Best and Brightest: Lindsay Braven

Lindsay Braven

Founder and CEO

Two Point Oh

Charleston

Age 33

I'm Lindsay Braven, founder of Two Point Oh, a marketing and strategy agency for businesses who are done doing it all themselves. After nearly a decade and 20-plus companies, I took what I learned and built the partner I always wished I'd had. We build the brand, the messaging, the content, the systems behind you, so the outside matches the inside and you're consistent about what you do and where you show up. You're great at your work, we handle the rest. It's hard to build a business running on empty, so we build marketing that feels like you and businesses that hold up underneath the shine, too. Long-term, I want to be the marketing and business partner companies grow with, a place where people get a real chance to put life first and still love their work. Giving back looks like community for me. I recently became a founding chapter leader for Made for Mothers, bringing the first Charleston chapter of the fastest-growing community for moms in business in the country to life.

Favorite Quote and Why: "There's no such thing as failure, only growing and learning. And if you're going to presume the worst is going to happen, you owe it to yourself to also presume the best." This is something I say to myself constantly, especially in business. It's so easy to spiral into "what if this doesn't work out." But the truth is, I don't actually know that it won't, so why not ask, "what if it does?" instead. Focus on the good, and the good is usually what comes back.

Definition of a Successful Leader: A successful leader is able to see the big picture clearly by seeing the business owner for who they are and the business for what it is. They understand both and can pay attention to things people aren't saying out loud. Instead of leading from the top, they lead alongside their team, empowering the people around them and helping without judgment. They have the ability to make people feel respected, valued, and understood.

Advice to 18-Year-Old Self: Dream big. You don't know where life is going to take you. I was horrible at school, especially math, and it made me believe I was just going to be bad at everything, that there was nothing successful waiting for me. Looking back, I didn't see my own strengths yet, and I definitely wasn't what anyone would've pointed to and said, "that kid's going to make it." But the world is so much bigger than what 18-year-old me could see. You don't know what your future holds, and the only person who gets to write your story is you. And remember that yes sometimes life is hard, but don’t forget to put yourself in other people's shoes and lead with optimism. Be good to people and give back to the world. Your path will wind, so dream big.