I recently went one on one with Tyler Bray, founder of Tk Trailer Parts.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth? 

Tyler: My journey began when my father, who is himself an entrepreneur, inspired me to become one as well. I started far earlier than most people. At age 14, I dropped out of the public school setting to focus solely on my business. It was not uncommon for me to work on my business from 8am to past two in the morning the next day. Early on, I had too many failures to count, and still make mistakes. The most important thing I learned throughout this journey is that mistakes and failures are part of the story. I must use them to grow and never give up, even if there are times when it feels so tempting. All setbacks come with lessons. I learned that beyond flashy marketing, beyond hyper-energetic sales pitches, taking care of your people is number one. To specify, people refers to customers, employees, vendors, family, everybody. If you do that, they will take care of you and your business. Business is not about products or services, it is about people. As a leader, my most important job is to ensure the successes of my people, not my product.

Adam: How did you come up with your business idea? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas? 

Tyler: The innovative thing about my company was bundling parts and kits in ways that saved customers countless hours of searching for parts or returning items that did not work. I believe great ideas start with an empathetic question: what is my customer’s pain point, and how can I solve it effectively? If you can answer that question and implement a solution, you’ll have a great idea even if it is simple.

Adam: How did you know your business idea was worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea? 

Tyler: I knew my business was worth pursuing because I was going to make it worth it no matter what. My advice to anyone who wants to test a business idea is to of course consult with people you trust. At the end of the day, just execute and believe you’ll learn and adapt as you go. Many people fall into the trap of analysis paralysis. The most brilliant ideas amount to nothing if you don’t act on them. The best way to learn about your market is not by researching but by doing, learning, making mistakes, and growing from them.

Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level? 

Tyler: I invest nearly every penny directly back into my business. I intentionally cultivate a culture where every person in my team wakes up in the morning and is excited to go to work. Your business is made up of people. As you grow, you as one person aren’t going to be able to handle the workload of the larger business, which just makes your team that much more important. If you want to grow, hire people who are smarter than you and can get things done that you can’t. Make sure they love their lives every single day.

Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?

Tyler: Solve rather than sell. Your customer is trying to solve a problem on some level. Be helpful and the close will happen on its own. Remember that customers are people just like you. They want to be cared for, they want to know that they can trust you. Develop a relationship with them. The money is not made on the first purchase, but from long lasting relationships. As for marketing, educate and inform. My particular field is filled with technical questions, so many of my materials are about informing customers and making them aware of their options.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? 

Tyler: I believe leaders should be in touch with their capacity for empathy. I think you should view yourself as the supportive base of your organization. The overall mission is at the pinnacle of the structure, and you support each piece as well as you can. The best leaders ensure the success of the people they are leading. This means aligning your goals with their goals, and truly caring for your team. In conjunction with that, your vision must be clear, your direction must be concise, and your worlds must resonate.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams? 

Tyler: Building your team is about choosing people. When people ask me how do you choose your team members, I ask them how do you choose your friends? You can teach skills, but don’t expect to teach values to adults. Make sure your own values and those of your team members are aligned. In order to manage people successfully, you must be able to listen effectively. It is only possible to be successful if you know what drives each member of your team, and use that to move closer to your shared vision.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders? 

Tyler: 

1. What are you waiting for?

2. We not I

3. Enjoy the journey!

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received? 

Tyler: To paraphrase what my father told me, it’s not what you know or even who you know, but who you know who is willing to help you. This is important because you may know someone, or know of them, but that does not mean they are a resource to you. Cultivate relationships that you know will be mutually beneficial. 

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Tyler: Entrepreneurship is a lonely road. Even when my business was at its peak, I have fallen into depression. Understand that you can and will burn out. Push through, it is worth it.


Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

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