My Approach

Dr. Brian Chad Starks — The Messenger

Where Healing Becomes Justice

The Messenger Approach

I am The Messenger.

My approach is rooted in the Be The Messenger (BTM) Framework — a model that blends lived experience, academic research, and proven practice. This framework has been applied across disciplines — from classrooms and courtrooms to boardrooms and communities — and has been published in peer-reviewed journals. It is also the foundation of my book, my coaching, and my community.

This is not theory.
This is transformation.

The Four Pillars of Be The Messenger.

These four Pillars guide every aspect of my work — from individual coaching to large-scale organizational change.

Identity

Know your story. Confront the wounds, honor the witnesses, celebrate the wins — and transform them into power.

Culture

Embrace the heritage, traditions, and values that shape who you are. Culture grounds us and connects us.

Diversity of Experience

See, value, and celebrate perspectives beyond your own. What many call difference is actually the foundation of growth and innovation.

Respect

Lead with dignity. Respect is the bridge that sustains dialogue, healing, and transformation.

The Four Phases of Transformation

The BTM Framework also provides a step-by-step process for growth and leadership:

1. Find Your Voice

Claim your truth, even when the world tries to silence it.

2. Live Your Message

Align your actions with your values and vision.

3. Share Your Message

Speak and lead in ways that inspire and move others.

4. Multiply Messengers

Build movements by equipping others to do the same.

The Framework in Action: Courageous Hearts

The Be The Messenger Framework comes alive in my book:
Courageous Hearts: A 52-Week Devotional Guide to Social Justice through Self-Development.

Structured around the foundations, this devotional offers weekly reflections, journaling prompts, and grounding practices to help you live the framework one week at a time.

It is a year-long journey where personal healing becomes social change.

Research-Backed. Evidence-Based

Unlike many leadership or coaching models, the Be The Messenger Framework has been tested and validated:

Journal of STEM Education (2018)

Applied in STEM fields to significantly increase recruitment, retention, and success of historically underrepresented students.

Oceanography Journal (2023)

Leveraged to strengthen resilience, leadership, and inclusive innovation across intergenerational teams.

My Story, My Why

This framework was born out of my journey.

As a Black man navigating bias in the South, in classrooms, and working in the criminal justice system, I learned that injustice always hides a deeper need for healing.

With a PhD in Criminology, decades of professional practice, and lived experience, I created the Be The Messenger Framework to bridge that gap. It combines soul work and system work — because healing and justice must walk hand in hand.