Brandon Stanton: The Hard Work of Dreams

In 2010, Brandon Stanton started taking pictures of people on the streets of New York City and posting them on a blog. After thousands of conversations and pictures, Brandon realized he wasn’t a photographer. Rather, he was a believer in connection, in community, and in basic human sweetness. In large part, Brandon’s work has been so influential because he removed himself from the equation and allowed the communities he documents to speak for themselves.

Brandon’s blog Humans of New York has accumulated over 20 million followers worldwide and turned into two NYT-bestselling books (Humans of New York and Humans of New York: Stories). It has also spawned an entire genre of similar blogs. Hundreds of aspiring documentarians have followed in HONY’s footsteps, telling the stories of countries, cities, and communities across the world. Brandon is also a dedicated philanthropist. He has spearheaded crowdfunded initiatives that have raised over $2 million for causes including victims of Hurricane Sandy and a scholarship fund for students in Brooklyn.

Of course Brandon and I discuss his backstory. How he came to start Humans of New York and how it’s evolved, but we also:

go a layer deeper around his philosophy in sharing the work. He says “the more I disappear, the more influential HONY becomes.
talk about growing and cultivating an audience
following dreams is hard work

and much much more.

Enjoy!

My goal is not to tell the story of humanity but to learn the story of the person right in front of me.

FOLLOW BRANDON:
website | twitter | facebook

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Some Questions I Ask:

What’s the backstory on Humans of New York? [2:28]
Did you set out to have the project continuously evolving? [4:49]
Is there any anxiety of never being finished or is that refreshing to you? [6:18]
When you speak, everyone around gets quiet to listen to what you have to say. How has that affected you? [9:45]
You deliver 4 posts every day? [15:41]
What is the core principle that makes HONY different? [17:10]
What is it about your technique that allows you to get so deep, so fast? [24:46]
Do you have a sense that what you do is defining a new art form? [29:25]
Are you actively trying to usurp the social media highlight reel sickness that’s so prevalent today? [33:48]
Tell us that everything you do isn’t all virtuous. [37:20]
How did you get from being a bond trader to where you are now? [42:06]
How did you lose your job in Chicago? [43:10]
When you moved to New York, I heard your room could barely fit a queen mattress. [45:10]
How do you get from high school in Georgia to bond trading in Chicago? [47:49]
What are some things that you’ve done that you wouldn’t have been able to do without HONY? [49:40]
Did you predict that you’d have the impact that you did with interviewing Pakistanis and Iranians? [53:46]
A voice isn’t something that you decide that you’re going to have. You get a voice by doing the work. Talk to me about that. [55:45]
Talk about the evolution of your books. [1:00:25]
Do you think you purposefully distance yourself from considering yourself a photographer as a defense mechanism? [1:04:34]
Is there any part of you that’s shying away from people who have a disproportionate share of the media who want to sing your accolades? [1:06:11]
How do you measure the success of your work? [1:11:00]
Is it the connection to other people that gives you the juice to keep going? [1:13:55]
What’s something that people don’t know about you? [1:14:57]
Is providing inspiration to other artists part of your mission? [1:17:33]
What made you decide to write an open letter to Donald Trump? [1:20:20]
How did you feel before you hit send? [1:25:33]
Do you feel like that post is part of your work or separate from your work? [1:25:40]
Is there anything that I should have asked you that I didn’t? [1:29:24]

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

How Brandon leveraged losing his job into doing what he loved every day. [2:48]
Why Brandon takes pride in being tough on himself, specifically asking himself “what can I do to like this better?” [4:20]
The value of getting bored easily, especially with your own work. [4:56]
“My goal is not to tell the story of humanity, but to learn the story of the person right in front of me.” There is no one version of happiness. [7:50]
When someone sets out in the art world, people who find success are often not seeking that success. They are looking to make great art. [9:35]
Why the only picture of Brandon on his own blog is when a pigeon shit on his face. [10:22]
Work without a motive. Focus on the story and the art, not the paycheck. [11:15]
How Brandon makes money and why Brandon accredits the success of HONY to removing himself from the spotlight. [11:27]
Oh, you’re a Humans of New York fan? Chances are you’re sweet. [13:53]
What it’s actually like to approach thousands of people on the street every day, and what it’s given Brandon. [18:40]
What the “like” means to Brandon. It’ll give you chills. [20:00]
The time that Brandon turned the camera on me and shined a light on a part of myself that I hadn’t realized was interesting. [22:29]
Why Brandon’s intense curiosity in people is therapeutic for the people he interviews and why it often times leads to breakthrough and tears. [25:51]
In a world full of stories, the things that makes HONY stories different is that we’re talking about what we all share, but nobody talks abot. [30:00]
How do I tell my story that is authentic, but doesn’t make things feel shitty? [32:58]
“Humans of New York cannot be brought down by me, because it’s bigger than me.” [35:35]
The conscious outlet of Brandon’s competitiveness is work ethic. [38:46]
“Do not use following your dreams as an excuse not to work hard. Because following your dreams correctly is nothing but hard work.” – Brandon Stanton [46:00]
How Brandon bet on the presidential campaign to get his first job out of college… And make a buck. [48:08]
Why Brandon wanted to tell the stories of people in prisons, Iran, and Pakistan. [51:40]
Brandon’s original business plan goes something like this. Set a goal so huge that you are forced to go out and work on it every day. [56:10]
“You can figure out a way to do what you love to do all day long.” – Brandon Stanton [59:13]
Why Brandon think he’s a worse photographer than he was five years ago. [1:02:05]
How Brandon tries to use his influence to grow Humans of New York behind the scenes. [1:07:13]
The distinction that Brandon draws between himself and his work. [1:14:00]
Why Brandon finally made the decision to step out from behind the Humans of New York and speak out with his own voice. [1:20:30]

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