Kimberly Brown: working at streetwise for her family and her future

by Erika Chavez

My name is Kimberly Brown. I grew up in Chicago and have lived in the Windy City my entire life. My favorite thing about the city is the diverse range of foods available. You can turn on any corner or take the train up or down a couple of stops and find all sorts of different restaurants! My mother raised me to show compassion, love and kindness to all individuals. Now, I am a mother of six and have taught them the same values my mother taught me when I was young. I enjoy spending time with my younger children, and when the weather is nice out, we go to the park or beach and even stroll through the different museums. Maintaining an active, healthy and social lifestyle is important to me. In my free time, I go to a variety of church events because I enjoy spending time with my friends who share the same values as me. My friends at church have been supportive about my new job at StreetWise and have shown excitement when I tell them about the new magazine coming out with my pictures. They say I will be famous one day!

During one of my first jobs, I was working as a salesperson for Avon beauty products. Interacting with people on a daily basis and helping them choose the right products for them allowed me to realize that working in sales was the job for me. I have now worked at StreetWise for over a month, and I feel thrilled when meeting my coworkers and selling my magazines to the friendly faces I encounter during my day. I currently sell my magazines at a police station on the South Side of the city, but I am looking to relocate to the downtown area. I am thinking of selling in front of Macy’s, McDonald’s, or a Subway around the same area. I hope that by working downtown, I will meet more customers and make more sales. The money I make from selling my magazines helps me pay my bills and buy necessities for my children. They are the reason I keep pushing forward.

The key to making sales is smiling, communicating, and establishing a connection that goes further than a simple greeting. From the moment I set foot into my job, the atmosphere in the room made me feel welcomed and appreciated. On my first day at StreetWise, I received a long, thick coat that helps me bear the cold weather of Chicago. I get along with all of my coworkers who support me in my sales. I know my customers love me because they smile when they see me, and they keep coming back. In my short time at StreetWise, I have felt blessed with countless opportunities that have helped me take small steps forward towards my goals. Some of my future goals are to put my daughter through college and purchase a home and car. I know that working at StreetWise will help me achieve my goals.