We were lucky to catch up with Brandon West recently and have shared our conversation below.
Brandon, appreciate you joining us today. Almost every entrepreneur we know has considered donating a portion of their sales to an organization or cause – how did you make the decision of whether to donate? We’d love to hear the backstory if you’re open to sharing the details.
We believe that businesses can be powerful platforms for redemption and restoration. Brandon’s vision is to use the marketplace not just for profit but to fund global hope and healing. This approach has inspired other purpose-driven leaders to co-labor with us, turning our mission into a shared movement.
PHOS donates 50% of its profits to launch care centers that serve women and children affected by extreme poverty and sex trafficking. This commitment has led to the establishment of 37 care centers across 18 countries, impacting over 6,000 lives.
Through our donor-advised fund, we’ve raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from external donors by encouraging marketing leaders to co-sponsor care centers, reflecting our belief that collaboration is better than competition.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
https://brandonmichaelwest.com/
Brandon West founded PHOS Creative at the age of 26 out of his home office. A strategy-first digital marketing agency headquartered in Florida, PHOS’ growth and culture have been highlighted in the Inc. 5000, Gator100, Florida Trend Magazine, and the Best Christian Workplaces Institute. Brandon was recently honored as one of the University of Florida’s 40 Gators Under 40 for his impact as a purpose-driven leader and entrepreneur.
PHOS Creative’s vision is to launch thirty care centers for women and children impacted by extreme poverty and sex trafficking by 2030. To date, PHOS has funded the start of 37 care centers in 18 countries, providing holistic care to over 6,000 women and children.
Author of It Is Not Your Business to Succeed, Brandon has shared his insights on nearly 100 different stages, addressing topics such as purpose-driven leadership, people-first culture, business as a ministry, authentic branding, and inbound marketing.
Away from his desk, Brandon enjoys dating his wife, mostly losing to his sons at board games, playing guitar and piano, and pastoring leaders at Salt Church and in the marketplace.
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At PHOS, we provide consulting, branding, web design, and digital marketing to SMBs with $1-10M in revenue. Usually, those businesses fall into four categories: service-based, nonprofit, education, or healthcare. But we don’t just build websites or run ads, we help businesses clarify their purpose, amplify their mission, and build trust with their audience. We work with clients who want to do more than grow revenue. They want to make a difference.
We’re most known for our Trust Funnel framework, a marketing philosophy rooted in building relational trust with audiences through empathy, authenticity, and value. It’s our response to a noisy digital world that prioritizes click-throughs over connection. And it’s part of what sets us apart: we believe marketing should feel more like ministry than manipulation.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
2022 was the worst year of my life (so far).
My mom died from Parkinson’s disease.
The largest business initiative I’d ever taken on fell apart.
We experienced significant staff turnover.
The agency faced public criticism for our ministry positioning.
I was having anxiety attacks for the first time in my life.
During our third quarterly vision meeting, I put this picture on the screen.
My family and I had been on vacation driving through the Gettysburg National Military Park when I heard the audio tour guide speak about this monument and I couldn’t help but pull over, get out, and walk over.
I stood next to this monument, ugly crying for almost ten minutes, while my family waited in the car, wondering what was happening.
The monument depicts four men charging into battle, holding guns and a flag as they advance toward the next hill, while their wounded commander kneels on the ground, pointing the way forward.
As I shared this story with my team, I turned to them and said, “This year, you’ve been those people for me—charging the hill while I lay wounded on the ground, only able to point the way forward.”
Sometimes, that’s all a leader can do: lie on the ground, bleeding, and point the way.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
At PHOS, we believe the highest calling of leadership is to help people flourish. Not just in their careers, but in every area of life. Financially. Intellectually. Spiritually. Physically. Emotionally. Relationally.
If you want to maintain high morale, we can’t just manage tasks. We have to invest in people. Don’t just build a high-performing team. Build a healthy one.
That is why we created the Flourishing Framework. To put structure around what it means to lead with purpose and care in every part of your organization. Morale does not come from perks. It comes from trust, clarity, and culture that consistently puts people first.
When people flourish, organizations flourish.
And that starts with a leader who chooses to care with consistency and lead with purpose, every single day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://phoscreative.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phoscreative/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PHOScreative/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonmichaelwest/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@phoscreative
Image Credits
PHOS Creative