Meet KENYA SIMMONS | Utility Contractor and Realtor

We had the good fortune of connecting with KENYA SIMMONS and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi KENYA, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
To never take no as a reflection of your worth. Sometimes a no can redirect us towards our destiny. A no should inspire you to work harder and find alternatives that will help you get to your destiny. I’m in an industry that is considered to be for men and something a woman either shouldn’t or couldn’t do and I have consistently disproved this myth. Being the first woman of color to be on the board of the Georgia Utility Contractors Association as well as the first woman of color to serve as a Chairwoman on their PAC committee. If I allowed all the “No’s “ I received to affect me in a negative way, I would not have achieved what I have.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My entrepreneur journey started when I was a little girl , babysitting, collecting aluminum cans and getting paid to recycle them, just a few of the jobs I created for myself to earn my own money. The name of my businesses are;

T & J Industries Development & Contracting, Inc./Kenya Simmons Real estate LLC. and I am a State licensed utility contractor and State licensed Salesperson [Realtor].

I always knew that I would work for myself and create opportunities for others. I married at 17 and we owned the first horse and carriage company in Atlanta, at one time operating 12-14 carriages in the city and it was named , T R Enterprises Horse & Carriage Co. In 1990 we started a underground utility construction company and our first job was as a sub contractor for Atlanta Gas Light Company installing the underground conduit for their gas lines. We eventually branched out and settled into water utilities becoming at that time, the only african american company to install water meters in a partnership with Mueller Services [ the company that made the meters] in DeKalb County GA. Fast forward 30+ years later and our employee base fluctuates between 80-100 employees and 5-6 sub contractors that we employ. We are a State licensed utility contractor and I also have been a licensed Realtor for over 17 years and last year was appointed to the Active Lifetime Million Dollar Club.

In the water utility business I was always the only woman and definitely the only woman of color in the room full of male and most often non – african american colleagues, I had to go the extra extra mile to establish that I had the credentials and the knowledge to belong in that room. In our company’s early beginnings it was myself , my husband who passed and one other employee that we recruited from our horse and carriage company. I would often have to jump on the tractor or in the hole on jobs because we did not have enough employees but we always got the job done and usually ahead of the schedule. In 1999 my husband died, being left with four little ones, I made the decision to continue to operate the underground water utility company because I knew it was the legacy that my children and grandchildren could one day inherit,while it wasn’t easy,
I would not change my decision if I had to do it all over because it was a necessary part of my journey to mold me into the business woman I am today. I am often asked what is the “secret to my success” and I answer each time with, trusting God’s plan for you even if you don’t quite understand it. Write down every single goal and reference this list often and check off each goal as you accomplish [ this makes it less overwhelming and achievable] , do not allow a NO to be the end, sit back down and figure out how you will turn that NO into a YES or create your own opportunity, stay consistent and even when nobody else shows up, you do because you are your biggest supporter and cheerleader!
In the early 2000’s my current husband ( who I met working on a contract) and merged our respective companies.

I often tell the story about how his phone call saved my life. I was still mourning the death of my first husband when I met my now husband working on a contract , he was the prime contractor on a project in the City of Atlanta and called me and said how much he admired my work and wanted me to work on a project as a sub contractor for him and I agreed, little did he know that I was still struggling with the loss of my husband and that very day I did not want to get out of bed and was functioning but depressed and I wanted to give up that day but something told me to call him back and see what this business proposition was and the rest is history!

Today we currently work on multi million dollar projects and serve all the municipalities locally and have even worked in the Caribbean. We grew to 100 employees and branched out into other areas of construction and are continuing to grow and most recently started a cement company. I currently serve on the Georgia Utility Contractors Association as a boardmember and Chairwoman of the PAC committee and I am the first woman of color to do so in its history. I have also served as a committee member of the Georgia Association of Realtors.

What has been most rewarding to me is helping others succeed in business , including our children. We have several former employees who while still employed with us, expressed their desire to start their own company and what did we do?

We encouraged them to! We even gave them tractors, trucks and other tools of the trade they would need and also gave them work. Some are still in business today and thriving! It is our belief that you have to pay it forward and that you are blessed to be a blessing. All of our children are entrepreneurs and we have a couple that own their own business and also work in the family businesses.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We have a couple of lake homes and I most definitely would invite them there, as this is my place of peace and a cool place to hang out and enjoy the local culture and sights. I also am partial to Hals restaurant and Pappadeaux, so they would definitely get to experience both! But our day would start with breakfast most likely at Nanas Chicken and Waffles in Conyers, GA. and then some of the local tourist sites like, The World of Coke, The new Braves stadium , Underground Atlanta , The Aquarium and if they are still in town on that Sunday [pre pandemic] we would worship at my church in Stockbridge GA. Grace Baptist Church. My bestie and I love to try new restaurants and trending places to see if they live up to the hype and one of our other favorite spots is Rays in the City, we actually hosted my 53 birthday there in November 2021. Being from Atlanta and coming from a political/musical family, My father is a Freedom singer for the Civil rights movement who worked alongside , Dr. King, Hosea Williams, Andrew Young and many other from that era, his 1960 music group, The Dynamics, was actually managed by Hosea Williams. We have relationships with what some may call “celebrities” but to us they are simply great people who are doing amazing things within our community plus killing the game in their respective lines of work and are just really great individuals who just happen to be well known around the way.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The root of where I get my tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit comes from my parents who while working their primary jobs , both had their own individual businesses. I watched them work hard on their regular jobs and then work even harder in their businesses. My oldest sister also inspired me to be independent and not be afraid to go for my dreams and goals. I watched her tear down many walls and barriers in her career in law enforcement and as single Mom. Fast forward to today and she’s the first woman of color to be a Democratic Chairwoman in Henry County GA. My husband came into my life at a very delicate time after losing my first husband tragically and what started as a friendship and working relationship , soon turned into a romantic relationship and we became partners in everything! His support allowed me to pursue my real estate dream and I became a licensed Realtor in 2004. We continue to work together as a team and having him as a partner makes this journey fun and enjoyable one, even during challenges you face in business.

Website: https://linktr.ee/yourrealtor4life?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=c28ec186-7e42-4576-9368-465e0c44628c

Instagram: @yourrealtor4life

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenyasimmons/

Twitter: @kenyasellsatl

Facebook: @kenyasellsatlanta

Other: https://tjindustriespipeline.com

Image Credits
Pheauxtograhy- Blair Devereaux Clear Motion Films- Dominic Fondon