Meet Trailblazer Kelsey Brown Crump

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsey Brown Crump.

Kelsey, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Growing up with two very focused and driven parents, I’ve always had the best examples of success in businesses. My only trouble, figuring out where exactly I fit in and where I could see myself. Being fairly independent, I didn’t see myself following my parents footsteps into the car business. However, after some trials and growing pains, I realized my main drive and focus is helping people and building and maintaining relationships. Feeling a deep connection with the car business, I was drawn back in. However, I wanted to learn on my own. I was fortunate to get hired on within the Penske Auto Group (where I ended up meeting my now husband!). And I was able to learn the sales side of the business for a couple of years. After a few years there, and then a short bout at a Cadillac store in Chicago, I am proud to be a sales manager for my parents at Henry Brown Buick GMC. It’s so great to work with my parents and brothers and maintain a strong relationship within our community.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being in the auto industry, it has certainly not been easy! But nothing worth having comes easy. The biggest challenge has been proving myself. Not only proving myself as a female in the auto industry, but proving myself to my fellow employees at Henry Brown. It was so important to show my work ethic and that I wasn’t just there because “I’m the owners kid”. It’s also very important to me that my parents see how much I care about the success of our store.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Being a sales manager, my day is different every day! On top of assisting customers, I love working with and helping my sales team in any way that I can. Being a family-owned business is what sets us apart from other dealership groups. My parents, Henry and Mimi, are in the store daily and love being involved as much as they can.

What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
My advice to anyone thinking of joining the car business is to focus on the people aspect. Everyone needs a vehicle and everyone wants to feel confident about their decision. It’s all about just finding the right vehicle for each person. Keeping that at the forefront of my mind has always helped. But, overall, the best advice I would give someone making a difficult decision, ask yourself what will mean in ten days? What will it mean in ten weeks… ten months… ten years? It’s a great way to gain perspective on any issue!

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.henrybrownauto.com
• Email: kelsey.brown@henrybrownauto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kb_crump/

Image Credit:
The Whittonhouse Agency

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.