From Homelessness to Helping Hundreds: A Story of Resilience and Hope

Picture a teenager staring out the window of a car at night, wondering where his family will sleep. Fast-forward to a December morning in 2025, and that same person—now Brandon Hedlund—is dropping his kindergartener off at Nisswa Elementary, the same school he attended as a child. Between those two moments lies a story that's still being written—one of ongoing growth, constant learning, and daily choices to show up even when the path isn't clear.​

Brandon's journey from homelessness to becoming one of the Brainerd Lakes Area's most trusted real estate brokers isn't just an inspiring tale of personal resilience. It's a master class in how embracing adversity, serving your community, and building genuine relationships can transform not just one life, but hundreds. In the past few years, Brandon has had the privilege of guiding nearly 450 families through some of the biggest decisions of their lives—though he's quick to add that he's still learning from every single transaction and client relationship. 'There's still much to improve on,' he jokingly adds, 'just ask my wife.'

The Roots That Nearly Broke

Brandon doesn't sugarcoat his childhood. Unlike the Norman Rockwell paintings of Minnesota lake life that dominate tourist brochures, his early years were "marked by tough memories" rather than happy ones. His family experienced homelessness—a brief but formative season that taught him what it feels like when stability vanishes and dignity hangs by a thread.​

"To be doing anything in this world, you're grateful beyond measure every day for just a breath," Brandon reflects, his voice carrying the weight of someone who nearly chose to stop breathing altogether. Over 12 years ago, he walked to the edge of suicide, saved only by a mentor's perfectly timed phone call—a man who stepped away from his own family dinner to check on Brandon when he needed it most.​

That moment crystallized a truth Brandon now shares with anyone facing their own dark season: "Your life, your skills, your impact over the course of an entire life can have such a monumental impact on others. And you might never see it". For Brandon, the ripple effects are measurable. If he hadn't chosen to keep going, his three children—Oliver, Weston, Eleanor, and a fourth on the way—wouldn't exist. Neither would the dozens of real estate agents he mentored, not only locally, but in other markets, where they are impacting their communities, the families he's housed, the cabin memories that have been created, or the homeless neighbors he's helped through his volunteer work.​

Mission Work to Market Work

After high school, Brandon made an unconventional choice: he spent time as a missionary in Central America, working with various ministries. It wasn't escapism—it was perspective. "For as bad as I had it, having a small glimpse... it gives you this glimpse into culture and life," he explains. In places where poverty made his own struggles look modest, Brandon discovered his cup wasn't empty—he still had drops to give.​

That realization became the foundation of his life philosophy, now embedded in Navigate North Group's mission: Live Well. Navigate Wisely. Impact Others. It's a sequential framework Brandon believes everyone cycles through—first taking care of your own basics, then making wise financial moves, and finally pouring into your community when your own cup is full.​

But here's where Brandon diverges from conventional wisdom: he doesn't wait until you're wealthy to start giving back. "Everybody has something to receive," he insists, adding that trying to succeed without serving others is "like asking the wood fireplace to give you heat without giving it logs".​

Building a Brokerage on Bedrock Values

When Brandon launched Navigate North Group in 2023, the Brainerd Lakes Area didn't need another real estate brokerage. The market was crowded, average home prices hovered around $300,000, and many agents competed on price alone. But Brandon saw something missing: genuine service rooted in deep community ties rather than transactional hustle.​

"There was a big connection to my faith and the things that were kind of instilled in me within my childhood that I felt like a lot of people were focusing far too much on the business side of it and missing the relationship right in front of them," Brandon explains.​

His approach is radically client-centered. He's lost "more commissions by talking [people] out of houses than I probably ever make in any given year," he admits, because he'd rather help clients make wise decisions than push a sale that could set them back decades. For Brandon, real estate isn't about selling houses—it's about stewardship, helping people make the most of every opportunity and limited resource they're given.​

This philosophy, combined with innovative marketing strategies, transformed Brandon’s business. Between 2020 and 2022, his client base more than doubled, allowing him to serve more families while actually spending more time with his own. By 2025, his reach and referral network had grown nearly fourfold. One viral video tour he produced even attracted buyers who weren’t actively searching; they purchased the home and later trusted him with three additional properties.

​
But Brandon is quick to clarify that the numbers don't tell the full story. 'I feel like I'm in the middle of my own journey,' he reflects. 'I'm still learning from my agents just as much as they're learning from me. Every day presents new challenges I've never faced before.

The true narrative, however, goes beyond mere statistics. Client feedback consistently highlights Brandon's strengths: "knowledge of the market, clear communication, and dedication," and being "proactive—always one step ahead." Brandon openly expresses his respect for other local realtors, noting that despite working for different brokerages, "we still have similar shared values as to what we hope for this town beyond even what we see for our own business."

Advocacy in Action

As Brandon continues to grow his understanding of community impact, he's discovering that real estate is just one way to serve neighbors. He serves on a board  with “My Neighbor to Love Coalition,” a local nonprofit working to end homelessness in the Brainerd Lakes Area. In May 2025, he was among volunteers breaking ground on the Creekside Community project in Brainerd, which will create dozens of supportive housing units.​

He's also become a vocal advocate on local policy issues. When Breezy Point proposed restrictive short-term rental regulations, Brandon used his platform to spark community dialogue, posting thoughtful commentary that went viral locally. The regulations were rolled back and paused for better discussion. Even a Minnesota state representative reached out privately to check in—a sign, Brandon believes, that ordinary citizens can move the needle when they plant a flag and speak up.​

"Every single one of us has been put in a position to impact this town," Brandon insists. He encourages locals to attend city council meetings—like the upcoming tax-decision sessions in Crow Wing County and Nisswa—rather than "playing victim" when policies change.​

His advocacy philosophy is refreshingly nuanced. "Planting your flag" doesn't mean digging in stubbornly, he clarifies. It means stating your position with confidence while staying open to bridge-building and new information. After his Breezy Point post, neighbors shared experiences with problematic short-term rentals that Brandon hadn't considered—perspectives that now inform how he counsels clients.

The Homestead Life

Brandon and his wife Aryn (married since 2017) are raising their growing family on a homestead property west of Pequot Lakes. It's a life he never experienced as a child, but one they're intentionally crafting for Oliver, Weston, Eleanor, and the baby on the way.​

"Seeing our children freely playing in the woods—exploring, wandering, and engaging in the imaginative, sometimes silly activities typical of childhood—provides a depth of learning that will likely surpass what they gain from a whole day spent in a traditional classroom setting." Brandon says, his voice warming with pride.​

His daily grounding ritual? Praying with his kids at bedtime. "There's this window that parents get late at night... where a kid's brain is not in defense mode and it's like 'I'm gonna let mom and dad into every emotion that I've had of the day,'" he reflects. For someone who lacked a stable family model growing up, creating these moments with his own children carries profound meaning.​

Brandon's self-awareness about work-life balance is striking, but it wasn’t always this way. "None of this matters at the end of the day if my kids or my wife at home aren't doing well," he states plainly. “There’s still much to improve on”, he jokingly adds “just ask my wife.” He's discovered an "inverse correlation" over the past few years: the less he works and the more he gets out of his own way, the more his business has grown.​

When asked how he'll measure success long-term, Brandon doesn't hesitate: "In how my kids and my wife talk about me during my times in business". If his family knows they're loved, he'll be "damn happy," even if he never grows the business another inch. But if he grows it 80 times while his family suffers? "I would feel like an absolute failure".​

The Ripple Effect

Brandon's story resonates because it's fundamentally about transformation—not just his own, but the community's. He organized Christmas gift deliveries to families in need, supported benefit concerts for homeless and wounded veterans, and consistently shows up at local events from school functions to charity runs. Navigate North Group joined the Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce in 2023 and placed as a top finalist in a recent Brainerd Dispatch "Best of the Lakes Area" poll—recognition that Brandon is building something bigger than a business.​

His advice to anyone in their own dark season is simple but profound: "If everyone had opportunities and counsel and good people around them to help them re-elevate and reshape their vision for what could be in their life, man, our country and our world would be a heck of a lot better than it is these days".​

He practices what he preaches. Beyond volunteering, Brandon actively mentors newer agents, connecting them to his marketing company's network of like-minded entrepreneurs across markets. He's learned from people at bigger tables—conferences, mastermind groups, faith communities—and now he's building his own table bigger to make room for others.​

"Small hinges swing big doors," Brandon often says, quoting one of his favorite maxims. It's a philosophy born from experience: tiny decisions compound over time, and one person's choice to show up—whether answering a late-night call from a struggling friend or speaking up at a city council meeting—can alter entire trajectories.

Lessons from the Middle of the Journey

Brandon Hedlund's journey from homelessness to leading one of the Brainerd Lakes Area's most respected real estate teams offers lessons that transcend industry or career:

1. Adversity can be rocket fuel. Brandon views his hardships not as things that happened to him, but for him—opportunities to build resilience and empathy that now serve his clients and community.​
2. Service scales. By focusing on relationships over transactions and helping one person at a time make wise decisions, Brandon has built a thriving business through referrals and reputation.​
3. Local voices matter. Whether it's housing policy, tax decisions, or community development, Brandon's advocacy proves that ordinary citizens can shape their towns when they engage thoughtfully.​

As Brandon drops his kindergartener off at Nisswa Elementary each morning, the circle completes itself. The boy who once wondered where he'd sleep has now helped nearly 450 families find not just houses, but homes, land, cabins, & investments—places where they can live well, navigate wisely, and impact others.​

Despite the growth of Navigate North Group and the recognition in the community, Brandon is adamant about one thing: he hasn't 'arrived.' 'I'm constantly seeking out bigger rooms with bigger thinkers,' he explains. 'The moment you think you've made it is the moment you stop growing. And if I stop growing, I can't help my family grow, my agents grow, or this community grow.

"When people meet you, what do you hope they remember about you, even if they never work with you?" I ask near the end of our conversation.

Brandon's answer comes without hesitation: "That he cares. That Brandon cares deeply about the people around him".​

In middle Minnesota, where handshake deals still mean something and your reputation follows you to church, the coffee shop, and the grocery store, that might be the most valuable currency of all.

What's your story of overcoming adversity or giving back to our community? We'd love to hear from you—email us at joshua@lakesareanewsletter.com