By: Joshua Finley
Brad Burns has come a long way from his 900-square-foot childhood home in rural Missouri. After starting his career in commercial real estate finance, the 2008 recession forced Brad to pivot. He spent time in architecture and commercial contracting, facing more career shakeups along the way.
As Brad reflects, “Within a couple of weeks, I started getting calls from people that I tried to onboard as clients at the last place, but didn’t meet that companies’ expectations so we weren’t able to bring them on… They reached out and said, ‘Hey, where are you going to go? We want to follow you.'” With uncertainty ahead, Brad leaned on his relationships and work ethic to slowly but surely build traction.
Now, a decade later, Brad has founded several successful companies spanning general contracting, signage, concrete work, seafood distribution, and more.
Overcoming Setbacks to Build Success
Brad’s path to entrepreneurship was fueled by overcoming challenges. He shares, “Growing up, we didn’t have a ton. We weren’t a wealthy family. We lived in a little 900-square-foot country house in rural Missouri.” Brad was driven to create a better life for himself and his family. He aimed to be the “Henry Ford” of his family—changing the paradigm through education and business ownership.
After earning his Master’s degree, Brad gained valuable experience in business turnarounds and commercial real estate. He reflects, “You just see all these people that have multiple businesses, or they all have a portfolio of real estate with a business or two, and you’re like, ‘Alright, this guy’s doing something right. I want to figure that out.'”
In 2014, while between jobs, Brad seized opportunities to complete small contracting projects. This kickstarted his general contracting firm, growing it from humble beginnings to nearly $7 million in annual revenue today.
Turning Relationships into Business Opportunities
A pattern in Brad’s success has been spotting talent and creating opportunities. As general contracting jobs expanded into signage and graphics, Brad partnered with a friend he developed at SLU while completing his Master’s Degree, who had lifelong print shop experience. Though hesitant to leave his family business, Max had the technical knowledge to create value that could be monetized.
Brad reflects, “It took a little bit of convincing for him to leave the family print shop, but we got to a point where it was necessary for him to have a heart-to-heart conversation with his dad about what was going on.” They founded the signage company Vizex in 2019, which now boasts nearly $7 million in annual revenue. Brad has repeated this process in concrete, seafood distribution, and other ventures by identifying capable partners and giving them the support to step out into entrepreneurship.
Making a Difference Through Entrepreneurship
For Brad, entrepreneurship has never been about profit alone. He shares, “I decided really young that I wanted to be like the Henry Ford in my family. Shift the paradigm and push people to think beyond societal constraints and push for their dreams.”
Brad also aims to set an example for his five kids, preparing them to work hard and overcome potential adversity. He says, “It comes from adversity. So, I’m trying to figure out a way to create some adversity in their lives that pushes them and makes them feel challenged so that they want to put in the effort to reach the next level.”
Giving back is equally important to Brad. He serves on the board of Junior Achievement, teaching financial literacy and entrepreneurship to youth. He is also the Board President of Haven House that supports traveling patients and families that come to the Saint Louis metro area to receive medical care.
Advice to Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Brad believes that giving up too soon is the biggest mistake for aspiring entrepreneurs. As he shares, “What’s the worst that’s going to happen? You quit your 9-to-5 job, and you give it, let’s say, a year or two years, and say, ‘Alright, I’m going to go after this full effort and put everything into it. If you get to the point where it doesn’t work, you can say you gave it your best effort. At that point, you could simply go back to a 9-5 gig with better skills.”
He advises going all in on your goals and vision—whether for a year or two or longer. Stay relentless in chasing your dreams. This determination is what separates the dreamers from the doers. For driven Missouri entrepreneur Brad Burns, this mindset has been the key to overcoming adversity and finding success time and time again.
To learn more about Brad Burns, visit his LinkedIn profile here.
Published by: Martin De Juan
