\"It's Not About the Mangoes\": What a Tire Guy Taught Me About People, Leadership, and Love

When my uncle Kent Coleman told me he had written a business book, I wasn't sure it was going to be my thing. I'm a stay at home mom. I don't sell tires. But I picked it up anyway because Kent is someone I genuinely admire, and I am so glad I did. I took more personal notes on this book than I expected, about my relationships, my kids, my faith community, and the way I show up for the people around me every day. It turns out the principles that make a great business are pretty much the same ones that make a great life.

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From an SBA Loan to the Number One Franchise in the Nation

Kent has been an entrepreneur since he was a kid, literally. While his friends were out playing baseball, he was finding ways to make money. That drive never stopped, and 19 years ago he bought his first Big O Tires franchise with an SBA loan, leveraged home equity, and absolutely no automotive background. The early years were rough, especially when the 2008 recession hit and some costly mistakes of his own made things significantly worse. But Kent clawed his way back by doing the opposite of what had gotten him into trouble, and today his franchise group is the number one Big O operation in the nation, with 14 locations producing over triple the national average in sales.

The Story Behind the Title

The turnaround started when Kent went looking for great people. He found José, a 27 year old who was widely considered the best tire salesman in the state of Utah. On his very first day, José started changing the culture of the store. Customers would walk past every other available advisor just to wait in line for him. When Kent finally asked what his secret was, José traced it back to his childhood in Mexico, where he had been tasked with selling a ton of mangoes every single weekend at a local market. He noticed early on that if he could make a genuine connection with people, they would buy from him even when other vendors were selling the exact same mangoes at the exact same price. It's not about the mangoes. It's about people. It's about relationships. And once José understood that at ten years old, everything changed.

"It's not about the mangoes. It's about people. It's about relationships. And when I figured that out as a ten year old, I knew I could sell things."

People of Light and How to Find Them

"You cannot tear people down and build a good culture. The opposite of tearing people down is love."

Kent talks a lot in the book about what he calls people of light, and before you write that off as too mystical, stick with me. His belief is simple. Every person is born with light, and through our choices and our mindset, we either enhance it or diminish it. In a business context, people of light are the ones who smile, who are genuinely interested in others, who own their failures instead of hiding from them. Kent shared that one of his favorite interview questions is asking candidates about a time they failed. Someone who can't think of a failure, or twists a strength into one, raises a red flag immediately. The people who say here's what I did wrong, here's how I fixed it, and here's what I'm doing differently now are the ones worth building a team around.

Love as a Business Strategy

Here's the part that really got me. Kent talks openly about love in the workplace, which is not something you see in most business books. For him, love in a professional context means that his employees understand their value as human beings, not just as workers. It means mistakes are addressed with accountability and respect. It means customers are never judged by how they look or how they treat you. And it means that when people feel genuinely cared for at work, they take that energy home to their families and out into their communities. Kent put it simply: you cannot tear people down and build a good culture. The opposite of tearing people down is love. And love, it turns out, is a pretty solid business strategy.

"Every single person, regardless of background or race or creed, is born with light. And through our choices and our mindset, we either enhance it or diminish it."

What This Book Taught Me as a Mom

Here's what I didn't expect. Sitting across from Kent, I realized that I am a salesperson every single day. I'm negotiating with my kids about dinner and bedtime and getting in the tub. And the same principles apply. When I'm in my light, patient and connected and genuinely present, things go so much more smoothly. When I'm running on empty and operating from my darker side, nobody wins. It's Not About the Mangoes is technically a business book, but what Kent has really written is a guide to being a better human. I recommend it to everyone, whether you sell tires, teach third grade, or just spend your days trying to get small people to eat their vegetables.

Make it a great day!

🎉 Brynne

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Hi, I’m Brynne. I share my journey of becoming through stories and reflection - guided by a higher power as I explore identity, faith, and everyday life, inviting you to grow alongside me.

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