Ep. 7- Wally Ajanel

Join us as we speak with Hancock alumnus Wally Ajanel. Ajanel is the founder and owner of Wally’s Bicycle Works in San Luis Obispo.  In this episode, he shares the story of leaving his home country of Guatemala in 1994, coming to Santa Maria, and how he worked toward his dream of owning a business by taking ESL classes at Hancock while working in the nearby strawberry fields. 

Transcript

Female Announcer  0:07  
Welcome to Hancock conversations and Allan Hancock College podcast joined President Dr. Kevin g Walters and members of the Hancock community, as they explore the stories behind the people and places that make Allan Hancock College. The unique hub for learning that it is today.

You're sure to learn something new and even have a little fun along the way.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  0:32  
Hello, welcome to Hancock Conversations, I'm Kevin Walters superintendent president Allan Hancock College. Today our guest is Wally Ajanel is the owner of bicycle works in San Luis Obispo. He opened bicycle works after he came here from Guatemala in 1994, fleeing the Civil War right 

Wally Ajanel  0:51  
Correct, yes. 

Dr. Kevin Walthers  0:52  
So you came up you found yourself on the Central Coast you were headed to Canada, when you first started.

Wally Ajanel  0:57  
That was the intention but I got stuck in Santa Maria somehow.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  1:00  
 Where you stuck or did you like it here.

Wally Ajanel  1:01  
No, I really like to hear because it's a small community and I was able to commute by bicycle, and I realized that I needed to learn the language, even though I could not give me my own language to Spanish, but anyway I went, they said oh you need to at least speak English similar to hiring so that gave me a feeling to look into coming to Panama.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  1:24  
  tell us a little bit about what year was that when you came to Hancock.

Wally Ajanel  1:27  
That was so I came to Santa Maria in 1997. And I'll think about sorry the end of 96, and then, but I, as soon as I came, I mean I was looking for classes but I guess people thought it was crazy. But it was after Thanksgiving day so it's all Cuesta has closed. And so I investigated the time that they were opening. So, I think January was the first time for ESL classes, and I signed up right away. And the idea is that to have the class, open the new minimum I think 10 or 12 students. So I had like 15 roommates, we live in this house. And I used to beg them to come and we want to come to class, yes to fill in the class, so they could piece a class because they didn't believe me I was free. Back then, so, and I was enjoying because living in Guatemala, I attempt to go to school there for English only. And it was always expensive for to pay a private school to learn English, and here it was free. And I could not believe it because it's free, and I said, I wasn't I wasn't used to that so. So that's, I really took advantage of it so.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  2:40  
That's good it's still free today offer ESL free class today for our students 

Wally Ajanel  2:45  
About most people don't know that because I come in here I couldn't find a job site, most of the guys that I met on the street so I work for the strawberry or broccoli or on the fields I follow one of them to strawberry and working there for seven months. And I used to go this way up a fine morning beyond six around six got to come to class, seven, and until nine. Every single day so but most of them were not aware that was free. But I, I found out it was free so.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  3:18  
So today we've got a brand new building that serves all of our ESL students so we have real classrooms, but that's not what you went to write.

Wally Ajanel  3:25  
No.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  3:25  
  us about your classroom.

 Yeah the old classroom 

Wally Ajanel  3:30  
Yeah, the old classroom. I guess it was more like almost now, now that I'm aware of what type of buildings are in the US. It looks almost like a shipping container. And it was on the corner of campus by the train track I think it was. And so, I was never able to be into the middle campus, until I. Somebody says you need to be into regular classes but that's why I started looking into getting into math and more advanced English classes.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  4:01  
Right. So, ultimately you finished the Hancock you went to Cuesta
Wally Ajanel  4:07  
Good.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  4:09  
But did you open your own bicycle shop? Tell us about your bicycle shop.

Wally Ajanel  4:12  
So growing up in what was always interesting bicycles I start racing and wrenching on, and then coming up here I didn't think it was an actual business, but, yet, being at Hancock and able to leave me here. I work in different places here, and I will leave a bicycle shop in Santa Maria, which opened the doors for me. And since I was able to communicate in English with customers, go on to San Luis Obispo, it allowed me to see that the market there was there for bicycles. So, I ended up working for a company in some service for 10 years. I rent the place, and then I was able to, obviously, I kept taking classes at Cuesta and up some Cal Poly as well. And just, to improve my skills from math, English, computer classes and I want to be ready to have a business so it took me 10 years to work all that up so.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  5:09  
So did you buy the business or did you start your own,

Wally Ajanel  5:11  
I got offers to buy the business but I come from. I guess we were born merchants so we believe in building your own from scratch, anyone I mean that's the thing I mostly thought about it. So I started from the bottom with a $20,000 start. And I thought I was crazy because, but I did it in  2005 so now we're 2020 So.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  5:35  
So, 15 years.

Wally Ajanel  5:36  
 15 years.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  5:37  
How much is the most expensive bike in your shop now?

Wally Ajanel  5:40  
The most expensive we have sold like 22,000. The average price is about 3,000 to 5,000 for the higher road bikes, and then obviously we have a lot less expensive ones but that's the market that I'm targeting.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  5:52  
So you started the business with $20,000 in value so bicycles that cost more than your whole startup cost right,

Wally Ajanel  5:57  
Yes correct. 

But English has been the number one key, have to be able to communicate to write, and especially nowadays I use my iPhone or my iPad to communicate because we do have customers all over the US. Some from also Europe. 

Dr. Kevin Walthers  6:16  
Wha t's the what's the biggest challenge for people wanting to use their bicycles in this part of the country.

Wally Ajanel  6:22  
There's not a challenge, I think there's is not knowing a lot of times, not knowing the etiquettes of riding a bicycle or the loss of comes with it, but I don't think there's a chance the easiest thing to get around when I live in Santa Maria. That's how I move around, just by bicycle.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  6:39  
So do you ride on the sidewalk or on the street?

Wally Ajanel  6:42  
You have to obey the laws like driving a car so you have to run the street.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  6:45  
I agree with you. Drives me crazy you see those people riding their bicycles in the wrong way on the sidewalk.

Wally Ajanel  6:50  
That's right is dangerous because you as a driver. You follow the signals of traffic laws. And so you don't expect somebody coming against your incoming traffic. riding.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  7:03  
So what kind of bike Are you riding.

Wally Ajanel  7:06  
I have several bikes now but lately. The biggest thing has been the electrical assist bikes. So I come up with one of those and on long rides, we have a road bike, and we have a mountain bike to that for off-road, we have to go off-road.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  7:21  
Nice, nice.

So.

What were you doing to make a living? You said you worked a little bit in the Strawberry Fields What else did you do?

Wally Ajanel  7:27  
 I work in the strawberry field and then I also had a part-time job at one of the Dollar Marts in Slo. And ironically, because I knew English. Most of the workers that were from different countries didn't speak the language. So one day I'm unloading a truck. Over here that somebody answered in English. I was. I came to him and so I worked for him and I work, they ended up, open a store and on the street, for them. So, and it also worked at a McDonald's I worked at a local donut shop here, so I was doing an attempt to work in a radio station here locally. But there was not enough time for me to be there, but so, I did several jobs. Whenever I cleaned houses, I worked with carpenters on the side job doing cleaning doing whatever they had to do so. I have several jobs but minimal two or three. 

Dr. Kevin Walthers  8:25  
That's good. So yeah, if you're gonna make donuts probably having a bicycle is a good idea. It's...

Wally Ajanel  8:29  
Well, I grew up baking with my dad so it kind of turned out to be easier than baking. Sweet or French bread. 

Dr. Kevin Walthers  8:36  
So, yeah, cool.

So, you got a family and kids here.

Wally Ajanel  8:39  
Yeah, so I  got married 19 99 with my wife Alissa. So we have two boys one is 16 years, 19, and then my oldest one right now is a UC Riverside. And he started to go study. He studied. Electrical Engineering.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  8:57  
So, you taught the kids that are going to college is the way to make their future?

Wally Ajanel  9:01  
So, our sons will tell them, college is not for everyone, but they realize that they have the skills to do it, so. And so my youngest one wants to study computer, writing movies and stuff so...

Dr. Kevin Walthers  9:15  
Also, so Film Studies program.

Wally Ajanel  9:16  
 Film Studies, yes right.

So, he's done and won first place. San Luis Obispo for High School last year. And his movie from scratch, so.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  9:25  
Great. All right. What are you planning on doing with your shop in the future?

Wally Ajanel  9:30  
Well, right now we're working on a plan for a five-year expansion, so we're going to focus on how our little bicycle rentals and that's one of the segments that's growing for us. And we're gonna focus on that.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  9:44  
What kind of rentals would those be would they be like those jump bikes that I see around or they going to be more traditional.

Wally Ajanel  9:50  
More traditional. So we usually we work with, with five-star hotel venues, and we provide the equipment for them and they went to their own guest. And so, and that's one segment that we're working on five years now. So, it's already proven that works. So,  now we're going to move into more locations.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  10:11  
Awesome. That's great. Well, you know, we say at Hancock you start here you can go anywhere. So, certainly, you're a perfect example of a student that started here is doing really well now. 

Wally Ajanel  10:22  
Yes, I am really grateful for those classes because it really helped me to learn how to navigate in this world, it is, it's very different than where we come from so opportunities out there. We just got to realize that there's only one way, knowing that language that where we live in order to succeed. 

Dr. Kevin Walthers  10:44  
Great. All right, so we've got a set of lightning round questions for you, easy question. Now these are easy just fine. So, what's your favorite Carnival food?

Wally Ajanel  10:55  
Popcorn.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  10:56  
Popcorn. All right. You have ever seen The Godfather?

Wally Ajanel  11:01  
 I haven't. I know, 

Dr. Kevin Walthers  11:02  
Alright, so you're gonna be a Star Wars guy godfather or Star Wars movie star wars.

Wally Ajanel  11:08  
And the Star Wars. But my son's favorite.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  11:12  
Tell me, what's the fastest you've ever driven a car?

Wally Ajanel  11:16  
A hundred and ten miles an hour.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  11:17  
Oh really where was that?

Wally Ajanel  11:19  
I went to Vegas.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  11:21  
How fast Have you got on a bicycle? 

Wally Ajanel  11:23  
70 kilometers per hour.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  11:25  
Wow, that's a lot, right?

Wally Ajanel  11:27  
Uh-huh. So it's, uh, and I've done Cuesta Grade. I did it one time on a Sunday with no traffic. It was a 55. And then I realized the CHP was at the bottom. It happened to be a customer of mine, he said don't kill yourself.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  11:44  
So, my craziest time ever I was riding my bike down a big hill up in the Bay Area. And I was going about 35 miles an hour down this hill and the front wheel started to wobble, and I got the bike stopped and I pulled over and I realized I hadn't locked tire the front of the time, I had yeah the whole wheel release was loose I was just on gravity. So, yeah, the only time I ever fell over on my bike I was going zero, miles an hour. 

Wally Ajanel  12:08  
That's when it hurts the most. 

Dr. Kevin Walthers  12:09  
Yeah, it's kind of embarrassing to you're at a stoplight, and the next thing you know you're laying on the ground. Everybody's looking at you like what's wrong with you. 

Wally Ajanel  12:18  
I know seriously.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  12:18  
Alright, well, Wally we're grateful for you being here today.

This is an exciting business that you have going. We love the idea that the Hancock Alumn is up and SLO doing some good work, successful business, so thanks for coming in today, 

Wally Ajanel  12:32  
And thanks for the opportunity.

Dr. Kevin Walthers  12:35  
 All right, well that's a conversation for today. And we thank everybody for listening. Thanks, Molly.

Wally Ajanel  12:41  
Thank you.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai