Visionary Women: Brantley King

The appliance king is actually a queen

This businesswoman, community leader and mom leads with her heart

Brantley, you run an incredibly successful business, have a large family and still find time to give back to so many causes. What inspires you to give so much of yourself? My inspiration is my three sons, and I don’t mean the classic television show. My sons, ages 26, 23, and 20, give me their encouragement and support. They are what make me strive to be a better entrepreneur, boss and mom. I didn’t realize it at the time, but raising three boys helped prepare me to be a leader in a male-dominated industry.  Nothing phases me anymore.

With all that you have done to build Billy Wood Appliance into such an established company, you must have faced many challenges. Is there one challenge that you would call “the biggest?” Definitely being a female owner of a business in a male-dominated industry was, and still is, a challenge. As much as raising my boys helped prepare me, it wasn’t always easy being the only woman in a room or on a job. Fortunately, our industry is evolving, and more women are stepping into leadership roles in our industry.

Have you received one piece of advice that stands out, and you are willing to share? My father always advised me in any leadership role to surround myself with smart people, and I’ve always taken that to heart. I’m grateful to everyone on our Billy Wood Appliance team. Ronald Reagan said this best — “Surround yourself with great people; delegate authority; get out of the way.” 

Three Lessons Learned

What 3 lessons have you learned as a businesswoman, community leader and mom?

1. Change is the only thing we can count on in life. Adapt to changes in the industry and economic environment as quickly as possible. Don’t ever get comfortable. For instance, I am constantly updating kitchen vignette displays to showcase both new appliance lines and kitchen trends in my showroom.

2. Find people that believe in you. I was working with a bank that wasn’t meeting my needs and was unsure of investing in my business and vision. I looked around and found a banker who not only believed in me and my vision, but continues to support me in new ventures to date. I believe it’s been a win/win for both of us.

3. Jump right in. Get involved in your industry! For me, it was the Hilton Head Home Builders Association and Professional Women in Building. I have learned so much from both organizations, met wonderful people in my industry, oh, and had a little fun as well.

Brantley King

President, Billy Wood Appliance

Click: billywoodappliance.com

Call: 843-681-8441 

Come in: Two locations: 6 Marshland Road, Hilton Head & 1223 May River Road, Bluffton