16+ years of building, failing, learning, and doing it again. This is the full operator timeline.
Every stop on the road shaped what TBV is today. None of it was linear. All of it was real.
Joined HyVee at 16. Worked up through the ranks to management over 7 years. First exposure to large-scale retail operations, inventory management, and team leadership at scale.
Began an informal role at Sullivan Taylor Coffee House in Macomb, IL. Started learning the coffee business from the inside while still at HyVee.
Left HyVee to take formal management of Sullivan Taylor. Co-founded A Boy and His Tiger with Johnny — comics, games, and toys. First retail venture outside the coffee world. Two businesses, zero safety net.
Served as live-in caretaker for the Old Bailey House while continuing to operate Sullivan Taylor. Joined the Bailey House nonprofit board — beginning of a long commitment to community service.
Negotiated a deal to preserve Sullivan Taylor on its 25th anniversary when the business faced closure. The move that would define the next chapter.
Assumed full ownership of Sullivan Taylor Coffee House. Thompson B. Ventures Inc. formally incorporated as the holding company. The umbrella was born.
Designed and built The Local Brew Coffee Shop in Rushville, IL from the ground up. Now the #1 rated coffee shop in Rushville. Proof that the operator model works.
Co-founded Spellbound Stories — a comics and trading card game retail operation. Grew to $94K net over 11 months before stepping back from day-to-day operations.
Sullivan Taylor was founded in 1995 — Brandon came along in 2012. After 13 years of involvement, he pivoted out in 2025. The chapter closed intact, legacy preserved. TBV moves fully into the holding company model: digital products, consulting, publishing, and what's next.
The goal has never been to work harder. It's to build systems that generate value independent of physical presence. Every product, every process, every partnership is evaluated against that standard.
Perfectionism is expensive. Real feedback from real people is worth more than any internal revision cycle. Build something functional, get it out, and iterate based on what actually happens.
Clean the balance sheet before you scale. Every dollar of debt is a dollar of optionality you don't have. The path to structural change runs through a clean foundation — not around it.
Three boards, all active. Because building something that lasts means investing in the community around it.
Historic preservation and community housing in Macomb, IL. Board member since 2015. baileyhousemacomb.org
Community-owned grocery cooperative serving the Macomb area. Supporting local food access and cooperative economics. macombfoodcoop.net
Fundraising and awareness for Alzheimer's research across the West Central Illinois region. alzheimers-illinois.org