Maria Brito, CEO, Maria Brito, LLC
Maria Brito is an award-winning New York-based contemporary art advisor, author, and curator. A Harvard graduate, originally from Venezuela. Brito has been selected by Complex Magazine as one of the 20 Power Players in the Art World. In addition, ARTNEWS named her as one of the visionaries who gets to shape the art world.
She has written for publications such as Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, Elle, Forbes, Artnet, Cultured Magazine, Departures, and the Gulf Coast Journal of Literature and Fine Arts from the University of Houston, Texas.
For several years, Maria has taught her creativity course in companies. In 2019, she launched "Jumpstart", an online program on creativity for entrepreneurs based on years of research and observation in both the areas of business and art.
In 2019 she created and hosted "The "C" Files with Maria Brito", a TV and streaming series for PBS's new station "ALL ARTS". Maria and her projects have been featured extensively in national and international publications, including:
The New York Times Style Section.
T: The New York Times Magazine.
The Wall Street Journal.
The Huffington Post.
W Magazine.
ELLE Magazine.
Harper's Bazaar.
Time Magazine.
New York Magazine.
The New York Observer.
The Daily Beast.
The Economist.
Interview Magazine.
VOGUE and more.
She's the author of "How Creativity Rules The World" (HarperCollins March 15, 2022).
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
Instagram because it's where I found my community, and I love the ability to express my ideas through images and words.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
I am the founder and CEO of an art advisory company with a division that helps companies and individuals increase their creativity and innovation based on how the most successful artists think and operate.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
I am never bored. I am always surrounded by great people who have incredible ideas. I love being able to build art collections and teach people how to become more creative.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
It's always better to give than to receive.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
I find inspiration in leadership. I like to look at other people who have taken bold action. I am also moved by beauty and aesthetics. By strong and interesting narratives in storytelling, whether real or imaginary.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
Definitely my marriage and kids. And also the business I've built.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
These days it's a hybrid. I do love in-person meetings and can't wait for people to feel 100% comfortable with that. In the meantime, I have had a blast online, especially with podcasters. That has been incredible.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
My creativity is my superpower.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
I started from scratch in an industry that was completely unknown to me. I didn't know anything. And the truth is that I wouldn't have wanted any other way. The greatest disruptors are always the outsiders.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
The ability to express complex ideas in simple ways and, of course, the ability to execute them.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
Fitness is very important to me. Mind and body are one and the same to me. I work out every day, and without that, I don't function properly. I love to travel, and I love film. I watch a movie on the big screen at least once a week, from foreign films to Hollywood blockbusters.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
This is a bit of a tricky question because I miss life as it was before. But for the most part, I've gotten incredible things out of the pandemic: I wrote a book that Harper Collins bought at auction, I had the best financial two years of my business, and I realized many goals that were on standby.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
Yes, I have mentored many people, and I'm happy to see them flourishing. It's the best feeling. But, of course, I've had many different mentors and role models as well. Everyone needs one.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
To be very thorough in your research. To move around with integrity. To be your own thing, after all, everyone else is taken.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
Lack of patience. For sure. Everyone wants to be an overnight success.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
"Whether you think you will fail or you will succeed, you are always right."
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
Apple is getting it right. Disney too.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
Success is being happy, engaged and fulfilled with every part of your life. Not just your job. It takes a lot of commitment and discipline to get to that level. To control our feelings, so we don't screw up our relationships. To take good care of our bodies and minds. Nothing is easy, and that's the biggest lesson. Success takes real work.