Rafael Mercedes III | His Name Means Grace & He Owns the Dealership | Grooves & Embers Ep. 12

Some names carry weight. Rafael Mercedes III has carried his since birth — and he'll tell you it was never a coincidence. Rafael's family traces its roots to the Dominican Republic, where the name Mercedes means grace. His grandfather was a missionary. His father, a U.S. Army veteran who built a career at Estée Lauder, sacrificed everything to establish the family in New York and lay a foundation for the generations that would follow. Rafael grew up understanding that his name wasn't just something he was given — it was something he was meant to live up to. In 2007, right before the financial crash, Rafael walked away from a career as a financial advisor and entered the automotive industry. Starting during one of the worst economic periods in American history didn't break him — it built him. He enrolled in the NADA Academy, mastered the fixed operations side of the dealership business, built a nationwide network, and found a mentor named Rich who taught him what it takes to go from good to truly great. Then came Memphis. In April 2025, Rafael Mercedes III took ownership of Mercedes-Benz of Memphis — a 42-year-old franchise on Poplar Avenue that has been a pillar of the Memphis community since 1983. In doing so, he made it a Black-owned business. He runs it the way his family raised him: with presence, with intention, and with a mission to make the car-buying experience faster, simpler, and more transparent. In this conversation, we talk about the weight of a name and what it means to carry a legacy. We talk about the grandfather who prayed, the father who served, and the son who showed up every day ready to honor both. We talk about resilience, mentorship, and what it actually takes to walk into a room and earn it — not inherit it. And because this is Grooves & Embers, we flip the record and find out what's on Rafael's playlist when the showroom closes and the day finally exhales. Grace isn't given. It's built. This is how Rafael Mercedes III built his. 🎵 Stream Rafael's Grooves & Embers Guest Crate playlist — the sounds that drive him: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Ci... 🎙️ Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts — search "Grooves & Embers." #GroovesAndEmbers #Memphis #BlackOwnedBusiness #MercedesBenz #Entrepreneurship #DominicanAmerican #LegacyAndLeadership #MemphisPodcast #CarBusiness #MusicPodcast #Resilience #BlackEntrepreneur ───────────────────────────── FOLLOW GROOVES & EMBERS ───────────────────────────── 📸 Instagram → @groovesandembers 🌐 Website → www.groovesandembers.com ───────────────────────────── ABOUT THIS CHANNEL ───────────────────────────── Grooves & Embers is inspired by the timeless character of vinyl and the slow ritual of a great cigar — bringing together soulful stories, refined conversation, and meaningful connection. Good music. Great conversation. One smooth burn. #GroovesAndEmbers #Podcast #MusicCulture