Meet Ken Chester, Jr. | President & Host

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ken Chester, Jr. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ken, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have been a serial entrepreneur, starting my first company in 1989. Back then, it was all about maximizing my skill set of helping people through the steps of vehicle purchase, trade-in, and financing. From there it evolved into a freelance gig with my local newspaper, The Des Moines (IA) Register, resulting in a twice-monthly regular column about vehicles in their Sunday “On the Road” automotive section. That evolved into my second company which became The Motor News Media Corporation – where I self-syndicated my work and the work of other automotive journalists to daily and weekly newspapers across the United States. The recession of 2008 forced a reboot which brought me to radio in 2015, with a national launch in 2017 and a new company, RoadWorthy Drive Productions in 2018. I have several radio shows and podcasts that reach all over the United States and parts of the world. I rebranded the company in March of this year as TechMobility Productions Inc, to better align with the content of my programming.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Easy it wasn’t. For the first ten years or so, I worked a full-time job while trying to build my automotive news service. Additionally, I was working 130 miles from home and making the 260 mile roundtrip commute five-days a week. (Des Moines to Cedar Rapids Iowa) During lunch, I would head over to the Cedar Rapids Public Library to write down the contact names for each newspaper out of Editor and Publisher Yearbook. Then I would mail proposals to each and follow-up with a phone call and a fax if they had thrown away the letter without opening it (usually about 50 percent of the proposals I sent). By the turn of the century, my automotive news service was published in 10 percent (150+ ) of the 1,534 general interest daily newspapers (plus about 60+ weeklies too) in the United States, and that included newspapers in Hawaii, Alaska, and British Columbia!

The recession caused some hard times and I diversified into an on-line store with a small warehouse selling automotive literature and materials online through eBay and Amazon.

I got my first live radio gig on NEWSRADIO 1040 WHO-AM in 2015, with a live, two-hour call-in show on Iowa’s biggest and most legendary radio station. That lasted 10 months. When the program director retired, the incoming PD had no room for me in his schedule. However, a Marketing Executive for local manufacturer was a regular listener and his company funded my national launch in 2017.

Lessons learned: consistency and follow up counts. So does the right people in your life at the right time. Keep moving forward.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Iowa is an amazing state with so many things to do. Starting with food – breakfast at Waveland Cafe is a must, along with Homegrown (the orange juice will change your life!) A drive to Mason City would be in order, which would allow a side trip to Forest City (Winnebago RV manufacturing), Clear Lake (home to the Clear Lake Ballroom where Buddy Holly, Richie Valance and the Big Bopper last performed before that tragic plane crash in 1959) A trip to the Amana Colonies would be a must – in order to appreciate the Amish Experience. Any place on Iowa’s east coast is also a must in order to enjoy the vastness and beauty of the Mississippi River. Depending on time and direction, Montour, Iowa is a small town with an iconic cook-it-yourself steak place called Rube’s. The towns of Iowa City, Ames, Cedar Rapids, and Burlington all have plenty to see and do. Finally, a trip to Sioux City in the far NW corner of the state is required, if for no other reason to show the diversity of the land across the Hawkeye State.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I owe so many people who have made it possible for my current success. While there are many, I will limit it to three people who have greatly impacted my life and my business:

The late Bishop Jeremiah Reed, Founding Pastor – Christ Apostolic Temple Inc.
Mr. Arvid Huisman – Retired Publisher Creston News Advertiser
Mr. Van Harden – Retired Program Director and Morning Host NEWSRADIO 1040 WHO-AM

Website: https://techmobility.show

Instagram: www.instagram.com/@thetechmobilityshow

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/@thetechmobilityshow

Twitter: www.twitter.com/@techmobilitypod

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thetechmobilityshow

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@thetechmobility.show

Other: my podcasts: https://thetechmobilitypodcast.buzzsprout.com https://techmobilitytopics.buzzsprout.com