R. Nicolas BrownSeat at the TableValencia(661) 753-9861 • Email: [email protected]: satt.edublogs.orgR.
Nicolas Brown worked for 29 years at the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, 16 years of which was spent as a zoning administrator. As such, he conducted public hearings and handled the process for conditional use permits, zoning variances and other land-use applications from builders and those wanting to improve their land. In 2006, he started the first satellite office of Zoning Administration, which is in Van Nuys.In 2017, he switched sides and started Seat at the Table. It assists developers in obtaining land use entitlements and building permits from the city. “The mission of SATT is to increase my clients’ credibility with decision-makers (in City Hall),” Brown said.Question: How did you get your business started?Answer: After retiring, the city’s ethics laws prohibited me for one year from advising anyone and being compensated. So, I provided pro bono services to child-care operations, schools, places of worship and elderly projects while developing a business plan. When I stepped back from being a public servant, I became an impassioned advocate for those seeking economic mobility by using their land. Do you ever think about trading it all in for a steady paycheck?A steady paycheck does not compare to exploring technologies, analytical concepts, and communication methodologies without being restrained by a supervisor. What’s the best aspect of running your own business?I have a mobile office! It’s a 22-foot Mercedes-Benz Sprinter designed by the same company that built the Mobile Barber Shop.
And the worst?Billing and getting paid!What’s the biggest challenge your business faces?When working with planning departments, the public is seated across the table from an entity that has power like no other.
One, they have a monopoly because you cannot go to a competitor and ask for a land use entitlement or building permit. Second, they have special governmental privileges starting with police power and ability to place speed bumps in the decision-making process. My biggest challenge is enabling and improving my clients’ ability in advocating their desires and negotiating with the public decision-makers.What advice would you give someone who’s about to start their own business?Seek help from the Small Business Administration. Has being African-American affected your business?Yes, but after 65 years living in this skin, I don’t focus on it. Do you think you’ll ever start another business?I may spin off InfoPost, which assists clients in meeting legal posting requirements while enhancing public outreach and communication. SATT’s website provides detailed information 24/7 about my clients’ projects. SATT monitors the number of views and responses to comments submitted by viewers. How has the pandemic affected your business? A drop in new clients by 45 percent.How do you think your business will change, post pandemic?Grow! – Charles Crumpley
Black Entrepreneurs Month: R. Nicolas Brown
