Brandon Gonez makes his living talking to people.
And when it comes to money, the Toronto-based journalist and media personality hears the hopes, desires and fears of ordinary Canadians seeking answers to one big question: “How can I turn money into wealth?”
“There is a financial crisis all over the country,” he said. “A lot of people are struggling and everyone is trying to do their best to make ends meet and be successful. And the foundation of all of that is money. That’s the world we live in.”
That is why Gonez Build better with Brandona video series provided by TD with tips on investing, building multigenerational wealth, buying your first home and more. In each episode, Gonez conducts candid and informative conversations with TD financial specialists who get to the heart of how Canadians can succeed financially.
“We don’t just want to have a hundred dollars – we want to turn that $100 into $1,000, and that into $10,000, and that into $100,000, and hopefully that into a million dollars. That’s the goal,” Gonez said.
“That’s why so many people work so hard – because they want to create wealth for their families. We want to help you do that by teaching you how to make your money work for you.”
Born in Toronto, Ontario and raised in nearby Brampton, Gonez is a familiar face on screens across the country as the host of his online show. The Brandon Gonez Show.
Since launching his own media company and web-based news and entertainment show in 2021, he has averaged more than 2 million views per month with content spanning a wide range of topics, from pop culture and entertainment to sports, news and politics.
Personal financial and trust advice
For Gonez, personal financial planning is an important topic to help people who may not have received financial education in school or who were not taught this valuable knowledge by their parents or family members.
But the Build better with Brandon Videos aren’t simply advice served up from an ivory tower; for the episodes, Gonez often goes out on the street and interviews real people about their financial knowledge, habits and goals. Gonez poses her questions to TD’s specialists, who break down financial concepts and offer actionable tips and advice.
“We want this content to be delivered by real people who are facing everyday situations. We want to hear their fears and then we will engage them with our amazing specialists and answer their questions,” Gonez said.
The Build better with Brandon The series is one of the ways the bank is delivering on its commitment to improving financial access, one of the three pillars of TD Pathways to Economic Inclusion. The series also addresses the barriers Black Canadians and people of colour face in banking and highlights the resources provided by the Black Customer Experience team at TD.
“TD is making a concerted effort to support those who have been disenfranchised and faced discrimination in the financial ecosystem over a long period of time,” Gonez said.
“With this video series, we want to help people create wealth across generations. This series provides the necessary know-how and information so that you can look at your money with different eyes.”
Millennial Advice for Millennial Customers
Gonez, himself a millennial, says Build better with Brandon addresses the unique experiences and challenges faced by a younger generation of people under 45.
“The economy is very different than the one our parents struggled with, and many millennials have all of these questions but not necessarily the answers,” Gonez said.
“We’re trying to provide some of those answers, especially for millennials who come from underserved groups like the black community. We want to show them that there are resources specifically geared towards providing that helping hand that hasn’t been there for our community for so long.”
Last year, the series was viewed tens of thousands of times, with videos on investing and real estate being particularly popular. That’s not surprising, says Gonez, since buying a home and saving for the future are key issues for many Canadians.
“For many people, getting into real estate can be really scary,” he said.
“It’s probably going to be the biggest purchase you’ll ever make in your life. Just wanting to enter this space requires a certain level of comfort for people. We can talk about these difficult, extremely complex conversations in the most accessible way. When people have this relatable content, it makes the decision much easier for them.”
For Gonez, it’s especially rewarding to hear that the series is changing people’s lives. Since launching in 2022, Gonez has heard from viewers who have put advice into action, from learning basic financial concepts to making changes in their lives and educating others.
“One young woman who contacted us came from a family of renters and wrote that she never thought it was possible to own a home because she had never seen it,” he said.
“Then she watched a video and saw people who looked like her talking about how to make home ownership possible and use it as an investment vehicle to create intergenerational wealth.”
“It’s amazing to see someone’s mindset change like that, because what was impossible is now possible – because seeing is believing.”
