Welcome to the first part of our conversation with Kota Bennett on Stories from the River. Host Charlie Malouf interviews Kota Bennett, a Home Furnishings Expert and VIP Sales Manager at Broad River. Kota shares his inspiring journey within the company over the past four years, starting with a leap of faith move to North Carolina in June 2020 during the pandemic. Kota shares his journey beginning with his virtual, yet fun and engaging, Retail 101 classes and the fellow Memory Makers who supported and helped him along the way.
Known for his standout shoes, Kota shares his approach to wearing bright, fun shoes that help him connect and engage with his guests.
He takes us through each year with Broad River and the career milestones (and setbacks) he has had along the way. He shares how he has been able to write over $1,000,000 in sales each full year, how he had a rapid ascent to achieving the Expert status by the end of 2021. He discusses his decision to move from the Raleigh area to Wilmington and the coastal region in April 2022. Then, after temporarily losing his Expert designation in 2022, Kota describes how he managed to regain his Expert status in 2023 through perseverance and determination.
His consistent success each year with Broad River has enabled him to grow his income each year at The River and culminated with his decision to purchase a house last year, marking a significant personal milestone.
Kota opens up about his passion for VIP and how he has unlocked his potential and grown by taking on sales management and leadership duties since his move to Wilmington.
Additionally, Kota emphasizes the importance of leadership and company support in achieving personal growth, expressing gratitude for the mentorship and guidance he's received. His journey from a newcomer to becoming a leader who positively influences his team highlights Kota's dedication and passion for his work. To hear the rest of Kota's story, tune in to part two on Thursday!
Publisher's Note: Please note that we have unfortunately lost access to the video file from this interview, but we made the decision to publish this two-part conversation with the audio files that were preserved along with photos of Kota and photos taken during our recording day on Friday, June 28, 2024.
This episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-gFX6sqY5pA
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