How One Instagram DM Changed Everything with Braxton Kilgo

What if sending one Instagram DM could completely change the trajectory of your life and business?

In this episode, Braxton Kilgo, Founder & CEO of I Believe In You (IBIY), shares his incredible journey from a small town in Texas with just 200 people to building a global movement that's touched lives in over 20 countries and 100+ cities. After a career-ending football injury forced him to reimagine his future, Braxton discovered his true calling when a middle school principal's phone call led him to create stickers that said "I believe in you" - sparking a ripple effect of kindness he couldn't ignore. From frantically rewriting a speech 24 hours before delivery to receiving stories about lives saved, Braxton reveals how one bold DM to a stranger in Scottsdale introduced him to his business partners Joey and Dylan, who brought him into a world of entrepreneurs that transformed everything.

Through the power of "big belief leading to big action," Braxton built IBIY - a tech-enabled bracelet movement where small acts of kindness create measurable waves of impact, with partnerships including Tony Robbins' Mastermind.com and Recovery Unplugged that happened before they even officially launched their B2B offering.

Braxton shares why "show up to serve, not sell" will 10x everything you're doing, how being kind and asking "how can I help you?" creates an army of people ready to connect you with anything you need, and why the person giving the bracelet might experience something even more powerful than the person receiving it.

 

[00:05:19] What Braxton Does: Building a Kindness Movement with Technology

• Founded I Believe In You (IBIY) - a movement centered on one core belief: small acts of kindness can make big waves of impact

• Flagship product: Bracelets with "I believe in you" message that you wear with the intention to give away

• Each bracelet contains an NFC chip synced with mobile app - tap your phone to see personalized video/photo messages and track the bracelet's journey

• Track every city, country, and person impacted - watch your ripple effect spread around the world even after you give it away

• Mission: Create an army of "wave makers" to make impact as individuals and businesses

[00:07:40] The Origin Story: From Football Dreams to Purpose

• Grew up in May, Texas - a town of 200 people where his whole family lived on one farm

• Thought his only path out was playing in the NFL

• Got to college on a football scholarship but struggled with injuries, limping off the field every day after practice

• Strength coach Coach Ramey pulled him aside: "I think you were made for something bigger than this, and I think you also want to be able to run around in the yard with your kids one day"

• Eventually dropped out, went back to the farm and oil field, returned to school and started a clothing company called Vision about defining your version of success

[00:10:41] The Pivotal Moment: A Principal's Phone Call That Changed Everything

• Got invited to speak at a middle school (about 10 schools in, wasn't very good yet)

• Principal called 24 hours before: "I wanted to remind you what some of the kids are going through at home and at school so you really know who you're talking to"

• Spent 10 minutes breaking Braxton's heart with stories

• Braxton told his brother: "I wrote the wrong speech. I'm not qualified"

[00:12:37] The Unexpected Impact: When Kindness Goes Viral

• Principal called days later: Kids were being nicer to each other in hallways and to staff

• Parents called thanking them for the speaker because of conversations kids started at home

• Local businesses called asking "what are these ugly ass stickers these kids are sticking on everything?"

• At 19 years old, shipped bracelets to 16 different countries, appeared on TV channels and podcasts

[00:15:01] The Long Journey: From 19 to 30 and Back Again

• Realized he didn't know any entrepreneurs - "the only person I knew that was maybe a business person was the guy who had more cows next door"

• Put IBIY on pause to learn how to be a business person and build the technology

• Built another company (Hours Global - business consulting) that he used to fund IBIY

• Worked with 1,000+ clients in sales, branding, and high-level partnerships over the decade

• Now ready to launch IBIY to the world at age 30 (turns 30 next week)

[00:18:29] The Million Dollar Question: A Life-Changing Introduction

• Who Changed Everything: Joey and Dylan (his business partners)

[00:19:25] Pivotal People: Joey and Dylan - The Instagram DM That Changed Everything

• Was planning to move to Fort Lauderdale with his best friend/brother

• Two friends convinced them to move to Scottsdale instead - "at least come for a little while"

• On the drive to Scottsdale in a U-Haul, looked for people doing cool stuff on Instagram

• Never had true friends who were also entrepreneurs before meeting Joey and Dylan

• They introduced him to Devon who runs Arizona Entrepreneurs, which is where he met Nico

[00:21:18] The Scottsdale Effect: From 10 Months to 5 Years

• Original plan: Stay in Scottsdale for 10-12 months then leave

• Reality: Stayed for 5 years and was the last one there after all his friends moved

• Joey and Dylan are now his business partners in IBIY

• They're the reason he brought IBIY back when he did

[00:23:20] The Arizona Entrepreneurs Connection: Opening Doors Everywhere

• Joey and Dylan introduced him to the Arizona Entrepreneurs community

• Became the official marketing partner of the entire Arizona Entrepreneur group

• His first investor for IBIY came from one of those stages

• Got to sit on stages with "some of the top entrepreneurs in the world" even though they'd done "astronomically more" than him"

[00:31:42] The Three Pillars of IBIY

1. Direct-to-Consumer: Bracelets sold online to anyone in the world; each collection gives back to a charity

2. Culture Shift Tour: Speaking at hundreds of schools around the country every year (led by partner Jared), recreating the original sticker moment with real bracelets

3. B2B Partnerships: Custom co-branded bracelets for nonprofits, churches, retreats, conferences, and businesses with custom messaging and packaging

[00:32:40] The Partnership Program: Impact You Can Track

• Organizations get completely co-branded bracelets and packaging

• Can leave a custom message on the front of all bracelets (video from founder/leader appears first time it's tapped)

• Working with major companies BEFORE officially launching: Recovery Unplugged, Mastermind.com (Tony Robbins and Dean Graziosi), Dick's Sporting Goods meeting scheduled, ClickFunnels reached out

• All from texting friends and reaching out through personal relationships - no marketing yet

[00:38:59] Braxton's Advice: Big Belief, Big Action, Big Results

• "You have to believe you are before you are and you have to believe like absurdly"

• "Big belief leads to big action, which is the only way to get those big results"

• "Little belief leads to little action, which then basically just has you re-solidify in your mind that you couldn't do it"

• "If you want the magic, you gotta take some risks. There's no risk, there's no magic"

[00:41:00] The Giver's Gift

• "It's really awesome for the people that receive the bracelet, but I think it might still be more powerful to the person that gives it away"

 

KEY QUOTES

"Small acts of kindness can make big waves of impact." - Braxton Kilgo

"You have to believe you are before you are and you have to believe like absurdly. Big belief leads to big action, which is the only way to get those big results." - Braxton Kilgo

"If you show up to serve, not sell, it will 10x everything that you're doing." - Braxton Kilgo

"If you want the magic, you gotta take some risks. There's no risk, there's no magic." - Braxton Kilgo

CONNECT WITH BRAXTON KILGO

🌐 Website: https://www.ibelieveinyou.io 

🌐 Personal Website: https://www.braxtonkilgo.com 

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/braxton-kilgo-82060ba2 

📸 Instagram: @ibelieveinyou.io (for IBIY) and Braxton Kilgo (personal - behind the scenes)

 

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