Brandon J. Hurst - BJH Brand

Education has always been important to me — especially because I was a beneficiary of community events like this growing up.

I know firsthand that what may seem like a small gesture can mean the world to a child and their family.

Last week, we were grateful to support the Office of Council Member Council Member Crystal Hudson at the Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch, where 1,000 backpacks were distributed to local students and families.

Our Chick-fil-A team also gifted breakfast cards to the first 250 students and families who came out.

There’s something special about being in a position to give back in some of the same ways others once poured into me.

Proud to keep showing up for Brooklyn and investing in the next generation.

📌 Save this as a reminder that small gestures go further than we think.

🔁 Tag someone who poured into you growing up — a teacher, mentor, coach, neighbor.

Who showed up for you when you were a kid? Tell me below.

I thought working harder would get me promoted.

Late nights. Early mornings. Extra shifts.

Then I got overlooked.

And to add insult to injury? I had to train the guy who got the job.

Sound familiar?

Looking back, I had the technical skills.
He had something I’d underestimated: people skills.

That’s the Leadership Iceberg — the same framework I use to develop my own team.

Results and ex*****on are the 20% everyone sees.

The other 80% is below the surface: self-awareness, communication, maturity, relationships, and your ability to lead people.

I kept working harder on the 20% when I needed to develop the 80%.

Sometimes working harder won’t get you to the next level. Growing differently will.

📌 Save this if you’ve been grinding on the wrong 20%.

🔁 Share it with someone who’s about to make the same mistake I did.

Stop scrolling if you keep circling the same decision.

These are the 4 questions that told me I was ready to take mine.

When I opened my first two Chick-fil-A restaurants in Brooklyn, the risk didn’t go away — I got comfortable with the risk that remained.

That’s where the 𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗞 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 in 𝙊𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 comes from

R — Reality: What’s actually true about this risk?

I — Investigate Impact: What could it cost me? What could I gain?

S — Seek Counsel: Who’s seen what I might be missing?

K — Know Your Contingency: If Plan A doesn’t work, what’s Plan B?

I worked through it before I said yes — and working through it is what made saying yes easier.

The version of you that finally starts is the same version that’s been scared this whole time. It just stopped waiting.

If you’ve been reading all month and still haven’t taken the first step: you may not need more motivation.

You may need a better understanding of the risk.

Don’t ask “what if this doesn’t work?”
Ask “if it doesn’t work, then what?”
There’s power in knowing you have an answer.

📌 Save this so the framework is here when you’re ready.

🔁 Share it with someone who’s been planning long enough.

I’d rather hear bad news today while we still have options than hear worse news three weeks from now because someone was afraid of my reaction.

What actually happens in your business the moment someone brings you bad news?

That’s the real test of your culture.

What do you tell someone who’s using “I’m not ready” as the reason they haven’t started?

I didn’t start my first quadplex with an offer.
I started with questions.

What would it take?
How much capital?
What would a bank require?
What regulations mattered?
Who knew something I didn’t?

Each answer led to the next question.

The idea that felt too big became a series of decisions I could actually make.

“I’m not ready” usually just means “I don’t know enough yet.”

👉🏾 Go find out.

Save this one if you need it later.

One week in, and the thing that’s surprised me most isn’t the numbers.

It’s the reason behind them.

People aren’t pre-ordering because they’ve read a synopsis.

They’re pre-ordering because they’ve been watching.

If you’ve been one of those people — I see you, and I’m grateful.

Drop a word in the comments about what you’re most looking forward to in 𝙊𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛.

Have you ever had to tell someone talented that their results weren’t the whole story?

One of the harder conversations I’ve had was telling a high-performing leader that her business results were strong, but her 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 wasn’t at the same level yet.

I had to tell her, “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯-𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘱𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭.”

That conversation was tough because when you have talented people, you know they have options.

Another company may offer them more money tomorrow and require less of them.

But leadership isn’t keeping people by lowering the standard.

It’s caring enough about their growth to tell them what their performance alone can’t.

The goal wasn’t to push her out. It was to help her grow into the leader I knew she could become.

If you’ve had this conversation — or you’re avoiding one right now — save this for when you need it.

You’ve stacked the certifications.
Taken on more responsibility.
Waited for someone to notice.

Still passed over.

Here’s what nobody tells you: readiness was never the missing piece.

The work you’re doing right now, the work nobody’s clapping for, is the actual qualification.

The promotion just proves it was already there.

So while you wait: who are you becoming?

Save this for the next time you wonder why the timing hasn’t caught up yet.