In this episode of Cruise Control, Kevin Davis interviews Michael Honn from STEK USA, a paint protection film (PPF) company where Michael has grown from a startup employee to a key driver of sales and marketing. Michael discusses his unique journey, from working in detailing during college to becoming a full-time sales rep at STEK USA, eventually transitioning into a marketing leadership role. He explains the importance of building a scalable, customer-centered business model and the benefits of a consultative approach in sales.

Michael’s background in rally racing also weaves into the conversation, illustrating his high-energy approach to work and life. The discussion covers the power of personal relationships in business, the value of adapting strategies to fit market needs, and STEK USA’s commitment to quality products and sustainable growth.

Key Takeaways:

1. Empower Employees: Michael stresses the importance of enabling employees to take ownership in their roles, which fosters dedication and drives business success.
2. Customer Education First: Building trust through a consultative, educational approach helps STEK USA foster long-term relationships and maintain a strong market presence.
3. Value in Specialized Events: Rather than large trade shows, STEK focuses on local events and direct customer visits, which bring a higher return on investment and build stronger client relationships.
4. Adapt for Sustainable Growth: Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and adaptability allow STEK to scale efficiently while keeping quality and customer satisfaction high.
5. Market Creatively: STEK’s marketing strategy prioritizes high-quality content and influencer partnerships, creating brand awareness and loyalty within niche automotive communities.

https://www.stek-usa.com/

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Summary:

In this insightful episode of Cruise Control, Kevin Davis speaks with Tony Kiger and David Kratz about the ins and outs of growing a successful detailing and tinting business. Tony and David, who both bring years of experience from the fields of paint protection, tint, and automotive film, discuss their journeys and share valuable advice for new and established business owners alike. They highlight the importance of staying adaptable in a rapidly evolving industry, having a resilient team, and fostering customer relationships. The conversation also explores the balance between working in the business and stepping back to manage and strategize at a higher level.

Key Takeaways:

1. Adaptability is Crucial: The detailing industry evolves quickly, and staying relevant requires continuous learning and adapting to new technologies.
2. Passion Drives Success: Customers notice the passion of the people they work with, which can set a business apart in a competitive market.
3. Building a Resilient Team: Tony and David emphasize the importance of hiring people who align with the company’s values and supporting them in their growth.
4. Balancing Customer Touchpoints: Investing in quality customer interactions, like maintaining updated websites and communication channels, is critical for long-term success.
5. Work on the Business, Not Just in It: For sustained growth, business owners must step back to make strategic decisions rather than only managing day-to-day tasks.

https://autobahnwindowfilms.com

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In this episode of the Cruise Control podcast, Kevin Davis interviews Matt Jones, owner of Harker Heights Detailing & Ceramic Coatings, who shares his journey from 22 years in the army to becoming a successful business owner and social media content creator. Matt discusses how he transitioned into the detailing industry, starting with a hobby that quickly became a passion. His unique approach to social media marketing, particularly his use of short, funny, and engaging videos, has garnered millions of views and significantly boosted his business.

Matt also dives into the challenges of balancing family life with entrepreneurship, the importance of finding the right team, and his strategy for cracking social media algorithms.

Key Takeaways:

1. From Military to Business: After serving 22 years in the army, Matt transitioned to detailing, leveraging his discipline and focus to build a successful business.
2. Power of Short-Form Content: Matt's viral success came from focusing on short, humorous, and engaging videos that connect with his audience, driving traffic to his business.
3. Cracking the Social Media Algorithm: Matt shares his journey to mastering social platforms by experimenting with different content types and learning from what worked, especially using short reels and TikToks.
4. Efficiency in Communication: To save time, Matt uses videos to answer frequently asked customer questions, streamlining his sales process and improving customer service.
5. Balance and Growth: Matt emphasizes the importance of finding time for family while running a business, and how hiring the right team has allowed him to scale without sacrificing personal life.

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Summary:

In this episode of Cruise Control, Kevin Davis interviews Kato and Eric, founders of Tintwiz, a CRM software designed for window tinters, detailers, and paint protection businesses. Launched in 2018, Tintwiz helps businesses streamline operations by managing leads, scheduling, invoicing, and customer communications. The software is priced at $100 per month, offering unlimited users and integrations with Google Maps and QuickBooks.

Throughout the discussion, the guests emphasize the importance of educating the industry and building a strong community. They share success stories of businesses that have significantly increased their revenue through Tintwiz. The episode also touches on branding, marketing strategies, and the value of investing in the industry through memorable experiences.

Key Takeaways:

1. Introduction to Tintwiz:
   • Tintwiz is a CRM software tailored to the needs of window tinters, detailers, and paint protection professionals. It simplifies business operations by integrating lead management, scheduling, invoicing, and communication features.
   • Priced at $100 per month, it offers unlimited users, Google Maps integration for scheduling, and QuickBooks sync for invoicing, making it a cost-effective solution for small businesses.
2. Education & Community Engagement:
   • The founders stress the importance of educating users about the benefits of Tintwiz, ensuring that businesses understand how the software can help them grow.
   • The company’s strategy includes participating in industry events, offering hands-on support, and using real-life users at their event booths to answer questions.
   • They focus on contributing to the community, offering resources for education and hospitality rather than hard selling.
3. Challenges in the Industry:
   • Many window tinters and detailers still rely on outdated methods like paper and whiteboards, which creates inefficiencies.
   • Tintwiz addresses these challenges by offering digital solutions that improve business operations, reduce manual errors, and enhance workflow.
4. Success Stories:
   • Users of Tintwiz have reported doubling or even quadrupling their business revenue after adopting the software.
   • The software’s benefits go beyond financial success, improving job satisfaction, employee morale, and offering business owners more freedom.
5. Marketing & Branding Strategies:
   • The team shares their experience of sponsoring Gary Vee’s event, which significantly boosted their brand exposure.
   • Tintwiz focuses on creating memorable and useful marketing experiences, such as branded gifts and community-driven events.
   • They emphasize the importance of investing in marketing through channels like Google ads, Yelp, and SEO, understanding the fundamentals of cost per consultation and return on investment.
6. Features of Tintwiz:
   • Core features include lead management, scheduling, invoicing, automatic review requests, and saving before-and-after pictures, all in one platform.
   • The software's simplicity and integration with popular tools make it user-friendly for both new and experienced business owners.
   • With the ability to handle multiple users, Tintwiz fosters collaboration and efficiency in businesses.

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Summary:

In this episode of the Cruise Control podcast, host Kevin Davis is joined by Jason Otterness and Eric Joseph at WCFT Window Auto Glass Week. They dive into their journey within the detailing industry, discussing entrepreneurship, their companies (Car Supplies Warehouse, Optical Films, Detailwise), and their growth strategies. The conversation covers the challenges and rewards of starting product companies, running detailing businesses, and the importance of building a community around their ventures. They also touch on the value of constant learning, the necessity of strategic problem-solving, and balancing creativity with practicality in business.

Key Takeaways:

1. Entrepreneurship in Detailing:
   • Both Jason and Eric transitioned from detailing services to creating product companies like Car Supplies Warehouse and Optical Films. They emphasize the passion-driven nature of detailing, with Jason noting how lucky he feels to have found something fulfilling early in life.
   • Kevin highlights that the entrepreneurial journey often involves trying multiple ventures, learning from mistakes, and continuously evolving.
2. Scaling Challenges:
   • The detailing business, being labor-intensive, is challenging to scale. The team explored e-commerce and product development as solutions to these limitations.
   • Optical Films emerged from the need to support shops with quality products, and they developed the brand through partnerships with manufacturers to create innovative film solutions.
3. Value of Community & Training:
   • Both guests stressed the importance of building a community around their products, offering free training to customers to ensure success in using the products. Training is seen as essential, not just in technical aspects but also in running the business itself.
   • They also discussed creating educational content through YouTube and providing mentorship to other business owners.
4. Problem Solving & Strategic Thinking:
   • Jason considers himself a "strategic problem solver," who enjoys working behind the scenes to ensure things run smoothly in the face of new challenges. His role in balancing creativity with practicality is vital to their ventures’ success.
5. Product Development & Innovation:
   • The team emphasizes the hard work behind developing new products like Optical Films, where they focus on constant research and innovation. They believe that their experience as installers helps them develop products that meet industry needs.
   • They stress that the best product companies come from real-world experience, addressing problems they faced themselves.
6. Business Advice:
   • Jason advises that if you can't fit a business plan or process on a single page, it’s too complex and likely not executable. Simplicity is key to operational success.
   • Eric advises continuous learning and resilience, explaining that business failures are inevitable, but each challenge provides an opportunity for growth.

This episode provides practical insights into scaling a detailing business, fostering community, and the importance of adaptability and constant learning in entrepreneurship.

Find out more: www.carsupplieswarehouse.com.

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In this episode of Cruise Control, Kevin Davis chats with Mike Karlen and Dustin Jackson, the dynamic duo behind IGL Coatings. The discussion delves into how Mike and Dustin transitioned from being detailers to co-owners of a renowned ceramic coating company. They recount their journey of risk management, including acquiring the IGL brand from its original founders, Joel and Jeff. The episode highlights the importance of trust, building strong customer relationships, and taking calculated risks in business.

Mike and Dustin share their philosophies on running a business, trusting a team, and innovating while keeping the family feel that IGL is known for.

Key Takeaways:

1. Trust Your Team: Success in scaling comes from delegating and trusting others, even if they aren’t perfect from the start.
2. Calculated Risk: Taking big risks is essential for growth, but it’s important to start small and gradually scale your comfort level with risks.
3. Customer Relationships Are Key: The true success of IGL Coatings is built on its family-like customer relationships, which Mike and Dustin prioritize over just selling products.
4. Innovation and Adaptation: As business owners, they focus on continuous improvement and being able to pivot into new services like residential coatings.
5. Resilience in Business: Failures are inevitable, but persistence, learning from mistakes, and moving forward are critical to long-term success.

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In this episode of Cruise Control from the 2024 WFCT/AWG Conference, host Kevin Davis speaks with Kurt Felmar, owner of Detail Solutions in Baltimore, Maryland, and a Ceramic Pro Elite Dealer. Kurt shares his journey from corporate IT to running a 7-figure detailing business, discussing the importance of creating systems that allow a business to run without constant oversight. They dive into the balancing act between work and family life, the challenges of leaving a stable corporate job, and the mindset needed to make a business thrive.

Kurt emphasizes how his background in IT helped him apply scalability and efficiency in his detailing business, and he offers advice for entrepreneurs on building systems and nurturing long-term customer relationships.

Key Takeaways:

1. Systems and Processes Matter: Kurt’s IT background taught him to implement systems that make the business scalable and sustainable without him constantly being on-site.
2. The Right Time Is Now: Kurt stresses that there’s no perfect time to jump from a stable job to entrepreneurship—if you have a passion, work toward it and make it happen.
3. Fail Fast, Fail Cheap: Learn quickly from mistakes without major losses, then pivot and move forward.
4. Nurture Relationships: Building strong customer relationships through consistent touch points is key to business growth and maintaining success.
5. Balance Family and Work: Kurt shares how he balances time with his family, using calendar blocking and strategic resets to avoid burnout while scaling his business.

Chapters:

00:00 Navigating Business Growth and Transition
10:03 The Importance of Systems and Structure
19:56 Balancing Work and Family Life
29:54 Customer Relationships and Sales Strategies

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In this live edition of Cruise Control, host Kevin Davis is joined by Chris, Jason, Grant, and other industry experts for a roundtable discussion on business strategies in the detailing and film industries. The conversation centers around the upcoming October Detail Wise Business Training, where the speakers share their wealth of experience on scaling businesses, delegating responsibilities, and creating systems for growth. Each expert provides insight into key business elements like financial management, employee empowerment, and customer retention, offering practical advice for both new and experienced business owners. From unlocking the power of delegation to understanding the importance of knowing your numbers, this episode is a deep dive into what it takes to run a thriving detailing business.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Power of Delegation: Let go of tasks that drain your energy and delegate them to people who love doing them.
2. Know Your Numbers: Proper financial management is crucial for making informed decisions about hiring, expansion, and budgeting.
3. Focus on Business Systems: Implement processes and procedures that allow your business to run smoothly without constant supervision.
4. Empower Your Employees: Train and trust your team to manage day-to-day operations, allowing you to focus on growth.
5. Continuous Learning: Surround yourself with mentors and experts to avoid common pitfalls and stay ahead in business.

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