Meet Stoney Keeley | Founder, EIC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stoney Keeley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stoney, what do you attribute your success to?
For me, it’s having a clear vision of what I want and how to execute upon that vision. Sometimes, that vision is the only thing you have to keep you going, and you need it to remind you of why you’re doing what you’re doing. You have to love what you’re doing, because more often than not, it’s your love for your brand that resonates with people and forges a connection. But, you also have to have that vision of what you want and how to get to it – vision serves as a sort of North Star in a creative business.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
SoBros Network is a media brand based out of Nashville, Tennessee. We do a little bit of everything, but we try to funnel our work under three verticals – sports, humor, and entertainment.

In short, no, it hasn’t been easy. SoBros Network is very much a DIY company that is designed with low overhead in mind. There have been no shortage of pain points because of that. We’ve learned how to manage every aspect of this ourselves, and there have been instances during which we can’t figure out an answer on our own. The give and take with that is that we have complete creative freedom to produce whatever we want, and I feel like we’ve put in the work to earn the respect of our audience. It’s been incredibly rewarding.

There are several individual pieces or shows that I’m proud of, but at the root of it all, I’m just proud that our hard work has translated to recognition from thousands of people on the internet each month. And, we did it our way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Broadway is way overrated – these days, it’s more of a tourist attraction than the real heart and soul of Nashville. If you want glitz, glamor, and live music, by all means, enjoy yourself. But, if you want more of the local experience, go spend an afternoon in one of the neighborhoods surrounding Nashville – East Nashville, 12 South, Germantown, The Nations. There’s plenty of good eats in each, and the vibe is usually a little calmer. Go visit Cheekwood. See a movie at The Belcourt. There are pockets all around the city full of fun stuff to do.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It’s cliché, but there really are too many people to think. Anyone that tells you they got to where they are today without the help of a small village is full of it. Maybe I’m nuts, but I don’t believe in that. I’ve had a lot of help throughout the years with SoBros Network.

Maybe I should start with my parents, who instilled a work ethic within me and fostered a supportive environment that has always allowed me to be my most creative self since I was young. My wife Aura supports me in ways many wouldn’t, and has always propped me up when I experience self-doubt or uncertainty about my future. The SoBros team creates such cool stuff that honors the creative spirit and inspires me every day. And, of course, we have people that read the site and listen to podcasts who interact with me on a daily basis. It’s always appreciated, and it has truly taken a village to get us up to nearly half a million unique visitors to the site.

Website: https://sobrosnetwork.com/