Published this essay on LinkedIn last week. I think it is relevant here as well. Had to get through yesterday before trying to put any thoughts down. Still difficult to encapsulate and the day alone could be its own song. This doesn't neatly belong on any platform I post on, so it best fits here. Yesterday was Brandon's 14th birthday. A day I'd been anticipating for some time. After losing our Sweet Boy last year, milestone days (as some might call them) run into each other. There have not yet been words, and I cannot imagine how there ever would be. The night before came a last-minute surprise: the @TODAYshow piece on @heyStreetTalk was moved up to air that same morning. A crazy positive build-up, never knowing exactly when it would go out. Magnetically polar opposites. Oil and water, really. The weight of the day, the excitement of the news story. Not supposed to mix. Supposed to pull and take away from each other. Somehow, yesterday, they actually mixed beautifully in ways I will feel forever. Most memorably: people at StreetTalk who knew where my head was at took time from their otherwise biggest day so far to check in on me 1:1 and send love. ❤️ Family comes first. Always has, always will. What I didn't expect was StreetTalk becoming family too. A team this devoted is rare. Devoted to each other, to making this business a success for our partners and our people, and to doing permanent good in the world while we do it. That last thing about "permanent good" is The BranD Initiative. The "Bran" is an embedded nod to Brandon. The "brand" of course is the link to our clients. The initiative is all of ours. We created it as an extended family. It commits StreetTalk to a donation to the @PBTF Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation for every interview we complete. The "giving X for every Y" template is catching on as a lightweight way for clients and partners to make a difference (not always a $ donation). Participants are already actively involved, and the effect is a better world for children: with every street interview, every photoshoot, Founder Story, and on. So the circle and how it converged: It started with Bran…the heart of it, my why. And separately, before our worlds ever crossed, with Josh Suggs: a kid WAY beyond his years, walking up to strangers in Washington Sq Park with a camera, a question and a huge smile and personality you’re just drawn to. Those conversations became StreetTalk. StreetTalk became a team, then a family. And now every single conversation on the street sends a donation in Brandon's honor. One kid in a park, coming back around for another kid!! All circular and working together. I wrote this to let out the meaningfulness of it all in some small way. To @joshsuggss, @lukethorburg, @JesseEis, @jack_goedde, Robbie, and everyone at StreetTalk, and to our clients and partners: "thank you always," as I say. And to @bcheungz, @JillMartin and the @NBCNews TODAY Show: thank you for giving some air to the StreetTalk story just starting to be told, as our pavement pounding begins to be felt everywhere. TODAY segment linked in the comments…

REALLY REALLY proud of the @heyStreetTalk team for this. Proud to know each of you as a human. Thank you for being such a light and showing others the way. @JesseEis @joshsuggss @lukethorburg @PBTF & teams. We’ve built a meaningful and sustainable format to keep hitting the world with GOOD: “a Y for every X” — however that’s defined by each ‘The BranD Initiative’ partner. It doesn’t matter what for, or how much. Big and small businesses can participate. Every bit drives real and measurable impact. And the greatest honor to Brandon, my 12 year old we lost last year in March 2025 after battling and ultimately beating 2 “unbeatable” brain tumors since 2018. More here: linkedin.com/posts/stevenmar… And reach out to participate or with questions or ideas: [email protected]