Originally published in August 2019
Block Club brand director Bri Anderson isn’t afraid to look a challenge in the eye. That determination applies to everything she does, from managing complex projects and ideating deliverables for clients to picking up and moving across the country without much of a plan. In this installment of 37 Questions—our humble nod to Vogue’s 73—Bri shares her formula for creativity and reveals which Golden Girl she aspires to be.
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Do you play any instruments?
I’ve studied voice, piano, flute, classical guitar, and djembe. I majored in music business with a concentration in marketing.
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What are you up to this weekend?
Managing a photo and video shoot in the Finger Lakes for a client
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What was your best Halloween costume of all time?
Punkin’ Eaters circa 2012. I’m a redhead, so I’m obviously a big Pete and Pete fan.
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What is one thing people might not know about you?
I am not Irish despite all the signs.
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Do you have any hidden talents?
I can roll my tongue into a three-leaf clover.
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How did you master that skill?
Childhood boredom
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How would you describe yourself?
Empathic, enthusiastic, hardworking, and someone who loves a good process
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What is the first thing you notice about people?
If they can hold eye contact
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Who inspires you?
My cats. The eldest is The Good Sheriff Montgomery Fuzz or Monty for short. The baby is just Puddin’—he’s a pretty simple cat.
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Do you have any hobbies?
Karaoke
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What is your go-to karaoke song?
Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats.” Not because I enjoy country music but because that song rips and is a crowd favorite.
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If you wrote a book about your life, what would be the title?
Somehow, I Manage, adapted by Bri Anderson
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What are you most excited about these days?
Planning my wedding
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What is one vice you wish you could give up?
Pressing snooze at least three times on my alarm
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How do you drink your coffee?
Strong and black—hot, cold, or in between
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What did you want to be when you were a kid?
A STAR…aka a singer
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Do you still sing?
Still looking for a local choir. Email me if you are in need of a second soprano.
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What is the last thing you watched?
The Golden Girls
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Are you a Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, or Sophia?
An aspiring Dorothy. No one can give a better death stare than Dorothy Zbornak.
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Could you go without technology for a day?
On a non-working day? I’d love to take that challenge.
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How does your creative process work?
1. Identify the objective.
2. Find work that inspires me.
3. Take down everything that comes to mind…even if it’s not all good.
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What is the most challenging part of being a brand manager?
Pleasing everyone
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What is the best part?
Pleasing everyone
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What is your favorite sound?
Howling wind on a cold, starry night
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What is the oldest item you own?
An old, wooden flour container owned by my great-grandmother in the 1800s. I use it to store apples.
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If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
Everywhere—but Greece first
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What is the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
Moved to Chicago one month after college without a job or prospect
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What’s the best part about living in Chicago?
Walking around aimlessly in various neighborhoods with no plan or guide…spot the trend?
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What’s the best part of living in Buffalo?
The friendships and family
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Can you describe Buffalo in three words?
Let’s go Buffalo?
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If you could dedicate your life to solving one problem, what would you solve?
Global warming, hunger, sex trafficking, mass slaughter of innocent animals who’ve never experienced life out of cages…there are too many problems, and I don’t know where I’d start.
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What do you want for our country?
Sanity
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What is something you can’t live without?
Food
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Favorite food?
There will never be one favorite food—I like so much of it. But this summer, I visited my old neighborhood in Chicago and had Taste of Lebanon’s lentil soup, which is definitely one of my favorites. It’s basic, and I miss it so much.
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Where do you do your best thinking?
With other people in a bar, cafe, or library. I like to feed off their energy.
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What is your most important goal right now?
Making an honest man out of Andrew after 10+ years together
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Any advice for young professionals?
Never assume anything. I received this advice as a 21-year-old when I was working in LA and think about it all the time.