We were lucky to catch up with Kyle Holbrook recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kyle, appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents from a young age provided so much opportunities in the way of experiences.I had a very close family on both sides, and my dad being white my mother being black, both sides, had professionals, executives doctors, lawyers, and teachers and professional athletes, although we lived in the inner city, we stayed in a beautiful historic in a beautiful building in which our condo was full of Wood, framing, marble and Stainglass windows. I shared a bedroom with my brother until teenage years. When we moved to a larger home, we had a foundation growing up for my dad‘s best friend. One was black one was Mexican. One was American Indian, and he went to school in Arizona State , he was the first to integrate his white sorority and my mother Grew up in a city with five brothers and sisters and hundreds of cousins really learn that people are people, good and bad it’s all about the character. Be a person of you on your word, hard work do with right. My mother and father or people that no one could ever say that they cheated or stole from and both my parents were educators. My mother is a Math specialist an elementary and middle school math teacher my father was a guidance, counselor and English teacher….both took their work home and both for a perfect example of integrity, hard work, and honesty. As a kid we took trips to road trips to 40 states and I just I just went on tour the last two years to 48 states. My mom is always say never do anything “half ass.” me and give it your all and make it great. If you’re going to do it it’s a big part of my work ethic.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Kyle Holbrook. I was born ananrtist and started my company when I was 19 and been a CEO ever since. As a student at the art institute I started KH designs company doing logos, corporate identities, T-shirts, hats, design, brochures and signs. A couple years later while still in college I started hiring my teachers, and then also started doing events like caricatures jobs and live paintings. Now after 20 years, It’s seldom that I’m doing just one mural at a time and often upwards of 10 different murals. I have been commissioned for commercials for McDonald’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods and worked with big brands such as Nike, PPG Paints, Heineken, Red Bull, Coca-Cola and more. My work is in 49 states and 43 countries around the world I have been able to employee 9,000 young artists and pay them $1000 apiece over the last 20 years since starting MLK Mural project (which is an acronym for Moving Lives Of kids). I have done several movies, including the Art of life, starring Mac Miller, Joy Taylor, and Vaneesa German, as well as ‘quarantine roommate’ during the pandemic and many other short artistic films as a Director, My first book of a 10 book series it’s just been published and released earlier this year called ‘Big baby artworld’. Similar to the great frank Loyd Wright I always feel my next work is my best.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

After graduating with a bachelors in graphic design, I was offered a job. This is in 2002 and it was $48,000 a year. That was considered a good job at the time, but I knew, and I believed in myself from the business that I was already doing while I was in college to be able to put all my time into the business..,, I knew I could make it grow, Although it took some time, it was nearly a year later when did one Mural in a big CBL mall that was nearly double that yearly salary for only two months of work. Not only was that Mural a good job it also got a lot of media that was like marketing. That project was a symbol that betting on myself, believing in myself and having faith in God persevered .

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

All the initial funding and capital to start my business came from customers. I was doing Caricatures jobs, events and then I had some mural commissions, design work, graphic design, getting several different T-shirt jobs from family reunions, businesses and conferences……each one of these funding streams of income enabled me to have several clients at once. Then, I had to hire other artists and an office manager that helped to propel my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: Mlkmural.com
• Instagram: @artworld187
• Youtube: @artworld9887
• Other: Big baby artworld.Com

Image Credits
Nate Guidry took the photos