Brandon Edwards is the owner of Bayou City Operations, LLC, a multi-services company in Katy, TX, doing business as Bayou City Fingerprinting, specializing in notary, loan signings, fingerprinting, FBI background checks, and FINRA electronic submission. 

I had a great meetup with Brandon at his office and learned so much about how his business came to fruition. While notary, loan signings, and fingerprinting was not his first choice, Brandon eventually stepped into his true calling.

Now, he’s making boss moves to push his business forward and he’s not slowing down by any means.

The Epiphany

I was greeted with a smile as I pulled up to the office. Brandon’s energy is much like the all around cousin in your family. You know that cousin. The one that makes you laugh and the same one that everyone wants to be around. He’s just a cool dude.

Brandon’s professional and educational background is in the healthcare industry, with experience as an emergency room CAT scan technologist.

Technology consumes his professional life, and it’s continuing with the services he offers at Bayou City Operations. But he soon realized that the medical field wasn’t his purpose in life. 

“I initially went to school for physical therapy at Southwest Texas State, which is now Texas State University, in San Marcos. My bachelor’s is in athletic training with an emphasis on pre-physical therapy,” said Brandon.  

Upon graduation, Brandon’s thoughts were, “Man, I don’t even want to do physical therapy.” I curiously asked, “What made you not want to do physical therapy anymore?”

“During externships, I lost my job in San Marcos,” he explained. “I moved back to Katy because I got a job at a hospital.

While I was working at the hospital, I met some radiology techs and that lead me to completely switch my focus to becoming a radiology tech. But, I knew I wouldn't be in this field forever either.”

“Interesting,” I said. “So, what was the turning point for you and when did you realize that you didn’t want to pursue radiology any further?”

“When I was a student,” he replied.

A Man With A Vision

Brandon credits his sister, affectionately known as T, for giving him direction and guidance in starting his business. He didn’t know what type of business he wanted to pursue, but he was armed with a vision.

“What did your sister say?” I chimed in.  “She said, ‘Why don’t you just get your notary and you can start like that.’”

“Did you know what a notary was?” I asked.  

“Yeah. I knew what it was, but I didn’t totally understand. So, I did some research.”

Brandon went on to explain how notary work peaked his interest: 

“One day, my sister and brother-in-law were in Walmart. The bank was closed during that time and somebody said, ‘Aw man, I need a notary.’ 

My brother-in-law said, 'My wife is a notary. Let me go get her.’ My sister told me that she makes extra money that way.”

“I said, ‘For real?’ So, once I found out that she made money from being a notary, it sparked my interest even more. Then, my sister told me that if I do loan signings, I can get quite a bit more money.”  

With the information he gathered, Brandon was set. But he wanted to make sure he was ready to start his start up. 

Brandon’s Approach to His Start Up In A New Industry

Oftentimes, we see and hear stories about entrepreneurs starting businesses in familiar industries. For Brandon, this wasn’t the case. He was walking new territory.

Because he was entering the world of notary and he was starting his start up, he quickly began to locate resources to help him learn how to be a notary public. 

“In March of 2018, I started doing research. I mean, I’m all on YouTube and the Texas Secretary of State’s website,” he said. “It was information overload. But as I’m learning it all, I finally decided that this is what I’m going to do.”

It’s crucial to be skilled and knowledgeable about the field you’re entering when starting a business. You must be an expert in your business. This is what separates a legit business owner from a hobbyist. 

As we can see, Brandon was on his way.

After the investigation phase, Brandon took it a step further and received formal training and education as a notary.

So, I signed up for this class with the Notary Coach, Bill Soroka. There are some other courses out there, but I chose his. He’s an awesome guy. I’ve had a chance to meet him twice.”

“Wow,” I said. “Did you take any other courses?”  

“I also took some courses with the National Notary Association, which is the headquarters of notaries” said Brandon. “Then, I practiced as much as I could with family members and friends.”

“Hold up. So you really practiced on family and friends?” I said while laughing. 

Brandon also laughed and said, “Yes.”

But with your family though? “Yes, all the time,” he said. “We’d be on family vacations and I’ll say, ‘Hey, I got a loan package for you. Let’s practice.’” 

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Talk about family support and the will to succeed. “Yes,” he exclaimed.

Once Brandon officially launched Bayou City Operations, there was no turning back. “The launch date was May 31, 2018. I got a call and got my first signing. Ever since, I’ve been doing signings and general notary work as well,” he said. 

“How has it been going so far?” I said with a smile.

Brandon has a great personality. Like I mentioned earlier, he’s just an all around good-hearted person.

I asked, “What’s it like in comparison to the healthcare field?” 

“The health field is a stressful environment and it wears down on people,” he said. “I’m a happy-go-lucky person. So, working in the emergency room and seeing all this and dealing with people’s drama everyday, it tears you down some. 

So, I said, ‘I can’t do this.’ It’s not good for my spirit and my soul.

Brandon’s right, everything happens for a reason. But who’s to say that he would’ve had the same level of support he has right now, had he started his business earlier? His business is right on time. 

A One Man Business, Backed By An Entire Family

I’m always curious to know how businesses get their names. Sometimes, after talking to the owner, I can figure out where the name came from. This time, it wasn’t so clear. 

So I asked, “How did you come up with the name, Bayou City Operations?” 

Brandon quickly responded, “I was thinking of a name that wasn’t too specific because I wanted it to be a multi-services company. Also, Houston is known as the Bayou City. 

It’s also a national and global type name. Since we operate in multiple services, that’s how I came up with it.”

“It’s cool that you have so much support. Many entrepreneurs start their business alone, which is common,” I said. “But you have a built in level of support with your family.”

Brandon replied, “Yeah. My sister steps in and help. I have my cousin and grandmother that I’m training.” 

“Wait. Your grandmother?” I was so puzzled that I was looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

“Yes, my grandmother, he said.” This is her desk. It’s so cool. We’re just family oriented like that. We’re a close knit family and we’re always together. So we help each other out.”

“Man,” I said. “Your journey is just beginning and you’ve already accomplished so much.” 

“But it’s been a good journey,” he said.

Finally, I asked, “So, what would you say to someone that wants to start a business but is hesitant to take the leap?”

“You gotta do it,” Brandon said.  “There’s a lot of people that I’ve tapped into and watched over the years that inspired me to step out on my own. It’s been scary too. 

Bayou City Operations’ motto is, We are always here for you. So, whether you need a notary public, fingerprinting (ink and livescan), background checks, or FINRA electronic submission, schedule an appointment with Bayou City Operations. 

If you can’t stop by the office, no worries. They also offer mobile options to bring their services to you. Contact Bayou City Operations at 832-464-5671 or by email bayoucityoperations@gmail.com. 

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