Are you a Bellefonte Native? If not, where are you originally from?

I've called Bellefonte home for the last 15 years, where I live with my wife, Jamie, and our daughter, Spencer. Growing up in Bradford, Pa — famous for Zippo Lighters.

How did you end up in Bellefonte?

I came to Penn State to study communications and advertising, graduating with a communications degree in 2008. After college, I worked in advertising throughout Central PA. This period allowed me to meet lots of interesting people and become a part of the Happy Valley community. During my seven years working in advertising, prior to starting my company, I created a practical course covering the Science of Advertising. I taught this course at Penn State University in 2014 in partnership with the Summer Study Programs of Melville, NY. The ideas and methods I developed in this course became the cornerstone of my own business.

You are the founder of Braden Social, tell us a little about it and is there a story behind the name?

In 2014, using what I learned from both my advertising career and teaching, I started my own company, Braden Social. At Braden Social, we focus on social marketing, using the real-world advertising and behavioral science strategies I've studied and applied over the years.

When starting Braden Social, I treated myself as the first client. The company name, Braden, is my middle name. Any good company should have a story, so I did some research. It turns out Braden is Irish for Salmon. I wanted to do work for my clients that stood out, and got attention. Salmon, of course, Swim Against the Stream; That became our tagline. A little more digging uncovered an Irish Folklore, where Bradán Feasa, the Salmon of Knowledge, was “...an ordinary salmon who ate nine hazelnuts that fell into the well of wisdom. By this act, the salmon gained the world’s knowledge. The first person to eat of its flesh would, in turn, gain this knowledge.” So in essence, I’m named after a Salmon that shares knowledge…I couldn’t have written it better myself.

That explains the fish. What about the mustache?

The logo is Bradán Feasa — the Salmon of Knowledge, as mentioned above — and, as for the mustache, I figured if we’re dealing with a smart salmon, he’s got to have a ‘stache.

Anything you would like to say to the community of Bellefonte?

I'm looking forward to sharing lots of stories and experiences with you all in the Bellefonte Zine.

— Eric