Today we’d like to introduce you to Derrick Brown.
Hi Derrick, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I have always been fascinated with helping people and creating things. My story starts with helping people and ends with creating. I remember working at the Boys and Girls Club of Memphis and being let go. When asked why I was told there was no reason. I told myself that I never wanted to feel that pain again so I started my own Youth Organization called The Academy Memphis. I used my job as an educator to enroll students in my organization. A huge success as I’ve seen over 1200 students come to our annual Youth leadership camp at various spots in Memphis. Mostly being at Christian Brothers University.
Students come to live on campus and experience college life firsthand and also take classes that will help them in the world as they transition from school-age kids to adults in society. At the end of each camp, we do a presentation on how can I make Memphis a better place and invite stakeholders from around the city to watch. We have had a lot of success there. From there I opened The Vinyl Factory in mid-pandemic. Some thought it was crazy but it worked. We have clients all over the US from Faizon Love to Montell Jordan just to name a few. Some can’t be named just yet but we will get a chance to one day.
The best part about Vinyl Factory is we hire the students who were once members of our Leadership camp. The things we taught them there are now used to help the company grow. The plan is to make them all store owners. We are now the fastest supplier of HTV transfers in the city. We sell Vinyl products one would need if they had an apparel company. So my story is connected as I stated in the beginning it starts with helping people and ends with creating but the creating ends up being New Leaders.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has been fairly smooth due to my faith in God and being able to pass on Leadership strategies to people who work for me. I have been part of New Leaders, New Memphis, and a few other Leadership programs so Leadership is in me.
My only job is to create more leaders by passing on my knowledge. I think the hardest part in working with youth is when you lose to the streets and youth is taken. I’ve lost some future leaders due to gun violence but we have to keep moving because it’s necessary.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m also a Teacher at Treadwell Middle and have been teaching for 10 years. I’m most proud of my time at Riverview Middle School. That school is category IZone so it is considered a top priority of the state.
Riverview was the #1 priority school in the state when we all got there and in one year we turned that school into a level 5. It was there I won Teacher of the Year, Special Education Superior Teacher of the Year, and Channel 10’s Spark award. All I did was go the extra Mile with those kids there and show them a better way. I’m proud of that.
I’m also proud of my time at Treadwell although the fight looks different there the overall goal is still the same. I’m still trying to find where I fit in there. I graduated from Treadwell so that’s home and I’m always ready to fight for home. I have a feeling my story has yet to start there…
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I’m a Member of a Fraternity. Omega Psi Phi is the Greatest Frat of all time. I’ve met some very successful men while I make my mark in society. It’s like being the top dog where you are from and then walking into a room and dropping to the bottom because everyone is so successful.
I love it because I get to watch 1st hand men reach success and I can call the friend. It pushes me to be the best I can be because I’m around people who expect that from me and do the same in their lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.vinylfactory901.com
- Instagram: @vinylfactorymemphis
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vinylfactory901?mibextid=9R9pXO
