How Ruairí Tobin Finds Balance at Brafton

With a history of taking stories from their initial concept all the way through to the final product, Ruairí Tobin is no stranger to a challenge. This has been clear since he joined the team here at Brafton. But, how did it all begin for this marketing professional? We spoke with Ruairí to hear more about what brought him here and what his time at the company has been like so far. 

Ruairí From Scratch

When it comes to the life of videographer, Ruairí Tobin, at Brafton, this story starts a little further than you might think — across the pond at Dublin Institute of Technology (now Technological University Dublin). His time in Ireland awarded him a bachelor’s degree in Film & Broadcasting, which “very few employers cared about once I moved to the States,” he tells us. 

Luckily, his skills have done the talking for him over the years. 

Starting a Career in the States

As Ruairí stepped into the professional world, he explained his life, in a nutshell, like this: “20% freelance, 20% bartending, 60% despair.” If you’re a creative professional yourself, there’s a good chance you’ve done this math before. But fast forward a few years, and that’s when Ruairí turned in his freelance life for a full-time career as a videographer at Brafton. 

How’d he find his way to the team? Simply put, through the power of Linkedin. 

After almost 2 full years at the company, he tells us, “it’s been great.” He continued on to explain, “This is the first fully remote job I’ve had in my career, and I really enjoy the work-life balance that it affords — and the fast-paced nature of the work which means no two days are the same.” 

A true storyteller at heart, Ruairí has always enjoyed the unique experiences that this kind of career and marketing work can offer. He tells us, “As a videographer, I’ve gotten to film with some wonderful people, and have gotten to visit places I hadn’t had the chance to before.” Considering he’s only lived in America for 4 years, Brafton presented the perfect opportunity to explore the country further — and through a different lens, to say the least. “My first work trip with Brafton was to Las Vegas, which was a nice change from what I was used to — mostly dull industrial parks on the outskirts of Dublin.” 

The amazing opportunities for new experiences and a change of scenery are just the tips of the iceberg for Ruairí. “This is the best work-life balance I’ve had in my career,” he explains to us. And this harmony has been more important than ever for him: In more personal news, “this past year, my wife gave birth to our first child, Aiden,” he says. 

Making Room for What Matters

So, what’s life like for Ruairí when he’s not capturing the perfect shot? You could say he’s a bit of a renaissance man — doing a little bit of everything he loves, whenever he can. “I love sports, mostly rugby and soccer. Although now, rather than getting healthy by playing, I get more unhealthy by watching them while drinking a few beers and eating deep-fried foods.” Who can blame him? If watching your favorite team isn’t an excuse to eat and drink whatever you want, then I don’t know what is!

If he’s not watching the game, then you might find him playing music. “I love music, I play guitar and bass,” he explains, even letting us know that he’s “been in a few bands” in his day — though it’s been a few years for him at this point. But, at the end of the day, it’s all about family for Ruairí. “I love annoying my wife while we watch films by geeking over editing and camera techniques,” he says. “And lately, I’ve just loved getting to bond with my son, who is almost 4 months old now. He’s the best.” 

Ruairí continues to serve the Brafton team as a skilled videographer and creative storyteller, successfully meeting the needs of numerous clients since his start here — all while maintaining a clear focus on his family and life outside of the virtual office. We’re thankful for his contributions and can’t wait to see where the expertise of this family man takes us!