Early life:

Kamard Johnson was born and raised in Southside Richmond, Virginia, which he refers to as ‘not the prettiest environment to grow up. As a high school student, he was always smart and intelligent. Johnson attended high school in a county school, where he had little exposure to white culture. Therefore, he was pretty shocked upon encountering cultural differences at college. It took him some time to get used to them.

Johnson later mentioned that attending that school and observing the clear perception towards the life of many of his fellow students inspired him around this time. Upon seeing his teammates’ houses and cars, and leading a lavish life, he got a taste for a lifestyle he wanted to emulate. Within a short period, Johnson began to sell Pokémon cards and experienced a feeling of accomplishment at helping his mother with household expenses.

Kamard Johnson’s brother Rashad Johnson is twelve years older than Kamard, who has always been an entrepreneur. Kamrad said his brother had always been an inspiration to watch as he launched GTT Commercial Tires, best selling trucks which made Kamrad want to join the company.   

Interaction with TN’H:

In an interview with TN’H, Johnson talks about the challenges of working in his former car business and the lessons he learned as a fledgling entrepreneur. Now he is the co-founder of the GTT Commercial Tires. He and his brother Rashad have been made their way into the best selling trucks commercial truck tire sales industry. Over the past six years, GTT Commercial Tires, “The Owner Operators Store,” has grown from selling out of a small shed to owning multiple locations, including a 30,000-square-foot facility in Richmond, Virginia. Tens of thousands of tires are pumped out per month at the facility.

As an entrepreneur, Johnson spoke of changes he made during his first tenure with GTT best selling trucks and how those changes positively affected the tire retailing industry. According to Johnson, maintaining relationships with existing and new customers and finding vendors are essential steps toward profitability. He also teaches the class about different types of tires and how the price has risen over the last few years.

Johnson also addressed a few common misconceptions about the industry, while at the same time discussing whether the tire selling business is a high-margin or low-margin industry. To benefit aspiring entrepreneurs, he added points regarding growth and scalability and how to set goals and vision.

Final thought: 

Johnson said, “Being yourself is a work in progress; it takes practice to be your best self. And on a business level, he added, ‘Stay curious and if you’re not, get curious. Try new things.’

Please view the Video Below to learn more about business owner Kamard Johnson and his company: