We recently had the chance to connect with Adrian Elmore JR and have shared our conversation below.
Adrian, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day are about order and alignment. I start with prayer that’s where I thank God, ask for guidance, and remind myself what I’m really working toward. After that, I make my bed. It’s simple, but it matters. That small act tells my mind the day has started, and there’s no going back to rest mode. Then I check messages to see what needs my attention, but I don’t let my phone run my morning. I head to the gym to move, clear my head, and build consistency. By the time I’m done, I’ve already accomplished a few things before most people hit snooze. It’s not about being perfect it’s about being prepared.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Adrian Elmore Jr., and I’m the founder of G-Town Auto Body, A3K Rentals, and a few other ventures that all connect under one vision ownership and impact. I started out in the collision industry, building G-Town from the ground up in Belton, Missouri. What began as a small shop turned into one of the top independent collision and fleet centers in the region. From there, I expanded into A3K Rentals, a company that helps people access reliable vehicles for work and opportunity especially delivery and gig drivers trying to level up.
But I never wanted to stop at business. I wanted to build systems that give other people a chance to win too. That’s why I launched the KC Growth Grant Foundation a quarterly $10,000 business grant program that invests directly in Kansas City entrepreneurs. We’re not just cutting checks; we’re helping people build blueprints for growth and longevity.
Right now, I’m also developing Roots Before Revenue, a book and school curriculum designed to teach young people how to build wealth from the inside out through mindset, structure, and discipline. My goal is simple: build real businesses, help others do the same, and make sure Kansas City grows together.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
The person who taught me the most about work is my father. He didn’t sit me down and explain it he lived it. I watched him work through pain, through stress, through everything life threw at him. He never complained; he just handled what needed to be done. When I was younger, I didn’t understand it. I just thought he was strict or hard on me. But as I got older, I realized he was showing me what responsibility looks like when nobody’s clapping for you.
He taught me that work isn’t just about earning a paycheck it’s about keeping your word to yourself, about building something that outlasts your excuses. I saw him sacrifice, stay up late, wake up early, and still make sure things got done. That stuck with me.
Now, when I’m managing the shop or facing a setback, I hear his voice in my head, reminding me that discipline is the one thing no one can take from you. That’s the lesson that shaped me not just how to work, but how to carry your work.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me everything success never could. Success shows you what works, but suffering shows you who you really are. When things fall apart, when you lose people, when you’re broke, when your name doesn’t carry weight, yet that’s when you meet the unfiltered version of yourself. The part that doesn’t need applause to keep going.
There were times when I felt like I was giving everything I had and still coming up short. I’ve had moments where I was tired of holding things together for everyone else. Those were the seasons that humbled me. They stripped away every illusion that hard work always equals instant reward. It doesn’t. Sometimes you do everything right and still take a loss. But that’s where wisdom lives.
Suffering taught me how to sit in pain without letting it define me. It taught me to slow down and pay attention to what God was trying to show me. You start realizing that pain isn’t punishment, it’s preparation. Every hard season built endurance, discipline, and empathy I couldn’t have learned any other way.
Success gives you comfort. Suffering gives you character. It made me stop chasing validation and start chasing alignment. It’s the reason I lead the way I do now, calm, consistent, and grounded. Because once you’ve been through fire and learned how to stand back up, you stop fearing failure. You just build better.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
The belief I’m committed to, no matter how long it takes, is that true wealth starts with roots, not numbers. You can hand someone a million dollars, but if their mindset, habits, and structure aren’t right, it’ll be gone before the year’s over. That’s why *Roots Before Revenue* isn’t just a title to me; it’s a philosophy. It’s the foundation of how I move, build, and lead.
Everything I create, GTown Auto Body, A3K Rentals, Connective Media, and the KC Growth Grant Foundation all tie back to that same idea. I’m building systems that teach people how to grow, not just how to earn. I’ve seen what happens when people are talented but lack guidance, when they have vision but no structure, when they want more but don’t know where to start. So I made it my mission to fill those gaps.
The KC Growth Grant Foundation is one piece of that mission. We’re creating a cycle where Kansas City entrepreneurs can get funding, mentorship, and strategy, not just a check. Because you don’t change a community by throwing money at it; you change it by giving people the tools to multiply what they’re given.
This isn’t something I’m doing for a season or for attention. It’s something I’ll still be doing decades from now. Building schools, business incubators, and pathways that make ownership normal for our people. That’s the legacy I want, not buildings with my name on them, but opportunities that live on long after I’m gone.
That’s the project. That’s the belief. That’s the work I’m committed to, no matter how long it takes.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I’m alone early in the morning, before the noise, before the calls, before the world starts asking for something. That quiet space where it’s just me, my thoughts, and God. No titles, no deadlines, no expectations. Just stillness. That’s when I can actually hear myself think and feel grateful for how far I’ve come.
There’s also a certain peace I get from working, not the chaos of it, but the moments when I’m locked in, fixing something, creating something, or planning the next move. When I’m in that flow, everything makes sense. It’s not about chasing success anymore; it’s about building with purpose.
And honestly, I find peace in knowing I’m living in alignment that I’m showing up for my people, my goals, and my faith. When I’m doing that, even if the world around me is loud, I’m calm inside. That’s a different kind of peace, the kind you earn, not find.
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