Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Braswell.
Hi Brandon, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
What’s my story?
The funny thing is… I’ve spent my whole career telling everyone else’s stories, and somewhere along the way I kind of lost track of my own. My path has never been linear, but it has always been rooted in storytelling.
I graduated from Miami International University around 2008, right when digital production was still the wild west and film was king. I didn’t know where I’d land, but I knew I wanted to create. I got my start with Rakontur, working under Billy Corben as an editor and motion graphics animator. Those early years taught me how to take someone’s idea and bring it to life on screen, and I loved that. It became the through-line of everything I’ve done since.
Eventually I took that skillset to LA, working with agencies and eventually landing at Media Arts Lab to work on Apple. It was a huge opportunity, but also a point where I felt boxed in creatively. I was helping shape big campaigns, but after enough rounds of revisions and safe choices, I realized I was starving for something that felt more like me. That’s when the early spark of 9 to 5 Warriors first showed up (more on this later), a tiny creative outlet I worked on at night just to feel alive again.
After a few years, I took a gamble and came back to Miami to build something from scratch. That became Travelspective, a project that let us create a full-fledged travel channel focused on showing the soul of a place through its people. Chefs, drivers, locals, anyone whose voice usually gets overlooked. We filmed everywhere from Istanbul and Croatia to New Orleans and San Francisco. It was one of the biggest creative stretches of my life.
When the pandemic hit, travel stopped overnight. So we pivoted that same storytelling approach into something local. Bridge Miami was born, a local channel that highlighted the experiences, businesses, and nonprofits that make a city what it is. We worked with organizations like The Miami Foundation and Radical Partners and spent time in the trenches with nonprofits doing real work on the ground. That chapter reminded me why I loved storytelling in the first place. Giving a platform to people who don’t usually get one.
And in the middle of that global pause, something from the back of my mind resurfaced. In 2012 I had created the first version of 9 to 5 Warriors, a one minute cartoon intro, trading cards, even a comic, but I never had the time to take it further. During the pandemic I finally did. I worked with a sculptor responsible for some of my childhood favorites like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Street Sharks, and suddenly this wild idea I’d been carrying for years started becoming real. After prototypes, setbacks, a failed Kickstarter, and a lot of learning, the figures eventually made their way into collections around the world. It still feels surreal.
Now we’re in 2025, and when I look back, my story feels like a collage of every skillset I’ve collected along the way. I’ve been an editor, a strategist, a producer, a founder, a storyteller, and now I’m building a universe I dreamed up over a decade ago. I’m not sure exactly where the next chapter leads, but I know it’ll be rooted in creating worlds, telling stories, and bringing ideas to life. That part has never changed.
2026 feels like the next big turn, and for once, it’s my vision taking the lead.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing about my path has ever been easy, and I think that’s true for anyone who’s ever tried to build something on their own. Money has been a constant stress point. There were years where it felt like I was swimming against a current of debt and uncertainty, trying to keep the lights on while chasing something I believed in.
Every phase of my career has come with its own set of challenges. Funding projects, wearing every hat, learning new skills on the fly, juggling personal life, staying optimistic even when things felt like they were falling apart. Anyone who has started a business knows that feeling of trying to patch one leak while another shows up somewhere else.
But I’ve never seen the hard parts as a sign to stop. They were part of the ride. The struggle is weirdly what taught me the most. It forced me to grow, to get resourceful, to rethink how I work, and to keep betting on myself even when it felt risky. And honestly, the highs only hit as hard as they do because of the lows that came before them.
The road hasn’t been smooth, but it has been worth it. And I’m still learning from every single twist it takes.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
It started as a fun creative outlet and evolved into a full indie toy universe built around a group of office supplies and leftover snacks that come to life with all the over-the-top energy of a Saturday morning cartoon from the 80s and 90s. At its core, 9 to 5 Warriors is a love letter to the era I grew up in. Big characters, wild storylines, bright colors, and a world that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
I think what sets the brand apart is that it’s fully creator-driven. There’s no big studio or corporate machine behind it. Every character, every sculpt, every piece of packaging and worldbuilding comes straight from my mind and then gets brought to life with a team of incredibly talented artists who share the same nostalgia I do. We treat the brand with the kind of care and personality that used to define toy lines before everything became focus-grouped and safe.
I’m proud that these figures have found their way into collections around the world. What started as a tiny idea I worked on in the background has turned into a growing community of collectors who see the same charm in these characters that I do. And we’re still in the early chapters. There are new waves, stories, characters, and collaborations on the way.
For readers discovering it for the first time, I’d say this: 9 to 5 Warriors is a universe built to make you smile, remind you of the cartoons you ran home to watch after school, and give you something that feels handmade in a world that’s getting more automated every day. It’s a story-driven toy line with heart, humor, and a lot more coming in 2026.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
There are a few ways people can work with me or support what I’m building. The simplest is just spreading the word. Independent brands grow through community, and every share, post or conversation about 9 to 5 Warriors goes much further than people realize.
For those who want to collaborate, I’m always open to connecting with creatives, artists, reviewers, filmmakers and storytellers who love worldbuilding as much as I do. The fun part about an indie universe like this is that there’s room to experiment. Whether it’s toys, animation concepts, content, photography or special editions, I enjoy partnering with people who bring fresh ideas to the table.
And if someone wants to support the brand directly, the best way is through the figures and merch themselves. Everything is in limited waves, everything is made with intention, and every order genuinely helps fuel the next chapter of the universe.
Beyond the toy line, I also collaborate with companies and organizations on creative direction, video production and branded storytelling. Anyone looking to bring a project to life can reach out, and I’m always open to conversations that feel aligned.
At the end of the day I’m a storyteller, so if someone has a vision and wants help shaping it, or they want to be part of the world I’m building, I’m always open to connecting.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://9to5warriors.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/9to5warriors
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/the9to5warriors/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-braswell-1a0599119/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfSPYJiVgmi-4GTsCA7n_Mg
