Branden Harvey is a world-renowned storyteller who shares inspiring real-life tales through social media. The Nashville local has been featured on Mashable, Forbes and CNBC, and spoke to Jessica Morris during a recent trip to Australia. 

Why are you so passionate about telling people’s stories?
I started out as a wedding photographer, and the more I went down that path, I realised it wasn’t as fulfilling as I thought it would be. The thing I liked about shooting weddings was getting to tell people’s stories, and I started discovering more ways to do that. Telling stories resonates with people more than anything else that I’ve ever done. So that’s just what I’m trying to live in. 

Why do you use social media to tell your stories?
My goal is to challenge the way I see the world. My hope with social media is that by sharing these stories, people become challenged about how they live in the world. I think the world is a better place when we get outside our own bubble of what we think is true, and we contemplate the other ways people live their lives.

You began your podcast this year. Why did you name it ‘Sounds Good’?
I want to tell stories about people who are focusing on the good in the world. Even though there’s so much about Donald Trump and ISIS and terrorism and heartbreak—all these rough, dark things, there’s also so much good in the world.

No matter who I’m talking to, the conversation is really going to come back to the idea of ‘what’s good’. 

You’ve interviewed everyone from social media star Taylor Tippett, to human trafficking prosecutor John Cotton Richmond. Which guest has impacted you the most?
I think my favourite person thus far is Jedidiah Jenkins [US writer who, this year, embarked on a 16-month, 16,000-km bike trip]. 

He is so incredibly fascinating. He rode from Oregon to Patagonia, and just lives a life of adventure. I don’t think it’s the adventure that intrigues me, it’s the way he lives life with nuances. He doesn’t look at the world as if it is black or white. He sees things as a middle grey area. 

How does your faith influence your work in the media?
My faith impacts who I am on a base level. My hope is that the art I create and the stories I tell can really impact people of all backgrounds. I’m not trying to create art specifically for people of my faith base. 

How can we follow your adventures online?
I’m @brandenharvey on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook. My website, brandenharvey.com, has a link to my podcast and my weekly Good News letter.