Meet Kendra Brown | Marketing Strategist Helping Businesses Grow and Automotive Retailer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kendra Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kendra, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Starting my own business was the answer to two goals in my life, one as it relates to me and one as it relates to the world. Personally, entrepreneurship provides me autonomy and flexibility in my professional life. I also wanted to build businesses that served a mission in the services it provides as well as to the people working within the company. I want to build a place that inspires from within and drives progress for individuals and other businesses. To achieve these goals, I now own and operate a used car dealership as well as a marketing company. I opened Brown Family Auto Sales located off of N. Shepherd in 2013. I launched The Dream Team Media Company in this Spring of this year.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Brown Family Auto Sales is a used car dealership that offers financing options for people who can’t get conventional auto loans. That’s the boring explanation. If you ask us and our customers, we provide freedom, mobility, and opportunity for people who need it the most. The automotive industry is difficult and our niche is particularly tricky. Cash flow is the biggest challenge when you are in the business of lending. For this reason, I have worn all of the hats since we opened in 2013! From bookkeeper to salesperson, I have done it all. If only to have enough understanding of these areas to be able to delegate it to another person or contractor. I am very proud of how we have sustained this business throughout some challenging years in automotive. I am most proud of how I have parlayed this business into my marketing company, The Dream Team Media Company. One of the hats I put on in 2015 was to learn how to market my dealership on the internet. That set me on a path of developing strong digital marketing skills and a passion for an industry where learning never ends. Over the past seven years, I have worked with franchise and used car dealerships of all sizes to develop and execute marketing strategies. And, now I am at the next endeavor to build a marketing firm, a place where collaboration breeds risks that bear immense rewards. One of the things I have learned in digital marketing and selling cars is that speed matters and growth cannot happen without risks. I am very excited about this next chapter to build another company where I can push against the status quo in these industries. I get to serve clients in industries that struggle with transparency and bad reputations regarding integrity. I get to change that.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love telling people how great Houston is! I am Houston born and raised so you might need more of a week here if I’m showing you around! Okay. Where should we start? Some of these are from childhood nostalgia, so bear with me. We would need to spend a day or two in the museum district. We can stay at Hotel ZaZa so that we are right in the heart of it. Our Museum of Natural History is one of the best in the nation, so we can start our day there and end it at the MFAH. Dinner at Brennan’s. Rothko Chapel and Menil Collection would be day number two of museums. Lunch at The Pit Room. I’d want to catch an Astros Game at Minute Maid Park or a Rockets Game at the Toyota Center, depending on the time of the year. We’d follow up a game with a trip to House of Pies off Kirby. Let’s take a trip to the iconic and historic River Oaks Theater. Hopefully, it will be open again to catch an obscure Indie flick. While in the area we can grab a burger at Barnaby’s Cafe on Shepherd and cocktails at the speakeasy-inspired Marfreless. Let’s check out historic Heights near the bayou where we can find some one-of-a-kind shopping boutiques.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have a few to dedicate my shoutout to. My family gives me so much love and support to keep me moving forward when things get hard. And, there have been some very hard times. I’d like to specifically call out my dad, though. He talks me through the ins and outs of my business, we hash through the what-ifs when making decisions about cash flow or finding capital, he cheers me on, and he’s taught me how to forgive. Brene Brown’s books (I can’t pick just one) have opened up my mind to leadership, what strength looks like, and how to live wholeheartedly and authentically in my personal and professional life. For the longest time, I thought life was about managing a bunch of different facades – one for work, one for family, one for this, that, the other, etc. Brene Brown makes a compelling case for finding strength through vulnerability and living authentically in all aspects of life. That mindset shift broke down a huge barrier that has put me on a much less difficult path to success. I am grateful someone has given to voice to everyone that not only is it okay to be empathetic and to be you, but it is better for everyone around you and better for businesses when we live authetically.

Website: www.dreamteammediaco.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dream.team.media.co/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dream-team-media-company

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dream.team.media.co