WIT Podcast Whatever It Takes

Brandon James
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Entrepreneurship

Introducing the WIT Podcast: Whatever It Takes Life has been a wild ride for me—full of ups and downs, wins and losses. 6.5 years ago, I walked out of prison with nothing. I was given another chance at life, and I made a promise to myself and to God: I would give it everything I've got, hold nothing back, and leave it all on the field. I committed to doing Whatever It Takes. Since then, the journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. From scaling a business from $0 to $55 million, navigating setbacks, closing private equity deals, and helping others grow, I've learned that success isn't just about the wins—it's about failing forward, staying consistent, and relentlessly pursuing growth. The WIT Podcast isn't just about professional growth; it's about real, raw experiences—the kind that transform every area of your life. We're here to share the hard truths, the strategies that work, and the lessons learned from doing Whatever It Takes. This isn't just a podcast; it's a blueprint for anyone ready to take on life's challenges and come out stronger.

  1. 1d ago

    108. The Year Isn't Over! Everyone Else Is Slowing Down. This Is When You Attack.

    The year isn't over just because things haven't gone according to plan. On this episode of the Whatever It Takes Podcast, Brandon J and Joey Yak challenge you to stop looking at where you thought you'd be and start focusing on what you're going to do with the time you still have. Whether you're ahead of your target or staring at a massive gap, Brandon's message is the same: don't coast into the finish line. Get clear on the exact target. Understand why it matters to your family and your future. Identify the gap. Then reverse engineer it all the way down to the monthly, weekly, and daily actions that are within your control. Brandon also breaks down why standards become even more important when things get difficult. Anybody can talk about being different when business is good. The separation happens when the market gets harder, results aren't coming as quickly, and everyone around you starts slowing down. That's when you find out what your standard actually is. They dive into holding your team accountable without giving up on them, having the hard conversations you've been avoiding, protecting your culture, and why great leaders can't constantly jump in and save the day. Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone is give them enough room to struggle, solve the problem, and build the confidence that only comes from making it through the pressure themselves. Most importantly, Brandon challenges you to stop making your effort contingent on your circumstances. The market doesn't decide your effort. Your results don't decide your effort. Your team doesn't decide your effort. You do. Anchor the work to something that matters so much that quitting is no longer an option. Surround yourself with people who are fighting toward the same standard. Then take action—even when it's hard, even when it isn't perfect, and especially when everyone else starts tapping out. You still have time. Finish what you started. Leave everything on the field. And make sure when you look back on this year, you know you did your part. Links: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whatever-it-takes-podcast/id1811772757 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhateverItTakesPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0sSzR7yw3PiVBCMNhzYBg6 Join our free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16VU4A8d8A/?mibextid=wwXIfr

  2. 3d ago

    107. How To Prepare For The Right Private Equity Partnership

    Private equity can completely change the future of your business—but only if you build the right company and choose the right partnership. On this episode of the Whatever It Takes Podcast, Brandon J and Joey Yak break down what business owners should be thinking about long before they ever consider a private equity deal. Brandon shares lessons from his own experience growing Brandon J Roofing and eventually entering a private equity partnership. From clean financials and strong margins to job costing, leadership infrastructure, retail revenue, and building a company that doesn't collapse without its founder, he explains what can make a business more attractive and valuable to potential partners. But preparing the company is only part of it. Brandon explains why owners need to develop leaders who can carry the standard without them, reward the people who helped build the business, and create a vision big enough for their team's dreams to fit inside it. A great business shouldn't depend on one person to survive. They also dive into something that gets overlooked when people start dreaming about a massive exit: preparing yourself for the money. If you haven't developed the discipline to manage wealth before the deal, suddenly receiving millions of dollars won't automatically create that discipline. Brandon challenges owners to build their financial foundation, strengthen their identity, and become capable of stewarding the opportunity before it arrives. The goal isn't simply to sell your company. It's to build a profitable machine, develop great people, create options, and put yourself in a position where you don't NEED the deal. Then, if the right opportunity comes, you can choose a partnership capable of changing your team's and family's lives for generations. If private equity is part of your long-term vision, start preparing for it now.   Links: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whatever-it-takes-podcast/id1811772757 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhateverItTakesPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0sSzR7yw3PiVBCMNhzYBg6 Join our free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16VU4A8d8A/?mibextid=wwXIfr

  3. Sep 9

    106. From Rock Bottom to a Life I Never Thought I Could Have

    On this solo episode of the Whatever It Takes Podcast, Brandon J shares his story from the beginning—the parts of his life that are easy to see today and the ones that aren't. Long before the business, success, or life he has now, Brandon spent years believing that a better future simply wasn't meant for someone like him. He entered the juvenile system at 12, dropped out of school at 16, battled addiction, spent nearly a decade incarcerated, and eventually reached a point where he felt completely trapped by the life he had created. Then came the moment that changed everything. After hitting rock bottom, Brandon began rebuilding his life through faith, sobriety, humility, discipline, and a willingness to finally accept that his way wasn't working. He started repairing relationships, returned to construction, and eventually took a chance on himself and started a company with Kelly believing in him when he struggled to believe in himself. What began with small handyman jobs eventually became a roofing company that grew from roughly $550,000 to $3 million, $6 million, $10 million, and ultimately $30 million in annual revenue. But Brandon makes it clear that the numbers aren't the point of the story. The transformation of the person behind those numbers is. Brandon shares the lessons he learned about finding the right people, holding a higher standard, investing in personal development, getting into rooms with people ahead of him, preparing before the opportunity arrives, protecting his marriage and family, and staying aligned with the vision God placed on his life. Most importantly, this conversation is for anyone who has ever looked at their past or current circumstances and decided they're too far gone. Your struggle might look different from Brandon's. But the lesson is the same: where you started doesn't have to determine where you finish. Stop disqualifying yourself. Stop living as the victim of your past. Decide who you want to become, put in the work, stay faithful, and relentlessly pursue the life you know you're capable of building. If Brandon could turn his life around, maybe it's time to believe you can too.   Links: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whatever-it-takes-podcast/id1811772757 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhateverItTakesPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0sSzR7yw3PiVBCMNhzYBg6 Join our free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16VU4A8d8A/?mibextid=wwXIfr

  4. Sep 7

    105. Leadership Isn't a Title. It's a Responsibility.

    On this episode of the Whatever It Takes Podcast, Brandon J breaks down what it really means to become a leader—and why leadership has far less to do with a title and everything to do with influence, responsibility, and example. Using the five levels of leadership as a framework, Brandon explains the progression from people following you because they have to, to becoming the kind of leader people trust because of who you are, what you represent, and the impact you've had on their lives. But getting there requires more than becoming great at your job. Brandon explains why the next level of leadership happens when the focus shifts from "look what I can do" to "look what they can do." Great leaders don't just produce results—they develop people. He also breaks down one of the biggest mistakes leaders make: constantly stepping in to solve every problem. While it might feel like you're helping, you could actually be robbing your people of the experiences they need to develop confidence, resilience, and ownership. Sometimes leadership means stepping back, allowing someone to struggle, and coaching them as they learn to solve the problem themselves. Brandon also challenges leaders to have the conversations they're avoiding, stop tolerating behavior that threatens the culture, and live the same standards they expect from everyone around them. Because your team doesn't need another boss telling them what to do. They need someone willing to lead from the front, invest in who they're becoming, and take responsibility for helping them win. They're betting their lives on you. Make sure they win. Links: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whatever-it-takes-podcast/id1811772757 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhateverItTakesPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0sSzR7yw3PiVBCMNhzYBg6 Join our free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16VU4A8d8A/?mibextid=wwXIfr

  5. Sep 2

    104. How to Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy

    On this episode of the Whatever It Takes Podcast, Joey Yak and Brandon J go beyond business and into a battle that affects every area of life: the one happening inside your own mind. Brandon opens up about spending the first half of his life as his own worst enemy—running from hard things, believing he wasn't qualified or strong enough, breaking commitments to himself, and allowing the wrong voice in his head to dictate his decisions. He explains how everything began to change when he stopped blaming the world around him and recognized that if he wasn't intentional, he could become the greatest threat to everything he cared about. They dive into what it means to stand guard over your life: protecting your spiritual foundation, recognizing the weaknesses that can pull you out of alignment, surrounding yourself with people who hold a higher standard, and having enough humility to admit where you need help. Brandon also shares why humility isn't weakness, why self-awareness has to be developed intentionally, and why growth requires accepting that you're going to fail your way forward. Instead of pretending to be perfect, the goal is to become more aware, take ownership, and keep getting back up. Because the biggest threats aren't always coming from the outside. Sometimes they're the excuses, distractions, resentment, fear, ego, temptation, and lack of discipline happening between your own two ears. Stand guard. Protect what you're building. And don't wait until another wake-up call forces you to change. Links: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whatever-it-takes-podcast/id1811772757 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhateverItTakesPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0sSzR7yw3PiVBCMNhzYBg6 Join our free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16VU4A8d8A/?mibextid=wwXIfr

  6. Aug 31

    103. Stuck at $5M? Here's What I Would Change

    On this episode of the Whatever It Takes Podcast, Joey Yak puts Brandon J in the hot seat for a new Business Breakdown—taking a real business owner's challenges and asking one question: What would Brandon do if this were his company? The business is generating over $5 million in annual revenue with 28 employees, but the owner feels like everything still depends on him. His goal is to reach $10 million, but Brandon believes the answer isn't simply hiring more people or waiting three years to get there. It starts with getting clear on the target, reverse engineering the numbers, identifying the right people, and becoming the leader capable of taking the organization to another level. Brandon and Joey break down why standards mean nothing if you're unwilling to enforce them, why you can't build a high-performing culture while tolerating mediocre behavior, and why measurable scoreboards are critical when you're trying to scale. Brandon also explains how he approaches developing people, having difficult conversations, creating accountability, and building an environment where top performers can thrive. The biggest lesson: you get what you tolerate. If your company feels stuck, your team isn't taking ownership, or everything still has to run through you, this episode will challenge you to look at the business—and your leadership—differently.   Links: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whatever-it-takes-podcast/id1811772757 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhateverItTakesPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0sSzR7yw3PiVBCMNhzYBg6 Join our free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16VU4A8d8A/?mibextid=wwXIfr

  7. Aug 26

    102. How To Learn The Long Game Of Wealth

    On this episode of the Whatever It Takes Podcast, Brandon J sits down with longtime friend and mentor Jeff Garner for a conversation about what it actually takes to build wealth that lasts. Jeff shares lessons from decades of making money, losing money, rebuilding, and completely changing the way he thought about financial success. After experiencing major setbacks during the 2008 financial crisis, he realized that making a lot of money and actually creating financial security are two very different things. Brandon and Jeff break down the importance of playing the long game—staying disciplined, becoming great at what you do, keeping your lifestyle under control, and making intentional decisions with the money you earn. They also discuss why chasing the next big opportunity can sometimes pull entrepreneurs away from the very thing that made them successful in the first place. This conversation is about shifting from short-term thinking to long-term thinking. It's about understanding that wealth isn't built by trying to look successful—it's built through patience, discipline, consistency, and making decisions today that your future self and your family will benefit from for decades. If you're making money but wondering how to turn that success into something sustainable, this conversation is for you. Links: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whatever-it-takes-podcast/id1811772757 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhateverItTakesPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0sSzR7yw3PiVBCMNhzYBg6 Join our free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16VU4A8d8A/?mibextid=wwXIfr

  8. Aug 24

    101. The Broke Millionaire Trap: Why Looking Rich Keeps You Poor

    On this episode of the Whatever It Takes Podcast, Joey Yak sits down with Brandon J to tackle a financial trap Brandon sees everywhere: people making more money than ever while working even harder to look wealthy instead of actually becoming wealthy. Brandon shares how his own approach to money started after coming home from prison, when he became disciplined about keeping his expenses low, building an emergency fund, saving aggressively, and asking himself one question: If I didn't bring in another dollar after today, how long would my family be okay? The conversation breaks down why earning more money won't fix poor financial habits, how lifestyle inflation can keep even high earners living paycheck to paycheck, and why every dollar needs a purpose before it ever reaches your account. Brandon also explains why having a clear vision and financial targets helped him avoid getting distracted by expensive cars, clothes, vacations, and the pressure to appear more successful than he actually was. This isn't about never enjoying your money. It's about building the foundation first. Brandon challenges listeners to get honest about their finances, stop being seduced by short-term success, create real security for their families, and start making decisions their future selves will thank them for. Because looking rich and being wealthy are two completely different things.   Links: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whatever-it-takes-podcast/id1811772757 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhateverItTakesPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0sSzR7yw3PiVBCMNhzYBg6 Join our free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16VU4A8d8A/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Introducing the WIT Podcast: Whatever It Takes Life has been a wild ride for me—full of ups and downs, wins and losses. 6.5 years ago, I walked out of prison with nothing. I was given another chance at life, and I made a promise to myself and to God: I would give it everything I've got, hold nothing back, and leave it all on the field. I committed to doing Whatever It Takes. Since then, the journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. From scaling a business from $0 to $55 million, navigating setbacks, closing private equity deals, and helping others grow, I've learned that success isn't just about the wins—it's about failing forward, staying consistent, and relentlessly pursuing growth. The WIT Podcast isn't just about professional growth; it's about real, raw experiences—the kind that transform every area of your life. We're here to share the hard truths, the strategies that work, and the lessons learned from doing Whatever It Takes. This isn't just a podcast; it's a blueprint for anyone ready to take on life's challenges and come out stronger.

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