We had the good fortune of connecting with Towana King and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Towana, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have always worked in some aspect of Real Estate. I began working in the mail room for Ally Bank’s R.E.O. ( Real Estate Owned or Bank Owned) Department back in 2009, I was 19 years old! From that point, I moved around to various roles under the Real E. State umbrella. Fast forward to 2019, although I had a good job, I have always looked for ways to make extra money, becoming a Notary Public for the state of Texas was one of those ways.. I soon learned that as a Notary I could move on to a Loan Signing Agent, which is the Notary that helps you close on a transactions by Notarizing your paperwork. Mostly real estate transactions. Every time someone sells or purchases a home, they absolutely need a notarization whether electronic or digital. When I was laid off from my last job, I began Notarizing full time and shortly after started my Signing Firm, King & Ray Public Service, LLC.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Marketing is my passion! I love to help others market their profession or product. I am really excited about a group that I created on Facebook called Black Owned Businesses of DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth). I started it back in 2018 and since then it has grown to over 15K members from all over, not just the metroplex, even neighboring states. There is everything from Realtors to Hair and Lash Vendors. Anyone who owns a business with an ethnic background can request to join and post their ads for free once approved. Anyone who is looking to support those types of Businesses can join, however there is a wait due to so many requests now. In order to get where I am today professionally I had to learn to be able to adapt to rapid change in the profession of Real Estate which is not easy. Also, I had to get it into my head that there is always room for growth and learning!! There is a lesson in every challenge. In regard to my brand its expanding and growing with other entrepreneurs like myself. As for my story I would like for it to live on well after I am gone.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite places to eat in the City is Southside Steaks And Cakes, Elaine’s and Kitchen The Tamale Factory. The Asian Art Museum and the Nasher Sculpture center would definitely be something to check out. When you want to enjoy the nightlife places like Deep Ellum and Uptown are good places to hag.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
A few of my favorite places to eat in the City is Southside Steaks And Cakes, Elaine’s Kitchen and The Tamale Factory. The Asian Art Museum and the Nasher Sculpture center would definitely be something to check out. When you want to enjoy the nightlife places like Deep Ellum and Uptown are good places to hang.

Website: kingandrayllc.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/towana-king-476a688a/

Image Credits
Red Pants Photo: Mel Anie – Just Me and A Camera Black Crown Photo: Mel Anie – Just Me and A Camera

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.