Corporate Baddie DeAndre Brown on Leaving Investment Banking for TikTok Fame
Corporate Baddie DeAndre Brown on Leaving Investment Banking for TikTok Fame  
Podcast: Awf The Record
Published On: Thu Nov 20 2025
Description: In this episode of Awf The Record, DeAndre Brown – aka the original “The Corporate Baddie” –  gets real about leaving investment banking to become a full-time content creator. From viral TikToks and six-figure brand deals to burnout, reinvention, and building a brand with purpose, this episode peels back the curtain on what it really takes to pivot from 9-to-5 to FYP.He shares the lessons he learned negotiating deals (including a $6k LinkedIn check and an $80k CVS partnership), why authenticity is his non-negotiable, and how he's using social media as a springboard into broadcast journalism. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Should I leave this job?” or “Can I actually make it as a creator?” then this one's for you.KEYPOINTS: [1:18] -  Internships (Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Supreme Court) & access for people of color[7:38] - The birth of “Corporate Baddie” and why he never called himself that[10:32] - DeAndre on doing viral while working a 9-to-5 (and getting HR involved)[12:26] - Why he walked away from a lucrative job and what came next[20:11] - Red flags in brand contracts and creator burnout[27:21] - The art of reinvention in the age of social media[31:18] - His master plan for life after content: journalism, storytelling, legacyQUOTES "The reason I've been able to transition myself throughout the past three and a half years is that I've allowed myself time to just not do it." – DeAndre Brown"The best way to just remain authentic is to truly not be afraid and care about people's opinions on your life, about who you are, about what you do, and what decisions you make, just doing it. Just do it - Nike." – DeAndre Brown"You have to be confident in who you are, and you cannot let people kind of gear you away from the person that you know that you are." – DeAndre BrownGUEST RESOURCES DeAndre BrownIG | @imdrebrown TikTok | @imdrebrown RESOURCES: Keep in touch with Awf The Record:Youtube: @AwfTheRecordInstagram: @awftherecordpodcastTikTok: @AwfTheRecordMona Kosar AbdiIG |  @monakabdi Jeannette ReyesIG |  @msnewslady Keep in touch with Awf The Record:Watch on Youtube: @AwfTheRecordFollow us on Instagram: @awftherecordpodcastFollow us on TikTok: @AwfTheRecordVisit our website: www.AwfTheRecord.com Follow Mona on TikTok and IGFollow Jeannette on TikTok and IG