Good Neighbor Podcast: Auburn and Opelika

Ep.#88: All Washed Up Detailing: From Big Leagues To Better Lives

• Susannah Hodges at Village Centre Press

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A former Atlanta Brave shares how a car crash and 14 surgeries turned a career ending moment into a calling. We trace the path from pro sports to All Washed Up Detailing, where elite paint correction meets a bold, steady witness.

• early years, draft by the Braves, global baseball journey
• mentor influence from Tim Hudson, family and faith modeled
• motorcycle accident, medical setbacks, vow to “suffer well”
• sobriety, spiritual renewal, commitment to share testimony
• starting All Washed Up, meaning behind the name
• faith integrated into business without forcing belief
• service work with schools, FCA, retreats, local outreach
• Gtechniq accreditation, paint correction and ceramic coatings
• business as fuel for ministry, worship nights, inclusive community
• multilingual outreach, breaking cultural barriers through service
• how to find us online and on social

www.allwashedupdetailing.com


SPEAKER_01:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Susanna Hodges.

SPEAKER_02:

Welcome. And with me is Anthony LaRue. He is with All Washed Up Detailing in the Auburn, Opalica area. Welcome, Anthony. It's a pleasure to talk to you today.

SPEAKER_00:

Pleasure to talk to you, Susanna. How are you?

SPEAKER_02:

I'm doing well. Tell me about All Washed Up Detailing. You've got an interesting story. We talked a little bit before we we did the recording here, and I'm excited to learn more about you.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so um I guess I can't really tell you about All Washed Up and how it came about unless I tell you a little bit of the backstory. So I grew up grew up in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, and um always wanted, had the dream to play a professional sport. I think like any kid does. Um went to church, really didn't have a good relationship or foundation. Um just because I feel like the truth was kind of hidden from me a little bit. Um, like I feel like it is uh with everybody sometimes. And um so sports was my outlet. And so um I was blessed to have a lot of good people in uh school. The football coach's brother got me on a good training program and um just a God-given ability um to kind of get out of uh this small town I was in and break some some chains and uh ultimately ended up being drafted by the Atlanta Braves when I graduated high school. And so I knew I didn't want to go to college when when that opportunity came. I did have a scholarship to go to Penn State for football and baseball. Um, but once I got drafted by the Atlanta Braves, it was like that's where I want to go. Um, and so getting into spring training with a bunch of different people from different cultures from all over the world, um kind of felt like the water boy. Um, you know what I mean? Uh how your mom says, all the alligators are so angry because they have all those teeth and no toothbrush. Um, so I kind of figured out um I didn't really know what to believe. And so kind of started to live for the world. Um, I got caught up to the big leagues in 2005. Um, and that's when Tim Hudson was coming from Oakland uh to Atlanta. And so he's really from Auburn, or I guess Phoenix City, but he went to Auburn, and so um that's how we're ended up back here is because when I was with the Braves, we would come here and kind of hang out at his farm, and he was building his house at the time, but he was really the one that kind of planted the seed on how to be a good uh spiritual leader and uh uh of your household. Like he was telling his kids he loved them, he's putting them to bed. Meanwhile, I was drinking beer, like, dude, what are you doing? Like he was a good mentor, absolutely, and so he planted a seed, and uh I went to the Kansas City Royals after the Braves, um, and then I played in Puerto Rico a year, winter ball, Venezuela, played over in Japan a year, played in South Korea for two years, but ultimately started to acquire the a lot of stuff of the world. Uh and got to a point in 2015 where I was I was empty and I was questioning God and took a motorcycle out that I had. I had like 15 vehicles, I had all the stuff basically the world tells you that you should have, but I was empty, and so questioning God took out a motorcycle. Um, long story short, two mile an hour, the bike stalled right when I was turning, put my leg down and it snapped. And so um off the field, so no insurance, no contract. Um, and basically had six surgeries at the first hospital where they they just put a rod in. It was supposed to be six weeks to heal. I kept going in saying I was in pain. And then so it'd be like the next month, I'd have another surgery. And the next month I'd have another surgery until surgery six. I went and got a second opinion at Hershey Medical Center. And um, when I got there, they took an x-ray and they were like, emergency surgery tomorrow. You're gonna lose your leg, you're gonna lose your leg if you didn't already. And I was like, What? What? Like, I've been saying I was in pain at the other hospital, and the doctor, Dr. Spencer Reed, he kind of dumbed it down for me. He was like, Well, the front first hospital you were at was a minor league hospital, and he goes, Your leg was a curveball. He goes, We're a big league hospital. He goes, Sometimes we hit the curveball. Yeah, and so um emergency surgery the next day, and um he put this Lizera frame on and it went around my leg. And so I had that on. It was supposed to be six weeks for it to heal, and it didn't heal. And so I ended up becoming patient zero. Um, I told the doctor to cut my leg off um because I I felt like I was dying.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, it's painful.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, and um so my wife comes in after the surgery where they cut the inch of bone out, and we had gotten plugged into a church for those six months where I was having the surgeries, and she comes in, she's like, Do you want to listen to this church service? And I was like, Yeah, just wait till I wake up from surgery. If anybody's had surgery, they kind of know when you wake up from it, everything's kind of moving a mile a minute.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, but it was the sermon on uh Jesus going to the cross and how he um you know he died for us, and ultimately, as he was going to die for us, he would he suffered well. And so I was laying in bed and I was like, Well, I deserve to be here, and I'm not suffering well. And so I was like, God, if you can heal me, I'll tell everybody. And so from that moment on, my life has completely changed. Um went from drinking like 12 to 25 beers a night to not drinking to um to suffering well, and then um just to to growing in my in my walk with Christ and and understanding that our unworthiness is what makes us worthy. Um ultimately it was 14 surgeries in the two years and got completely healed. Um, and so like my belief is through the roof, um, but my knowledge isn't isn't all the way there yet. So um, I love it.

SPEAKER_02:

What a great story. And so you've kind of incorporated some of your experience with the name of your business, All Washed Up. You were telling me a little bit about that. I love how you use that phrase. Tell me about that.

SPEAKER_00:

So all washed up came about because when I was done with baseball, I was like, man, I really don't know what to do. And everybody was kind of like saying, What are you gonna do now? What are you gonna do now? And I was praying, praying about it, and I actually went to my one buddy's shop, and uh Kelly is his name, and he was the first person that said, Well, what do you want to do? And I was like, Well, I always love working on cars. Um, and he was like, he just was blurted it out like detailing, like you need to do detailing. And so me and my wife started the next day out of the back of our truck, mobile detailing, and so all washed up baseball player, but all washed up in the blood of Christ.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, I love that analogy. It's it's so good. Well, you know, you're a Christian and you're a business owner, and part of the reason I do this podcast is to encourage people to follow their desires to be an entrepreneur, and you've done that. And uh, so tell us a little bit about how you kind of put your your faith and your business together so that you use that vehicle, like you said before, it's a vehicle to Christ, but you're also you know, detailing vehicles. Tell give us an idea of how to do that for business owners that are like, well, how can I get faith into my business and and be a ministry as well?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so um, I mean, your your vehicle is our vehicle to share the gospel. So basically, um, just as a business owner, not having to tiptoe around the hard conversations and speaking truth to people. Um basically when people ask me, you know, how did you start your business? Well, they get they get the testimony that I gave you. Um they get to hear what Jesus did for me. Um, and it's not that uh I'm forcing anything upon them, but just letting them know um that he's there right there if you ever if you ever need him. And I think as business owners that want to be like that, you just you need to be bold and stand on the truth and the rock, and the rock is God's word, and so um just being able to uh take the stuff of the world and and kind of put it to the side or your pride and and kind of be vulnerable, which is it's it's not easy, it's really hard to do. And I know um I'm actually in a C12 group uh that is business owners that want to run their business more like uh like Christ would. And so um, and there is some some places where that's it would be it's really hard. You have to tiptoe around stuff. And um I think I I was blessed to have the opportunity to start something where a lot of people want to be. And so um the only thing I guess I could say is just be bold and and share the truth. Um and and just don't try and force anything on anybody, but just be honest and and where what where he's worked for you and point him in the right direction and have a good a good foundation. So standing on the rock, yep.

SPEAKER_02:

Mm-hmm absolutely.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, what do you do when you're not working on cars or detailing cars? What do you and your family like to do for fun?

SPEAKER_00:

So we actually anytime somebody asks me to share my testimony or um go somewhere to to speak, um, I've been blessed to to just be able to say yes. Um, as uncomfortable as I can be, shutting down the business. Um, it seems like when I do that, I put God first, He always provides. Yeah, so um so me and my family are we love to serve. Um, we actually this past month were able to do uh two JH Outback retreats um and uh been to a mayus. I don't know if you've heard of that, but it's like a three-day um spiritual retreat with God. Um so and then just schools, a lot of schools reach out, uh FCA. Um so I've gotten to you know speak to volleyball teams, football teams, uh Lochapoca, Dadeville, uh Smith Station, basically anywhere that's like, hey, will you come share your testimony with the kids? It's like absolutely because yeah, the kids are hungry for the truth, and um and we everybody needs some hope.

SPEAKER_02:

Right, absolutely. Well, let's talk about all washed up detailing uh your business here. What are some of the services you provide?

SPEAKER_00:

So uh specifically, um, I'm accredited with G Technic, which is a ceramic coating uh brand. Um, and what we specialize in is in paint corrections, and then once we basically get that fixed, then we lock it in with the ceramic coating um to where it goes to your car fax um and it's guaranteed. And so um it's not just like your normal typical detail. It's it's basically when you get the car, it's gonna be better than it was whenever you bought it new.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

That sounds nice. All right. So, what is one thing you wish people knew about your business that they may not realize?

SPEAKER_00:

Ooh. Um that's really the it's kind of the backbone for our family and and the the standing on the rock foundation as far as what money we do make from it is going to go to help whenever we have to travel to go to these different events. And um ultimately eventually we've been placed out on a farm that's I think like 600 and some acres that we feel God has provided. Um, it's not anything of our own, but just through sharing our testimony kind of uh has opened up a place to where I think one day um you know there will be a lot of testimony shared there and worship. And um, and so we've been having worship nights and uh we try and do it every Friday night. Um, and just trying to to get that going and I guess let people know that there is a place to go if if you've been hurt somewhere, um, or you know, you you've been to a place and you're like mad at God, like there's a there's a place where you can go where you're not gonna be judged and we're gonna worship, we can we can worship together. We're and everybody has a testimony, you just have to be willing to share it.

SPEAKER_02:

I love it. Very good. Well, how can uh people learn more about your business or get in touch with you? What are some of the ways we can find you?

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, so we have a Facebook page, which is all washed up detailing. Um we have a website, um, all washed up detailing um dot com. And then there's like my pot, there's a couple podcasts on there. Um one of the guys from church helped me helped me uh make the website and he he actually has it to where it has Korean and Spanish and everything on there. So everywhere I've kind of played baseball. Um that's one thing. That's one thing that I noticed was when playing baseball and being to all these different countries is like God's love is universal. Like you don't need to you don't need to know the language. And um basically I've been placed our home church is FBCO, um, so first Baptist Opalaka, and um there's a Korean congregation and a Spanish congregation, yeah, that's right. And so like my family has received love from all over the world for baseball, but I feel like Jesus's love should be more universal than baseball. Like, yeah, why why do sports bring people together more than than Christ does? And so I think if he could use my family to break down some of those cultural barriers, um, because when people find out I played in their country, they tend to loosen up and their guard comes down. And so I think God could really use us to um, I mean, I pray that God uses us to make an impact in in those communities and bring everybody together. Because I I picture like the standing on the rock and all washed up being like a family picnic, but for everybody united as one. Um instead of being divided and and separate and um thinking one way is better than the other, it's like we're supposed to be united in Christ.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. He is the the uh great equalizer. We're all in one in Jesus.

SPEAKER_00:

Amen.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, I have certainly enjoyed talking to you, Anthony. Thank you so much for being with me.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, Suzanne. I really appreciate it. Oh, and then I think we do we do have Instagram and we have a TikTok.

SPEAKER_02:

And oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and so um, I think you're everywhere.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, good. It's easy to find you.

SPEAKER_00:

Not not that I want to be on those, but it's it's the only way that you can really get your content. You gotta be there. Yep, yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00:

All right, Susanna, thank you.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast Auburn. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpauburn.com. That's gnpauburn.com or call 334-429-740.