ESOTERIC

My history with detailing goes back to 1973 when my next door neighbor, Mr. Allan Swanser, purchased his new Mercedes Benz 450SL. He was a bachelor and a Special Agent for the FBI which made him way cooler than anyone on our street, and that new Benz only added to his mystique.

I asked him if I could detail his new car and he agreed and after spending most of my Saturday, which was usually spent at the beach surfing, detailing the sporty Aqua Blue ride, I carefully pulled the car in to his carport. Saying “thank you” I started to walk away and he asked “How much do I owe you?” “You’re going to pay me?” I replied with a questioning bit of trepidation. “Well of course. I didn’t expect you to clean my car for nothing. And it looks fantastic by the way. Want to wash it for me every month?”

And so, a business was born. I named my detailing company AutoCare. It became a long list of valuable life lessons in communication, care, relationship building, marketing, networking, great service, quality, and a reliable income stream. I continued caring for cars all the way through my college years. I learned the value and responsibility of being my own boss.

Fast forward to my second career job after graduating college (thank you car detailing for paying for school) and I landed at a start up company titled Griot’s Garage. There I was charged with building the brand, overseeing the marketing and sales, and building a large merchandise selection that included a line of car care. My last years there I was the President before leaving to build my own brand here at Cars Yeah.

Today after 5 years of producing and hosting the Cars Yeah podcast and launching a successful Cars Yeah TV show, I’ve been invited to sit on the Advisory Board of ESOTERIC, a high-end car care company. This coming weekend I’ll be their Emcee at an annual Open House where over $23m in exotic cars will be on display and I’ll be interviewing a number of car care product suppliers. Check out their website. www.esotericcarcare.com

So I am right back where I started. Thank you Mr. Swanser for the opportunity to turn my passion for cars, and caring for them, in to a lifelong career.