What Business School Doesn’t Teach You: Landin Brow on Building Nova Auto Detailing

In this episode, I’m sitting down with my friend Landin Brow - owner of Nova Auto Detailing, who’s been running his business for eight years - to talk about the real, unfiltered side of entrepreneurship.

Landin shares how taking the pressure off, trusting real experience, and staying open to guidance helped him build a business that actually feels aligned. One of the themes he comes back to again and again is connection - how having mentors, supportive friendships, and people you can lean on makes the journey less lonely and a lot more doable.

He also opens up about how his path challenges a lot of what’s taught in traditional business school. Instead of focusing on rigid frameworks or “perfect plans,” Landin shows how real-world experience, trial and error, and genuine relationships often are what *actually* move you forward.

We also explore burnout, discipline, comparison, and letting go of the belief that you need to have everything figured out before you begin.

If you’re craving honest insight from someone who built a business through consistency, community, and real-life learning, this conversation will meet you where you’re at.

Connect with Landin & Nova Auto!
Follow on Instagram: @novaautodetailing_
Visit Nova Auto Detailing Website: www.novaautodetailing.com

Connect with Erin!
Follow on Instagram: @ebbsandflows222
Send me an Email: erinebbsandflows@gmail.com
Book a Reiki Session With Me!

Chapters
00:00 The Journey of Entrepreneurship
22:58 Lessons from Business School
45:53 The Reality of Running a Business
01:09:10 Balancing Work and Personal Life
01:31:58 The Importance of Mentorship and Community
34:13 The Emotional Rollercoaster of Entrepreneurship
36:54 Finding Balance in Business and Life
40:50 Collaboration Over Competition
43:05 The Power of Mindset in Business
46:58 Learning Through Experience
49:32 Manifestation and Trust in the Process
51:58 The Value of Working for Yourself
53:43 Setting Goals and Achieving Growth
56:18 The Journey of Hiring and Team Building
01:01:41 Staying Grounded Amidst Success
01:04:52 Navigating Business Challenges and Support Systems
01:11:31 Mindfulness and Grounding Practices

01:20:32 Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

01:30:11 The Power of Connection and Community

Transcript

Speaker 2 (00:00.046)
In today's conversation, I'm sitting down with Landon Breaux, owner of Nova Auto Detailing here in Edmonton, Alberta. Landon has been operating Nova Auto for the past eight years, and we're talking all about his journey with that, and even before he started Nova Auto. Landon and I met in business school eight or nine years ago, and he shares what he found to be helpful in entrepreneurship and maybe not so helpful in entrepreneurship.

from going to a traditional business school. What I really love about this conversation is that the insight and the advice that Landon's sharing for other entrepreneurs is not your average fluffy advice that we're very used to hearing. He really emphasizes that it doesn't have to be that serious. Taking the pressure off of your entrepreneurial journey, your business, and just doing it and staying open to what unfolds along the way. Another thing that really stands out in this conversation is the power of connection.

having mentors and connections in your life that are supportive that you can go to for guidance or advice in both life and business. I'm so grateful to Landon for being vulnerable and coming on to chat with me today. Welcome to Ebs and Flows with Erin. In this show, we're getting real about navigating the ups and downs of life together. I'm your host Erin and we're ditching the pressure to have it all figured out along the way because honestly, nobody does. We'll explore all things healing.

growing, creating and connecting. And if you deal with anxiety, depression, being a highly sensitive person, or just feeling overwhelmed by life sometimes, I see you and this show is for you. My intention with these conversations is simple, to leave you feeling empowered, validated, and most importantly, reminded that you are never alone, no matter where you're at on your own journey.

Thank you for being here and now let's get into it. Okay, hello everyone. Welcome back to Ebs and Flows with Erin. I'm here today with Landon, my brother, owner of Nova.

Speaker 1 (01:53.598)
You can never say it. Nova. Just say can say Nova auto. It's a long one.

It's not even hard to say.

Speaker 2 (02:01.258)
owner of Nova Auto Detailing here in Edmonton, Alberta. How are you doing today, Landon? I'm so excited that we're talking. I'm excited to hear more about your story behind Nova and get a little into your brain. So do you want to start off just telling us? mean, I feel like I've always known you as Landon, owner of Nova Auto Detailing. Yes. Even though

Good, good, I'm excited.

Speaker 2 (02:24.588)
I have actually we go way back before that but I'd like to hear a little bit more about what gave you the inspiration to start the business and why car detailing.

For sure. There's a, yeah, I guess further back why I wanted to start it was just seeing my dad. Like I've kind of talked to you about this before, but my dad just worked 30 years as a power engineer at Dow Chemical. He really like he set us up with that job for sure. But I could just see like he was super stressed out. He missed a lot of Christmases with us because he was just on shift work. So and then towards the end of his career, he basically got a severance and then he started Go Bro.

GoBros, Renos, and he's been doing that for a while now, but seeing the shift from him coming from, you know, a job that he liked it, but he just, he's so much happier doing his own thing. And yeah, like just seeing him do that really inspired me to be an entrepreneur. And I knew from a young age that that's what I wanted to do. And then basically I, in high school in grade 10, I got hired at Sherwood Park Dodge to do detailing there.

and I would work four till nine every single night and I got paid really good money and I got to work on sweet cars and I just genuinely like loved it. I didn't really like the car cleaning fact of it, but just being in the dealership like, and like being in that hustle culture kind of thing. Like everyone's like a hustler. You get to meet like a lot of really cool people. A lot of rich people have cars. They're fun to talk to. You talk to them about their car and you get to learn, what do you do? And it's like a very easy gateway conversation to like learning about business.

And even with the owner of that dealership back then, the GM, I got to know them pretty well. And then, yeah, basically graduated high school and then I was kind of like, you know, the two months where you're scrambling, like, what do you want to do? And I just kind of decided, was like, oh, well, I'll go to Nate because their business program just kind of seemed like somewhat more fitting to me than like going to U of A or McEwen. But I was also going to go into intermutation at Nate's. That was like my original plan, but it just kind of.

Speaker 1 (04:28.514)
that didn't really seem fitting for me. So I was like, okay, well I'll just switch to business. So then yeah, first year business school kind of was just going through the motions. Didn't work. I was just doing full-time school and then just kind of trying to figure out what I wanted to do. think college gave me like, it gave me more of a drive even to be an entrepreneur. Cause I just, yeah, like it just, I found it was a bunch of like mumbo jumbo and it was just like a bunch of like people just like.

talking through their ass, quite honestly, just business. I was just like, ah, this isn't, I don't know, my dad had no business experience and he built a business with basically zero marketing, just honestly being a good person, doing good work, and the referrals came. But in business school, was all just oh, networking and doing like, all this weird terminology, like KPIs and SWOT analysis and Pest analysis and Crest analysis. know, and I'm just like, oh, this is weird.

It was like first year there was like a job fair thing and I like went to it and I was just like, all right, let's like chat with like people like I did at the dealership. Like I'll do the same thing, go to people. I'm talking to these people and I'm just like, what's going on here? And like the starting salary is like $40,000 a year. And I'm just like, well, that's what I'm making now. Like even when I out of high school, like I was making like 10 to $15,000 working part-time. Like, I'm just like, okay. So then.

I kind of started doing detailing then on like the side, cause I was like, I was just like, I know what to do. I know what to charge and I'm like good at it. So I do like the odd work for my dad. And then I would go to like people's houses and like detail and their driveway or whatever. And then, you know, you make like three, 400 bucks doing a detail. Then yeah, second year kind of came at Nate. And then it was like, you know, you start to pick it. You want to do marketing, accounting, all that stuff. So then I was just like,

kind of going through the motions on that. then, yeah, the detailing, honestly, I was making like really good money. Just doing that on the side. Like I was doing like a little bit here and there in people's driveways. And then I was just like, okay, I think I just got to pursue this. And I really always did want to own a dealership. And I think that is still my goal, but I just had to, I kind of have to connect the pieces throughout to do that. So yeah, I just basically second year, I started working for Steve.

Speaker 1 (06:49.486)
Scoby which he owns Dunwell property services and then Cam Massey. He also owns that with them, right? So I need to like at that point I need like a summer job because I was like I just need a little bit more structure Yeah, I messaged him and I've known Steve pretty much my whole life like he was my babysitter way back in the day. Yeah He's about he's like 11 years older than me, but yeah babysitter my parents and his parents were like really close back in the day

So I just shot him a message on Instagram. said, hey man, like I'm looking for like a summer gig. And yeah, this was in year two university. So, and he was like, yeah, sure. Like we're hiring, doing like snow removal in the winter and then doing lawn cutting and landscaping in the summer. So was like, okay, sweet. So I met him in a camp and then I got working for them for a while and it had just more structure in my life. Cause with the detailing, was just like.

At that point, I wasn't like disciplined enough to actually go out and get the work and stuff. And I would just kind of work like leisurely. And I'm like, I am more of a structure person. Like usually entrepreneurs like aren't, but I am definitely more of a structure person. So then I kept having to leave work like early some days. And they'd always be like, why are you leaving work early? And I was like, cause I do this thing on the side, like detailing. And they were like, okay. And then he had connected me with Dan. Then at that point, Matt and Jack.

and I went and cleaned his R8 and then his G wagon, two of my dream cars or whatever. And I kept doing it, kept doing it, and then they're like, okay, you gotta, we can either help you start this business and get it off the ground and figure it out, but you can't be leaving work all the time this early kind of thing. then we all kind of sat down and we were like, okay, how would this work? And it was a great opportunity for me to learn from two really successful entrepreneurs.

but also like they provided me with shop space. Like I didn't have a shop before, right? So I was like, it was like weather dependent. If I, I can only clean cars in the summer and when it was nice out. So it was like a great opportunity to learn from them. And yeah, and then that's how it was like basically summer of year two and then year three, I was, that was like the first year of Nova. So year three university, or I guess college, cause it's Nate, but still don't really understand the difference between that.

Speaker 1 (09:03.564)
Then I was like, doing it pretty much full time. And then that was when kind of you and me were at Nate together.

So I have always pretty much known you with no...

Pretty much, yeah, don't think, yeah, we didn't know each other. Nova was only legit in year three at university, so I met you the first two years.

Okay, I was thinking about that though, because I don't, I think we met in third year because I did my first two years, then I took a year off, quote unquote. I thought I was just gonna not come back for my degree. I'm like, oh, I'll get a job, they'll pay for my degree, it's gonna be great. That didn't happen. And then I came back for my degree. So I think we did meet in year three.

Yeah, yeah, that would make sense. you guys have only known me, Nova. Yeah. And then I just did all my school projects on Nova.

Speaker 2 (09:41.42)
I remember too, I think the project we talked about previously was you guys presented on Done Well. Yes. The group project in Jerusalem.

We absolutely bombed it, got 23%. It was so Sorry Stephen Cam. So our parents didn't know at all what we were doing and that was, yeah. That was year three, that wasn't a good one. But then after that we pivoted to only do our projects on Nova, I think.

It was mostly because you were in sweatpants.

Speaker 2 (10:07.714)
Yeah, and I think that's actually ideal to at least you're presenting on something you care about.

Yeah, and then I got like a lot of feedback during school from lot of teachers to like, you know, I learned from teachers to be like, this is a good thing. But again, though, it was always just so much.

like them talking to me about business and then I talked to Stephen Kam, actual entrepreneurs. And then that got me to talking to like Dan and Warren and Mike and all these guys are actual entrepreneurs and the difference in conversation that you'd have with them and the difference at like school was like two opposite sides of the spectrum. Because like Nate was always so focused on like in marketing class, it's like you're gonna start a business and then you have to do all these things like you're...

like targeting like your costs to target a customer. Like what's your cost going to be? And it's like, well, that's an impossible calculation. It's like just, it was just like, instead of just going out and doing the thing, they made it so complicated and like feeling like it's like this huge task and it's like extremely hard. And I was just like, like, I don't know. Like this doesn't make sense. So then I really honestly, like I was pretty close to dropping out in year three. Cause like at that point I was, I was making decent money with Nova, decent money landscaping, but I really just wanted to go all in.

Like I just didn't feel like I was in between these two worlds where it's like, okay, continue on with Nate and get a degree or, you know, just learn from these entrepreneurs. And honestly, the only reason I really stuck in it was because of Curtis. Like we just had so much fun together and shout out Curtis Proctor. But you know, he honestly was the reason that I kind of think I stayed with it. Cause I just had a friend to go at the school every single day. We had so much fun. We did every single group project together.

Speaker 1 (11:45.39)
drank at the Nest a little bit too much, but like the campus bars, hanging out there, going to McEwen, seeing our friends at U of A, McEwen.

Forgot about that. We'd always go over to make sure.

Yeah, it's funny. Yeah, so it was just like I was just like, you know what? I'm just gonna live up the college life for a little bit. I'm still gonna graduate and just finish it. yeah, I think that's the only reason that but it was definitely pretty hard to like do both. But like even in my first year, like first year, Nova year three of university, we did like 40 grand, which isn't a lot. But like that was me literally working like basically nothing. And then the next year we doubled it. And then the first year out of

university like you know we kept this growth but it was like only really until I left Nate and I was like fully all in on it that everything started to click and make sense but like honestly if you for like people out there they're like wanting to be entrepreneurs and starting a business like I don't think necessarily school is the best route to go like I I do think like if you want to start a business like truly just find someone that does business and just try and learn from them I do think that in business school though there is really

good things to do, like I think becoming, I think my headphone just cut out. I can't hear myself. You can't hear yourself? No, no I can't. What the fuck? Okay, so, technological, but like if I could definitely go back to Nate and redo it all, I would have definitely just took accounting or finance. Yeah. Cause that's like the one part of business that like I don't, I really like, I'm missing, I'd say.

Speaker 2 (13:07.665)
technical difficulties were back.

Speaker 1 (13:24.25)
Like I'm always reaching out to Cam for bookkeeping advice and tax advice and you know like you hear things like you start a holding company and do all this like tax stuff that's like tax efficient. It's like I wish I knew that and then I talked to Warren which he's a chartered accountant and it's like when you talk to him he just understands business so well. And that's like the one part of business that I'd say I lack but like all the other points of business like you can...

Learn just by doing like you don't like marketing is like we all know how to market like we've all grown up in the age of like cell phones and stuff It's like you see it every day like marketing's just shoved down your throat. So it's like That's not an important part. Like I I just I don't know like for me. It's just like the accounting and the finance Yes, definitely, but you can also learn those things without school. So

Yeah, I agree with all of that. feel because I chose marketing for my specialization and I feel like resentful almost in a way. For sure. Ever since. So we're like seven years out. Yeah. Because I'm like, okay, I spent all this time and money and it's something that I same thing like wouldn't necessarily tell someone who even wants to go into marketing to take a degree in it. Especially now there's so much you can learn without going to traditional school. like we talked about a little while ago. Yeah, there's elements that it

helped with, having to give speeches. I was terrified to speak before business school and then it helped me get more comfortable. yeah, what you were saying too, of like they make it sound like there's so many like black and white steps you have to take in any business you're going to do after business school. And it's almost like to me, they making, are they just trying to make more work for us to have to do, like complete this degree? Cause get out in the real world and you realize, oh, like I probably that's...

Not that they lied, but it's like, that's not necessarily how.

Speaker 1 (15:08.78)
No, you just do the thing. You just, you really just, yeah. You don't have to do SWOT analysis. You don't have to do stuff like that. And he just like, cause I took the entrepreneurship program, which is honestly, I knew that getting a BBA was getting a BBA. So I took the easiest route to getting a BBA. Like I was just like, yeah, it's just like they, that's all they look at. Like even, even Curtis, like he's like got a high up, finance job. He never got a finance degree.

Those letters will be nice.

Speaker 2 (15:37.23)
It's like.

Yeah, he literally got the same entrepreneurship degree as me and they just hired him at the bank and he like knows what to do and he learned what he's doing at the bank. He didn't really necessarily learn it at finance. He's always been like really smart and he's like fast to like learn stuff but like he didn't learn that at NAITS so and it's nothing against the program like I think it is really good for like a lot of people it just wasn't good for me like it didn't I've never been like a school person but it was a great yeah like I learned how to work with people really well.

And I like that you were working with people of all ages at NAIT. Yeah, that was cool. Yeah. So I was super young at that point, but I got to work with guys that were in their 30s and then me and Curse would learn from them. So was like, that was good. Working with people. Yeah, like talking in public is really good. Public speaking. That saved me in a couple of best man speeches and wedding speeches and stuff like that. Just having that in your back pocket is nice. You can actually...

That was tangible for me, but the rest of it, I don't know, I didn't really need a lot of it.

It's really cool that you had so many mentors you could look to.

Speaker 1 (16:40.46)
Yeah, 100 % and people like, I am very blessed for that because I got, you know, I had my dad to look up to with like starting a business. He gave me that first like spark and then just like seeing Stephen Cam and stuff and like navigating that has been great for Nova. Like it's been, it's been really good. Say like, I think with owning a business like

The things that you think are gonna be hard are actually easy and the things you think are gonna be easy is actually hard. It's kind of opposite of what I thought was gonna be, what it was gonna be. I thought you start a business and I thought the easy part would just be like, oh, then I just hire people and I can kind of step away. It took me seven years to get my first employee. So it was just me for the longest time. then...

what I thought was gonna be hard was actually easy, like figuring out, getting customers. Getting customers was like the easier part for me. Like always having work wasn't as hard as what I thought it was gonna be, because I'm like, if you start a business, like how do you get the work? know, like how do you like, but that part was actually not as hard as I thought it was gonna be, but like hiring was super hard. Like that was like, yeah, like just.

giving up your baby and just putting your ego aside. Dan was the one person that pushed me to hire the most. He's like, I always said, was like, no one can rap cars or work on cars as good as me. I'm just so good at what I do. And he's like, dude, you have to put your ego aside because you're just going to, you can't, this isn't a business. It's like literally, if you're not doing the work.

then the business is worth nothing, Like at the end of the day, it's only worth what I'm willing to put into it. learning how to hire and doing all that stuff has just been like a huge learning process. And this is my first year of running the business with actual employees, which is pretty crazy. I did like seven years of just slaving.

Speaker 2 (18:16.728)
That is crazy, I was gonna say I remember you working like pretty much 24-7.

Yeah, that's all I did. Like genuinely all I did. I think that's another thing too that I underestimate it is like truly how much work and discipline it actually takes. Like you you're not told what to do, so you have to tell yourself what to do. You have to wake up every day with a purpose. have to just you to put your best foot forward and just it's constant discipline. is like it's not.

It's like not motivation is so much different than motivation. It is purely discipline because it's like it's easy to do it when you're motivated and it's easy like when things are going well, like when the business is making money and you're able to pay your bills and stuff and like you're paying yourself. Things are great. But when that that stuff goes away, it's like.

Are you going to still be able to do that when you're not, when you're not like, there's days where you lose money. There's months where you lose money. There's customers that are hard to deal with and you have to still push forward because the second, like in a job, you can just be like, I'm not feeling it this week. I'll take a sick day or like, I'm not going to be that productive this week. And you could just kind of more so get relaxed, but like you cannot do that in business. And that's something I think a lot of people underestimate.

good point. It's all fun and games to like be your own boss until you actually have to be your own boss and you're the one responsible for everything. Not every, I don't think everyone is, well, first of all, not everyone probably wants to do it and probably isn't cut out to hold that discipline. Especially because not even work wise, but say you're going through something in life outside of work, you're having a bad day, a bad time, you struggle.

Speaker 1 (19:39.758)
for

Speaker 1 (19:47.838)
Yeah, business doesn't care and your customers don't care. Yeah. So yeah, that's that was definitely something I underestimated. But I've also been really good with dealing with that part of it. Like, think I can just honestly, I think that's why I've had success with running a business is like, I honestly think I can just outwork like most people. Yeah. And like, that's where I feel like the least anxious as soon as like I'm slow and I'm not like working like I get.

And I've seen it for literally years now.

Speaker 1 (20:17.806)
super anxious about it so I just have to keep keep going but that also can just like burn you out which I've done I've gone through a lot of my burnout phases and stuff like that and like coping with that and learning to get through that stuff has been pretty challenging.

Have you, there anything you've learned to kind of put in place so that you can avoid burnout?

I'm still struggling with it honestly. you get, um, I think the biggest thing though is like having something else that you're chasing that isn't just always business. I've been so like caught up in trying to like compete with all my older buddies and even my like younger buddies, they're just like freaks. Like honestly, like Lucas is always running, Nolan's always working out. They're always just like, like it's just this constant like competition, but it's finding like passion outside of work and like not letting like work be your only dictate.

Yes dictator on like happiness like I would i'd be really happy if nova had a good profitable month and the revenue was high and that was my only indicator of happy or sad. Yeah, leah like when I met leah or whatever like she even knows it she's like you need You can't just like live like this like one month. You're like super happy one month. You're super can't So the gym has helped me a lot with that like just having something else to like chase like other goals stuff like that just like separating myself from work and not having like

depend on them.

Speaker 1 (21:35.82)
I would always like see people and they would always talk to me about Nova, which is like fine. Like that's, like talking about work and business, but like it was all the time. I'd go to a party. I would work like 12 hour days, five days a week. And then I'd go to like a party or hang out with friends. And then someone would just talk to me about Nova for like three hours. And I would like entertain that. And I would be like, yeah. But it's like, just I, my whole identity has been Nova. Totally. Yeah. It's like separating myself from that has been like really important and it's helped with the burnout.

Thank

Speaker 1 (22:05.154)
having employees and just not working weekends has helped a lot.

I feel like I've even noticed it in you in literally the last year. Like you do seem lighter and you're like able to have kind of like relax more than fun. Yeah. Like when we'd see you, you were either coming from work, going to work or you should have been working.

Yeah, and every night we'd have, I'd be like, I gotta work tomorrow morning. And I just never really, it was just all I did. And it was all I obsessed over.

And it makes sense that your happiness depends on that when that's all you're really doing.

Yeah, 100%. Like it was just like my, I, yeah, I just didn't have anything else that I really wanted to do or did. I gave up like a lot of my hobbies just to basically make ends meet with the business. So I think that's like one thing that I definitely underestimated. But I also, I wouldn't change it. Like, don't think the business would be successful if I didn't do that.

Speaker 2 (22:58.03)
was just kind of thinking maybe that is a season, especially in the beginning of being an entrepreneur that you kind of do have to go through.

I think I don't think there's a of avoiding it. I really don't like I think it's like you got to put in I really like the saying in business people under or overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate what they can do in ten and I think that's like very true like I really thought like when I first met Stephen Kam I was like I'm gonna be a millionaire like I just saw these guys with like money and stuff and I was just like I'm gonna do a million dollars like

I'm just reading with a pillie.

Yeah, literally I was like, I'm good. But then, and I just thought it was going to be easy. But then as I've gone on, like I, I thought it was going to be like a really fast way to get a lot of money, but it hasn't been. It was very slow at the beginning, but now it's really gained traction in last like three years or four years. It's been like really good. And it's just because

Like you learn so much, like there's so many, even Leah in the last like two years, like the lessons she's learned and the things that she's, and I've seen change with her. It's just like in business, I think like once you get that ball rolling, it doesn't stop. Yeah, it's just good when they keep it going.

Speaker 2 (24:08.91)
Yeah, you kind of have no choice but to learn. Yeah, I can't remember. So we landed and I recorded for about three minutes before I realized we weren't recording. And I don't know if we've mentioned in this one yet that Leah of Babyface Boutique, who's been on this podcast, is your wife. don't know if we mentioned that in this one. And your best friend. my bestie. And they just celebrated one year of marriage. Yeah. And I'm so happy for you guys. You're like genuinely the strongest, I think, couple I know.

Yes, we have.

Speaker 1 (24:36.755)
Thank you.

I love you both separately, but I love you guys together. My life is better with you guys in it. So she's obviously also an entrepreneur. And when she was on this podcast, she credited you to giving her the confidence to start her own business. But I find it very, I always am fascinated by the fact that you both are business owners. Married in your home. Just your day-to-day life, do you find that it changed once you both became business owners?

.

Speaker 1 (25:07.626)
yeah, for sure. Cause she was a registered nurse before. And then I was in the grind years of Nova. So we basically never saw each other. Like honestly, like we lived together at that, the first condo in Sherwood park. And like, it was just passing each other in the hallways. almost felt like, so she, cause you were night shift shift work. And then I was just always working. So it was just like, didn't really see each other a lot.

You were grinding.

Speaker 1 (25:35.542)
And then, yeah, like when she transitioned out of being a nurse and then like doing what she does now, it's been like so much better. But our lives are still very hectic. Like we don't really.

Our schedules are kind of crazy. Every day is basically like, when will you be home? Like, don't really know, you know, which is like sweet because, we also give each other advice and we go through a lot of the same issues together at the same time, like dealing with like crazy customers that you can just never please is like the biggest issue with business for sure. Like for me, it's like, that's way harder. You thought, like, I thought I could please everyone just by being nice. And sometimes you just, no matter what you do, you could break your back for some customers and it just, they won't be happy. Like whether it's.

you know, a quality issue, but it always comes down to a money issue for them more so I've realized. like, we both like just dealing with that together has been like really nice. Being able to vent to someone that's, you know, not my business partners has been really nice. And yeah, just learning from each other and knowing exactly what someone else is going through. Because until you own a business, you don't really, you don't really understand like the actual like things that people can go through. It can seem like you might understand it, but like until you actually go through it.

It's tough and it's for sure. So it's like I have her and Stephen Kam instantly in my back pocket to just talk to about that is really nice. And I think that's the only reason why I've been able to like really keep going through like the grind years is like her and just having partners and friendships that like are in business that like understand it.

hard to relate to.

Speaker 2 (27:05.004)
So I think that's super important to have for it to look for if you don't automatically have it like trying to find that because yeah, it's really important to feel like you can talk to someone who gets it.

Yeah.

Speaker 1 (27:15.47)
100 %

So it's nice that you and Leah have each other. Do you find at all sometimes that you have to set or have you set like a boundary where it's like, okay, as much as we, it's beneficial to have each other to like vent to talk about business. Like I'm going through this and my business right now. I'm going through this, my business right now. Have you ever set like, okay, we're not talking about work at this time or like at this time, or do you just feel like you kind of flows?

We have set that rule, we're just not very good at following. Yeah, she's a hustler and so am I. And like, I think we are good for it though. Like when it's like, I don't know, actually I can't really say we are good at it. I was gonna say like, when we're watching like shows and stuff, like we're trying to be off our phones, but like there's a lot of times where I'll just look over and she's just like.

Yeah, easier said than done.

Speaker 1 (28:02.634)
And it's like, we're never like, which is kind of nice. We're never like doomsday scrolling. We're actually on our phones most of time for like work and we to be like, Hey, get off your phone. So it's like, but when we go on like vacations and trips together, like when we were gone for Mexico for our wedding, like we were off our phones completely. So we are good at like detaching here and there. We also both really understand like that's what it takes.

degrees.

Speaker 1 (28:26.062)
Like, and I think that's another thing too, that like is a good lesson that people need to know is like, that's what it takes. Like truly, if you want it to work, you just have to do it. Like, you know, like I see it with like every single entrepreneur. They just, it doesn't matter when it is, the phone's ringing, you answer it. You don't know what's on the other end of that phone call at any time. Like you miss that call, they're going to someone else, especially in my industry. Like it's so competitive.

There's so many detailing shops and it's like, how are you going to separate yourself? And again, that was like something in business school that they're like, like you can separate yourself by this and like doing your opportunities and threats and like your competitors. It's like, no, like honestly, it just takes a decent amount of marketing and like to understand like marketing, hitting it from different avenues, trying different things. But marketing is only as important as if you miss that phone call, it's not important. You just, you burnt your lead, right? So.

I think just, yeah, like always being on it and just, it's like, it's part of it. It truly is.

And I think it's nice you both understand that and come from that because I think if one of you was more so like You know it would bother you like no we have these strict like yeah hours doing work and if you're on your phone while we're watching this movie like that I feel like I'm I Think that could go sideways, but it's nice you both and I see you both have like very similar

100 %

Speaker 1 (29:46.496)
It is really nice. if she gets a phone call while she was watching, I'm instantly pausing it. I'm not like, Yeah. It's like, and we're driving on a trip together in the mountains. Like phone calls comes in, she understands. Right. So I do really like that. Like, and I'm proud of her for starting a business because she, you know, like she did have a really good job before. So sometimes that's like super hard to leave. Like it's like a comfortable salary. RNs make a lot of money and

We're supposed to be together, which is so nice

Speaker 1 (30:13.996)
I was very impressed that she actually did that because for me it was just like, all right, well, I'm not making any money. I might as well try this. And I had two really good mentors to help me do that. had like so many entrepreneurs that I could follow. Like, it's not just Stephen and Kam. It's like the.

You an impressive circle.

Yeah, like they're yeah, they're pretty crazy and they just know it so well They've built so many businesses. So I like it was it was easy for me. But for Leah it was like she didn't go to business school She went to nursing school and she and I helped her like decent amount but like really like it's crazy how Like girls and guys how different they operate is actually pretty crazy when you see it in like business like I was just like I'll put my head down and work and then figure it like almost like backs track it like yeah

just like be like, okay, what did I do to get here? But Leah is just so like methodical and like dialed in that she'll like plan like super far in advance. And she's like so on it. And I'm like, just like, I'm like, I'll figure it out. You know, like, so it is. For sure. Yeah. Both. Yeah. They both are. Yeah. Like recipes to success. I think my recipe though is easier to burn out in. Yeah. Definitely. But like, I don't know, they both work. So.

Cool to see that both work though.

Speaker 1 (31:29.548)
Yeah, but I yeah, I'm grateful to be married to her and yeah and just see her grow her business and stuff and I'm grateful for like like the friends that I have to like, you know learn business from them and then even like my friends that aren't in business like it's just cool seeing like all of my buddies that I've gone to school with and no one since like in elementary playing soccer together like Just seeing everyone figuring out their careers and like because it's tough and we've like we've gone through our generation's gone through like a lot of

just crazy stuff throughout the years and we've all like kind of just made it work. And I'm like, yeah, very blessed to just, yeah, kind of have that, I guess.

Yeah, I agree. It's really cool at this stage of life to kind of see what everyone's doing and everyone's path can be so different. But seeing how people figure it out and even, yeah, like you said, we've gone through so much. I remember when I did finish my first two years and I was like, I'm going to get a job and I'm never going to need my degree. I remember being told at the time, this is just like the worst time in the economy. Like you're not going to find a job. And I'm like, I don't think the economy ever got better.

I don't know. felt like it hasn't for sure. It's been a constant grind. think, yeah, a lot of times in school, too, like a lot of people think it is just like part of the rest of the puzzle piece to be like, oh, yeah, I'll just make 100 grand a year or 150 grand year. And it's like, it's so far from that. actually because of

my god, it's so far from that. Yeah, a lot of people end up just doing absolutely nothing with what they went to school for.

Speaker 1 (32:50.318)
100 % like schooling is very tough. I think it is gonna struggle in the next like little bit like especially with like Yeah, especially like AI and people like being like I can learn this stuff a lot

my god. My day job right now, our whole plan for the next, over the next six months to years to use AI as much as possible and create bots and everything.

It's crazy like now we're go through even like more like employment stuff, which is gonna be wow

Can you imagine business school when we were in it if we had all this AI? It would have been so easy. know. Sometimes I feel myself feeling a little resentful. I'm like, of course you're doing well in school.

We're gonna deal with that at like school cuz like yeah, you could just breeze by it But the only thing that will like still exist though is like actual service. yeah hands-on

Speaker 2 (33:26.146)
Yep, chat GPT.

Speaker 2 (33:33.454)
What you and Leah do, both services.

The only thing that sometimes that I worry about with like my business is it like as the economy struggles, it's not like a necessity I guess. So he's always trying to like figure that out. There'll always be people that like buy nice cars and stuff. So it's just like

And that's their prized possession. Like they're going to make sure.

Yeah, so it's just like but that's that's definitely one thing that I worry about like, know with like, yeah as the economy kind of struggles and whatnot But it's always that's the other thing too is you can always think about that stuff, but it always works out like yeah, it does I've had I've had like down months and stuff like that but like it always comes back around and like I've had to Definitely teach myself to just think that way and not be

not get so caught up in the lows and not get caught up in the highs. Yeah. Because if you just if you can stay in the middle of that, I'm bad for that, though. I'm learning it.

Speaker 2 (34:20.757)
Well, it's very easy to get caught up in that and kind of spiral and whatever.

Yeah, like letting just putting your ego aside like when I got the first shot I Honestly thought I was all that in bag of chips. Like I just cuz I was like at that time. I was like 23

Well was impressive, mean honestly we all were very impressed by the shop, we loved the shop too.

It like we had the best parties there and like during that era like I was just like man like I did it you know like I thought like I Achieved it all but I was chasing like the wrong things at that time. Yeah, but I just I was like trying to keep up with the Joneses like I was like you know, I was friends with like all those older guys and I just thought I was like so so I got super caught up in the highs and then as soon as like I had some like challenging stuff with like

being in that shop and then like growth and like just I felt like I focused so much on just like being like the cool business owner that was like young that then like I hit a wall like I just and I was like my probably my worst burnout because I didn't know you know where I was going with the business I didn't have like a solid like lease term with the building so it was like at any point I felt like I was gonna get kicked out of that shop and then I'm like well then what like then my business is just done it's like there were so many things that were like

Speaker 1 (35:32.608)
Pressuring down on like the business and then like kovat hit and I was just like, god Yeah, so I got super caught up in like the highs before that and then when the lows hit like I was just like it's over like I was just like it was like doomsday. Yeah, and then I survived kovat at that shop and then steven cam They were like, okay We gotta like we really got to figure out the shop situation This business is really worth nothing if we don't like do something about it I I always agreed like and we always were saving money to buy a shop. Yeah now we just recently purchased like our building just

like 15 minutes from Sherwood Park and it's like an absolute dream but like throughout that it was also the worst like transition ever because it was like when you buy a commercial it's you have to put 30 % down so it like our down payment was massive I had the wedding coming up and then I had to renovate the shop it was not ready to be a detailing shop and it was just like so much pressure and then I got so caught up in those lows like it was just

And then trying to dig yourself out of that and like dig yourself out of the money pit is like quite a lot too. I think that's when I was like talking about earlier. It's like when things are going good, it's super easy to be like motivated and do it. But like when things are going like when things are just very high stress, just my down payment alone was like 160 grand. it's like, which doesn't seem like a lot to some people, but like when you're running a business and you want to pay yourself, yeah, like you want to pay yourself a wage and like me and Leah were buying a house soon and we had the wedding. was just like, it was very

very pressing, again, I just got so caught up in those lows. Like I was just like, and I just couldn't dig myself out of it. And then eventually like you start to kind of do it and you kind of dig yourself out, dig yourself out. And like now I've just, after those like highs and lows, I just have just like tried to stay as neutral as I can. just kind of just don't get too caught up in either side of it. and that's.

lot of people are always like, oh, your shop is so sweet. And it's like, because I got the golf sim in there. It's like really cool. I try not to just like, I'm like, yeah, I love it. It's awesome. But I don't I don't try and go like to like when I had the parties at the last shop, it was like part of it was like, yeah, I to party with my friends, but that I want to new people to come to be like to show it off. Like, was just like it was definitely like an arrogance thing. Like it was. Yeah, like now I'm just like, yeah, it's awesome.

Speaker 2 (37:40.054)
You don't want make it like your personality.

Speaker 1 (37:45.248)
I love it, but I just try and just don't get too caught up in it. And I try not to have that be like my identity again. Like I don't want my business to just be like, that's all people think of me for. So trying to separate myself from the business has been like a lesson that I've definitely, you know, tried to learn throughout the years. And I don't think, I don't think that's talked about enough to like a lot of business owners. Like that's what they're just known for, you know, is their business.

Well, especially in this age, think that's really impressive and important that you learned that. But I think you've learned that even though, it's been so many years, but I think it actually came to you like you're learning that and you're grasping that actually in a pretty efficient way. Like I think a lot of business owners, it's like years down the road where they've been riding this, like making it my whole identity and like riding the high or getting lost in the lows and the highs. I feel like you actually, it's like very impressive.

Yeah.

Speaker 2 (38:42.614)
impressive to me that you learned that and like grasped that so early on especially when you have now been in such a I mean I would assume it seems like a high from the outside like your new shop and you have a new house and you've gotten married and now that I'm saying all that I'm like you went through so much growth and transformation at once

Yeah, it was a lot all at once and it was like, yeah, all of it's very rewarding. It's just a showing of like who I'm surrounded by, think. Yeah, true. You know, I have a lot of people to look up to and a lot of people that like check me also. Like all of them. Like I can just name off so many friends, but like Curtis, Nolan, Colin, Colton, Benny, literally.

Like every single one of those guys those are like the guys that just check me and I don't have to be anyone when I'm with them They're just they love me for who I am and that's that's pretty much it and that's same with like Dan and Warren and cam and Steve and all of them I have two friend groups that really ground me and motivate me in different ways. Like I find like the younger guys motivate me and like

We don't really give a shit about your business or give a shit about business. We never talk about work. They're kind of like more like the fitness freaks and just like they want to do that stuff and they compete in that way. So I have them to kind of like talk to about that stuff and not have to prove myself in like what I do for work. And then with Steve and all them, like I just get like a lot of advice from them and like guidance from them and like, yeah, I definitely want to chase them because they've achieved like a lot of success, but they also don't make me feel pressure and like they don't really give a shit about like, you know, even though they're

They've helped grow the business with me. That's not what they're there.

Speaker 2 (40:17.55)
Yeah, you're not just their friend because they're in business with you. And it's not that they are making you make they are not meaning for you to feel like you have to change. Naturally, of course, you're seeing for success that they've created. Yeah. And you're motivated by it. But it can turn into feeling like a hundred. But which is natural, I think.

Exactly,

Speaker 1 (40:27.426)
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (40:34.67)
100 % like literally three days ago I had a crash at a boat. I'm like is this gonna be like the thing that makes me like you know like I don't I don't really care about like being like rich rich like I'm just I'm very comfortable in living like

You like I don't need a bigger house than what me and Leah have like I don't need like all these things I'm not a materialistic person. I honestly just genuinely love what I do. I'm very passionate about it. So it's like that's That's my goal. But like I was talking to them I'm like, is this gonna make me like rich and they're like, dude, you're already like you don't really need that Like you're doing fine. Like it's like they have to sometimes like backpedal and tell me like okay, like, you know You own x amount of this shop like because we split the shop

three ways basically and they're like the equity in that shop alone will like be good for you in the future. Yeah, it's definitely like just a whole blend of just people giving me guidance and yeah, learning from, I guess.

I think that's a testament to like the type of person you are because you and Leah both you have so many truly strong connections and like supportive connections in your life I feel like. Yeah. So which can of course that's positive but yeah you can ever all of us find ourselves looking and not even consciously competing or comparing but you just do but it's nice that they're at least always like positive.

Yeah Yeah comparison is the thief of joy. I like that one

Speaker 2 (41:53.26)
Yes, that's a good one. And it's so true. especially in today's world, it's so hard to like not do that.

And I think in business you just have to try and focus on like staying in your own lane.

Kind of like Blinder.

Yeah, like there's so many like I've also been caught up in like just looking at like competitors in the industry But then I realized as I've been going in the industry like a lot of us just work together I think there's so many detailing shops that like They've called me and been like hey, can you help me with this last minute? And we'd like honestly all help each other out like it's not yeah doesn't feel like a competition and we're all kind of like in it together It's kind of nice like and I don't think a lot of people talk about that in business is like your competitors aren't necessarily your enemy like I think a lot of I think a lot of times people think that but like

Man, a lot of us work together. Like I'll literally call one of my like favorite shops in Edmonton is posh They're like really good guys and I'll call them and just like hey how are things going and they're like pretty open They help me out with stuff and then I recently started working with my buddy Gerson and he owns G's Auto Service and supplies and Me and him work together on a lot of things like and it's like there's no You know, there's no yeah, like sometimes in business. I think people think that it's like a competition, but it's really yeah So just stay in your own lane and like don't compare yourself to

Speaker 1 (43:05.55)
much. And actually me and that Gerson guy started another business together just like two months ago where we're doing it's called Urban Shade Home Styling but we're gonna be doing like because we do film on vehicles like we don't clean cars we basically install

I call it a condom for your vehicle. Nice. Just putting like a clear plastic film protecting it. And then we do like wraps and stuff like that. But we're doing that basically now with houses. So we're doing like a window tint on like windows to keep like heat out and like so people don't see in. That's actually pretty sweet because. Yeah, so you can't see in a house. Yeah, it's just like a mirror now. All of our windows now you can't see it, which is nice. So like.

Is that what you guys just put on your front door? You thought that was sick when I came last time?

Speaker 1 (43:45.55)
You know, someone that was like a competitor, I guess you could think of, but now we're like starting a business together. So it's like, yeah. And I think even like seeing like Steven Kamm, there's so many landscaping companies, but they like honestly work and sub out a lot of the companies. So it's like, I think there's a lot of things that like in business school, they'll tell you, but you really just don't listen to them.

really need to apply and it kind of comes down to your mindset like having the abundant mindset of like there's a not felt there for everyone and just focusing on myself trusting that's what what's meant to be is gonna be or you could come at it with like a scarcity mindset of if they get business I'm not gonna have you anywhere

100%. Yeah.

Like there's a million, I don't know, I think there's like 1.5 million people that live in Edmonton and surrounding areas. Each one of those people have like two to three cars. Yeah. It's like, there's a ton of cars to go around for, call it, maybe there's 20 detailing shops in Edmonton. Like do the math. There's a ton of work for all of us. So yeah, I think sometimes at like business school, was another thing that I was like so like wary of. It's just like, they'd be like, like what's your niche market going to be? And what's your target demographic going to be? And then I'd be like, I don't know. And then they'd be like, you know, let's do an analysis on your competitors. I'm like, well, these guys, I'm never going to catch up to you. Like I'm never going

to be able to beat these guys. I remember like thinking that before I started Nova. I'm like, how am I ever going to get to that point? And it's just a slow burn. I think most people can get like, everyone can get to it. Like I truly don't think like if you do good work and you are disciplined and you just put like, even like you, like I was, uh, do you know Alex Hermosy? Yeah. Yeah. He says like to be like successful in podcasting, you just got to post 10 podcasts and you've already beat out 90 % of the competition.

Speaker 2 (45:22.734)
I was, mentioned that stat on my last episode with Grady. But yeah, the stat was something like that. Like if you make it past 10 episodes, you're like the top 87 % of podcasts.

And like it's just and it's you just got to understand that and just keep like yeah, just keep discipline and stick with it and like invest in yourself like That's a lot you hear that a lot, but a lot of people do it. Yeah, you just say it's like it like that's such a you just gotta reinvest in your business Okay. Well, like how are you doing that? You know like and understanding like where you know

And that's the thing too, like with being an entrepreneur is like being really smart with your money and where to put it is like another important thing that I think I didn't really understand in the beginning. Like I just saw the revenue, I saw the profit and I just wanted to pay myself a ton of money. And it's like, and Stephen Kam had to tell me, you know, you can't do that. just, money has to be used for something else to like grow the business, which was later on buying the shop. And then like,

You know, it's like taking like little pay cuts here and there for like a big reward in the end. And like with an entrepreneur too, don't like at the end of it, you don't, I don't get like a pension. You know what I mean? That's something that like, they don't talk to you really about in entrepreneurship school. They just talk about these guys that have like this million dollar idea and they always talk about the idea. They never talk about like.

It's like every person they had come through was just like this sick idea that you'd be like, holy shit, like that's, you know, that's a, that's a million dollar idea. And they were just, they've never talked about like, you can just start a window cleaning company and be a multimillionaire. You can start a pressure washing company. You can start.

Speaker 1 (46:58.67)
anything like it doesn't have to be this great genius idea that no one's ever thought of before and then you execute perfectly and then you get like a massive payout at the end like What are your goals in business? And what do you want to do? Because it's like for me It's like I just really liked working with cars and I and I know whether it you know Nova then transitions into like the dealership like I talked about I've always on the ownership

whether that transitions into that, then that's just a slow burn that it took to get there. But I will get there and it doesn't have to be this like executed thought out plan. before that, until I bought this shop, like I was like, how do I hire? And I tried to hire in the old shop and it didn't really work. And I was like, okay,

Is it something that I'm doing wrong? And like, you know, we were always like stepping over each other and it was like really hard to get like a flow going. But me, I didn't realize that when I got the new shop, I was like, why can I like work in here? Like, why can I hire in here? And it's like worked out. It's because like the shop was like more efficient. Like it's just like little things you don't think of. And you can only figure that out by going forward and then taking 10 steps back and like looking at it and like why it worked. And then now it's like, I've been working with like a lot of dealerships, like I've worked with Sherwood Motorcars and Sigma Auto.

a little bit with St. Albert Exotics. They're all exotic dealers and they're all like boutique dealers and I've learned how they've operated. Now I can be like, okay, like, you know, maybe now I can get into like the exotic car sales and stuff and like have like a different division of Nova. But I wouldn't have figured that out if I didn't just do the slow burn of like working with Nova and like getting a couple contracts. So I think like, yeah, in business, that's the biggest thing I've learned too. Sometimes you just have to just send it, like just do it, just do it and then figure out.

you got there backwards like if you're honestly like working backwards so I yeah I think that a lot of people need to like also think that way yeah

Speaker 2 (48:41.164)
And that's a good point when you explain it that way. And I think where people probably run into viewing something as a failure is that they get scared when they hit that spot where it didn't work out. And then they just kind of get scared and they stop.

Yeah, I think being able to go forward and as you're explaining it to it's kind of making me think of what like true manifestation is because I was watching something recently again where they were talking about how it's been really made into this thing of like it's something you do and it's like this practice but you are like constant like every minute of the day you're manifesting so like it's what you're saying you're just putting in you're taking action towards what you want

It is, yeah.

Speaker 1 (49:19.798)
what you

And just trusting that like, like you said, maybe I don't have an exact plan. Maybe it's this one way that I tried to do it didn't work. But like I know in the end, that's what I want to happen. I'm just going to keep going. Can be as easy, not easy, but like that's how it works.

Yeah

Yeah, it is a I listen to a podcast and it said Basically your brain if you like really like meditate and like just imagine something your brain actually has a hard time Discovering like when you imagine something and what's real? Yeah, like so like if you can just imagine like, know what you want and like for me I'm like a pretty religious person like I grew up in the Christian church and like Leah has brought me back into religion But like I just like a lot of praying like honestly, that's helped me a lot like just being like I don't know

You know, I don't know what I'm really doing here, but like, I like just knowing and believing in a higher power to put me in the places that I need to be and just accepting that. even if, because now I've like, I thought Nova was like my be all end all. So I've had all my attachment to that. But even if now like it transitions into something else, I'm okay with that. Like I'm good with whatever, you know, God's plan is for me and whatever.

Speaker 1 (50:26.828)
you know that is then I'm fine with that. But like I think at the beginning I wasn't like I was just so I was like if this fails it's over you know. But now it's like and at any point Nova will never be a failure. And I always thought that it's like what if I like close down. Well I probably moved on to something else or I sold it or it's running completely without me. And yeah so it's like it's never you know it's never going to be a failure and that like has given me a lot of grace because

You've learned so much, no matter what.

Speaker 1 (50:54.478)
I just you can get so caught up in like that that you're not focused on the business anymore. You're just focused on like this doomsday. Yeah, you know, that's really never gonna happen. Yeah. Yeah. And yeah, just being okay with like, you know, separating yourself from it, manifesting like stuff that you want to happen, but also being okay with it if it doesn't work.

Yeah, think that's really powerful. Trust and faith, like faith in higher power is life-changing because it is that, that just no matter how much you're spiraling or what thought or what thing you're going through, you can go back to, okay, no matter what, this is going to work out for a reason for my highest good. Yeah. No matter what. you just can come back to it.

Yeah, 100%. Yeah, no, it's a it's a grueling battle. It's also worth it. Like I truly wish I I really wish that every person on earth could actually just experience what it is to work for yourself. And like I'm nothing against man. There's so many days that I would like to work and I hate that. I hate when people say the nine to five. I kind of get it really drives me insane. Like that's a super ignorant thing to say because it is a great.

Yeah.

Speaker 1 (51:58.664)
no matter what way you look at it, it's a great life. Like people are like, I don't want to work the nine to five. When you're an entrepreneur, it is shittier than that. Yeah.

It's 24 7.

Yeah, and it's just like annoying and it's like but if you can if you can make like a hundred grand a year and you have like your company has RSP matching You're guaranteed a good retirement at the end. You can actually pull the plug at like 55 60 years old and retire Yeah, like that's and some people are like, oh like like then you only start living like 55 60 I'm like every 55 and 65 year old person that I know is living their best life and they're like they're okay with that So I don't like the I don't like the entrepreneurs that are always like at 95 I could never do that. It's a

way living. Either way you look at it, they're both great ways. but I, where was I going with that? yeah, I wish everyone could experience like just actually working for themselves though. And even if it's not their full-time thing, but just the idea of like creating either product or service and selling it.

You wish everyone could you

Speaker 1 (52:57.174)
And like making money off of it is like such a cool feeling. It really is. And when you actually see something that like you started and it like grows into something like I do have a lot of like pinch me moments when I just sometimes when I finish the work day, I'll just like I love my LED lights. I'll just stand in the shop and just look and I'm like, damn, like this.

Yes, the lights, yeah.

I created this.

Yeah, and like I wish like a lot of people could experience that but that can also be found in many other ways but like I just I really do wish that people, you know would take themselves Take the seriousness out of it. I think and just and just try it and Be disciplined enough to just try and set goals. Like I always literally every month It's kind of a vicious cycle. It's like a good and a bad thing, but every month

the first starts and I'm like, okay, what's my goal this month? I know my break even. I know like what I have to do to make no money, which is a scary number sometimes. You're like, I have to make X amount just to make break even. But I know that number. And then I'm like, okay, let's see if I can hit X amount. And I do that every month. then.

Speaker 1 (53:59.758)
end of the year I do it fiscal year I'm like okay I did this amount let's see if I can grow by 20 % and I just honestly I'd like do everything in my power to get that number and it always works it's kind of it's crazy and even like the last year I was like I want to double last year's revenue and I was like that's kind of a crazy goal and even Kam and Steve were like ah like you know maybe let's aim for 20 % growth and I just was like I think I can double it and I just did and I literally just set my mind to that and it and it just happened

But it's like, because I, and then at the end of the year, I just worked backwards on how it actually worked. Like I didn't, I wasn't like, okay, I want to double my revenue. And I didn't really like, again, the Nate approach or like school approach would be like, all right, how are you going to do this? And you write this whole business plan. And it's like, like the amount of business plans we wrote that were like 85 pages long. I did, I did a whole semester project on Nova Auto.

Like a whole business plan. I've never opened that thing once. Not one fricking thing has been used out of it. But I literally just set a goal of mine and then and then Dan was over at the shop the other day. He was getting his

made up.

Speaker 1 (55:09.71)
his vehicle down and he was golfing upstairs and he came down and he's just like, man, last time I was here, you're talking about hiring employees and now you have three. And he's like, how'd you do it? And I was like, I didn't like, you know, like I didn't really have like, I was just like, oh, I got the new shop. And then I was like really busy and I hired one and then I hired two more.

think that's kind of a superpower you have because you're not overthinking these things. You're just going and doing.

And like it was and like that is a lot of God too like it's like my first employees names Harmon works with me still Best guy ever. He's so sweet. And yeah, I was just like I was telling me I'm like, I'm so overwhelmed I'm so stressed like I was working crazy hours like crazy crazy hours and feeling burnt out But the issue was this time my burnout before I could just be like, alright, I'm done. I had no lease I had no nothing. I could literally just be like, alright, I'm good. But now I have a five hundred thousand dollar mortgage on my

business side and then I have a $600,000 mortgage on my personal side. like, I'm like, there is no like burning out here, like, who the hell is gonna pay the mortgage on the business side. And then one day I just look up and working on a car, some guy comes in, I think it's a customer, I'm like, hey, what do you want? And he's like,

Yeah.

Speaker 1 (56:18.048)
I just saw you guys on Instagram and like I love this shop and he's like would you be hiring by chance and I was like Can you come in tomorrow like I literally no interview like no? Like yeah, like no formal like I don't even like that part the interviewing process like I'll have I love people like call me and like ask for jobs and like at that point like not hiring but like the people that I did like try I would just be like, yeah come to the shop that was same with Gerson He was just like hey man, like looking at like he he basically like I subcontract him We work in the same shop like he's

using my shop but like when I first met him he like came to me and he's just like

Can I like work with you? And I was like, yeah, I'll see you tomorrow. Like I didn't do the whole, oh, let's sit down and like, what are your, you know, like what KPI is doing. It was just like, all right, I'll see you tomorrow. I'll see what you got. And then he came and I was like, oh, he knows how to do film. And that was Harmon. I was just like, all right, see you tomorrow. And he came in and I was like, hey, and he laid film and he knew what he was doing and he's done a lot of vehicle wraps. I didn't know any of the experience before, but I could see his experience in the first 30 minutes he walked in the shop. And then that was history for that. And he's been with me.

ever since but I think yeah I'm just I just definitely just rolled the punches and I just figured out as I go and I think a lot of people just need to approach that a lot more in business it's not it's not all the mumbo jumbo that people like make it out to be it really is just like trial and error and the trying doesn't need to be so methodical like the trying just needs to be trying

Like it just. You know what you want to try. You have an intention and you just.

Speaker 1 (57:47.181)
Yeah.

Act on that. Yeah, and like don't think the way you're doing things is like the only way to do things like listen to people like a lot of people are so caught up in their ego that they just won't listen like and a lot of people too like will Talk to me and like just because they're older than me. I think they like talk down to me, but it's like You know, I've like Nova's now like eight years old and it's like, know It's never had an unprofitable year. Just it's always it's been very smooth and but like people don't want to listen to that Yeah, like they don't want to like listen to like my cuz they're

they're not very... if I sat down with someone at Nate they'd probably press me on every single thing that I'm saying but like it's worked so it's like and and I think yeah it's just like being a lot of being a business owner is just like putting out fires also ripping through them you know like yeah yeah it's a crazy journey

Totally. And I think it's really impressive even, yeah, with having like I still work my full-time job but once I started something like you said it doesn't have to be your you don't necessarily I find there's this narrative on social media especially of like if like you said if you're not working for yourself yeah like what are you doing you're wrong or like you need to just quit what you're doing and go all in on your business which yes that I think

when you're able to go all in on something, of course, all your energy is going to it. So you're probably gonna get there quicker. Realistically, sometimes that's just not gonna work out for people. Like we have mortgages, have bills to It's easy to say, but I find, like you said, even if there's a portion of your life that you can put, you have like passion, dedication, devotion to something that matters to you and share it with the world and try and build something out of that, like that made...

Speaker 1 (59:12.897)
easy to say.

Speaker 2 (59:29.428)
such a difference in my life and yeah kind of just trusting like whatever comes from it's going to come from it and it doesn't have to look the same as everyone else but yeah I do agree I think if it would be cool if like everyone in the world could experience just doing something that they created themselves.

And I do think with like AI that is the good thing is like a lot of the Monotonous and just I don't know punching number jobs will like it'll it'll take away a lot of the jobs that we like Shouldn't do like humans. I think are more creative and want to be like More passionate about what they do So I think that it'll help with that and like people will more so be forced to be more creative So I think that'll definitely be good decided that but I do think yeah, most people have it in them to do it and

Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:00:15.372)
But also the other side of it's completely fine. Like entrepreneurs, honestly, like when people say, do do? The last thing I'm to say is an entrepreneur. Like a lot of people like.

Yeah.

think what they're doing is so serious. Like people ask me, oh, like, how'd you do it? And like, oh, I'm like, I just, I don't know. Like, I don't think, I don't take it too seriously. I don't take myself too seriously. And I don't take entrepreneurship too seriously. I think, I think it is like a very hard career path and I don't think everyone can do it. But I also think like not a lot of people can do the nine, I don't think I could do the nine to five job. I admire the people that do have like good careers at like high up businesses. Like I, I think I would suck at it.

Yeah, no,

And that's not to say either is better. It's just saying like what you're good at and what you understand. Like I think I was always just like more entrepreneurial. And I think a lot of people don't have that. And it's like. Yeah, like I literally from like when I was like so young.

Speaker 2 (01:01:06.83)
And that's okay.

Speaker 1 (01:01:11.182)
Like in elementary school, me and my friend Mitch Lebrecht, we'd make duct tape wallets and sell them. Like, and we actually made good money. Like we went to his, like we went to his, uh, lake lot and we brought a bunch of duct tape wallets and we made like $600, like in like two days. And I was like, Oh, this is sweet. I made something out of duct tape. And then I, even back then I was remembering being like, okay, Mitch, like a roll of duct tape costs us $2, but at Dollarama or Dollar Tree, it's a dollar a roll, dude. So we'd go to Dollarama and we would literally, they would have no duct tape in that place, like in Sherwood Park for.

Ever like we're cleaning them out and we would just sit there and make wallets and watch youtube videos and and then we like did like snow removal stuff we just walk around the shovel in our neighborhood and it was just like And then my dad like would always just be like k come to work with me today and he would like never be like I'll pay you 20 bucks an hour. I never knew what my dad paid me hourly I just always worked with him and he would just like be like here's a check for 500 bucks. Yeah, and I never knew because I so I

I think just being from a young age, like I just never associated like my time with like an hourly wage. So I never really understood it as I got older. Like I just always, I've never honestly, I've had like two job interviews my whole life. Like I just, and even then they weren't even job interviews. The one was.

Me asking Steve for a job and then it's Sherwood Park Dodge. It was just me going in and being like, I'll see you tomorrow. So I think I just like taken that approach with like even hiring like, like I just said with like Harmon and stuff. Like think I've just always been like, don't take it too seriously. I guess like, I really just think yeah, since a young age, I've just been like, I see my dad do it. Seemed to work out.

Yeah, think that's really powerful to take the pressure off. For sure. Remember what I was watching or listening to or just in general things that I learned about. one of the even energetically just taking the pressure off of anything, especially the things you want the most. 100 % will actually help you get 100 %

Speaker 1 (01:03:00.718)
Yeah, yeah, 100%. Yeah, people put so much pressure on all of that and it's just like there doesn't need to be that much pressure. And what you do isn't that, don't take it, it's not that serious.

Yeah, we're not like you don't have be saving lives. No, it's just

Literally, like I said, I put condoms on cars, but they're colored condoms. They make car like You know, there's been times where I've had like three million dollars worth of cars in my shop and like people be like Are you not stressed out? I'm like, it's not that serious. It's just another car like and like

Sick.

Speaker 2 (01:03:29.902)
probably have to see it that way or else.

have to or else like when I'm shaking around like that I had last year like a 1.4 million dollar Mclaren 765LT and like back in the day if you ever told Landon that you would have that car in a shop I would lose my shit and like in the era of me being at the old shop where I thought I was like all that in a bag of chips I would have been I would have probably had a stupid ass party at the shop just to show people that I have this car in my shop but then I just literally I was like okay and

did the car and it's just another car and it left and it's just, got paid for it and that's it. Like it's like, it's just not that serious. Like it's really cool. It's cool to hit those milestones. There's like doing cars in my, but like also at end of the day, I'm just like, it still pays the same. It's just another car. It's just another day. It's just, you know. Yeah. Yeah. Trying again, just staying in the middle. Don't get too hung up on either side of it.

I'm curious if in life in general, like growing up, I guess, yeah, growing up, I was gonna say pre-Nova, but I mean, you were pretty young starting that. Do you feel like you were someone who was able to be like, stay pretty grounded and even keeled?

No, I Like I still am a very like anxious person I have to tell myself this stuff a lot of the time just to stay neutral I'm getting better at it Definitely, but like the amount of times like I'll call all my buddies to just be like I'm freaking out right now And they've had to talk me off so they're gonna hear this podcast. Yeah Like they know the real they know that but like I am real about it like yeah. Yeah, like it's like

Speaker 2 (01:04:52.909)
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:05:03.372)
He's not this evil.

Speaker 1 (01:05:10.284)
I tell myself this stuff and I listen to it and I do it and I'm getting better with it. But that's not to say like I've been sued twice in business and the first time it was, I was freaking out. thought my world was coming down and Steve and Cameron were both just like, chill, this is fine. And like, that's why I love having them because they're just like, they know exactly what to do. They've been through this stuff a million times. I'll be hanging out with Steve and he'll be like, yeah, one of our trucks just got T boned and like all of our equipment's like basically spread across an intersection. I got to go deal with it. And he doesn't care.

And it's like, and then the first time I got sued, he's just like, all right, we'll hit up our lawyer and stuff like that. They're just like a really good. If I had to pay like, so they own a part of Nova and then part of the shop. But if I had to pay like lawyers and people just to talk me down off a cliff, it would cost a lot more money than what they, know, so it's like, it's such a good relationship with them. And at the end of the day, they support me more than the business. care about me. So.

Yeah, they they they're the ones that have like taught me this stuff to like just be even keel because I'm like I'm way more high anxious than that like even leah like leah's way more chill than me like She is super grounded and like she's Navigated business very well. Like I have I have been down and I have been so high up like it's just been like yeah, it's it's been both sides of it for me and it's taken me like eight years to get to this point, I think it's like

Yeah, she's very grounded.

Speaker 1 (01:06:36.534)
Three years of it being like better, like those first five, six years were just crazy. It was just, yeah, it was all over the place and it's, it's definitely something I have to learn. it's. Yeah.

Thank

Speaker 2 (01:06:48.504)
Yeah, and that's okay. I feel like it can be up and down and different at different times and it's such a blessing to have those people in your life. yeah, maybe it would take 20 years for you to like feel like you can even view it in a way where you can be grounded and just be, I mean, I identify with being an anxious person naturally too. And I also have to, it's a constant practice to allow yourself to operate at a more grounded level.

Sure.

Speaker 1 (01:07:13.336)
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:07:17.868)
And I think that's okay, like you're aware of it. We all know our strengths and weaknesses. But they don't have to drive everything we

Yeah, I think everyone just has a little bit of anxiety like 100 like everyone's just going to be a little like anxious with that and then that'll just cause an overthink but like yeah, I just always try to remind myself like just is what it is.

especially in today as well.

Speaker 2 (01:07:38.458)
Do you do anything on the mindfulness side of things? Do you ever meditate?

But gym and Gym and church is my two forms of meditation. taking yourself outside your self is like what religion is good for. It's like you're not the center of the universe. Your problems, everyone has the same problems as you. You know, you're not. Yeah, just don't think your problems are like your own problems and no one else could deal with them. And it's like.

Yeah, I was gonna say religion and...

Speaker 2 (01:08:14.7)
You're never alone.

That's like also a super ego to skill thing way of thinking like my problems are like so much worse than yours like it's almost like a problem competition dude, don't even understand like I hear that so much in business like dude You don't even like understand the stuff that I go to in a day-to-day life and like a lot of entrepreneurs will say that and be like like people with nine to five so they'll complain about their jobs like you don't even understand It's like are you having a competition how like bigger problems? Yeah, so religion helps me a lot with that is just like taking myself outside of myself Just praying

Yeah

Speaker 1 (01:08:44.273)
I'll be struggling with something in a week and then I'll go to church on Sunday and he'll talk about that exact same thing in that it's it's crazy how that works and then just the gym it's just something else to chase like other goals fitness goals I'm always competing with Nolan on benchpress like right well he's not even a competition but he sets me like these little like workouts to get my bench higher and then as soon as it's like Way better. I'll always text him. He's like dude. I did this today and then so it's like I have something else to chase and then like

Lucas is always running, but I'll never run like him. like, it's just like, you know, it's.

Yeah, and just physically and mentally and energetically moving your body.

Exactly. Just, yeah. So those are my, those are my mental practices and stuff, but I do need to better at like.

When I'm at work, like being more mentally conscious of like, know, like even how I'm acting with, like, especially with employees now, like when it was just me, could have a freak out in the shop when something wasn't going well. could just yell whatever the hell I wanted and no one's there to hear me. And I've had to learn that. Like there's been some jobs that haven't gone well, like on vehicles. Cause we're like, we're taking vehicles apart completely and wrapping them and then having to put them back together. And when you mess something up and it's not going back together and the person's coming the next day to

Speaker 1 (01:09:56.218)
pay you $8,000 for their car and you're having a hard time putting it back together, it's an absolute nightmare. And then you have that and then like, as soon as like I find in my industry and what I do, like basically I'll do like four or five cars a day and then I'll have one big job throughout the week.

But if those small jobs aren't going well, then I can't focus on the big job. And then towards the end on Friday when that person's coming to pick up and then everyone during the day like, I'll have five people to shop in the morning dropping off and then I'll have five people the end of the day picking up. But then I'll have one big customer pick up at the end of the week. So it's like very easy for me to just, if I don't have a product, if I have one day that's not productive, I am like screwed. So learning how to like not freak out in front of my employees and just staying calm, cool and collected. Like I do have to go in my office every

once around and just be like, God, please help me. keep myself calm to keep them calm. And a new thing I'm having to learn is instead of me being like, God, please keep me busy enough to pay for this month's rent, it's like now I gotta pay for three people. And...

Learning how to like cope with that like it's like i'm not just you know in this for myself now I have to you know, keep busy to now pay three staff That's a huge learning curve that I have and this is going be my first winter going through winter slow season for us So it's like my first winter going through and I got to keep you know, all these guys happy. Yeah, so Learning that and just like keeping my mental is just going to be definitely a test this This winter and like going through that will be

Okay.

Speaker 1 (01:11:31.842)
I'm interested. definitely, I'd see, see if all this talk can actually, you know, play a game, but I think it will. And I think it'll be all good, but.

Yeah, like you said, you can always go back to God's got you. 100%. all gonna work out. You're a good person. In the end, think, no matter what happens, you're gonna handle it in the best way possible.

And like, yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:11:52.91)
100 % and that's like yeah, just something that Yeah, something that I'm just mindful of but I feel like you're very good with like keeping yourself level-headed to them You've done a good job. Like you have. Thank you. Yeah, and you were always like even it like Nate you were you were always just very good at like what you'd like presenting Everyone honestly wanted to be in your group. Like it's just like it always seemed like you had this

Thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:12:19.618)
Take

groups like always it was just me and curse the degen like just always we were always messing around making jokes and calling too and then we'd be in a group with like some people that just

Speaker 1 (01:12:36.846)
They were but like you were always like so like level-headed and honestly when I first like Meg I would have never thought you were like high anxious person like you say like that's shocking to me

I get that a lot and I think it's because I especially back then was like so conscious of how I was being perceived that I would really do anything to hide it. And maybe just disassociate too. Like when I'm up there presenting, I'm just, I'm blacking out. It was fully just preparation and then blacking out and doing it. And I think that's kind of prepped me for this. Like I was almost held back in school because I wouldn't speak like in elementary. Like I was so shy, so scared to be perceived.

And it's funny how then you go to like, yeah, business school, everything happens for a reason. Now I'd yap on a microphone every week. So I'm like, it's funny how that all works out. But yeah, I remember, I remember there was like a case competition. I think it was our final one and my group ended up winning and that was really fun. And then meant nothing in the end. Didn't do anything for me, but.

Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:13:36.378)
You never know what comes out of that. It's crazy how small, or how you and me didn't know each other at all, then now that we've gotten to know each other, how everything's so interconnected. You guys were at that Halloween party and I'm just like, oh, I know Erin. And then you're with Leah. And then it's like, who's that? And then it's like, now I'm married to her. And then it's like...

tell a story? Yeah. I have always wanted to tell this story. So Landon and I and our friend Curtis, another shout out to Curtis. Yeah. And so we are all in business school at this time. This is like literally seven years ago, think right now, 2018.

Yeah, and it was a Halloween party. So pretty much exactly seven years ago. Yeah, and then I'm with my bestie Leah and Jade And we go to a Halloween party. I think it was Dan's Halloween party. Okay, all these characters we've already mentioned Yeah, all good people still around So I go with the girls to the party Landon and Leah meet for the first time and they're having a conversation and I'm talking to Curtis Landon comes in from wherever you guys are having your conversation. Yeah, he comes up to us and he says that's

Exactly.

Speaker 2 (01:14:41.462)
my dream girl. Yes. And literally since that night, you guys have just been together and been like the best couple you can imagine.

Yeah, I always knew who she was. knew of her family and I met her two sisters before, Kelly and Claire. And I always knew she was the youngest. And yeah, just, yeah, I just always had like an inkling towards her, something about her. And then, met her that night and then the rest is history. And like, it's so cool to see how like, it just all connects though. Like there's like so many like, you know, puzzle pieces to make that happen. Like I, and I always say like, I wouldn't have...

If it wasn't for, you know, meeting a different group of people and like an older group of people and having the confidence that I had at Nate and stuff like that, like, you know.

maybe I wouldn't have approached her and my life would have turned out very differently if I didn't, you know, if I didn't have a little bit of that ego and chip on my shoulder of starting Nova with these, you know, what's she called millionaires, right? Like they're very successful guys. And if I didn't have that chip on my shoulder, I probably wouldn't have approached Leah. didn't have that confidence before to approach someone. Like she's two years older than me. She was always like the it girl. Like I was just like, so, so I was just like,

a strong leg.

Speaker 1 (01:15:53.484)
Yeah, there's a Drake line. It's like, she's a real ass woman and I love it. That's what I think of Leah as. like, yeah, so it's just like, and it's all interconnected. you and then our wedding, seeing it all come to fruition, you know, it was like pretty crazy. That was like probably the coolest moment of my life, I'd say. It's like, you know, I have all my day one guys there.

It's so interesting.

Speaker 1 (01:16:13.538)
Literally like I've known like some of my friends like calling I've known since I don't even know like we were so young and Curtis and like seeing like Owen and Nolan and Lucas and like and then seeing them with now, you know a group of guys that are 11 years older than me but I've also been like my mentors for the last seven years and like seeing them all come together and then like all of you girls and like it's just yeah, it's it's it's a blessing and I'm very blessed to like grow up in Sherwood Park and like have experienced like all of this and like I love Sherwood Park for that too. like it's just everyone is

Thank

Speaker 1 (01:16:43.542)
a family and everyone supports everyone you know one that comes to mind that's like friends with candy jason miller like his family like i've known them for a long time but like they've always supported me and brought their vehicles to me and there's so many families like that like the sagus like there's just so many families in shore park that have truly supported me like all of my friends like their parents have brought their vehicles to me and like all the older guys they've all brought their i don't think there's one of them like now when i go to group hangouts i just see a bunch of wrapped cars on driveway that i've all done because they've all supported me like there's like literally

10 of them in a driveway at some points where I'm just like they've all brought their cars to me they've all trusted me and they've all supported me and like brought me so much work over the years and like it's one thing I really do love about growing up in Sher Park and like there's a hustle mindset there because like all of

Like all the parents have done so well for themselves and like all the kids are like, I see it. We're all just following suit. all, you know, everyone's doing what they can, especially in times that we're going through, but everyone's still making it work. And I think like, yeah, with like everything going on politically and stuff, everyone's still making it work. yeah, I really like admire that at Bochure Park and the hustle.

Yeah, that's something that always stands out to me because growing up not in Shore Park, coming even though was just down the road in Fort Saskatchewan, when I first came to Shore Park and started being integrated in this world, really from becoming friends with like Leah, Summer, the girls, and then meeting like the, it's just down the road from where I grew up. But the mindset, not even the mindset, I don't want to say the mindset, it would sound bad. The vibe of like,

Everyone has this entrepreneurial mindset and path and like is so supportive of each other. Whereas where I grew up and not to again, not to say it's wrong, but like pretty much all our parents worked at a plant site. Like it very much like a trades world, which is great. But I hadn't really been around that. And then I started being around all these people in Park. And I find, yeah, they say it's who you surround yourself with when you're surrounded by people who have the, they've seen success and then they feel compelled. Like I think I was like,

Speaker 2 (01:18:47.79)
20 or 19 when I first started coming around and watching people already like start little businesses together. And that's the coolest part is it's people doing it with their friends. Like so many friends are working together. I was just like, this is so different. Like I just had never really seen a of it. And it's definitely motivating. Even my group of girlfriends, we're all from different places. But when I look around, I'm like, everyone's doing their own thing. Like such different things, but everyone's doing their own thing. And everyone's so supportive of each other.

You girls are actually crazy, amount of support that you guys give each other. It's actually really cool to see.

Yeah, I am very grateful for my circle.

Yeah, you guys are always like Instagram is kind of one those funny things. I don't think guys share like really anything. Yeah, which is fine. I don't really care. But like girls, man, you guys post and it's like everyone's sharing it.

and like immediately my friend posts something for their business and like share, comment.

Speaker 1 (01:19:41.972)
Yeah, I love to see that. Yeah, no, it's, it's definitely everyone's very supportive. And yeah, we have a very solid group of entrepreneurs and people that just are good people.

Yeah, just supportive people, no matter what you're doing in your work life. Everyone's really supportive. And that was really something I think your wedding was such a example of that. Because Leah and Landon got married in Mexico, so it was destination. And anyone I told of how many people were coming to your wedding, and it was mostly friends, were like, what? That does not happen. Like that many humans do not go to your destination wedding. But it's just a testament to like you guys, who you are as people. And you have so many like strong.

100%.

Speaker 2 (01:20:23.512)
connections in your life. And it was honestly just so.

Yeah, was. There's a lot more people than I thought and yeah, it was pretty awesome.

Okay, so I'm curious, is there anything that stands out that you right now would tell fresh entrepreneur Landon as this seed of an idea of Nova entered his brain?

so much. of like throughout the podcast, I said like stuff that I kind of believe within business. But I say the first thing I would tell them is that you'll overestimate what you can do in one year and underestimate what you can do in 10. Take it slow and just relax. Like just let it happen. It's going to be a lot harder than what you think it is in a lot of the avenues, but a lot easier in some of the other avenues. Essentially, like don't

At the beginning, I just took everything too seriously, I think, and that was a lot of what Nate said. So I think I just, you know, don't overthink things. It'll all work out. Probably find religion or faith a little bit earlier on. Just something to get me out of my mind a little bit more. There's a lot. What else?

Speaker 1 (01:21:38.39)
Advice to my younger self.

I guess it's pretty much what we have been talking about.

I'm trying to think of stuff that's like other than what we kind of touched on but No, I'd have to say yeah Just kind of what we touched on throughout the whole podcast like I can't really veer too much off of that because it's like Truly what I just believe it'll all work out. Don't take yourself too seriously You can do a lot in 10 years more than you think Don't chase money. Don't attach yourself too much to your business like have some separation from it

you're never going to stop working. It's part of it and learn to enjoy it. Because if you don't enjoy it and you just think of it as a task, then I don't think I'd be successful in business. I think just, yeah, like learning that is how it is. That's your reality. Don't get too cocky in those early years. Definitely had some learning lessons along the way to do that. And.

Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:22:36.366)
Yeah, just have faith in what you're doing. Believe what you're doing is a good thing. Don't try and rip people off just to make a buck. Just truly do good work. Be an honest person. Help others along the way. Don't think you're better than anyone else. just feel free to reach out to people. The amount of times that I just didn't reach out to people because I was just scared to tell them my honest situation.

idea.

really like hindered me like just I would want to talk to like Warren about accounting stuff but I wouldn't want to disclose the money that I was making and it's like well you know if you have a good friend they don't really give a crap about what you're making and like reaching out to Cam and Steve and like not just reaching out to them in a business sense but in a personal sense like I only for years I only talked to Cam and Steve about

business-wise, but never really like personal stuff and you know, starting to do that and then checking in with like my non-entrepreneur friends and just being like, hey, like, you know, what do think I can do better in this situation and stuff? And like, they have a lot more insight than the way like, you know, people think entrepreneurs can only help entrepreneurs. No, it's like people that are just been in business for a really long time. Leah's dad's a really good example of that too. Like he's like.

He started businesses, but he's more so been in the role of like CEOs and getting hired to do that and getting hired to be a CEO. You know, people would say that's a nine to five job, but Mel is like more entrepreneurial than I thought. And then also like there's so many different types of entrepreneurs that like, you know, you got to talk to too. Like my dad's the super traditional, no marketing, no social media, nothing like that. And like talking to him about that and like.

Speaker 1 (01:24:17.036)
I think in my younger years, just didn't want to talk to people. I just thought I had it all figured out. was like, I went to business school. My business has already started, like pretty snooty about it. So I think, yeah, if I could go back and just slap myself across the face and be like, don't take yourself too seriously and just open up to people, like listen to people.

Even at Nate too, I almost thought I was like better than some of the classes. Like it's like maybe I would have got more insight or maybe I would have met someone like in those classes if I didn't have such a chip on my shoulders too late now to go back and like really think about that. But it's something I do think about like, you know, it was a route that I took and I could have dived a little bit more into it instead of checking out so early.

So there's like so many lessons that you learn. I could literally go on forever. Entrepreneurship is the biggest lesson in business and growing up in life.

Yeah, you're continuously learning lessons. It will never end.

Yeah, like my lessons that I've learned the last year are way different than lessons that I learned early on. yeah, like the early on lessons, like telling yourself it's going to be a lot harder to hire people than what you think. I thought that was going to be easy and just...

Speaker 1 (01:25:32.48)
Yeah, your lows are going to be a lot lower than what you're at now. Like if you think, and if you think the highs are going to bail yourself out of those lows, aren't like, it's like you have to, you have to learn to stay neutral through those. So yeah, there's just a lot, there's a lot that I could tell myself. But the biggest thing is like, I wish I could just tell myself it all works out. Cause I would have saved myself a lot of stress and.

And just tough nights, man. Like, there's nights where you just can't sleep. Like, it's just like, like you literally are like wide awake thinking about like everything. You know, the first time I got sued to like, the second time I got sued to I'm sure when the third one comes. It's like just ...

It probably feels like the entire world is like out of it. And it feels like that won't end. But you right now can tell your past self like it does.

Crazy,

Speaker 1 (01:26:21.066)
Yeah, time heals everything and you'll be fine. it's just, yeah. The stuff that I used to stress about like a year ago and to the stuff I stress about now is like, it's small and it's just, yeah, it's crazy. It's a crazy journey. Yeah. I've learned a lot and I'm very blessed to have, you know, people like you in my life and like all my friends, like in my family and Leah's family. just wouldn't be here without them and just.

Totally.

Speaker 1 (01:26:49.42)
I really like that now I'm in a place in my life where all the people that I'm around don't really give a crap about like, you know, they just care about me. That was like a while to get comfortable with that thought. didn't have to disassociate myself from the business that I, you know, started in a young age. It's just, yeah, not letting it become all of you, I guess. Yeah, I definitely, that would have been a really good one to just tell myself back then. It's like,

Yeah, this year is a human.

Speaker 2 (01:27:07.0)
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:27:11.48)
Yeah, your whole identity.

Speaker 1 (01:27:17.57)
This business is what you do. It's not who you are. Like stop letting it, you know, affect the way you think or your mood or whatever. Like it's ruined like trips. Like honestly, like it's, you know, like every year we go on like a crazy bachelor trip, it seems like. And last year I was hiking like Machu Picchu and I was like five days in the bush and I

Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:27:39.222)
I like turned on my phone, we had no reception, I turned on my phone for like one second, I see a bunch of stuff on my phone about work and I let it consume me for like literally the day we saw Machu Picchu, I'm just like still thinking about work and it's like I wish I could just go back to so many moments in my life where it was just tainted from like my business and I will never let that happen again, that's for sure. Like no matter what I'm going through, I think now knowing all this stuff that I've gone through.

I just wouldn't let it like wreck a moment for me because I've let it wreck other things and like, yeah. Yeah, it's kind of crazy how you let it just...

affect everything. Well, and also I feel like you can't really beat yourself up for that because it is like, is your baby. It's so much of your life, but just trying to maybe it sounds like stay present in the moment. It's like, okay, that's happening, but what's happening right now? I want to soak this in. Yeah. Which is easier said than done.

Yeah, that's a very hard thing to do. It is a very hard thing to do. like even being in the moment when I'm in my shop, like just when I'm at work, like not being so caught up in like, man, I watch my profit and loss thing like, I watch it like a Netflix.

Like, yeah, was gonna say it's your Instagram is your TikTok.

Speaker 1 (01:28:51.704)
Just that stupid little chart. I just, yeah, I gotta... Yeah, that's still something I'm trying to just stop chasing that necessarily. And, yeah, I think that... But I don't know if that'll ever get better. You know what I mean?

Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:29:06.19)
I mean it's very like it is your business to make money I don't know if maybe there's boundaries you can like can only look at it these days

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

What's to find?

Speaker 1 (01:29:17.748)
After seven o'clock. Yeah, no, it's but it's Exactly. Yeah. and i'm sure maybe in two or three years what I think i'm saying now will sound stupid to me, but you know what right now it seems like It's been the the lessons that like seem the most prevalent in the day-to-day like life but yeah, like staying disciplined and staying honest and just Yeah, navigating it every day is gonna change. But yeah, and even like yeah

You don't have to have the answers.

Speaker 1 (01:29:47.714)
going back to when I had the burnout phases, like just going back and if I could just tell myself like it's all gonna be all good would be great. But yeah, that is, that's probably the main piece of the voice I guess.

Yeah. Well, I think you've offered a lot in this podcast and what stands out to me the most, there's actually so much. It's been so great actually to talk to you about this, but what's really standing out to me is connection. And I feel like that's something I've talked about a lot here because I've learned a lot about it. And especially not to get into this, but like post COVID times. I think we all kind of realize a little bit more power and the importance of connection. yeah, in your story, it sounds like it kind of always can come back to connection.

Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:30:29.68)
people you're connecting with, opening up, knowing, like feeling more comfortable to open up to people because we all at the end of the day have so much more in common than we feel like when we're spiraling.

Yeah. yeah. People are my benchmark. I would not be at all who I am today without like the people in my life. like, would have not had, I wouldn't have started this business without people in my life influencing me. Like I would have given up on this business, let alone starting it if I didn't have people just constantly pushing me. Yeah. I just wouldn't. Yeah. There's a lot of things that all come down to people. I love people. I love the people that are in my lives. And, yeah, I just, yeah, I'm just so grateful for.

everyone that's helped me along the way.

I'm sure they feel the same. hope so. Yeah, of course. I'm grateful for you being here today. This has been so nice. And I'm truly I'm proud of you. I'm inspired by you and I love you. I love Leah. I love having you guys in my life. And I've loved this conversation. I think we got to have you back on the pod again. This has just been great. I feel like could yap forever.

proud

Speaker 1 (01:31:35.97)
We could, could. No, it's been awesome. And I'm proud of you. Yeah, it's cool seeing you come, both of us, all the way from Nate and just, I know, right? We basically had like this same working career length, school length. It's been the kind of like side-by-side feeling like for a long time. So it's cool to see you doing what you're passionate about. Thank you. Yeah. And yeah, crushing it.

Thank you. I appreciate that.

Speaker 2 (01:31:51.288)
Yeah, it's kind of funny.

Speaker 2 (01:31:58.606)
Thank you.

Thank you. You too. thanks. Awesome. OK, well, you guys, I'm going to be linking Nova Auto detailing below. Yes. Sharing on our Instagram and make sure you follow along the journey. Connect with Landon and I will talk to you guys next week. Bye bye.

Bye.