Episode Details

In this episode, I sit down with my uncle Kent Coleman to talk about his book "It's Not About the Mangoes" and his journey from nearly going bankrupt to owning 14 Big O Tires locations that are some of the highest-producing stores in the nation. Kent shares how he got into the tire business even though he's not a car guy at all, and the huge mistakes he made early on, like firing his best, most experienced employees just because they were the highest paid during the recession.

He talks about hitting rock bottom when his remaining team didn't care about customers, wouldn't answer phones, and sales plummeted even faster. That's when he learned the principle behind "It's Not About the Mangoes," it's about investing in people, not just looking at them as expenses. Kent shares powerful insights about creating a culture where question-asking is encouraged, where employees feel valued, and where the focus is on people over profit.

We also dive into why he wrote the book as someone who's been journaling since he was five years old, how the principles apply to everyone (not just tire people), and where he hopes to go from here, which is all about growing influence and positively impacting more lives.

Brynne’s Social:

Facebook: @Brynne Erickson - my public page

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573316550355

Instagram: @brynne_erickson

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Threads: @brynne_erickson

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📕Purchase Kent's book, "It's Not About the Mangoes" on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-About-Mangos-Organizational/dp/0578345684

Sound Bites:

• "It's not about the mangoes."
• "Everyone has a measure of light."
• "Love is a huge part of it."

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Kent Coleman and His Journey

02:01 The Unexpected Path to the Tire Business

04:32 Overcoming Early Struggles and Lessons Learned

07:08 The Meaning Behind 'It's Not About the Mangoes'

12:22 Finding and Nurturing People of Light

16:48 The Role of Love in Business

21:54 Encouraging a Culture of Question Asking

25:17 The Inspiration Behind Writing the Book

28:45 Future Aspirations and Impact

30:44 call to action