Employee Q&A: Brian Thorp

Meet Brian Thorp, Marketing Manager at The Building People! He is a key member of our Marketing team. Brian has been with The Building People for two years and has over 12 years experience in marketing.

Here’s more from Brian about his background and role at TBP:

What is your professional background?

I have been with The Building People for two years now. I came over when the company purchased InfoNarus. Prior to The Building People, I was a partner for almost 10 years in a marketing company that specialized in local search engine optimization, websites, and online marketing services for small businesses.

What is your role at TBP?

I am a Marketing Manager for The Building People. I have been with the company since December of 2021.

Can you tell us about the work you do at TBP?

I help the marketing team with all aspects of marketing, but my focus is social media, blog content, website updates, Building Blocks, Building Buzz, and email campaigns.

What is a fun fact about you people might not know?

I considered becoming a professional poker player. I started playing on a regular basis to avoid sitting in traffic every day. I won Portland’s largest-ever 1^st prize in a poker tournament of $31,000 and then, about three months later, won $15,000 for 4^th place in a more prominent tournament in Pendleton, Oregon. If I had won the tournament in Pendleton, I was going to take a leave of absence from my company and go to Vegas to play in the World Series of Poker for the summer. I still occasionally play in poker tournaments.

What do you like most about working in your role?

I really love working with all the people on The Building People team. The culture of the company is amazing.

How do you define success?

To me, success is working to make yourself better on a consistent basis. If you’re consistently improving yourself, you’re making progress. Everyone’s journey is different, so comparing yourself to others is a poor way to judge success. However, if you’re consistently improving yourself, you’re ensuring success by being better than you were before.

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

I really want to learn how to play the guitar. I have a guitar and know a few chords but really want to learn and get good at it. My grandfather played in bluegrass bands his entire life and used to make instruments. The last instrument he made before he passed was a ukulele that he gave to me for my birthday. It would be a great way to honor his memory by getting good at playing the guitar.

Do you have a favorite quote that resonates with you?

“If it is to be, it is up to me.”

-William Johnsen

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

I have had several people over my life emphasize that professional success is only worth it if you have happiness outside of your professional life. Killing yourself to build a business, earn a bonus, or climb the ladder at a job aren’t worth it if you aren’t happy outside of your professional life. In the end, people are never going to remember how good you were at your job, they’ll remember the impact that you had on the people around you and for the times spent enjoying life.