We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelly Mendible and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelly, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I think that there are two super important factors. The first one is that we are devoted to help people to go through the process of getting a FL driver license by providing all the necessary information regardless of whether they are our clients or not. We have become a kind of “information center” because immigrants, international students, and locals who have received some help from us send their friends and relatives looking for information as well. There is a sea of misinformation (or lack of information) about this process and it’s very tough to get answers from the DMV and even from other driving schools. It amazes me how many people have come to our office saying that they are going to do their driving lessons, courses, or exams with us just because of the way we helped them when they were looking for all the information about the process.

The other super important factor is that we really care about teaching all these kids (and adults, of course) how to drive properly and straight from the very beginning. We put our souls on these teaching lessons because we really want to instill in our students the awareness and importance of being a safe and respectful driver. I did driving lessons for almost 7 years, and I never got tired of going the extra mile to help my students to improve and become better drivers.

What should our readers know about your business?
In 2018 I started Kelly’s Driving School with the mission to teach defensive driving to our kids in a friendly and relaxed (as much as possible:-) environment. My goal was to get them driving safely, with confidence and responsibility in our roads.

Over the years I set new goals and in 2022 my driving school became a Third Party Administrator (TPA) authorized by the State of Florida to administer the Florida Class E Knowledge Exam in our facilities. In 2024 we got authorized by the state to administer the Florida Class E Driving exam in our facilities. This has been the most challenging milestone that I’ve achieved for my business.

It has not been a smooth path but with hard work, persistence, discipline and patience I have been able to move forward on this journey.

This is a job that involves great responsibility and honesty, and personally it has been extremely rewarding to reaffirm those values that my parents instilled in me in my childhood. I know who I am much better than I did before. I want people to know that in this driving school we are more interested in producing safe and responsible drivers than just in taking their money. Don’t misunderstand me, of course money is very important to me, this is a business, but it’s a business where integrity is paramount.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Davie so it’s very likely that if there is an event in the Bergeron Rodeo Grounds, I would take them to get a real taste of Davie.
I would also take them to the Fort Lauderdale riverwalk to relax and walk along the river and later go to Las Olas for some pizza and wine (with Uber or a designated driver, of course!). During the weekend Fort Lauderdale beach is a must to spend the day. Nearby, I would happily take them to the Contadina, an Italian trattoria that I love, or to Pane Dolci in Oakland Park for some sweets and coffee.

Miami is a must! I would take them to Key Bizcayne or South Beach for more beach days. At night, I would happily take them to South Beach to experience Miami nightlife. We might rent a boat to for a unique Miami experience and to show them the beautiful homes along the water. If we still have enough money to spend, I would take them to the Rusty Pelican, one of my favorite restaurants or we could go for some seafood to Garcia Restaurant to look at all these boats by the river.

What if we go to the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood for a concert? The best sound ever! And after the concert we can stop in the Hard Rock bar to continue the party or have some fun at the casino. For some shopping let’s go to the Sawgrass mall definitely.

In general, a Candlelight concert would be awesome, an experience in Superblue Immesirve, the are so many places that I go when I have friends or family visiting: Paseo La Espanola, Bayside, Brickell, Windwood…

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Definitely, my husband has been the one who has supported me and encouraged me in this journey. Had it not been for him, I would have not been able to do it!

Website: https://www.kellysdrivingschool.com

Instagram: @kellysdrivingschool

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