• Baker+Brown Co
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• Stories

Stories

As Harold Goddard quite eloquently positions the power of story, "The destiny of the world is determined less by the battles that are lost and won than by the stories it loves and believes in."

• 24-Jan-2016
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• Neil Brown
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• Portrait

A global community centered on the passionate pursuit of capturing portraits, and telling the stories of those in our world.

We hold the world in the palm of our hand. With a few taps of a ‘button’ behind slick, scratch resistant glass one can find himself instantly connecting with individuals around the globe. While we know this networked kinship is easy achievable, it is a rare sight to see individuals leaving the isolation of the digital world in order to venture out into reality together as strangers with the anticipation of leaving as friends. Pursuit of Portraits is one such rarity, bonding wanderers in a single common endeavor—the human story.

• 11-Jan-2016
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• Neil Brown
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• Travel

While many accelerate after ringing in the new year, we gathered with a group upstate to reflect on last year and contemplate our path forward.

The new year marks typical rituals of ambitious goal setting, ignoring the past for the sake of the future and striking an accelerated tempo to kick off the year strong. We chose to rebel. We joined forces with Ben and Micole Messner to design a weekend away—a retreat—nestled in the rolling hills in the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. No stranger to short term adventures, Ben is a mastermind of planning, logistics, organizing, sourcing and especially, vision for nurturing community. After months and months of nonstop travel, Jen and I were thrilled at the notion of a weekend to pause with old friends, and new.

• 02-Jan-2016
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• Neil Brown
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• Entrepreneurs

Re-imaging the real estate industry’s role to renew, refresh and transform neighborhoods and communities.

In-town neighborhoods have seen significant change over the last several decades. In many areas, communities fell apart years ago and today the real estate industry is picking up the pieces as quickly as possible to turn as much profit as possible. New opportunities are rising to re-imagine the real estate industry for generations to come—developing the industry to focus on the value of families, neighbors and communities.

• 12-Dec-2015
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• Jen Baker Brown
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• Portrait

A few stationary weeks calls for a celebration!

Hibernating in Atlanta for the past few weeks after five months of being on the road has meant two things; first, my Instagram feed has shifted from epic views back to its norm…cat photos. Second, we have paused in one location just long enough to squeeze in a Baker+Brown holiday party. Hostessing is one of my often unfulfilled joys in life—especially when we’re traveling more than we are at home. So, having the opportunity to catch up with friends and eat gobs of butter laden cookies was a treat!

• 09-Dec-2015
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• Neil Brown
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• Travel

After 16,500+ miles meandering the U.S. we are learning to live & love the challenging nomadic life.

Life on the road is challenging. It is exhausting. It is exciting. It forces a focus and mindfulness on the present, otherwise the infinite variables of possibility overwhelm the mind. A life that breeds an even greater desire to explore and to travel the road unknown quickly becomes addicting. The more we see, the greater our awareness of that which has yet to fall within our sight. All the while, we long for a sense of retreat, stability and familiarity. The never-ceasing conflict of life on the road. Now autumn has arrived with winter on the horizon. As the brisk air snaps the reality of seasons changing, we are working to ‘hibernate’ for a few weeks before hitting the road again, heading north for the forthcoming holiday season.

• 02-Nov-2015
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• Neil Brown
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• Portrait

The artist desires to be understood

Art is a safe place. One that allows us to step outside of ourselves, to find that we are stranger than we believed. The artist has an inherent desire to be understood, to make an indelible impression in the mind. Some believe art changes the world, albeit very slowly. Jeff Jackson finds art is especially useful when masquerading as entertainment, in order to create a desire and hunger within someone they have yet to discover or even understand.