🛋️ The Couch Never Moved — I Did.

By: Damien J. Branch

I saw this image today — just a simple cartoon of The Simpsons at Moe’s Tavern with a bold caption, And I felt it in my chest:

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Because that used to be my life. Not the barstools or the beer mugs — but the stagnation. The room full of people who didn’t want to move. People who didn’t believe in anything outside of what was in front of them. People I loved, but who didn’t love themselves enough to grow.

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Four Years Ago, I Walked In With a Vision

I remember it like a scene in a movie.

Two of my boys sitting on the couch — same couch they’d been on for years. I walked in and said:

“Yo, I’ve got this plan. I’m starting something. I think it could get us rich if we build it right.”

They nodded. Half-listening. Gave me the “yeah, yeah” energy.

I came back again later. Same couch. Same faces. This time I had a real plan — something structured, something solid. Still… they weren’t hearing it.

“We’ll believe it when we see it,” they said.

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Now Look.

The next time I walked in, I was holding a mic with my son in my lap. I had built a podcast from scratch, sacrificed sneaker money for equipment, and recorded episodes with diapers on standby.

The next time, I came back wearing clarity — not clothes.

I had multiple books published on Amazon.

I had a website.

I had systems.

Now I’ve got 26,000 followers on Instagram.

Reels in the millions.

Verified accounts watching my stories.

Authors, podcasters, influencers checking for me.

Not for clout — but because I did what I said I’d do.

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And They’re Still on That Couch.

Still “waiting to see.”

Still saying, “That’s cool for you.”

Still sipping on comfort.

Still empty when the room gets quiet.

And here’s the part that hurts:

They could’ve come with me.

I never gatekept. I never held the keys. I offered them the ride.

But they couldn’t get up. Wouldn’t get up. And now it’s too far.

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I’m Not Mad — I’m Motivated.

This post isn’t about bitterness. It’s about awareness.

Because somebody reading this is still surrounded by couches — by friends who:

• never talk about growth,

• never invest in themselves,

• never support your moves,

• never hold you accountable to your future.

And if you stay seated long enough, you become one of them.

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You Gotta Get Up!

You can love people from a distance.

You can pray for them, root for them, even inspire them.

But you can’t shrink for them.

Because when you walk out of that room — whether it’s into a meeting, a book launch, or a full-circle moment with a celebrity… the room changes. And sometimes you have to be okay knowing they were never ready to leave it.

I left the couch, and every time I look back, I’m reminded why I had to.

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Damien J. Branch

Just Built Different. No Gatekeeping. All Growth.