In this Business Blast Podcast episode, host Tyler Wagner interviews Dr. Brian Chad Starks, a critical criminologist and principal at BCS and Associates. Dr. Starks shares a formative personal story about his older brother’s paralysis, illustrating perseverance and the impact of mentorship. He emphasizes that society is not "post‑ism"—we are not beyond racism, sexism, or classism—and calls for active responsibility to confront structural inequality. His business advice centers on "building your craft" through dedicated work and sacrifice. When reflecting on personal growth, he advises embracing love and purpose, identifying purpose as the key to happiness. He cites the autobiography of Malcolm X as a pivotal book that taught him positive racial identity, Black pride, and spiritual growth. Dr. Starks also highlights a favorite quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. about silence being betrayal, underscoring the moral duty to speak against injustice. The episode concludes with his online contact details: BrianChadStarks.com and the Twitter handle @BCHADPhD.
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Welcome to the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. This episode is brought to you by Authors Unite. Authors Unite provides you with all the resources you need to become a successful author. You can learn more about Authors Unite and join the free community at authorsunite.com. Now let's jump into the episode.
All right everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Business Blast podcast. I'm your host Tyler Wagner. Today I have Dr. Brian Chad Starks with us. He is a critical criminologist and principal with BCS and Associates consulting firm. For more than 20 years, he has worked to dismantle structural inequality in organizations and communities. And as an alumnus of Wofford College, Dr. Starks also holds a master's degree in criminal justice from the University of South Carolina and a doctorate in criminology from the University of Delaware. So welcome to the show, man.
Thank you, Tyler. I appreciate the opportunity.
Of course. Grateful to have you here. We'll dive right in. The first question I have for you is, what is the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?
Spanish. Uh, September 22nd, 1979, at the tender age of 7, um, my oldest brother, who is like 9 years and 11 months apart from me, um, got in a car accident and was paralyzed waist down as a paraplegic. And he was the one that was the leader of the family and great athlete and student and was supposed to go to college and go to the NFL, take our family out of poverty. And he switched gears, struggled through what it was mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and life being taken away in such a short minute, and furthered his education at the University of South Carolina to then go on to get a law degree and become an example to me and my friends around overcoming adversity regardless of what they look like. And was a surrogate father, brother, mentor, friend. And he taught me that perseverance over anything can give you an opportunity to be successful in life.
Thank you for sharing that with us. The next one I have for you is what is the most valuable piece of information we should know that's within your expertise or industry?
That we are not in a post-ism society and Meaning we're not in a post-racial, post-sexism, post-classism society. That we have a responsibility wherever we see structural inequality as messengers to address it and meet it out to make our society move from a more humane perspective to increase relationships around love.
And what is your best piece of overall business advice?
Build your craft. Build your craft. Put the time in, put the work in, and understand that anything worth having is going to take sacrifice.
And if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?
Walk through the door of love that's wide open and not Try to unlock, move the chain of the door of love that is shut off from you.
I like that. Okay. And in your opinion, what is the key to happiness?
Purpose.
And what is the best book that you've read and what was the number one thing you learned from that?
The Autobiography of Malcolm X, which gave me at a very tender age of, I believe I was 11, and I learned a great deal around positive racial identity, uh, Black pride, and spiritual growth.
And what is your favorite quote and why?
Eventually silence becomes betrayal by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We have to speak out against injustice. If not, We're going to turn a blind eye, we might as well be as guilty as the individual agency or organization that is structured to be this way.
Thank you so much for coming on. The last question I have for you before we let you go is where is the best place for people to find you online?
BrianChadStarks.com, @BCHADPhD on Twitter.
Beautiful, man. Thanks again for joining us. Really appreciate it.
Thank you, Tyler. I appreciate the opportunity to be on your show and to share some of my perspective.
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