Career change and creative leadership with Briaca Duesette

Chapter 1: Building a Creative Future for Young People Briaca Duesette (0:00) My oldest daughter, she's 12 years old, and she's really good with arts. She just makes things out of anything. Briaca Duesette (0:10) My youngest daughter, she's six years old, she has autism, so she's super creative and she learns differently, right? Briaca Duesette (0:18) Animation Discovery Studio is a place for them to utilize their creativity. They can come and work here, be creative, and build their future how they want to. Briaca Duesette (0:27) They poured into the studio just as much as everything else did, if not more, because I don't want my kids to grow up and feel like they don't have a creative outlet. Briaca Duesette (0:41) Because they're creatives. So I created this company for creatives, and they're creatives. Chapter 2: Introduction to Briaca Duesette Host (1:00) Welcome to the Degrees of Success podcast. I'm your host, Keith Chandler. Host (1:04) Today's guest is Briaca Duesette, founder and CEO of Animation Discovery Studio, a mission-driven organization dedicated to empowering young people from underrepresented communities through animation, storytelling, and technology. What makes Briaca's journey especially powerful is that it didn't begin in animation or entrepreneurship. Her early career was in caregiving, and she earned her associate degree in healthcare administration and management from University of Phoenix while working as an adult learner. That foundation in service and education ultimately became the launchpad for a bold career pivot into creative entrepreneurship. Today, Briaca is being recognized as a University of Phoenix Alumni Luminary in the category of entrepreneurship, honoring the impact she's making by opening doors for the next generation of creators. In this episode, we'll explore how education helped Briaca navigate change, what it took to bet on herself, and why she believes it's never too late to start something new. Let's get started. Briaca, welcome to Degrees of Success. Briaca Duesette (2:04) Hi, I am so happy to be here with you all tonight. Thank you for having me. Host (2:12) Excellent. We're excited to have you. So to begin, obviously we've touched a little bit upon what you're doing now and your past career. I want to go back even before that. You work in a very creative space right now, so I'm curious as to when you recall your earliest memory of having a creative spark and thinking that something in the creative arts might be a career for you. Nothing's off the table in terms of the timeline. It could be more recent or as far back as your childhood. Briaca Duesette (2:45) I've always been that person in the family who's just creatively fun. It's part of my personality, and the company just became an extension of my personality. I'm the family member who could imitate you and sound like you. So it's just an extension of my personality. I've always been that person who wants to be creative and have some fun. Host (3:18) Excellent. I'm curious about what your relationship was like with education as you were growing up. What kind of student were you, and what were some of your early childhood educational interests? Chapter 3: Education Journey and Early Career Goals Briaca Duesette (3:34) In my earlier years, I wanted to be a veterinarian. Once I got into college, I realized there was a lot of science and math involved. And I was like, I don't really like science that much. I don't really like math. I like to read, I like to write. So I decided to go into healthcare. I was like, how about becoming a doctor? During my journey of being in school to become a doctor, I realized that involved a lot of science and math, too. So I'm like, okay, well, let's try it. Let's do it. I started off at the University of Phoenix, where I dove into medical billing and coding. I thought maybe I could start in the background, behind the scenes, because I didn't really want to be in the front. That's kind of how I started pursuing my degree with the University of Phoenix. Briaca Duesette (4:36) Once I graduated from there, I pivoted to pre-med at Wayne State. They started telling me that I had to pay for my education out of pocket, and I couldn't afford it. I was working at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, and the doctors wrote letters for me to send to the president of the school so I could continue my education in pre-med. Unfortunately, that didn't turn out to become anything. Chapter 4: Transition from Healthcare to Technology Briaca Duesette (5:09) Throughout that, I still stayed in the medical field. After COVID, I decided it was time to pivot. I worked in the medical field for about seven years. Once COVID happened, I was like, I have to do something else. From there, I decided I wanted to get into tech, but I didn't know how. What am I going to do? Where am I going to start? I saw an ad on TV, on the news, saying the Developer Academy was in Detroit. They were saying you could get into tech, and I was like, is this real? So I applied, and out of all the applicants, I was one of the people chosen to attend. Briaca Duesette (5:48) It was a nine-month program. By this time, I already had two young daughters. I said, by the end of this program, whatever I birth is going to be my baby, because it takes nine months to have a baby, and I'm not having any more babies right now. So I birthed Animation Discovery Studio, and to this day, I still treat it as my baby. We've been in business almost three years now. Every child who comes through our program, they're mine. Host (6:25) You have ownership over those students that you help. Tell us a little bit more about Animation Discovery Studio. What was your initial motivation for deciding this was exactly what you wanted to do? And tell us a little more about what you actually do to support learners. Chapter 5: Creating Animation Discovery Studio Briaca Duesette (6:45) When I was in the Developer Academy, I had the opportunity to be in rooms with other people who had different skill sets and came from other places around the world. I was doing UI/UX design and app development in Swift. I was making apps and focusing on the user's experience. From there, I honed in on the design aspect of things and the users. Healthcare, users, people. I've just always been focused on people. From there, I learned some animation. I picked up on it and started asking my peers in the space, "Show me that. Can you send me a video? How do you do that?" I was literally a pest. I was like, show me what you know. What do you have? Come on! They would send me YouTube videos, and I would go home and practice animating. Briaca Duesette (7:43) I put out my first animated short just from being exposed to animation. From that, I was like, I have to start a company. I'm going to teach kids. I didn't know how, but I knew I had to go back and show kids. At the time, I was like, I'm old! So how do you make up for that lost time? The way I made up for it was by starting a program to teach kids. Briaca Duesette (8:13) Now we go into schools and partner with community organizations and nonprofits. We take all of our equipment, iPads, MacBooks, software, wherever we go, and teach kids how to create animations. I lead a team of 10 animators. They all have degrees or are currently pursuing degrees in animation. They're the instructors and the animators behind the scenes making this dream come true. We've got professionals in the classrooms with the kids, and it's beautiful. It's amazing. Host (8:48) The best way to learn is from professionals. That's very exciting. Chapter 6: Leadership and Team Development Host (8:55) You mentioned that you have animators and other team members working with you. I'm curious about your leadership style in this technology space. Briaca Duesette (9:02) We actually did a leadership test, and I found out that I was a silent driver. Basically, the way I lead is, yeah, we can stop at the store, we can go get snacks, we can go to the beach, but listen, we've got to get back to work. I'm one of those leaders who's like, what do you bring to the table? What's your best asset? How can you contribute those skill sets to the company? You tell me what you're good at. You're good at podcasting? We'll have you come in and do an animation podcast for the studio. That's what you're good at. We're going to take your word for it, and we're going to let you prove it. Briaca Duesette (9:54) That's my leadership style. I don't really say, do this, do that. I'm like, what are you good at? What do you want to do? So far, I have four team members who have been with me since the very beginning. They've been with me for two years. We started workshops two years ago, and we're coming up on year three. Host (10:18) Nice. Congratulations on that milestone. Briaca Duesette (10:18) Thank you. Chapter 7: Working with Underserved Communities Host (10:21) You're going into communities and working with underserved populations, students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to get this sort of education. What's surprising you about the response you're seeing from the students you're helping? Briaca Duesette (10:36) The kids share the same sentiment that I had, finding out that animation is something you can do as a career and make money from. I've had students say, "I can't do animation. I don't know how." And I'm like, "Yes, you can, and we're going to show you." Then some students are like, "What is animation?" And I'm like, "The cartoons you're watching." That's the same feeling I had at 30. I'm from these same communities. I was 30 when I was introduced to it. You're seven, and I'm introducing you to this. Briaca Duesette (11:17) In turn, you can become an architectural designer. You can become a transportation designer. The opportunities are unlimited for learning animation because now, with social media, everybody is into content creation. We're showing kids how to be content creators in different work settings because everybody needs some type of marketing or content. It's amazing. I'm honored to have this position and this vision to share it. Host (11:57) As someone who's experienced a lot of different roles within the animation industry, is there a specific role that inspires you the most or that you enjoy doing the most within the animation process, outside of your leadership role? Briaca Duesette (12:13) Creative directing is another role of mine within the company that I really enjoy because I get to put on a show, act, perform, make things look really pretty, and direct with my creativity. Chapter 8: Briaca's Animated Projects Host (12:33) You mentioned briefly that when you were taking your training, you created your first animated short. I'm curious about what that animated short was about and what inspired you to create it. Briaca Duesette (12:48) It's called Utopia Animated Series. It's on YouTube. It's basically about a girl named Sassy who finds out that she has magical powers. She finds out that she has these guardians who also had superpowers. Now she's inherited these powers, and it's up to her to go into the world and save humanity. She's like a human fish. She has some human features. Briaca Duesette (13:27) We're also developing an animated series about me and building the company, how I built the company behind the scenes in the workshops, but in animation form. That trailer should be out in the middle of next month, and we'll share that on our social media platforms. It's called Beyond the Sketch, the animated series. Host (13:51) Beautiful. A few questions about your experience here at University of Phoenix. You mentioned you have your associate degree in healthcare administration and management. While you're not necessarily working in that industry today, I'm curious about some of the practical things you learned during your education and how you still apply those to your business. Chapter 9: Lessons from University of Phoenix Briaca Duesette (14:13) My experience at the University of Phoenix taught me discipline because, as an online student, nobody's going to stand over your shoulder and say, "You have to do this. You've got to do that." It taught me how to get to work without having someone over my shoulder. It showed me how to work independently and be dedicated to what I'm doing. It instilled that drive in me to make me want to keep going because nobody's going to tell you what to do. Nobody's going to hold your hand. Get up and go do what needs to be done. So it taught me independence and drive. Briaca Duesette (15:00) It was tough. It took me a while to complete my degree because during those years, I had a baby and all types of things were happening. I took some time off and started back up. Then I took some more time off and started back up. But throughout the whole experience at University of Phoenix, I had counselors I could call and talk to for support. They were the ones encouraging me to come back and complete my degree. Briaca Duesette (15:29) Now, as the CEO of a company, nobody's over my shoulder saying, "You have to do this, you have to do that." I have to meet deadlines and write contracts. My mind is constantly filled with information, so sometimes when I'm talking, everything just runs over. Animation gave me another outlet to say what I'm trying to say without everything running into each other. Chapter 10: Balancing Creativity and Leadership Host (15:58) As someone who has a lot of responsibilities as the CEO of a company and also has a strong creative drive, how do you maintain the balance between managing an organization and having those creative voices constantly encouraging you to do more and pursue the next thing? Briaca Duesette (16:22) Just diving into my support system. Whether it's family or mentors, I have business mentors I work with. I have a business mentor I've been working with since the very beginning of my company. We meet religiously every month. I also have a community of other founders I connect with. It's a community of tech people who get together and bounce ideas off each other. Staying in touch with people helps. Host (17:02) Absolutely. Having a strong network. You touched briefly on mentorship. I'm curious whether there's any advice you've received from your mentor that really resonates with you. Chapter 11: Mentorship and Advice Briaca Duesette (17:19) Do your best. Do your best at whatever you're doing. Just do your best. Give it your all, and what happens next will be the result of you doing your best. Whatever you do, do your best. Briaca Duesette (17:36) Even today, I'm a contracted medical assistant, but I don't have time to do it. A few months back, I got a little nervous because I was sitting still for a couple of days. I was like, let me go to work. So I signed up to do medical assisting. I hadn't done it in over a year. Briaca Duesette (17:58) I had to draw blood. One of my patients had syncope when she got her blood drawn, which means she passes out. She has fainting issues. I had to lay her down on the floor, draw her blood, and calm her down, all while my phone was going off for Animation Discovery Studio. Briaca Duesette (18:17) I had to let them know, "Hey, I'm doing medical assisting as a hobby." I love it. They're like, "We love having you here. We need you to come back." I'm like, honestly, this is just a hobby for me. I can't do it. I don't have time. They're like, "You came in and you're acting like you're just knitting and sewing hats." Briaca Duesette (18:44) I'm like, yeah, it's second nature for me to be a caretaker and take care of others. I don't even think twice about it. If you need help and I'm capable, for the most part, I'm going to help you. But I'm not going to be used or taken advantage of, so don't get it confused. Chapter 12: Managing Multiple Career Paths Host (19:00) You've brought up an interesting point about continuing to work in caregiving while also being the CEO of Animation Discovery Studio. How do you maintain that balance? Briaca Duesette (19:10) I'm super ambitious. That's the thing. I'm overly ambitious. I'm like, I can do this, I can do that. It wasn't until this past year that I realized I was doing too much. I was everywhere, doing everything with everybody, because I was building my company. Host (19:28) At what point did you realize you were building something a lot bigger than yourself? Briaca Duesette (19:38) During my research phase, when I was building my company before I even started doing workshops, I found out there were a lot of people who had degrees in animation in Michigan, and they weren't doing anything with them. I'm like, you have this degree in animation. You need to be at Animation Discovery Studio utilizing your degree. You went to school for this. This is what you wanted to do. Come over here and do what you wanted to do. Briaca Duesette (20:09) It works because they're like, yeah, that is what I want to do. Before I even started workshops, I knew I was doing something for others, and it wasn't about me. That's the thing that made it scale as fast as it did, because it's not about me at all. Briaca Duesette (20:26) It's about these people with these degrees and this ambition. They're not going to come to Michigan and say, "Hey, Trion, we want you." So being able to give Trion a platform or a space to amplify his skill sets is important. The one thing I keep telling everybody is we're not going anywhere. We're here, and they have to deal with it. Animation Discovery Studio is here forever. You've got to deal with it. Period. Host (20:54) What's something you look for in someone you're trying to bring on board into your organization? Briaca Duesette (21:00) We're looking for people who are in school for animation or already have degrees in animation, who have great personalities, want to share what they know with youth, and want to build a long-lasting partnership with us. We're here forever, so we want people who want to be here with us. Hopefully people keep having babies so we can keep teaching them. We'll keep bringing in kids and instructors, and it's just going to be a never-ending supply. We're going to be happy, and we're going to do this thing. Chapter 13: Starting a Business and Entrepreneurship Host (21:44) I'm curious whether you ever had any apprehensions about becoming an entrepreneur and starting this business. Briaca Duesette (21:52) What I'm doing at Animation Discovery Studio combines everything I've learned throughout the years in every position I've had. I've been a call center representative. I've been a medical assistant. I worked at the Third District Court, verifying warrants and things like that. All of these positions set me up for where I am right now. Everything I've done throughout my life pours into Animation Discovery Studio in some kind of way. Briaca Duesette (22:33) At the Third District Court, I had to do legal things. Now, within my company, I have to deal with intellectual property, talk to lawyers, and write contracts. At the University of Phoenix, I learned discipline. With medical billing and management, I have to manage my company, the books, billing, and invoicing. Everything kind of poured into this one thing, and now it's really beautiful. Host (23:06) Entrepreneurship often means growing while figuring things out in real time. What have been some of your biggest growth moments as a founder and CEO? Chapter 14: Growth as a Founder and CEO Briaca Duesette (23:16) Our first summer, because we were new and the kids didn't have access to these tools, we were really busy. We were fully booked, overbooked, and had to turn down bookings. That put a lot of pressure on me as an entrepreneur because I was like, wow, this thing I made up, this thing I came up with in my head, is really growing. It's really happening. Briaca Duesette (23:46) Once I started hiring people to help out and work with us, I was like, my God, I'm in charge of payroll. I'm in charge of making sure they can feed their kids and their families. That was the moment where I was like, all right, this is real. Buckle up. Being responsible for other people's paychecks, that's different. Briaca Duesette (24:13) I'm for people. I'm a mom of two daughters. We all know how girls are. I'm a girl, so I'm not playing. When I come knocking on your door for that paycheck or for opportunities, I'm not playing. This is real life. It's not just for fun. These are real people, and these are real skills that translate into real careers that pay real money. Tech careers, creative careers. Like I said, the opportunities are unlimited. Briaca Duesette (24:53) I'm looking forward to the kids coming back when they get older and saying, "I've done all this school, I've got all these degrees, and I've got to work here." That's what I want. I want them to say, "No, this is exactly where I need to be." That's the message. Chapter 15: Motherhood and Creative Inspiration Host (25:11) You mentioned you're a mother of two. I'm curious about how motherhood has changed your outlook on life and how you lead as an entrepreneur. Briaca Duesette (25:30) My oldest daughter is 12 years old, and she's really good with arts. She makes pillows. She can make a pillow out of paper, markers, and stuffing. She made a whole teddy bear with lined paper. I don't know, she just makes things out of anything. My youngest daughter is six years old, and she has autism. She's super creative, and she learns differently. Briaca Duesette (26:02) Animation Discovery Studio is a place for them to utilize their creativity. They can come and work here, be creative, and build their future how they want to. They poured into the studio just as much as everything else did, if not more, because I don't want my kids to grow up and feel like they don't have a creative outlet. They're creatives. So I created this company for creatives, and they're creatives. Host (26:38) It's beautiful that you've created something not only your daughters can be proud of, but that they can actively use and learn from at the same time. I'd like to move on and talk a little bit about your recognition as a University of Phoenix Luminary. You were named in the category of entrepreneurship. What does that recognition mean to you personally? Chapter 16: Recognition as an Alumni Luminary Briaca Duesette (27:02) That recognition means a lot to me because to be recognized by the college you graduated from for something you're doing, that's huge. It's different, and it makes noise. It shows that what I'm doing is really impacting people in more ways than one. At first, I'm just somebody who has my head down and is in the work. I just work. To look up and have somebody notice what I'm doing, it was really nice to know that other people are noticing me and my work, because I just want to work. Host (27:44) As your organization grows, would you consider it still in its infancy, within the last three years or so? What's next, and what excites you most about what's ahead? Chapter 17: What's Next for Animation Discovery Studio Briaca Duesette (27:58) What's next is we're planning on continuously building out pipelines and partnerships to keep the company going. If anything happens to me, we want to make sure the company continues with no interruptions. We're building pipelines with schools and universities to make sure we have an unlimited number of animation instructors. Briaca Duesette (28:29) We're building relationships with public school districts here, and we just made a connection in New York. We may be out there soon teaching animation to kids, so fingers crossed on that. That's what's next for us. Briaca Duesette (28:48) We also want our own space. Right now, we travel to different locations to teach animation, but based on feedback from our partners and people we've worked with, they're like, "We want to come to your place. We want to see what you're doing over there." And I'm like, well, we don't really have a location yet. Being able to have that brick-and-mortar space for people to come in and experience what Animation Discovery Studio is all about is something we really want. Briaca Duesette (29:18) There are so many things coming up, it's hard to say everything. Like I said, we have our animated series coming out about building the company and the behind-the-scenes of our workshops. Host (29:34) By the time this episode is released, I believe at least the trailer, if not the full animated series, will have been released. Chapter 18: Lifelong Learning and Future Goals Host (29:41) I'm curious about what you're learning yourself at this point in time. A lot of people pride themselves on being lifelong learners. Even if it's not in a formal education setting, even if it's watching YouTube videos, what exactly are you consuming right now that's educating you? Briaca Duesette (30:08) I'm consuming every opportunity and every experience within the company. I talk to a lot of CEOs, directors, and company administrators. I'm also in the rooms with my team when they're teaching and animating, and I'm picking up on their skill sets. They're showing me things and introducing me to different things in the animation space that I may not have been familiar with myself. Chapter 19: Final Thoughts Host (30:37) Thank you for joining us on this episode of the Degrees of Success podcast. Briaca Duesette's story reminds us that success doesn't require a straight line or a perfect path. Through education, courage, and a willingness to learn, she transformed a career rooted in caregiving into an entrepreneurial mission that's changing lives and expanding opportunity. If today's conversation resonated with you, be sure to like, comment, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who might be standing at the edge of a career pivot of their own. I'm your host, Keith Chandler, and thank you for listening. Join us next time as we continue highlighting powerful stories of growth, resilience, and success through education on Degrees of Success, where every journey matters.