This is a feature about Upstormed News founder Jonathan Anthony Burkett, the owner of Upstormed Inc.
Some weeks feel heavier than others. After a long election night, a busy start to the holidays and the ordinary pressures of work and family, a lot of readers are carrying more than usual this Wednesday. That makes it a good morning to look at two sayings that Jonathan Anthony Burkett shares on his official website, and at the life that shaped them.
“The rougher the road, the better the opportunities waiting at the other end.” — Jonathan Anthony Burkett
Where the words come from
According to his biography at JonathanBurkett.com, Burkett was born in Miami, Florida, in 1987 and raised in Jamaica by his grandparents. He grew up amid neglect and hardship and lived with seizures as a young man. On January 30, 2006, he had brain surgery.
He went on to become an author, poet and recording artist, and he founded Upstormed Inc, the parent company behind Upstormed’s e-commerce, music, publishing, media and real estate work. His site says his work centers on faith and on the idea that people are not defined by where they start. He tells that story in full in his memoir, Neglected But Undefeated, which Upstormed News explored earlier this week in a look at what the memoir’s title means.
A road, not a wall
The first quote does not pretend that hard roads are good in themselves. It makes a narrower, more hopeful claim: difficulty and opportunity are often found on the same path. A person who learns to keep going through a hard season usually comes out with skills, patience and perspective that an easy road would not have taught.
That idea runs through the titles on his books page. Beyond the memoir, his published work includes the novel Fighting To Become Champions and the first three volumes of the Friends 2 Lovers series, The Unthinkable, Closed Doors Open and Unexpected Consequences. A planned life-lesson series carries titles such as Don’t Give Up and Born To Make It.
Through, not around
A second saying on his site explains where he believes the strength for that road comes from:
“Faith doesn’t get you around problems in life and relationships, it gets you through it.”
It is an honest picture of faith. Belief does not make trouble disappear, and it is not a detour around grief, conflict or loss. In his telling, faith is what carries a person through the middle of those things. Elsewhere on the site he puts it even more personally: “Faith is why I’m here today and faith is why I made it through.”
The same message in his music
Burkett also records hip hop and soul through Upstormed Records. The Upstormed website lists his songs “One Life,” “Don’t Give Up” and “Changes,” and “Changes,” featuring Polancapop, received independent music press coverage in 2018 that described it as an inspiring, upbeat hip hop track. His music is available on Spotify. The song titles alone echo the quotes above: keep going, value the one life you have, and expect that change is possible.
Why it matters for families
Children learn how to face hard things by watching the adults around them. A simple phrase like “through, not around” can become a family motto for a tough school week, a job change or a season of loss. Try asking at dinner tonight: what is one hard road you are on right now, and what might be waiting at the other end?
Putting it into practice this week
- Name the rough patch out loud. Problems shrink a little when they are spoken.
- Look for one opportunity hidden in it, such as a skill to learn, a relationship to repair or a habit to start.
- Lean on faith and on a few faithful friends. Burkett’s site also notes that “it’s better to have a few faithful friends than numerous shallow friendships.”
Read more: Neglected But Undefeated: What Jonathan Anthony Burkett’s Memoir Title Means
Learn more at jonathanburkett.com
What rough road taught you the most? Share your story in the comments.
Sources: JonathanBurkett.com, “Jonathan Anthony Burkett” (accessed November 4, 2026); Upstormed.com, “Upstormed Inc” (accessed November 4, 2026).
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