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Brian Anthony Moreland is the only Black lead producer currently on Broadway \u2014 a two-time Tony Award nominee who has grossed over $100 million with productions like Othello<\/em> starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal. He joined me on How Success Happens<\/em><\/a> to talk about forging a groundbreaking career in one of the most competitive industries on earth as his new show, Joe Turner\u2019s Come and Gone<\/a><\/em>, prepares to open. I\u2019ve broken down his insights to help put your personal success in the spotlight in three, two, one!<\/p>\n Subscribe now: Apple<\/a> | Spotify<\/a> | YouTube<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Brian didn\u2019t set out to be a producer \u2014 he set out to be a performer. It all started in third grade, when a teacher cast him as Santa Claus in a school play called Be What You Want to Be<\/em>. \u201cI can\u2019t remember anything that happened. Once the lights went up and they came down, all I knew is that I wanted to do it again, like your favorite rollercoaster ride,\u201d he told me. That single moment hooked him on theater for life \u2014 and eventually led him to a career managing multimillion-dollar productions. Today, his budgets range from $7.5 million to $16 million, and he manages it all with skills he learned entirely on the job \u2014 no business school required.<\/p>\n Takeaway:<\/strong> Don\u2019t wait until you have all the credentials \u2014 pursue what moves you emotionally and trust that the skills will follow.<\/p>\n When things go sideways (and in live theater, they always do), Brian\u2019s secret weapon is deceptively simple: actually listen<\/em>. He described walking onto a chaotic load-in for a touring production to find his lighting designer, sound designer, and general manager all standing in separate corners, not speaking. \u201cI walked each one privately to one side of the room to ask them what transpired and what do they need,\u201d he shared. The culprit? Faulty information from the incoming theater \u2014 not anyone on his team. Blame was replaced by apologies, and the show went on. His philosophy: \u201cIt\u2019s not about the blame, it\u2019s about the actual problem and where is it that we\u2019re trying to go.\u201d<\/p>\n Takeaway:<\/strong> The next time conflict erupts in your organization, resist the urge to fix things while someone is still talking \u2014 fully absorb the problem before proposing any solution.<\/p>\n Subscribe to the How Success Happens<\/em> newsletter<\/a> for more insights and inspiration.<\/strong><\/p>\n Brian has spent time alongside some of the biggest names in entertainment \u2014 Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal, and now Taraji P. Henson and Cedric \u201cThe Entertainer\u201d in the upcoming Joe Turner\u2019s Come and Gone<\/em> on Broadway this spring. When asked what he\u2019s learned about sustained success from legends like Denzel, his answer was striking in its simplicity: \u201cIt\u2019s about being a vessel for the art. It\u2019s about one show, one script, one story at a time.\u201d Brian chooses every project the same way \u2014 by how it makes him feel<\/em>, never by how important he thinks it is. As he put it, \u201cI can tell you how the show makes me feel, and I hope that if you want to feel that way for two and a half hours, then this is the show I invite you to see.\u201d<\/p>\n Takeaway:<\/strong> Ask yourself: Am I doing this because I genuinely care about it, or because I think I should<\/em> care about it? Audiences \u2014 and customers \u2014 can always tell the difference.<\/p>\n Brian built his entire career chasing a feeling he first experienced as a third-grade Santa Claus \u2014 a moment of pure joy that told him, this is it.<\/em><\/p>\n Here\u2019s your question:<\/strong> What is one moment from your past \u2014 no matter how small or unexpected \u2014 that made you feel truly alive and completely yourself?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Send your answer to howsuccesshappens@entrepreneur.com \u2014 your response may be read on a future episode!<\/p>\n
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\nTwo<\/span> Great Ways to Learn More<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nOne<\/span> Question to Ponder<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nAbout How Success Happens<\/h2>\n