It’s no wonder that Kendall Fontenot at the young age of 31 is breaking barriers, kicking down doors and building financial freedom. Fontenot has had his heart set on being a successful businessman since he was just 7 years old. The enterprising African American entrepreneur just added another accomplishment to his growing list of accolades: he was elected as the youngest African American to the board of the LIADA – the Louisiana Independent Automobile Dealers Association.
This is not just a rubber stamp membership. The LIADA holds a high standard for its members, endorsing quality business practices that promote the spirit of cooperation and advocate a high set of ethics. There is no doubt that Fontenot earned the board’s approval with his uncanny ability to build reputable businesses.
“Kendall has been in the automotive industry for over a decade and his knowledge will be a great asset to the association,” says LIADA President Robert Perry. Fontenot set high goals for himself with the intent of living well and providing for his family. “I always wanted to achieve wealth, retire my family and live in financial freedom,” Fontenot said.
Currently, the Louisiana native owns one of the largest Buy Here Pay Here minority-owned auto dealerships in the state. But the dealership is just one of the many businesses he created over the years since he was just a kid. While in the second grade, the wise-beyond-his-years youngster saw an opportunity in school supplies, pencils in particular. He started selling pencils, and by the time he was 10, he was selling candy. Within just a few years, he took to the Internet, this time selling tennis shoes and throwback sports jerseys online. The big bucks came, though, when he took a big interest in a car dealership at the ripe “old” age of 17.
“I started a car audio business and was selling car audio, rims and tires, and other car accessories,” he says. “Then a year later, I got licensed and started selling cars out of the newspaper from my mother’s home.” Fontenot’s remarkable story was actually just starting to unfold. At 24, he reached one of his many lofty goals: financial freedom. He started his own Buy Here Pay Here car dealership. Just seven years later, he had earned the nickname: King Kendall, the King of Credit, currently with more than 600 accounts and multiple locations.
This rag- to-riches story isn’t over – Fontenot is displaying his unselfish, entrepreneurial nature with his own book, “The Good Life and How To Get It,” which rapidly became a favorite read for those looking to enhance their financial future. In addition to hard work, Fontenot employs a belief system that enables his phenomenal success. “Dreams can become available when families can live in abundance and not want,” he shares. “An individual’s or family’s greatest hope of reaching that plateau of freedom is through entrepreneurship.”
