For Karla Jackson and Lora Dunton, co-owners of J3 Management Group, success isn't just about building a business. It's about showing up, pushing boundaries, and proving that resilience can turn every "no" into a challenge worth conquering. Their journey is one of family, determination, and the belief that legacy isn't just inherited; it's built.

Their story began long before J3 Management Group was founded five years ago. It started with their mother, a woman with a vision who ran a license and title business and always believed that her children would one day take it over. When she passed, her dream could have ended there. But for Jackson and Dunton, that wasn't an option.

The Moment They Showed Up

Like many entrepreneurs, their path to business ownership wasn't straightforward. Jackson was working in education and Dunton was focused on keeping their family moving forward. But life has a way of presenting moments that force change. For them, that moment came when they needed income, and the realization set in that some job is better than nothing.

Instead of just finding a job, they created one. J3 Management Group was born on January 22, with the attitude that fueled their entire journey: "We can do it better."

Their first client came in a moment that perfectly sums up their approach to business: unexpected, bold, and unshaken by circumstances. They were on vacation, in the middle of learning how to scuba dive, when the opportunity arose.

Dunton recalls the moment vividly: "We were in the Virgin Islands. It just felt really good. And I think we were too busy studying as well to become scuba divers, so it didn't really sink in that we had started work. We just wanted to make sure we got our scuba diving down because I can barely swim. All I could think about was, 'I don't want to drown.'"

And yet, even with the distraction of deep waters, their business was already making waves.

Redefining Resilience by Turning 'No' into Motivation

If there's one thing Jackson and Dunton don't accept, it's being told what they can't do.

They've built J3 Management Group on the belief that if someone says no, it just means they need to find a different way to get it done. That mindset became especially clear when they attempted to acquire an existing upfitting facility.

Jackson explains, "There was a facility where we had a handshake deal that they were going to sell to us. And over the weekend, he called us back on Monday, changed his mind, and said that we couldn't continue his legacy."

That might have been the end of the road for some. But not for them.

"That didn't stop us," Jackson continues. "It motivated us to figure out a better way. That better way, that better opportunity, ended up being a bigger warehouse on the same street, maybe a mile or two down the road — double the size."

Dunton describes the moment as "a diamond in the rough." Instead of letting disappointment define their story, they let it drive them forward.

These women do not take "no" for an answer. 

"We are going to make however many phone calls and talk to however many people we need to get it accomplished. Us going that extra mile and not taking no for an answer illustrates the fact that we can do it better," Dunton notes. 

When asked what advice they'd give other Black entrepreneurs in the fleet space, Jackson keeps it clear: "Don’t stop. Get it, Get it! You're going to hear no. Once you hear that no, you turn it into a yes.” 

Dunton echoes that mindset: “Let that be your fuel to keep going, keep pushing, keep moving. Keep making those phone calls. Keep knocking on those doors. Keep building those relationships. Keep networking.”

Their presence at fleet conferences, as both attendees and exhibitors, has been an extension of that belief. “That’s just like when we were at our first show, and no one wanted to talk to us,” Dunton recalls. “People would walk by and clutch their bags as if we were just going to snatch them. That fueled us to go to more shows. They’re not used to seeing us. We have to let them know we’re not here to hurt or harm you.”

Jackson drives the point home: “Yeah, we’re here to do business.”

To be successful, Dunton pushed to not be afraid to ask for outside help, too. “Don’t be afraid to hire consultants. You can’t be scared to spend money that will help grow your business. Learn something new every day. You're going to learn and grow. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Just learn from them so you don’t make them again,” she shares.

Their advice can be summed up in a few brief words: You need to show up.

Showing Up, No Matter What

J3 Management Group doesn’t just provide a service. They show up physically, mentally, and in ways that matter to their clients.

“We don’t take no for an answer,” Jackson states. “And we show up. If we need to go somewhere in person and get something done, then we’ll do it. Our team is available. We are available.”

Dunton adds, “We’ve traveled all over to really try to solve our clients' pain points. We have the mindset of, ‘Let’s figure it out.’ It’s brainstorming again. We immediately jump into problem-solving mode. When you call, you will get a live person on the line.”

And when the work gets tough, their clients know who to call.

“Some of our clients say, ‘Work your magic,’” Dunton shares. “So they know when they have something tough that they might have gone to other vendors for, they'll send us an email saying, ‘Will you please work your magic?’”

That drive to keep pushing forward isn’t just a business strategy — it’s personal. For Jackson and Dunton, showing up extends beyond their clients; it’s the foundation of their partnership as sisters and business owners.

“We work well together. Lora lets me dream up all kinds of stuff and do it,” Jackson shares. “Like in Field of Dreams, they say, ‘If you build it, they’ll come.’ So if I can think it and it makes sense, then I can build it. She supports me and helps me figure it out along the way.”

That level of trust and understanding is what fuels J3 Management Group’s success. Even in the most stressful situations, they know how to keep each other grounded.

“We’re great communicators. If one of us is in a bad mood and snaps, we don’t take it personally. We walk away and give each other a moment. Or we find something to laugh at,” Dunton adds. “We’ve been doing life together for years. Even before we started J3 Management Group, we vacationed together, our kids went to school together, and we volunteered together. Our bond is strong because we make it a priority."

Building a Legacy, One Milestone at a Time

For J3 Management Group, legacy isn’t just about looking back. It’s about laying the foundation for the future.

They’re about to open a new upfitting facility, a huge milestone that means more than just expanding business operations.

“We’re able to hire more people,” Jackson explains. “That’s great for our community, our local community.”

Dunton adds, “It also gives us an opportunity to give back by supporting the athletic departments in the schools. We employ students. We're part of the work-based learning program for the local high school.”

The ability to create opportunities for others makes this milestone even more meaningful. But for Dunton, there’s one achievement that stands out above the rest.

“For me, it was buying the building. Because I didn’t think we could do it. Buying our headquarters,” she says.

That victory wasn’t easy.

“We were only in business for four months when we started the process of looking,” Jackson recalls. “I knew we wanted to buy a building. I knew I wanted to buy it. But trying to explain our business to a loan officer—what we do, why we do it, and why it would be successful—was a challenge. We were still proving ourselves. Every challenge that could come up did come up. But we pushed through.”

However, when asked what legacy means to them, their answer is bigger than just success.

“It’s not to be remembered, it’s just to be known,” Dunton states. “We want to be just like when you hear Kellogg’s. You already know Kellogg’s, what they do, and what they offer. Just like a particular brand, we just want to be that well-known in the fleet industry. That when someone says, ‘I’m having a problem with a tag or a title,’ they already know: Call J3.”

For Jackson, their story is about resilience: “We really started from the ground up. While we had the experience, it wasn’t handed to us. That made us stronger. It made us more resilient.”

While keeping some secrets to themselves, they did share a teaser into their five-year plan. Growth and expansion. Making sure every service they offer is being fully utilized. Beyond that, they aim to ensure their legacy persists by creating opportunities for the next generation so they don’t have to start at the bottom but can take it all to new heights.

Success in Business and in Life

When asked what success looks like, their answers aren’t about revenue or market share.

For Dunton, it’s simple: “When I look at my sister and she just smiles. Or we can just look at each other and laugh and don’t have to say a word. And just being able to give back. Success to me is being able to give back my time, my energy, and my donations financially.”

Dunton adds that the lessons learned as their mother’s caregivers shaped their ability to persevere. “Taking care of her, still running our households, being mothers, being wives, it showed us that if we could handle all that, we could take on anything. The world is ours. The sky is the limit.”

And if their mother were here today?

“She’d say, ‘I knew you could do it,’” Dunton smiles.

Jackson laughs: “I don’t know, she probably would say, ‘What took you so long?’”

But if they could give their younger selves one piece of advice, it would be this: take time to celebrate the wins.

“Sometimes I was like, ‘I got to pinch myself! I can’t believe we accomplished that!’ But that’s like a week after we accomplished it,” Dunton admits.

Jackson nods. “We just keep going and move on to the next thing. But we need to take a moment and celebrate. Each win matters.”

For Jackson and Dunton, success is about more than business growth. It’s about impact. That’s why they actively support The Hourglass Foundation, ensuring the next generation has even greater opportunities to succeed.

For J3 Fleet Management, the journey is far from over. They’ve built something bigger than a business. They’ve built a movement, one that continues to grow, break barriers, and redefine what’s possible. And through it all, they continue to do what they do best: Show up.