The District Chronicles

Issue date: 10/11/09 Section: Business

Media Credit: Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

Given a small wooden guitar by his mother at the age of eight, Leron Young began to walk in his destiny. Young is the owner of Central Electronics and Music Warehouse in Capital Heights. If you plan to purchase or rent a new or custom-made instrument, take music lessons or record a song, Central Music Warehouse, a 19-year business, has and does it all.

Young, 56, earned electronics experience at Chamberlin High School in the Washington, D.C. and a degree from Bluefield State College in West Virginia. He then went on to work in the medical field at Phillips Medical Systems where he was trained in performing MRIs and CAT scans. Young knew in his heart that the daily grind of healthcare was not his life's passion. When he suspected that exposure to the MRI equipment and process was affecting his physical health, the South Carolina native knew he had some difficult choices to make. Young walked away from the security of his full-time job to chase a childhood dream.

"I wanted to do something that I enjoyed and desired to do. I knew that it would involve music and technology," Young said. Starting out with only a few clients, Young and his partner, Jun Afable, thought about quitting from time to time but knew it was not an option.

"Anybody who does anything thinks about quitting," Young said. "I thought about that corporate cushion and all the things I had or could have had. But what keeps us going is having a dream."

He also credits his family: wife, Cristal of more than 30 years, who takes care of the finances; his son, Rashad, who has worked with him since he was 12 and who now runs the studio; in addition to his other sons Kareem and Khalil.

Clients include Rare Essence, Trouble Funk, Chuck Brown, the Del Phonics, Chante Moore, among many others. Each customer can be seen as you walk into the warehouse on the "Wall of Fame."

"My clients feel like this is a place where they can call home. I believe that is why they keep coming back," Young said. Dating back to his first sale of an acoustic amplifier, Young has learned about producing good music and running a small business.

The advice that he has for aspiring entrepreneurs is to determine what you want to do. He suggests that business owners should surround themselves with good people and make sure that they are not being forced into any situation.

"Do some soul searching. If you have dreams, ambitions and goals, use them to create your business and don't let your ego get in the way."

Address: 60 & 62 Ritchie Road Capitol Heights, MD
Phone: 301.336.8589

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