In this episode of the Western Wayne News podcast, Kate sits down with Richmond entrepreneur and realtor Auntonio Brown to explore the experiences that shaped his drive to build businesses and invest in his hometown. From cutting grass for paying customers as a child to overcoming a life-altering health crisis and launching multiple ventures, Brown shares why he believes Richmond’s future depends on creating opportunities, connections, and confidence for the next generation of entrepreneurs. Enjoy!
Transcript
Auntonio Brown: I’m Auntonio Brown, Indiana realtor and entrepreneur.
Kate Jetmore: From Civic Spark Media and the Western Wayne News in Wayne County, Indiana, I’m Kate Jetmore. As a native of Richmond, Indiana, I’m excited to be sitting down with some of our neighbors and listening to the stories that define our community.
My guest today is Auntonio Brown. Born and raised in Richmond, Indiana, he is passionate about serving his community and takes pride in showing why Richmond is a great place to live. He helps families buy and sell homes while building long-term wealth through real estate. Outside of that, he runs a mowing and landscaping service and creates content highlighting local businesses and hidden gems. Most importantly, he loves spending time with his fiancée and their nine-month-old son.
Welcome, Auntonio. Thanks so much for joining me on the podcast.
Auntonio Brown: Thank you for having me. I’m glad we’re finally doing this.
Kate Jetmore: I know. You are a busy guy. This actually took a while to get on the calendar. So thanks for saving me a spot today.
Let’s start with your childhood and your early years. What can you share about where you grew up and what kinds of challenges and successes have marked your path?
Auntonio Brown: So, I’m born and raised local, Richmond. I grew up with a great family. I have two sisters. My mother is Cassandra Brown.
My father is Wayne Brown. I just had a great childhood. I spent a lot of time with my friends growing up, doing sports.
I played football and basketball. I graduated from Richmond High School in 2015. And yeah, ever since, I mean, I’ve just been local and trying to show people why Richmond is a great place to stay and be.
A lot of people kind of feel the need to like leave Richmond once they graduate from school or, you know, maybe take an opportunity.
They kind of feel like you have to leave Richmond. And I just love being here and being still where I’m from in my roots.
And Richmond’s what you make it. So.
Kate Jetmore: Yes. Yes. I love that message. And I could not agree with you more. It actually makes me want to go back a couple steps and pick your brain a little bit about where you grew up and, you know, which elementary school did you go to, which middle school did you go to. So tell us a little bit more about that.
Auntonio Brown: Yeah, so I, well, my mom, she actually started her daycare.
My mom does child care and she’s done it for the past 30 years. And she started her daycare because of her kids, to be around her kids more.
And so that’s kind of like my roots of where I came from is All God’s Children Daycare, which is still here 30 years later.
But, and she’s actually opening her preschool in the fall this year. So she’s done a lot of big things. That’s kind of where my roots are is from my mom and what she has built.
So, but then I went to Charles Elementary. That’s where I went to elementary school. And then I went to Test Middle School.
And then I graduated from Richmond High School in 2015.
Kate Jetmore: Oh, OK. Yeah, I love hearing about how, you know, knowing that you can have an idea and build it into a business isn’t just something that someone told you about or that you heard about and wanted to try yourself.
It’s something that you saw modeled from the very beginning of your life.
Auntonio Brown: Yeah. And then also, you know, my dad, he, since I was, you know, in elementary school, I would wake up on Saturdays and cut grass. And that’s kind of like the thing he kind of made me do.
And what’s crazy is he would help me cut the grass and he let me keep all the money. So that really, you know, stuck with me through my life.
And he always told me, you know, if you ever need, if you’re ever in need of money, and you know, you need it really bad, you’ll go cut some grass.
You’ll find a way to go get it. And that’s what I’ve come from. So, yeah, I’m still doing it till today.
Kate Jetmore: So, when you say you did that with your dad and… You know, it was something that he, you know, made you do when you were, when you were a kid and a young man.
Was that as a way to make money? I mean, was, were you sort of out in the neighborhood with the lawnmower offering your services to people?
Or are you talking about what you did for the family?
Auntonio Brown: Yeah. So really, I mean, obviously I would cut, you know, our grass every Saturday, pretty much. I think I’m going to sleep in, how normal kids are.
He’s waking me up, making me cut the grass. I have no choice. Like, it doesn’t matter what I had planned, like the grass is going to get cut.
But then ultimately, you know, he would, would like load the truck up. And, you know, I had real customers that really depended on me biweekly and weekly to cut their yards.
So I had about 10 yards at like, probably 11 years old, had 10 yards. So, that just really molded me into who I am, you know.
You know, they’d be asking me like, Hey, can we go to the pool on Saturday? How about you come with us?
And I’m like, they don’t even know I have to cut grass. Like I have to cut 10 yards. I don’t want to, I want to be a kid. You know what I mean?
So, but I really appreciate that, you know, he gave that to me and, you know, it really just grew me to who I am and I still do it still today.
Kate Jetmore: Sure, sure. Oh, I so appreciate having that peek into, you know, how you got where you are. And one of the titles you use to introduce yourself is entrepreneur.
So tell us a little bit more about that journey. You told us about how it began, but tell us a little bit more about that path of entrepreneurship, and some of the experiences that you’ve had now as a young professional in the area.
Auntonio Brown: So like I said, I obviously did the lawn care thing, but I also started to do fitness classes.
I had a fitness gym for seven years. I started in 2019. To make a long story short, I got really sick in 2018.
And I had kidney and liver failure. So I was going to school. And I really hated school. And I just went because I thought it would make my parents happy.
And what’s crazy is my dad actually told me that, you know, you don’t have to go to school. When I graduated high school, he was like, I’m proud of you and what you did. If you don’t want to go to college, you don’t have to.
And I really just thought I had to leave. And so I left. And then I ended up getting sick.
I went to Urbana, Ohio. I played football there. And then I transferred to Ball State. And then I went there.
And I got sick. And I really hated school at the time. And I got sick anyway. But that kind of just pulled me out of school pretty much.
And I didn’t go back. And I got really bad. And I had to have a year of medical watch.
So I didn’t do anything for an entire year because the kidney and liver failure really tore me up bad.
So I had to sit down for an entire year and kind of like rebuild myself. And I just got a lot healthier and took it into making it a business.
And I did fitness classes for seven years in the Depot District.
Kate Jetmore: Oh, wow. Wow. How do you look at that illness? Do you see it as just sort of one of those things that happens or did it feel like a wake-up call?
Like, you know, I didn’t want to go away to school. I made myself go away to school. And now my body’s saying stop and reevaluate.
Auntonio Brown: Yeah. I was also working part time at UPS, too. And I think that had a lot to do with it, too, just how much I was working and stuff.
But, yeah, I mean, I do think it was a wake-up call for me. Because it kind of repositioned me to come back home.
And I fell into the trap of trying to run away from home because I just wanted to leave Richmond and it’s not a good place to be and all this stuff.
But I realized, you know, I’d rather, I wouldn’t rather be anywhere but Richmond. So I do think that was kind of meant to happen for me to have to readjust my life.
And then, you know, I opened up a business that I did for seven years and I was really proud of that.
And yeah, so.
Kate Jetmore: Yeah. And do you still have that business? That was, I guess, aside from cutting grass, that was kind of your first, you know, business as an entrepreneur, right?
Auntonio Brown: Yeah. So I don’t actually have that space anymore. Really, I mean, it was just time to come to an end, honestly.
Because fitness is a really hard business, to have people, you know, intrigued all year long. So I had to really make that decision to, you know, kind of just regroup things and go all in to real estate and, you know, mowing, because it’s just very consistent for me.
Obviously, real estate has its waves too with the market, but I just had a son too. So that really changed everything.
I just want to give all my time to him. I want to give all my time to him because I was at, I did that for seven years, but I put my all into it and I was doing a lot, I was traveling at one point to Connersville, Union County, Eaton, Ohio, Winchester, College Corner, Cambridge City. I went to all those places and I was traveling a lot.
So, but really, I just want to give all my time to my son.
Kate Jetmore: Well, I mean, we’ve talked before about how busy you are. I mean, you are not giving all your time to your son, but it sounds like you’re trying to structure it in a way where, you know, during those specific hours of the day, whether it’s, you know, just when he’s getting up or when it’s bath time and dinner time, that you’re trying to be there for those times of day.
Is it more about sort of having control over your schedule?
Auntonio Brown: Yes, that’s everything. As an entrepreneur, like, obviously, it’s not like that every day. Some days, you know, I don’t get to see him go to sleep, you know, so those are the sacrifices that I got to do.
But I know in the long run, when it’s really important, I have the choice and decision that I can be there. You know what I mean?
Kate Jetmore: Yes, yes, that is so important.
Auntonio Brown: That’s my only goal in life.
Kate Jetmore: Well, that’s, if that’s the only goal you have, that’s an amazing goal. Well, Auntonio, in February, earlier this year, there was an article, as you know, in the Western Wayne News about Rose City Connect, which is the networking group that you founded. So tell us how the group came to be. And I’d also like to know what that initial gathering was like for you.
Auntonio Brown: So really what sparked it was just creating a space for, and it’s not just young professionals, it’s really all professionals, but I really put young professionals just to let them know that they are welcome, because they don’t feel welcome.
So that was the whole point of the whole young part of it. But because I have a lot of people messaging me like, Hey, I’m not young, but I’m like, if you guys read the, if you read the invitation, it really said all professionals.
So, and I did have all ages there, you know, there was professionals that were older and who have been doing it, you know what I mean?
And then there were people who are running it out of their home and started it off the ground and came for inspiration.
And that’s what I was trying to create was really for the people who don’t think that they can, you know, create a business and have a, you know, beneficial idea that can help the needs of others.
You know, some of them don’t even think it’s an option because there’s these rooms that they can’t even get in.
You know what I mean? And this is a free event. I wasn’t trying to get clients out of it or anything like that.
I barely even talked. And that was my whole thing. I’m like, I’m not, I didn’t come to like, say, Hey guys, it’s about me. Like, it’s not about me.
And I made that very clear from the get go. And I just stayed back and let everybody, you know, mingle with each other.
And that’s really all I wanted.
Kate Jetmore: Wow. Well, I want to hear more about this dynamic that you mentioned of people not feeling welcome or people knowing that there are things going on, but they can’t get in that door or they can’t get a seat at that table.
So tell me more about how you became aware of that, and what you are doing about it, what this group is doing about it.
Auntonio Brown: So the biggest thing that I noticed is that, like I said, people don’t feel that the space is the right space that they can thrive in.
And like I said, I just wanted to create that. And I felt that myself multiple times, you know, as being somebody who was young in the Depot District for seven years. I was 20 years old when I walked on to the Depot District, you know what I mean?
So actually I was 20, I wasn’t even 21 yet, but I was 20 years old and, you know, I didn’t have that really support, but luckily the people kind of made me feel supported.
And that’s what created my business for me. It wasn’t that it was me, it was that the people gave me the opportunity.
And although I was young, I didn’t feel that welcoming. I just really walked in and tried to create something positive, and I was able to do it for seven years.
But also, at the same time, I just feel like I didn’t have that space to be in to be able to thrive.
And a lot of the industry that I’m in, even in real estate, there’s gatekeepers. And gatekeepers is a thing.
There are gatekeepers in this world. There’s people that get to a certain status, and they won’t tell people how they got there.
So if I can create a room where all these other people who are coming up, but then also have people that are successful, we can do nothing but be stronger together.
Because they’re going to tell somebody else how they got there, who can learn the game, and then also change the game for their family and their legacy.
So if we can do that all together, we all can benefit from each other. We can all exchange clients with each other.
We can all, you know, spread money throughout each other’s businesses, by off a relationship. And a relationship is the first thing that comes with success.
And just knowing people can put you in a lot of different rooms. So I just wanted to have people there of importance, people there who are starting out and combine them together and really just see what comes from there.
We don’t talk about business, really. We’re just literally creating relationship. And then when we create relationship, that’s when business comes into it.
Kate Jetmore: That is so exciting. And to me, what it seems like is that you, well, first of all, you’re aware of this structure and these dynamics, and it sounds like you are making no bones about it: You want to be a gatekeeper. But a generous gatekeeper. A gatekeeper who sees all the people who want to walk in, and you see what they have to offer, and you just say, welcome.
So that is so exciting, Auntonio. And I’m really excited for you, but also for all that you’re bringing to, you know, the other members of this networking group, and for the community.
So speaking of the community, I’d love to hear some of your observations and hopes for Richmond and Wayne County as a whole, when it comes to nurturing entrepreneurs and young professionals.
Auntonio Brown: Are you referring to how the local area treats young professionals? Is that what you mean?
Kate Jetmore: Sure. I mean, I want to hear what you’re seeing and what you think about what it is you’re seeing.
Auntonio Brown: I mostly feel just that a lot of people can’t be confident in what they’re creating just because they don’t have the resources or the knowledge of other people that have already done what they’re trying to do.
You know, there are a lot of successful entrepreneurs in the local area that have already done what people are trying to emulate, if that makes sense.
So I feel like, once again, if these opportunities are given to be around these people, around people who are growing, around people who want to grow, around people who wish they could grow, that’s what I want to create, create that space.
Kate Jetmore: Yeah, yeah. So what you’re describing is something that currently doesn’t exist that you would love to see, and that you are trying to play a role in when it comes to creating resources like this networking group.
What about, Auntonio, what about things that already exist in the area that maybe people don’t know about, and that you wish people knew about?
Auntonio Brown: What I do, I do know there’s, like, the Chamber. There is other young professional groups that do meet up.
But once again, I mean, you got to feel like you’re in the room that you feel comfortable in, you know what I mean?
And I’ve been to a lot of groups and things like that, you could say, and I just want to be around the people that think I belong to be there, you know what I mean?
I want to be around the people who don’t question what I do or question my qualifications. You know what I mean?
I just want to be around the people who believe in me, around the people who like me. And if I can create that space of positivity to where people aren’t wondering if they’re even valuable enough to be in the room, you know what I mean?
Kate Jetmore: Yeah.
Auntonio Brown: I just want to create that natural, authentic, like, let me figure out what this group is about. I want to be around those people.
Like, you know, I’ve been thinking of this idea, but I don’t really have those people around me that build me up, those people around me that are actively doing things and doing entrepreneurship or doing other businesses that they might have created.
I’ve never been around somebody who’s actually trying to accomplish something. And that’s what the people I want to, you know, group together is the people who want to be inspired pretty much.
Kate Jetmore: Yes. Yes. You know what it sounds like to me? It sounds like you had that. Growing up. And you still have that in these two wonderful models who are your parents.
And it sounds like you are aware that there are people out there who don’t have that. And so you’re thinking, how can we provide that to people who don’t have it?
Because it’s so important. It’s so hard to rise up and grow when you don’t have those strong pillars on your side.
Auntonio Brown: Yeah. Yeah. And I recently had this experience where I seen somebody who was just getting older in age and they seen somebody doing a business and they were looking at the success of it and they were like, man, I wish I would have had somebody around me who believed in me to do this.
And when I seen them, well, when I heard, heard them say it, I just realized right there, like some people don’t have any belief in them and they can’t do it themselves.
So if they are around people who believe in them, it might, you know, be able to drag them out of that pit of, I don’t believe in me. You know what I mean?
Kate Jetmore: Right.
Auntonio Brown: So, I mean, that’s really what it stems from is just creating that space for that. That’s all.
Kate Jetmore: Yes. Well, Auntonio, I’m so grateful to you, not only for creating that space, which is not an easy thing to do, but for creating the space for this call today, which was not easy on either of our ends.
So thank you so much. I want to wish you and your family all the best.
Auntonio Brown: I really appreciate it. It was great talking to you.