Pub. 1 2018-2019 |Issue 1

18 How did you become a car dealer? Did you always aspire to be part of the automotive industry? I actually got into the car business on accident. I had family in Texas, so, I moved there with the intention of selling real estate. But, I had to live in Texas for two months, before I could get a real estate license, so, I answered an ad to sell cars. The first month, I was the dealership’s top salesman, and the second month I topped the record for their all-time best sales record. Needless to say, I never got my real estate license. I liked selling cars. I was good at it, and the money was great. The dealer I worked for was getting ready to sell the dealership. One day, I got a phone call from Ellis Ivory, my former mission president, friend and business mentor. He had Rick Warner on the phone. I was invited to interview for a position within his dealership organization, an offer I accepted, because my 10th year high school reunion was happening, and I could do both with one trip. I was hired as the manager for Rick Warner Suzuki, and moved back home to Utah. I worked for the Rick Warner organization for many years, transferring to Toyota. Eventually I had the opportunity to own my own dealership, and risked everything to make it happen. Do you have family members in the auto industry? Yes, I have two sons, Jamie and Andrew, who have worked with me over the years. Drew still works at the dealership, Jamie has a social media marketing company, and we work with him on our social media. Describe your education background. What did you study? I barely, barely graduated from high school. I was lucky enough through early life experiences to identify things I was good at, passionate about, if you will, and be able to translate those into a career. Towards the end of my high school years, I was the lead guitar player and front person for a professional rock band, Roadwork. We recorded an album, went on tour, and actually opened for ZZ Top here locally. My experiences with the band helped me feel comfortable talking to people – large crowds of people! I got comfortable behind a microphone in a hurry. I also served an LDS mission, which also helped me become comfortable talking to people – people I didn’t know. Brent Brown Nominated by NCDU as TIME Dealer of the Year