Meet Brandon Gowey

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brandon Gowey. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brandon below.

Hi Brandon, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

When I was a kid, my parents couldn’t afford daycare outside of school, so my dad would take me to work with him after school and on weekends. He was self-employed, running his own auto body shop where he repaired collision damage on race cars. It was just him in the shop, and even though I was only five years old, I did everything I could to help. By the time I was eight, I had already learned how to prep cars for paint. Some might think that kind of work is boring for a child, but I loved every moment of it—because I was with my dad, doing what he loved. Like many kids, I wanted to be just like him. That’s how I discovered my passion for race cars and found my purpose in everything related to them.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I come from a hardworking family where the most important things in life are the people you love and the roof over your head. That belief has shaped who I am. My family means more to me than anything in this world, and I’m incredibly proud of how far I’ve come. But it hasn’t always been easy—far from it.

As a kid, I struggled. I was bullied and often found myself in trouble. Things got so bad that I had to be homeschooled because my school seemed more focused on punishing me than helping me. That led me down a dark path, and by my teenage years, I was caught in the grip of drug addiction. At 16, my life felt like it was falling apart. My parents had separated, and I was in a place I never thought I’d be.

But in June of 2018, everything changed. I met the love of my life—my future wife and the mother of our beautiful boys. She believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself. With her support, I got clean, went back to school for my senior year, and in November of that same year, we found out we were expecting our first child. We were just 17 and 18—scared, uncertain, but full of hope.

Then, in June 2019, I faced one of the hardest moments of my life. I lost my dad—my mentor, my role model, my best friend. It broke me. But just three weeks later, our son was born—two days after my 18th birthday. That little boy gave me a reason to keep going. My wife, my son, and I moved into our first apartment. We were young, but we were building something real.

Over the next five years, I worked countless jobs—mechanic, landscaper, prison guard—you name it. I did whatever I could to support my family. Then, one night while watching Grey’s Anatomy with my wife, I saw Patrick Dempsey on screen and remembered meeting him as a kid at Barber Motorsports Park. I had even gotten his autograph to give to my cousin. That memory sparked something in me. I realized I wanted to get back into racing—my first love.

I still had the number of a team owner I had met years earlier at the track with my dad. I figured, why not take a chance? So I called him. He gave me a shot as a fly-in technician at Road America in Wisconsin. That week at the track changed everything—it reminded me that racing wasn’t just a job for me. It was my passion.

From there, I worked events across the East Coast—Virginia International Raceway, Road Atlanta, Lime Rock Park, and Watkins Glen. Eventually, I got the call again from the team I’d started with—they needed help at Road America. After that weekend, the team owner pulled me aside and offered me a full-time position.

There was only one problem: the job was in Chicago, and we lived in Knoxville. My wife and I talked it through, and even though we were terrified, we took the leap. Now, six months later, we couldn’t be happier. We followed our hearts, bet on a dream, and built a life full of love, purpose, and possibility

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

My three most important skills are hard work, persistence, and dedication. I spent a long time wanting what others had, hoping that someday someone would hand me the life I dreamed of. But then a wise man told me something that changed everything: “If you want something, get up and work for it.” And that’s exactly what I’ve done ever since.

If there’s a will, there’s a way—and I will always find a way to reach my goals. I believe nothing worth having comes easy, and success doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you refuse to quit.

So here’s my advice: stop waiting for someone to hand you the life you want. No one owes you anything. Get up, chase your dreams, and don’t be afraid to take risks. Scared money doesn’t make money—and fear will never build the future you deserve. Show up. Work hard. Stay hungry. That’s how you turn a dream into reality.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

The most impactful thing my parents ever did for me was teach me the value of hard work and how to become the man—and father—I am today. They didn’t just tell me to be better than they were; they showed me how, through their actions, their sacrifices, and their love. I carry that lesson with me every single day.

My dad taught me everything I know about cars, but more than that, he taught me how to work with my hands and take pride in what I do. He passed down the kind of wisdom you can’t learn from books—like using common sense, thinking things through, and doing things the right way, even when no one’s watching.

Because of them, I strive to be a better version of myself—for my family, for my children, and for the people who believe in me. Their lessons are the foundation I stand on, and I’ll spend my life honoring them by passing those values on

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Its_gowey_
• Facebook: Brandon Gowey
• Youtube: Its_gowey
• Other: Tik tok @its_gowey