Kim Brown Instills Fire in Blaze Organization
Published on March 14, 2013 under Arena Football League (AFL)
Utah Blaze News Release
SALT LAKE CITY - Growing up in the football-rich state of Texas, new Utah Blaze majority owner Kim Brown has always felt a strong connection to the gridiron. Even in her early years, she served as the manager of her father's little league team. Naturally, Brown jumped at the opportunity to play Powder Puff football upon reaching junior high school.
Refusing to be held back by the notion that she was too small or that girls couldn't play football, one distinct memory defines Kim Brown's "spark plug" personality.
"At lunch time in junior high, me and a few of the girls would take out our football and toss it back and forth. One day, the biggest player on our junior high boys team decided to intercept our football and ran away with it. Well, I was so ticked, I went flying after him," Brown explained. "I caught up with him and ended up tackling him into an ant bed to get my football back. When I tackled him, he actually got a concussion and they had to take him to the hospital for observation."
The "chip on the shoulder" mentality Brown acquired as a youth has come to serve as a guiding point as she ventures into the Arena Football League.
"I always like to root for the underdog because I feel like in my life - I've always been the underdog. When everyone else has given up and thrown in the towel, that's when I shine, that's when I thrive, and that's when I show them that anything is possible. I love being a part of a process that will help the AFL be successful and maybe someday become a close second to the NFL."
Brown yearned to attend the University of Texas upon graduation of high school, where she could watch the storied Longhorns football program week-in and week-out. As an active member of the LDS Church, she instead made her way out to Utah after enrolling at Brigham Young University, where she majored in marketing and public relations.
After many successful years in the radio marketing industry, Kim Brown & Associates was born in March of 2000. During the company's first year of operation, Brown managed to place $1.1 million in revenue by herself. In its second year, the business doubled with just two part-time associates. Just over a decade later, Kim Brown & Associates has grown into one of the top marketing agencies in the state of Utah.
"I think a big part of why I was doing so well was because I cared more about the customer than I did myself. I think that resonated with a lot of clients."
As an owner in the Arena Football League, Brown hopes to follow that same principle by providing the fans with more entertainment value.
"We have to open up to other ideas that get the customer in our doors and loving our product. A lot of it is trying to enhance the product by teaming with other viable entertainment experiences."
Brown's extensive plan for the Utah Blaze includes providing a live, interactive mobile fantasy football game that allows the fans to track the players and their statistics in real time. She also hopes to couple the games with concert acts, providing a more entertaining atmosphere. Of course, Brown intends on taking full advantage of the fan-friendly nature of Arena Football by creating a more personalized experience when it comes to the players.
"The thing about the NFL is that the players are so unapproachable. Our guys love being out there in the public. I want the team and their stories to be the focal point."
While the team on the field ascends into the AFL's elite, Brown's intention is to take the Utah Blaze beyond the realm of sports by providing the fans with an unforgettable experience at each game.
"I saw the team was one of the best in the League. We already have our product and our product is awesome. Now it's just a matter of having the fuel and ammunition from the business side of it. If we can get that side of it on track, we're going to have a very successful organization."
Arena Football League Stories from March 14, 2013
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- Shock Give Fans First Look at 2013 Roster - Spokane Shock
- With Two Days Left, Soul Trade for DL from Chicago - Philadelphia Soul
- Shock to Reveal 2013 Team at Fairchild Air Force Base - Spokane Shock
- Kim Brown Instills Fire in Blaze Organization - Utah Blaze
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