Reflecting on his experience there, Brent says that it ‘helped shape me into the man I am today’.
He explains: “Northside will always hold a special place in my heart. The lessons learned on that campus are some of the same lessons I give to the youth I have mentored over the years.”
One of these lessons learned is that things don’t always work out the way that you might expect them to. In actual fact, they can work out even better!
After all, Brent didn’t aspire to be the CEO of his own company when he was at school. Instead, he had a passion for music after learning to play the alto saxophone when he was just five years old.
“I have always had a distinct love of music from a young age,” recalls Brent. “Music was always played at my grandparents’ home whenever my family and I would visit on Sundays after church.”
Brent had a distinct knack for playing the alto saxophone, a skill he honed by performing in the band in school. During this period, he listened to various musical genres, such as hip-hop, R&B, jazz, zydeco, and reggae. He remembers the artists from these backgrounds were very influential to him when it came to wanting to learn how to write and produce music.
For a teenager on the cusp of making a career out of his passion, the stars began to align for Brent when one of his high school band directors introduced him to Dr. Quincy Hilliard. Dr. Hilliard was the resident composer at the University of Louisiana School of Music and a world-renowned composer who composed music for the 1996 Olympic Games.
Brent made a powerful impression on Dr. Hilliard, leading to him earning a band scholarship at the University of Louisiana. Of course, a few twists and turns would mean that Brent eventually went down a somewhat different path – but it was still a path that would allow him to showcase his creative side.
Brent P. Broussard From Student to CEO
It might seem strange that a music prodigy would go on to head up a company that has very little to do with music. Brent doesn’t see it like this, though.
Instead, he insists that his company, which includes his jewellery business and the non-profit focused on helping youths, is simply a product of his experiences in early life.
Brent explains: “Both of these entities align perfectly with my entrepreneurial vision because they speak to the morals and values that I was taught as a young adult.”
As a young adult, Brent seriously began weighing up his options. Putting his love of music to one side, he pondered the idea of becoming a probation officer. Unfortunately, a supposed lack of opportunities in this field prevented him from seriously considering this route.
Still, he would later turn his attention to exploring the world of criminal justice. This would give him the skills and knowledge to someday assist him with creating his Youth Leadership Initiative.
Brent reveals: “The biggest reason I wanted to pursue criminal justice was I’ve always wanted to work with the youth by being a mentor, but I knew that being a teacher wasn’t the route I wanted to take.”
Following college – and many years before he created the Broussard Enterprise Group, LLC – Brent entered the wireless industry, working for companies such as Verizon and AT&T. However, fate intervened, and he took a much different career path when discovering a hidden talent for creating bracelets…
A Secret Life
Brent always knew that he had a creative side. After all, this led him to study music and turn the heads of great composers. He didn’t, however, discover his gift for bracelet making until the spring of 2021.
And it happened in a rather unexpected fashion.
During a therapy session, Brent tackled the topic of patience with his therapist. He briefly lost focus when he noticed his therapist wearing a tiger bracelet. He couldn’t help but comment on this striking piece of jewellery.
“His bracelet caught my eye, and I told him I admired it,” recalls Brent. “My therapist gave me an assignment to create my own as a tool to help me learn to calm myself and be more patient.”
Of course, neither of the men in that room could have known that this would change the direction of Brent’s life. He quickly threw himself into the task, spending two hours making a bracelet when he returned home.
Brent reveals: “I felt a sense of relief, and the process made me feel calmer than I was before.”
The first bracelet, made from wooden beads, was a success. Therefore, Brent set about making more ahead of the next session. He shared how it left him feeling a sense of accomplishment, leading to his therapist encouraging him to continue this new hobby.
Brent then began making the bracelets for his friends and family. As well as having a deep interest in the production element, he also found pleasure in researching the history of bracelets – ultimately discovering that throughout history, they’ve been used as signs of luck and prosperity by the likes of Native Americans, African ancestors and Ancient Egyptians.
He shares: “The proverbial light bulb went off in my head, and I wanted to educate people about these gemstones and how they can help with everyday life.”
The next step was turning the hobby into a legitimate business, which marked the beginning of Beads By Brentley. ‘Brentley’, he reveals, was a nickname his older sister gave him when they were kids.
Beads by Brentley initially began operating online, with customers able to purchase the goods through social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. It wasn’t long until he also found a physical outlet to sell the bracelets, and they became available at a store at Northgate Mall in Lafayette.
In 2022, Beads by Brentley took the next step in its evolution when the products began to be sold in a vendor’s booth at the mall. This means Brent has a physical and online presence to sell and promote his handmade bracelets.
You could say that he’d successfully scratched the creative itch. However, the next goal was to realise his ambitions of helping young people.
A Chance Meeting
Brent aspired to make his bracelet business the best that it could possibly be. To achieve this goal, he registered to attend Accelerate Northside. This program is designed for entrepreneurs who want to grow their start-ups or businesses. Brent viewed the program as an opportunity to learn about attracting customers and increasing sales.
Then he met Corey Jack. Corey, a guest speaker for Accelerate Northside, quickly became Brent’s mentor.
“Corey has been a great person for me,” says Brent. “He’s also become a good friend of mine. We have become collaborators and a support system for each other.”
Brent didn’t waste time bouncing ideas off Corey and pitched him the concept for the Youth Leadership Initiative. Corey then became a guiding hand, encouraging Brent to create a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) that would act as an umbrella company to include both Beads by Brentley and his new non-profit.
And just like that, Broussard Enterprise Group, LLC was born!
Explaining his motivation behind the non-profit wing of the company, Brent says: “I want to teach some of the same values [I was taught] to the youths in the generation coming behind me to be able to attain a greater level of success and seeing more of the world than just the small town environment of Lafayette.”
Youth Leadership Initiative is a really inspiring project with bold future aims. It focuses on teaching young people about financial literacy, mental health practices, job readiness, interview skills and resume building.
This is achieved in multiple ways, including pairing the youths with a professional mentor in the area or a professional from a field they’re interested in. This means they get true hands-on learning experience of what the job entails – in the process, steering them towards a possible career.
It’s all part of a master plan. Brent doesn’t see this project as a means of short-term fulfilment for himself or the youths he works with; instead, it is a legitimate roadmap for young people who might not realise just what they can achieve in life.
“I want to be able to plant a seed that the world is bigger than where they live,” he explains. Brent adds: “They can go out and achieve greatness through the hard work and dedication they put into their dreams and aspirations.”
The message is clear: the world is their oyster. They can go on to become ‘the next Lebron James’ but also attorneys, doctors and other professionals.
Indeed, just like Brent, they can also become CEOs.
A Purpose in Life
Brent is huge on reminding others that they have a purpose in life. At the same time, it’s clear he’s satisfying his own life. The city he’s lived in, the people he’s met and the initiatives he’s been involved with have all led him to where he is now.
Take, for instance, that the initial idea behind his non-profit came from working in the church youth group.
Brent recalled this experience: “I felt a void was missing in Lafayette regarding something tangible that could offer real help and guidance to the youth.”
This is just one of many programmes that Brent has – and in many cases, still is – involved with. As well as his own LLC, he’s also active in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana. This is a one-to-one youth mentorship project that he first began volunteering for in college.
Brent praises this experience as helping him craft his approach to youth mentorship, saying it’s armed him with the skills and understanding to become the backbone of Youth Leadership Initiative.
In addition to this, he’s also involved with 100 Black Men of Greater Lafayette. This non-profit organisation works to mentor under-represented and disenfranchised youth, focusing on health and wellness, economic development, and education.
Brent praises his time with them as being significantly ‘enriching’.
He reveals: “To be surrounded by other men who desire to make an impact on the next generation and see them prosper in their lives has been a blessing.”
Finally, there’s the Legacy Institute for Economic Attainment. This is run by Corey Jack, Brent’s own mentor. The organisation seeks to teach young people from economically under-resourced communities financial literacy and entrepreneurship.
Earlier this year, the organisation selected Brent as part of its emerging leaders class in Lafayette. This experience, he believes, has really helped him step out of his comfort zone.
Brent reveals: “Truthfully, it has become one of the greatest investments for my personal development and entrepreneurial journey.”
It is clear that Brent lives by the values he teaches: you can always grow, be better, and consistently achieve new goals.
Storming Ahead
For Brent, it doesn’t matter how many hours there are in a day or how many days there are in a week. This is his calling – his own purpose in life.
While his companies and side projects must bring him so much fulfilment, it can’t always be a walk in the park for Brent. In fact, he’s the first to admit this.
He says: “Being an entrepreneur is not easy, and there can be days when you might want to give up and quit, but you must remember why you wanted to be an entrepreneur in the first place.”
This reminder only drives him to push ahead with even more significant and bolder plans. This includes selling his beads even further afield and expanding his non-profit to other parts of the state.
Brent’s aims are clear: “I and the team I’m currently building will allow these youths to grow in their true purpose in life.”
In the process, Brent will no doubt continue fulfilling his life purpose. That goes some length to explain how he manages to keep so busy.
