J Brown & Co along with the owner John Brown from Alexandria Virginia

By just the outside appearance, one would think that J Brown & Co in Old Town Alexandria is a great place to hang your hat, shop for a while, leave happy...  until you meet the owner, John Brown.  I recently had the displeasure of working for him.  You might think this a review from a disgruntled employee but that's not the case.  You'll understand as you read further.

It all started one morning in January of this year, when  I was offered the chance of a lifetime - to run the second J Brown & Co shop just down the street from the first one.  What a dream come true! My family was so proud and excited for me.  They understood the long hours that a commitment such as this needed in order to make it a success.  I had sacrificed so much all these years and now it was mom's time. They were behind me all the way.

First things first, John insisted that I would be working as an independent contractor vs an employee.  The differences are about the degree of control and independence of a worker, that while he had say as to the final outcome, he could not direct me how to get there.  This was fine by me.  I suggested a contract which was fine by him, at least at that time it was.  However, I quickly realized that he was going to be controlling much more than the outcome, telling me daily what to order, where or how to display product, and what price to put on it (which of course can change at a moment's notice depending on his mood).  I did have some creative freedom but according to the IRS, that's not the definition of a contractor but an employee.  I now understand that's how a lot of companies try to skirt paying certain taxes.

So anyway, I'm being told I'm doing a fantastic job and that he couldn't be happier.  He actually said the shop looked as good as the main shop.  I forward a draft contract to him for his review, albeit almost a month after I officially started (getting an attorney and accountant while putting in 60 hours a week plus getting the infrastructure of the new place together was a bit tough to say the least).  His response  - that having a contract shows "a trust issue" and "since you don't trust me I shouldn't trust you either".  "Looks like you're working really hard to turn a good thing into a negative"... by having a contract drawn up by the supposed contractor??? Really?

My response, " I want you to feel comfortable so whatever is necessary, I will do." 

That's when it got really strange.  The next email from him accused me of "manipulating things"  and that I was a "very dangerous" person to be around and that I wasn't welcome back.  My head was spinning. How can one go from being the right person for the job to a monster all in a couple of hours. Me, a danger? Seriously?

In my opinion, John Brown shows a blatant disregard and disrespect for people. He will not assist someone of Korean origin because "they never buy a f****** thing".   And often times there are flippant remarks like "(((Redacted))) should be doing this manual work, not me".

 I've watched him douse people of  wealth (his depiction, not mine because how do I know if they are wealthy) with much attention and gifts, while barely offering assistance to other customers.  There apparently are ten "special" ladies who essentially pay all of his expenses for the year from their extravagant purchases.  I was told to drop everything if they came in.  Silly me, I thought everyone was to be treated equally, no matter their color, sex, creed, origin or social status.

 I've seen him hump pillows, you know the ones you might lay your head on, I guess because he thought it was funny.

He brings in his personal items and sells them;  you know - the stuff he has already used and is done with and represents them as new or vintage if they are damaged.  

Oh, and be careful what you buy. He usually marks things up by 2.5 times, which is above industry standards, but often 3 to 4 times.  That sounds like gouging, right?  It really depends on his mood that day. 

So this is my story, my opinions, and my understanding of what happened/happens at J Brown & Co.  There are texts and emails and witnesses to back all of this up.  None of this is meant to smear the company but provide information to those who are interested in knowing more about it.