In a world of many niches, Brandon Henry has taken a different approach. His peers often call him a Jack of all trades, but Brandon would refer to himself as an “Extreme Generalist,” master of nothing other than his time.
“I was dead set on mastering linear time from an early age. Most people don’t view time as a valuable asset in life until it’s too late, and they’re stuck wondering how much they’ve lost, instead of putting to work every bit of knowledge they’ve acquired in order to pivot when necessary, and push themselves to grow consistently,” Brandon says.
From an early age, Brandon knew time was the most important factor when it came to business and beyond. He spent many years trying to understand it, expanding his pool of knowledge on the subject, so when the time came, he would be ready to mobilize his skills. That chance has luckily come more than once – from age 15 until today, 21 years – Brandon has had 10 self-proclaimed “failed businesses”, resulting in 3 wildly successful versions of those failures.
Currently, Brandon manages those 3 businesses and centers them around his “Busyworkin” brand, which works to assist in the scaling of businesses that belong to his clients, by licensing his accrued intellectual property and procedures.
“Most people would refer to what I do as consulting in some manner, or fashion. I think of it more as daily possibilities: Each day I have the opportunity to engage myself with something I truly enjoy because each business I choose to involve myself in is a passion project. Sure, there’s a system in place to grow and scale many of those businesses, but these days, I’m focused mostly on helping my friends and family break their own wheels to become independent of ‘the system’ they’ve relied on for so long,” Brandon exclaims.
Brandon’s motivation to chase the entrepreneurial dream was plain and simple: a desire to be unlike anyone else, and passion for creating a legacy based on that desire.
“My mom always encouraged me to be whoever I felt like being, and taught me how to be ok with my emotions, and my dad challenged me to be better than who I was yesterday, often handing me books and instructions on how to stay ahead of the curve. In my younger years I was often confused on what it meant to “make my own path” even with their guidance, but as I got older and more experienced, I was able to draw on the dynamic relationship I had with my parents to test the boundaries of my reality and positively influence the world around me. It wasn’t until my early thirties did I finally put all of the pieces of the puzzle together,” Brandon suggests.
It’s in this true-to-self nature that Brandon finds his most powerful mindset, which he outlines as one of the most important aspects of starting and running your own business. In the business industry and beyond, knowing yourself is a vital part in working towards success.
“Full transparency with yourself is one of the most difficult things to achieve; Some call it ‘ego-death’, and it’s a necessary achievement in order to unlock your true potential” says Brandon.
As Brandon learned these lessons, he realized that he had the power and means to change the world around him…to change it for the good of others, as well as himself. While it may seem simple when stated so “matter of fact,” Brandon acknowledges that nothing is as easy as it seems, and these lessons are part of one’s personal journey. Regardless of this fact, Brandon encourages those looking to start their own business to keep going and moving forward, using the metaphor of climbing a mountain to illustrate the journey to the top.
“It is an incredible mountain to climb. Some would say it’s very hard to live with no money but choosing to wake up every day and make money for yourself, in your own business, your own way, is also very hard. It’s your choice which version of “hard” you wake up to everyday. But, once you have a path laid out, and you have a map to your personal treasure, you are the only one who can stop you. Don’t give up before you reach the top of the mountain,” Brandon remarks.
In 2021 Brandon is orchestrating the automation of services he continues to offer, which will amplify the accessibility of his team to new clients and projects. Brandon emphasizes the importance of maintaining the work and family-life balance during extreme business growth. He tells us “I never thought having kids would change who I am, or at least, I had hoped it wouldn’t, but I’ve created a personal brand that allows for me to pivot when necessary and still feel like I’m in control of it all…I worked hard to be able to enjoy the little things.” Brandon mentioned how much he loves being a dad and that business has never been better, which can remind us that finding balance should always be part of the ultimate goal.
To stay up to date with Brandon and his BUSYWORKIN brand, check out his Instagram page, or personal website.