The story of Gilbreath Communications starts with its founder, Audrey J. Gilbreath, who launched the Houston-based agency in 1990 closely assisted by her husband, Wardell. The family home was the company headquarters until Audrey eventually opened a small office with a staff of three — herself, her husband, and one account services employee. To make things more interesting, Audrey had launched Gilbreath right after becoming a mother.

Audrey and Wardell received a lot of crucial early support from close family members. “My parents were the very first investors in the company,” Audrey says. “My sister, Debra, played an instrumental role in helping us gain new accounts.” In short, the support system Gilbreath had in the early days was priceless. Talk about defying huge odds: Audrey was a young African-American woman launching her own company in an industry where older males directed most of the firms. Another challenge was making sure Gilbreath, although African-American-owned, would be categorized as an agency targeting all multicultural and general clientele.