2021 Men of the Year: Brandon Welch

Communication is Brandon Welch’s forte. He leads a team of 15 marketing and consulting professionals through the company he founded in 2014, Frank & Maven.

According to Welch, a leader must also be a communicator.

“I believe leadership is simple,” he says. “Help others define what they want, build a path to get there and remind them when they’re straying off that path.”

Through his consulting practice, Welch is an active coach to business leaders, engaging with more than 40 CEOs and others to help them reach their goals. “We re-examine what they are trying to make happen, and if their current actions are helping them get there,” he says. “This leads them to make meaningful action in countless areas of business and life.”

The work requires careful monitoring of the steps leaders are taking to try to reach their goals, according to Welch.

“It requires consistent attention to pointing people to the bigger thing they want, and most importantly, being frank with them when they aren’t honoring their own dreams,” Welch says.

Welch also practices what he preaches right at home. Each week he spends two hours coaching his team members in their own personal development.

“This has made our company much bigger than the work that we do,” he says. “It is about the impact we have on lives.” Welch worked in sales with The Works Auto Center, Palen Music Center and KY3, but he left that career when he was 24 to pursue what he calls his calling to help small-business owners grow to their fullest potential. He says most of his friends thought he was crazy.

 “With very little security or proof to offer anyone, I got others on board with my vision and developed a marketing methodology that gives companies a clear process for creating strategy and advertising that delivers real results,” he says.

The difference Welch offers at Frank & Maven is that he invests time into both professional and personal development of his team members. He also offers one-on-one mentorships to high school and college students.

Welch has published a book to guide small-business owners in avoiding waste in their marketing efforts. Its title is “The Maven Marketer: How to Stop Wasting Money on Advertising and Build a Legendary Business.” He also writes a regular blog to encourage people to be more authentic, kind and persistent.

During the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, Welch’s company shifted to a serve-without-pay model, with free webinars and marketing plans.

“We are told that this made a great impact for many who employed our tactics to find new ways of keeping business alive,” says Welch.

“The foundational mission statement of my company is ‘to help our team members and clients identify and achieve their dreams,’ and I can truly say that we do that daily.”