What happens when selling RVs leads to buying dental scrap, melting it down for precious metals, and then launching a startup with a mission to bless lives? In this episode, I talk with Brandon Sherwood about entrepreneurship, family, and why it's just not that serious.
In this episode, Michael Dargie chats with Brandon Sherwood, an entrepreneur from Heber City, Utah, whose path has been anything but ordinary. Brandon runs a business that buys dental scrap—old crowns and bridges—and refines them into precious metals like gold and palladium. It's a niche market with a 10-to-15 year runway, but for Brandon, the real story is how it led him to launch Gladly Network, a startup built on a mission statement as simple as it is powerful: bless lives .
Gladly is designed to connect small, impact-driven businesses with people in meaningful ways, starting with dental offices as a kind of employee perk system. For Brandon, it's about more than business—it's about making sure his company continues to add value long after the dental scrap dries up. He explains the challenges and joys of building something new, calling entrepreneurship "the craziest, scariest roller coaster ever" .
The conversation stretches back to Brandon's roots: growing up in Arkansas, working in his dad's RV dealership, and discovering that while cubicle life wasn't for him, sales and relationships were. He tells the story of how a cousin pulled him into the strange world of dental scrap on his day off from selling RVs—and how eight months later, he made the leap into a whole new career .
Beyond work, Brandon opens up about raising four teenage boys, how experiences like concerts, sports, and camping trips matter more than things, and why his favourite recharge involves disappearing into the Utah mountains to sit under an aspen tree and remember that life's problems aren't that serious .
From street tacos in Cozumel to family Halloween costumes, Brandon's story is one of humour, humility, and hope. His advice to rebels in waiting: you've got to love it, believe in it, and remember that failure is just part of the process—so keep throwing the ball in the right direction.
"It's just not that serious. Take a breath. Everything's going to be okay." — Brandon Sherwood
"Entrepreneurship is the craziest, scariest roller coaster ever." — Brandon Sherwood
"You've got to love it and believe in it—otherwise it's not worth doing." — Brandon Sherwood
"Mistakes are only mistakes if you don't learn from them." — Brandon Sherwood
"Experiences are the most important part of this whole thing." — Michael Dargie
The Dental Scrap Business | Turning crowns and bridges into precious metals.
The Gladly Mission | Building a company around blessing lives.
The Startup Roller Coaster | Why entrepreneurship is equal parts scary and exciting.
From RVs to Teeth | How a day off changed his career.
Family First | Raising four teenage boys and finding joy in their passions.
Sports & Memories | Why experiences last longer than presents.
Nature Therapy | Grounding himself under an aspen tree in Utah.
Street Tacos | Why he'll walk miles for the perfect taco.
Fluent in Spanish | How it came in handy during a car sale.
Bucket List Dreams | Attending major sporting events and seeing Tom Waits live.
Advice to Rebels | Love it, believe in it, and don't take life too seriously.
Gladly Network (http://www.gladlynetwork.com/)
Brandon on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/gladly.good/)
Brandon on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/gladly-network)
Brandon on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565968919272)
Get Your Copy of Michael's Book:
"BrandJitsu™: Move Your Brand From 'Meh' To Memorable"
Indigo | Barnes & Noble | MichaelDargie.com
