Hustle Reimagined: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Beating the Odds is more than a business book — it’s a blueprint for transformation.
Brandon D. Cox shares his raw and remarkable journey from a life derailed by adversity to launching a thriving streetwear brand, Crookd Crown Clothier, from behind prison walls. With authenticity, grit, and unwavering purpose, Cox redefines what it means to hustle — not for survival, but for legacy.
Blending real-life lessons with street-smart strategy, this book delivers actionable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs, creatives, and anyone ready to rise above circumstance. Whether you’re building a business, rebuilding your life, or both, Hustle Reimagined offers clarity, courage, and community for the road ahead.
If you've ever felt like the system was stacked against you — this book proves you can still win.
Hustle Reimagined: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Beating the Odds is more than a business book — it’s a blueprint for transformation.
Brandon D. Cox shares his raw and remarkable journey from a life derailed by adversity to launching a thriving streetwear brand, Crookd Crown Clothier, from behind prison walls. With authenticity, grit, and unwavering purpose, Cox redefines what it means to hustle — not for survival, but for legacy.
Blending real-life lessons with street-smart strategy, this book delivers actionable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs, creatives, and anyone ready to rise above circumstance. Whether you’re building a business, rebuilding your life, or both, Hustle Reimagined offers clarity, courage, and community for the road ahead.
If you've ever felt like the system was stacked against you — this book proves you can still win.
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ince an early age, I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset and outlook on life. Growing up on the north side of Omaha, equitable opportunities weren’t always attainable. Disenfranchised areas like mine often meant a lack of access to resources, role models, and the pathways needed for success. However, my unique upbringing set the foundation for my journey as a hustler and entrepreneur.
My mother is white, and my father is Black, a combination that, in my experience, gave me certain disadvantages.At the same time, living within both cultures offered advantages in understanding people, values, and perspectives. I’m a sponge when it comes to information, always seeking to understand the how and why of things. This curiosity and adaptability allowed me to learn from the entrepreneurs around me, whether their businesses were legal or illegal. I soaked up a surplus of priceless knowledge that would shape my path forward.
My stepdad, Bass, who I call Dad and who raised me as his own, was a natural hustler and salesman. Bass could sell a Chevy to Henry Ford himself. Since I could remember, he’d buy and sell cars, with vehicles parked everywhere—even on the grass. Selling cars was a hustle I picked up on early, going to car auctions with him by the age of 15. While I wasn’t legally allowed to drive or even register an ID to buy cars, I didn’t let that stop me. The cars were put in my dad’s name, and I sold them. It was a practical education in business and negotiation.
Being so young presented unique challenges. I vividly recall buying two Pontiac Grand Ams at an auction. One was particularly nice. A potential buyer, a girl my age, loved the car and convinced her parents to consider it. When I arrived at her mom’s workplace in a wealthy neighborhood, her mom couldn’t see past my youth and appearance. Despite her mechanic confirming the car was in great condition, her mom’s suspicion cost me the sale. That experience taught me an essential lesson: perception matters. From that day forward, I began dressing the part and became more aware of how others viewed me. Missing a sale due to my image was unacceptable.
My dad’s motto, “everything is for sale,” stuck with me. He’d say, “If someone offers you more than what you paid for it, sell it. If you had it once, you can get it again.” This logic shaped how I viewed opportunities and value in life. While “everything is for sale” can be controversial, it’s a mindset grounded in understanding that everything in life has value or a price.
Another hustle my dad had was selling meat. Known as "The Meatman,” he’d buy boxes of steaks and repackage them for resale, doubling his investment several times a week. At just 14 and 15, I’d be sent out with one of his friends to sell meat while my dad worked on cars or closed deals. His hustle became mine, and over time, his friends would marvel, saying, “Bass, he’s taken your hustle to another level.”
Another huge motivation for me was my granny. This woman is made of steel and the toughest woman I’ve ever met! She didn’t play games, and when you were around her, you carried yourself with respect. When she moved from Mississippi to Omaha, she was on a mission. A true entrepreneur who had all odds against her, she worked tirelessly, taking what she earned from her job and investing it in properties. She would fix them up and rent them out. This was before the outrageous inflation we see today, and houses were much more affordable. She lucked out when she married Tommy, a carpenter who could fix or build whatever she needed. But make no mistake—my Granny was hands-on too. She wasn’t afraid to get dirty, laying carpet, painting, or handling whatever the job required.
She outsourced jobs to trusted contractors she had worked with for years. Her properties allowed her to collect residual income and live comfortably. I witnessed the adversities she faced as a black woman in a male-dominated field, both at work and in real estate. Selling homes at market value presented its own challenges due to inequities. But Granny never backed down. She tackled each situation with resourcefulness, finding ways to make things work in her favor. For a country woman from Mississippi, that was nothing short of impressive.
Granny would help anyone who needed it, but she always had work for you to do in return. That trait passed down to my dad and, in turn, to me. When I was 16, my mom kicked me out of the house because I had become too much to handle after dropping out of school. Granny welcomed me to live with her and Tommy, who had Alzheimer’s. At that age, I never imagined I’d shave another man, give him a bath, or help him after he’d used the bathroom. But situational circumstances and the love you have for family can make even the hardest tasks seem easy.
Granny insisted I finish school and do something productive with my life. She told me I could stay with her only if I agreed to her rules: I had to go back to school, work for her, and be in the house by midnight. The very day I moved in, she took me to register for night school. Her message was clear: there’s no time to waste. Working for her at $7 an hour wasn’t much compared to my hustles at the time, but now I understand the work ethic she was trying to instill in me. I’m grateful for her love and guidance.
After years of saving and investing, Granny sold most of her properties and returned to Mississippi with her spoils. I miss her lessons and her cooking—there’s nothing like down-south soul food. She was the first person to inspire me to own and invest in property. Land ownership, I’ve learned, is one of the greatest keys to wealth and security. I love you Granny!
My uncle John also played a significant role in shaping my entrepreneurial spirit. He started a digging and excavating company at 20 and built it from the ground up. Living with him and my aunt Tricia, I saw firsthand the hard work and struggle required to make a vision a reality. The grind didn’t feel like a struggle at the time because it was simply our norm. From him, I learned the importance of humility, consistency, and professionalism. I also gained practical skills, like operating heavy machinery. Even decades later, I’m confident I could still run a backhoe.
My biological dad, John, who I call Pops, was a real estate professional. Watching him at his peak was inspiring to say the least. He had a gift for networking and could connect with anyone, regardless of age, race, or background. Seeing him handle negotiations with grace and confidence showed me the power of effective communication. His example taught me that relationships are one of the most valuable currencies in business and life.
Growing up in north Omaha, known as “the hood,” “the trenches,” or “the ghetto,” meant constant exposure to challenges like poverty, violence, and systemic inequities. My dad’s connections to the streets introduced me to a wide range of characters—from pimps and petty hustlers to drug dealers and hitmen. Despite their diverse paths, they all shared a common motivation and goal: MONEY. The lessons I absorbed from these experiences were invaluable.
The obstacles faced in the streets are endless: poverty, lack of education, racial inequities, and the absence of hope. For those of us who rise above, our grind is different because it has to be. My primary hustles included selling cars, drugs, and, at times, leveraging relationships. Time, I’ve learned, is the most valuable asset we have. How we spend it defines our priorities and shapes our future. Mismanagement of time is a missed opportunity, and in the streets, every decision can mean the difference between success and disaster.
Being an entrepreneur was never just a choice for me—it was the ONLY option. My experiences, both legal and illegal, taught me the importance of integrity in business. Whether selling cars or drugs, I always prioritized treating customers fairly. One bad deal could ruin your reputation and cause more problems than it was worth. Good business is built on trust, word of mouth, and repeat customers and that applies to any industry.
For me, entrepreneurship isn’t just a career; it’s a legacy. It’s about taking the hustle, the lessons, adversities faced and the resilience I’ve gained and building something that lasts. Everything I’ve learned has prepared me to create a brand, provide for the ones I love, and inspire others to redefine what’s possible, no matter where they start.
I love comeback stories, which is why I wanted to read this book. In Hustle Reimagined: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Beating the Odds, Brandon Cox provides a blueprint for transformation. The author presents an unfiltered memoir that can inspire hope in entrepreneurs building their businesses from unlikely beginnings. Those who prefer shorter stories will appreciate this book, as its chapters are concise, yet Brandon Cox manages to pack a lot into this brief volume.
In Hustle Reimagined: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Beating the Odds, Brandon Cox shares his journey from incarceration to being the founder and CEO of a streetwear brand that he managed to launch from behind bars. If you look closely, you will see that this book emphasizes a shift in your mindset. The author is teaching us that you can be resilient and resourceful regardless of your circumstances. Brandon Cox focuses on seven key principles in Hustle Reimagined: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Beating the Odds, including networking, mindset, legacy, marketing, SEO, branding, and Shopify-powered e-commerce.
Hustle Reimagined: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Beating the Odds is barebones, no frills, unpretentious, and to the point. I believe this will resonate with the average reader as they navigate these pages. The author is authentic and candid, which is precisely what potential entrepreneurs want to hear. Brandon Cox not only discusses the pleasant aspects of being an entrepreneur, but he also addresses the challenging aspects that many of us can relate to.
I love the fact that the author include Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategies because AI is all around us. It was not a long, drawn-out explanation either (Smile). Cox discussed how he currently utilizes AI and his plans for its future applications. I love the brevity of Hustle Reimagined: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Beating the Odds. The book is written in a way that allows readers to choose whether to read the entire book or select the relevant sections.
If you are a potential entrepreneur who is determined to beat the odds stacked against you, Hustle Reimagined: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Beating the Odds is an excellent starting point. Sir, I lift my hat off to you for finding the courage to defy the odds and coming out on the other side.