Brandy McCombs: Connector, trailblazer, entrepreneur

Building relationships is McCombs’ cornerstone in building her business

Brandy McCombs is making her way to a table at the coffee shop when I arrive for our scheduled interview. In finding that ideal balance between career, family, hobbies and self-improvement, it seems she’s always on the go, and today is no different. She came straight from the airport — still the old terminal at the time of writing this piece, but she’s already familiar with the new terminal, having been one of the subcontractors on the project.

We scheduled 90 minutes to chat, thinking we probably wouldn’t use it all, and then found ourselves wrapping up about two hours later.

“My ‘gift of gab’ has been pretty useful in my career,” McCombs, principal at IBC, said. “I enjoy interacting with people; I enjoy getting to know people. People do business with those they like and trust, so that’s one of the reasons I think IBC has been successful.”

McCombs and I find common ground easily, so the conversation always flows naturally, but I get the impression she has an easy time talking with about anyone she meets. Our conversation confirms it’s always been this way for her.

“My first job was at Rocky Boots, a boot factory in Nelsonville, Ohio. My mom used to put the laces in the boots, and I worked in the retail store across the street,” McCombs said. “So, I’ve always been interacting with people. That’s where I found my passion. I don’t get much joy from sitting at my desk.”