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Brandon Hamilton spent the early years of his career in the restaurant industry as a server, bartender, and, eventually, general manager.  

He enjoyed his work, but the late nights and weekends eventually took their toll.

“I wanted to settle down and start a family, but when I applied for jobs in other industries, I kept getting turned down because I didn’t have a degree,” he says.  

So, he decided to return to school — first for his bachelor’s degree and then, at the recommendation of one of his mentors, his MBA online through the ��˾��������.

“I didn’t want anybody to tell me that I didn’t have the experience or education for a certain job,” he says. “I wanted to make sure I had both.”

Through the MBA degree program online, Hamilton gained valuable skills that allowed him to advance in his role and build the framework for his AI-powered startup, Cayenne Smart Solutions.  

Building his Business

As a restaurant manager, Hamilton spent much of his time performing manual tasks.  

“I was doing inventory one day at my restaurant, and I just kept thinking about how everything I was doing — pressing buttons and counting — could have been automated,” he says.

That frustration led Hamilton and a friend to start Cayenne Smart Solutions. Using six custom AI agents, Cayenne provides marketing and operational support for small businesses through one centralized software.

As Hamilton developed Cayenne from an idea to a registered LLC — and prepares to onboard clients and pitch to investors in the coming months — insights from the MBA program have been invaluable.

The program’s coursework spans marketing, finance, accounting, and leadership, exposing Hamilton to the full scope of business operations.

In the program’s capstone course — MGMT 590: Policy Formulation, Strategy, and Administration — Hamilton applied those concepts by developing a detailed business plan for Cayenne.

“MGMT 590 really gave me a chance to stress test my business,” he says. “I had never sat down and done a SWOT analysis or considered details like how I’d want to allocate excess revenue.”  

“MGMT 590 made it click that I wasn’t just earning a degree. I was learning how to build and run my business.”  

Balancing Work, Family, and School

While earning his MBA, Hamilton balanced coursework with Cayenne Smart Solutions, his full-time job with an aviation training company, and family responsibilities.

Support and accountability from loved ones were crucial.

“The number one thing for me, above everything else, was my support system,” he explains. “I was very vocal with my spouse, my kids, my friends, and my family about the demands of the program so that they could support me and encourage me as best as they could.”  

“I’d ask my wife, ‘Hey, what are we doing this weekend? Let’s go do this thing together.’ The first question she would ask me in response was, ‘Well, have you finished your homework? Let’s get that done, and then we can go have date night.’”

Monday through Friday, Hamilton used his one-hour lunch break at work as designated school time, pushing his work laptop to the side and pulling out his personal laptop to complete his assignments.  

In the evenings, he spent a couple of hours with his family before logging back on to continue working late into the night.  

“That was my main focus time,” he says. “My goal in working so much during the week was that by the time the weekend came, I’d have my assignments finished and I’d be able to enjoy the family time with my wife and kids.”

Generating ROI

Halfway through the MBA program, Hamilton applied for a promotion to advance from scheduler to program manager with his company.

“My company really wants its managers to have MBAs,” he says. “Having the MBA on my resume helped me stand out. I got the promotion and doubled my salary because of it.”

While he’s happy where he is in his career, Hamilton’s not done advancing. His next step? A nationwide marketing push for Cayenne Smart Solutions.

“I’ve been working with the and going in for consultations with them,” he says. “I can’t imagine where I’d be with Cayenne without the MBA program. The general feedback I keep getting at LSBDC is, ‘How do you know all this already? You’re 99% further than most other people starting a business.’”

For Hamilton, the return on investment is clear.

“The ROI of an MBA, especially from UL ��˾��������, is huge. For less than $13,000 total, I learned every single detail about running a business and doubled my salary. If you want to be an entrepreneur, or even just move into a management role, this is the perfect program.”

Advance in your career with an MBA online from the ��˾��������.

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