An Inspired Chat with Brady Gilliam of Grand Rapids

Brady Gilliam shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Brady, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Personally, I think INTEGRITY is the most important of the three.

Do what you say and always follow through on your commitments. Your reputation is everything.

You could be very intelligent, but without integrity, you could use your intelligence to scam, exploit, and manipulate people to your will.

Whether your energy is high or low, it’s still important to be a good person. I have plenty of days where I feel low energy, but I know I need to follow through. I could easily blow things off, but I’d rather keep to my word.

So, yeah, being a person of integrity is highly valued and will result in quality, long-term relationships.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hey there! I’m Brady Gilliam, Video Producer and Founder of Visionaery Productions, a full-service video production company based in Grand Rapids, MI.

Originally a Hoosier, I moved to Michigan in 2015 and have called it home ever since. Outside of work, you’ll usually find me enjoying a craft beer, camping, lifting heavy things, digging through vinyl records, gardening, or watching movies with my wife and an unreasonable amount of snacks.

I started Visionaery in 2017 after several years in Public Access Television, where I was already telling business stories through video. By 2019, it became my full-time pursuit, giving me the creative freedom to work directly with businesses to tell their unique stories, showcase what makes them valuable, and help them stand out.

At Visionaery, our goal is to capture the personalities behind the business—authentically, creatively, and with the kind of polish that leaves a lasting impression. Whether that’s through a company story, client testimonials, commercial campaigns, or social reels, we’ve got you covered—and we’d love to speak with you about you.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
I met my (now) wife in 2019, and she’s played a big role in how I see myself today.

I spent much of my 20s as a single guy trying to figure out who I was and who I wanted to be. Having her in my life changed that in a big way. She’s believed in me, listened to me, and reminded me of what I’m capable of—not just in work, but as a person.

She’s also helped me realize that life isn’t all about chasing the next goal. If you’re constantly working for the future, you forget to enjoy the present. Her perspective has made me step back, take a hard look at how I spend my time, and make room for the things that matter now.

We’ve been together ever since, and got married earlier this year. I’m pretty sure she’ll be shaping who I am for many years to come.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Uh, yeah—definitely. There have been plenty of times where I’ve felt like no matter how much effort I put in, the work just wasn’t coming. I’d start thinking, “Maybe it’s time to get a job. How much longer can I keep doing this before I need to try something else?” Those thoughts can be overwhelming and stressful.

But even in those low points, I always kept giving it my all. Then one job would come in, then another, and suddenly I’d be busy again. Ironically, I’ve even had thoughts of giving up when I was in the middle of success—wondering what it would be like to do something less stressful.

What I’ve learned is that those doubts are just thoughts. I don’t follow through on them. The key is not to quit—pivot if you need to, try a new angle, but don’t stop moving forward.

Through the highs and lows, I keep going because I love what I do, and I have a strong support system behind me. At the end of the day, I wouldn’t trade it—I just want to keep growing personally and in my business.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Generally, I’d say the public version of me is the real me—with some caveats. Most of what I share online is the highlight reel: the positive moments. I don’t air out dirty laundry, speak ill of people, or share too many private details.

As a business owner, a lot of people first meet “Brady the Video Producer,” not “Brady the guy who lifts weights and listens to vinyl records.” So my public side leans more professional than the version of me you’d see hanging out with close friends or family.

That said, I do try to keep things as authentic as possible. What you see publicly is me—it’s just not the whole me.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
If I laid down my name, role, and possessions, I’d still have my friends, family, and the people I’ve been able to help through my work.

I’d also have the body of work I’ve created—videos that live online and on countless hard drives—continuing to tell stories even without me attached.

At the end of the day, it’s those lasting relationships and the creative work that outlives me. To me, that’s a legacy worth carrying.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://visionaerypro.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brady.gilliam
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/visionaery-productions
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VisionaeryProductions
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@visionaeryproductions503

Image Credits
Nik Degraaf (Nik Degraaf Photo)