1 00:00:01,680 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: He stared at me straight in my face and said, 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: I don't need you anymore. 3 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:07,920 Speaker 2: Wow. So he backed out on his promise. 4 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: Not only backed out, he screwed me over, told me 5 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: that there's nothing after two years, and it was just 6 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:16,960 Speaker 1: like probably one of the most difficult things I've ever 7 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: faced in my life. I built this and I got 8 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: to walk out. It's his business, it's not mine. 9 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:25,440 Speaker 2: That's Alex Vega, founder of the auto firm. At that moment, 10 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 2: he was up against a brick wall, pushed out of 11 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 2: a company he helped build, with no other options, he 12 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:34,480 Speaker 2: would have no choice but to start over, not just once, 13 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 2: but twice. 14 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 1: It was like starting again from nothing. 15 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Unshakables from Chase for Business and Ruby 16 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 2: Studio from My Heart Media. I'm Ben Walter, CEO of 17 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 2: Chase for Business. 18 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 3: And I'm Tanya Nebo, a lawyer and consultant for business owners. 19 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 2: On the Unshakables, we're sharing the daring stories of small 20 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 2: business owners facing their crisis points and telling the stories 21 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,320 Speaker 2: of how they got through it. Hey, Tanya, we're back 22 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:09,119 Speaker 2: with another story and this one, this one might make 23 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:10,559 Speaker 2: you just a little bit uncomfortable. 24 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, I am already nervous. Just based on what we've 25 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,399 Speaker 3: heard so far, Ben, it is so hard to start 26 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 3: a business, and this man built one for someone else. 27 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 3: Now he's turned back out on his own. 28 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 2: It's even more complicated. 29 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 3: Just wait, h no, keep me hanging. Let's hear it. 30 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 2: On today's episode The Auto Firm from Miami, Florida. 31 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: I tell everybody, listen, I've never worked a day in 32 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:38,400 Speaker 1: my life. I go there and I play all day. 33 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 2: Alex Vega has been in love with cars his entire life. 34 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 1: As a kid going up, I remember the toys that 35 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: I cared about, the moles for the little hot wheel cars. 36 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: We would get markers and change them up, cut of 37 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: the wheels, do stripes. I would watch shows like The 38 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: Dukes of Hazard, the night Rider Starskeen Hodge. 39 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 2: I was the huge Dukes of Hazzard fan every Friday night. 40 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, and I like night Rider too. 41 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: Never hassle the Hoff, Never hassle the Hoff. Anything that 42 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 1: had cars in it I loved, and I always said 43 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: I wanted one day build a car that everybody in 44 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: the world would know. Hey, you know what Alex Viga 45 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: did that car? 46 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 2: Now. I watched all those shows, but Alex he didn't 47 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 2: just watch cars on TV. He was around them in 48 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 2: real life all the time. His father was a salesman 49 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 2: at Firestone. Alex would go to work with his dad 50 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 2: and just watch cars go in and out of the shop. 51 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 3: You know. 52 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: I was sitting down by the sidewalk and watch the 53 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: cars come in and out, in and out, and people 54 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: will either change tires or do old changes, and I 55 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:37,079 Speaker 1: would be like, man, why don't they change the wheels, 56 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: Why don't they paint them? Do them different. 57 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 2: Eventually he had the chance to fix up his own car. 58 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: I remember my front door neighbor had a Buick Regal 59 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:51,639 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy nine. It had a grass growing all over it. 60 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: I told them one day, I said, would you sell 61 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: me the car? All I have is five hundred bucks? 62 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: And he sold me the car. But now I want 63 00:02:59,919 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: to to make it look nice because everybody else in 64 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: my high school had these nice cars. And I'm here 65 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: pulling in in nineteen seventy nine. The antenna was a hangar. 66 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: And I just started, little by little going to autoparts 67 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: stores and buying hug caps, buying center console, and then 68 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 1: people would see my car in school and say, man, 69 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: I like your car. What did you do to it? 70 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:21,239 Speaker 1: And I just started selling cars. 71 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 2: He did that for a while, and when it was 72 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 2: time to go to college, he decided, you know, it 73 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 2: wasn't really for him. 74 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: I didn't want to go to college. I went for 75 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: literally two days, and I did it just to please 76 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: my mom. And I remember calling my dad and say, Dad, 77 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: I want to do what you do. I want to 78 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: work with cars. I have a passion for it. Why 79 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: not make it a business? 80 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 2: So he dropped out of school and his dad connected 81 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 2: him with the manager of the Firestone that he worked at, 82 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 2: but the manager thought Alex was too young he wouldn't 83 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 2: hire him. So instead, Alex got a job selling coupon 84 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 2: books for oil changes. 85 00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: You would sell these flyers for twenty bucks and you'd 86 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: get five free old changes, and it was to drive 87 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: customers into Firestone. So I said, that's the perfect opportunity. 88 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: I'll cell abut to these flyers. They see my potential, 89 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: and I'll get a job at Firestone. I was probably 90 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: selling over one hundred flyers a week. 91 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:17,839 Speaker 2: The district manager at his dad's shop asked to see him. 92 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: This is that typical Cuban guy with the macho attitude. 93 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: He was very intimidating. And I remember I walk in 94 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: and he throws like it was a stack of those 95 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:32,559 Speaker 1: coupons into the table and he says, are you doing 96 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: this for some reason? And I said, what are you 97 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 1: talking about? He says, are you giving him away? Are 98 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: you selling them? I said, I'm selling them. He says, well, 99 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 1: stop selling them. 100 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 2: Alex was confused. He was doing so well selling the 101 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 2: coupon books. Why on earth would anyone want him to stop? 102 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:49,279 Speaker 2: So Alex tried to reason. 103 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: With him, the coupon is not costing you anything. It's 104 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: costing the consumer something. They're coming into your store. Now 105 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: it's up to your managers to take advantage of it 106 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 1: and bring them in and sell them. That's the purpose 107 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: of it. 108 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 2: Now, this was a smart manager. He thought Alex had 109 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:06,159 Speaker 2: a point, so he made him an offer. 110 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 1: He looked at me like, I can't believe this guy's 111 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: telling me this, and says, tomorrow, I have a manager's meeting. 112 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:15,719 Speaker 1: All my managers are gonna be there. You're gonna walk 113 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: in at eight thirty, and whatever you just talk to 114 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: me about, I want you to tell them that if 115 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: you walk out of there alive, you got a job. Tomorrow. 116 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:27,040 Speaker 1: I remember walking into this meeting, and I don't know 117 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: if you've ever seen bulldogs when they're mad that their 118 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:32,720 Speaker 1: saliva is coming down. That's how everybody looked at me. 119 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 2: Alex gave the managers the same spiel he did before. 120 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 2: Most of the managers were pretty mad, but one was impressed. 121 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:43,839 Speaker 1: He looked at me and said, I want this kid 122 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 1: to work for me. 123 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 2: For the next nine years. Alex was a successful salesman 124 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 2: at Firestone until one day one of his customers offered 125 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 2: him the chance of a lifetime. 126 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:58,039 Speaker 1: Somebody comes in and tells me, I know what you 127 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:01,280 Speaker 1: want as a custom shop to build custom cars. I'm 128 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: going to give you that opportunity, he says. I'll open 129 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 1: the nicest custom shop. I'll put all the equipment you need. 130 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:09,919 Speaker 1: I'll pay you a good salary. If you get me 131 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 1: to a million dollars in sales a month and two years, 132 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 1: I will give you fifty percent of the company. 133 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 2: Wow, it sounds like a pretty good deal. 134 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:17,919 Speaker 1: Yeah, I said, no brainer. 135 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 2: It was everything Alex wanted and a real chance to 136 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 2: prove himself. He told the man he would do it, 137 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 2: he'd build his company, and when they shook on it, 138 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 2: he was instantly on the hook for a million dollars 139 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,839 Speaker 2: a month in sales. So he got to it, working 140 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:33,840 Speaker 2: harder than he'd ever worked in his life to keep 141 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 2: his promise, and at the same time, he and his 142 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:39,479 Speaker 2: wife started building their future together. They moved into their 143 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 2: dream home, confident that it was all going to pay off, 144 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 2: and two years later, Alex went to talk to the boss, 145 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 2: ready to take on his half as promised. 146 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:52,839 Speaker 1: Two years came down the line, I overdid my promise. 147 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,039 Speaker 1: He stared at me, straight in my face and said, 148 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: I don't need you anymore. 149 00:06:57,520 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 2: Wow. So he backed out on his promise. 150 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: Backed out, not only backed out, literally looked at me 151 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 1: and said I don't need you no more. And it 152 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 1: was just like probably one of the it was one 153 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: of the most difficult things I've ever faced in my life. 154 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 1: I thought everything ended like right there, all this I 155 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: built this, and I just I got to walk out. 156 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: It's his business, it's not mine. 157 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 2: Alex returned home completely devastated. 158 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:23,160 Speaker 1: I was so mad that I had never felt that 159 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 1: anger inside of me. And I get to the house. 160 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 1: My wife opens the door, looks in my face and 161 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: says what happened? And I said, he screwed me? Over. 162 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: I'm out, Like he just fired me and told me 163 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 1: that there's nothing after two years, I got to start 164 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 1: all over again. She looked at me straight in the 165 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: I said, you're going to sell the house and you're 166 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:48,120 Speaker 1: going to build your own business. People love you, not him. 167 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: It's not the name of the business, it's you. 168 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 2: Wow, that's amazing. So now you're starting over. But you've 169 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 2: learned a pretty hard lesson. It sounds like, so how 170 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 2: did you do things differently? 171 00:07:57,640 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 1: Number one? I knew it was going to be my business, 172 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: Like that's it, Like, this is all me now. My 173 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: wife gave up the most beautiful house we had just 174 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 1: built to open this business. And it's your money now. 175 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 1: It's not somebody else's money. Now. It's when you go 176 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: and buy that tire machine that costs twenty thousand dollars, 177 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 1: it's your twenty thousand dollars. So now you really gotta 178 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: hustle three times the amount. 179 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 2: Did you find new customers? Did you serve the same customers? Like? 180 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 2: What did you do? You had to start all over? 181 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:27,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, a lot of the customers stood by me. 182 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,680 Speaker 2: Now on his own, the business continued to grow. Working 183 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 2: for himself under his own name, he built a terrific reputation. 184 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: I would look at any car, I would talk to 185 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: somebody for five minutes and boom, automatically, I knew what 186 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:45,559 Speaker 1: they wanted. They couldn't see it, but I saw it. 187 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 1: And making cars in a way where when I thought 188 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:50,959 Speaker 1: as a kid, I want people to see a car 189 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 1: and say, Alex Viga did that car? 190 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:54,679 Speaker 2: What does a trademark Alex Viga car look like? 191 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:59,680 Speaker 1: Nice than any other car out there? I promise you 192 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:03,960 Speaker 1: have never spend one dollar in advertising. Wow, everything has 193 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 1: come through word of mouth and delivering exactly what you're 194 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 1: promising people you're going to deliver. 195 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:14,000 Speaker 2: Alex's business was catching steam, and soon he was working 196 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:18,200 Speaker 2: with athletes like MLB player Alfonso Soriano and celebrities like Akon, 197 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 2: Lil Wayne and Usain Bolt. He got crazy requests like 198 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 2: make me a Lamborghini that can breathe fire. That's a 199 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:27,440 Speaker 2: real car he made by the way his work spread 200 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:29,840 Speaker 2: through word of mouth, but he was solely focused on 201 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 2: car builds. If someone needed more basic collision repair or 202 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 2: maintenance services, they'd have to go somewhere else. Then one 203 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:39,199 Speaker 2: day Alex was talking to a guy who owned a 204 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 2: collision repair shop, and as it happened, there was open 205 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 2: garage space next. 206 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 1: Door, and this guy convinces me to move my business 207 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 1: next to his business a building that he had next 208 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 1: to him, to lease it from him so I can 209 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 1: have a body shop basically next to me and a 210 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: custom shop. 211 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:00,120 Speaker 2: It felt like a perfect way to expand further, so 212 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:03,080 Speaker 2: Alex moved in. But he quickly realized he'd made a 213 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 2: big mistake. 214 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:06,680 Speaker 1: I find this out three months after I did this 215 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: big move, that this guy's behind my back trying to 216 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:12,559 Speaker 1: take all my clients. He had trademarked the name of 217 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 1: the company I was using back then and basically destroyed 218 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 1: me mentally. Confront the guy kicks me out of the 219 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:25,080 Speaker 1: building with my equipment in there. It was like starting 220 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: again from nothing. 221 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 2: Hard as it is to believe. For the second time, 222 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 2: Alex had failed to get anything in writing, and he 223 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 2: had no protections in place. Why do you think you 224 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,319 Speaker 2: took someone on their word after what happened the first time? 225 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 1: The way I was raised by my father was a 226 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:43,880 Speaker 1: man's handshake and his word and looking him in the 227 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 1: eye was better than any contract. 228 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 2: Okay, so let's pause here for a second, and Tanya, 229 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 2: I need to bring you in here. I have to 230 00:10:53,640 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 2: confess I couldn't help but think of you as I 231 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 2: was interviewing him, and I'm listening to this story because 232 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 2: the lawyer and you must just be completely hor on 233 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 2: so many levels. 234 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 3: You are so right getting burned not just once, not 235 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:10,439 Speaker 3: just twice, but then starting over a third time because 236 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 3: he really wasn't into contracts. You know, that's tough on me, 237 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:16,320 Speaker 3: even personal. It does something to me. 238 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:18,240 Speaker 2: You know, you're just thinking he should have hired me. 239 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 3: Well, yeah, he could have hired us, but someone I 240 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:23,560 Speaker 3: see a lot of small business owners do this. 241 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:25,319 Speaker 2: Do you see a lot of small business owners take 242 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 2: it that much on faith? 243 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: Yeah? 244 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:30,559 Speaker 3: Unfortunately a lot of entrepreneurs do this. They think that 245 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:33,600 Speaker 3: since the conversations are going well and they feel good 246 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:36,439 Speaker 3: about the person, that it's okay to just go ahead 247 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 3: and move forward with the deal. And that's such a mistake. 248 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,200 Speaker 3: Trust me when I say it is best to do 249 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 3: the contract now when things are good between the two 250 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 3: of you. Imagine what's going to be like when there's 251 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:47,800 Speaker 3: actually money involved. 252 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 2: If I use the analogy of a prenup where people say, 253 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 2: you know, it'll take the romance out, and obviously this 254 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:54,560 Speaker 2: is business romance, not personal. But how do you make 255 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:58,560 Speaker 2: sure the process of going through the contract and everything 256 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 2: that you need to do doesn't sour the really relationship. 257 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:03,439 Speaker 3: It helps to bring in the third person. It allows 258 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:06,280 Speaker 3: that third person to be the one who's making it uncomfortable. 259 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 3: The two or three are all hover many people who 260 00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 3: are getting into the deal. They can still have their 261 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 3: good relationship while the other person, the attorney, probably is 262 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:17,200 Speaker 3: the one asking the hard questions, forcing them to have 263 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 3: conversations that they otherwise would not want to have. So really, 264 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 3: all an entrepreneur needs to do is just to know 265 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 3: that they simply need to bring someone else in. 266 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:26,280 Speaker 1: That's it. 267 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 2: Well, look it's good advice, Tanya, and we should all 268 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:31,719 Speaker 2: hire a third party to do that. But what if 269 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 2: you can't afford it? I mean, some small business owners 270 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:36,560 Speaker 2: just starting out they don't have the money to do it. 271 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 3: Then they think they don't have the money to do 272 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 3: it because they don't realize what a priority it is. 273 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:43,560 Speaker 3: If you really think you're going to succeed in business, 274 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:46,559 Speaker 3: you will ultimately have a lot at stake. And also, 275 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 3: even if you can just get advice, you know, if 276 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:51,640 Speaker 3: someone were to say I can't afford to get any help. 277 00:12:51,679 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 3: I would say, how about you at least have a consultation, 278 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,840 Speaker 3: at least get points, even bullet points that could ultimately 279 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:00,560 Speaker 3: end up on a piece of paper. Both of you 280 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:03,319 Speaker 3: all sign just to get the insight from someone who 281 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 3: is a professional, who is advocating for them is better 282 00:13:06,679 --> 00:13:07,200 Speaker 3: than nothing. 283 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:09,200 Speaker 2: Listen. I think that's really great advice, and we'll get 284 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 2: into it later, but for right now, let's get back 285 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:11,320 Speaker 2: to the story. 286 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:13,600 Speaker 3: All right, Well, let's see where this goes. 287 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 2: Alex realized he had no choice but to take legal action. 288 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 2: Over the next year, Alex's company would be tied up 289 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:23,200 Speaker 2: in a trademark lawsuit against his former business partner, and 290 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 2: that meant that all his business's assets, basically everything he 291 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 2: needed to keep working, were frozen. 292 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 1: We had to go through a lawsuit for it was 293 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: a whole year. It was a disaster. I couldn't get 294 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:38,320 Speaker 1: my equipment up, I couldn't get my inventory. So you 295 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:41,280 Speaker 1: have to literally say, what do I do right now? 296 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 2: Alex found a new space where he could build back, 297 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:46,880 Speaker 2: bigger and better. But before he could rebuild for the 298 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:49,560 Speaker 2: third time, believe it or not, he had to raise 299 00:13:49,559 --> 00:13:51,600 Speaker 2: the cash to rent the garage, and he had to 300 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 2: do it fast. 301 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:56,560 Speaker 1: I literally started calling all my clients and saying, look, 302 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: I'm going through this situation right now. If you want 303 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:02,199 Speaker 1: to change your wheels, if you want to do anything 304 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 1: to your cars, I'll do whatever you want on your cars, 305 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:08,560 Speaker 1: and I'll do it literally at the lowest profit possible. 306 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 1: But I need to move forward and reverse. The customer said, no, 307 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 1: you're going to charge me whatever. I remember baseball players 308 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,440 Speaker 1: coming to me that were close to me, and I 309 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 1: remember this guy like saber mirrors. He was playing for 310 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 1: the White Sox. He literally came to my store with 311 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 1: a brand new Porsche she had bought and gave me 312 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:27,920 Speaker 1: the keys. He said, I don't know what kits they have. 313 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: I don't care what it costs me. I want you 314 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 1: to build me the baddest Porsche you ever built. It 315 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 1: was literally a sixty thousand dollars ticket. 316 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 2: With the support of his clients, Alex was able to 317 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 2: raise eighteen thousand dollars in just four days, and he 318 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:47,800 Speaker 2: signed the lease for the new space. He even had 319 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 2: enough leftover to buy some new machines for the final time. 320 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:54,720 Speaker 2: Alex reopened the business with a new name, The Auto 321 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 2: Firm He also created his own line of rims and tires, 322 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 2: named using a combination of his initials AV and the 323 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 2: Italian word for an unstoppable force. Together. He called it 324 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:05,600 Speaker 2: a Vorza. 325 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:08,360 Speaker 1: And I loved the word. I said, man, it's catchy. 326 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:11,400 Speaker 1: You look it up. It doesn't exist, there's no description 327 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:13,800 Speaker 1: for it. And I remember going to one of the 328 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:16,320 Speaker 1: biggest manufacturers, says, I want to make my own brand. 329 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 1: I make all these designs. And I started drawing out 330 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 1: designs and they love the designs and they say, we'll 331 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:24,320 Speaker 1: make them for you. Let's do it. And that's how 332 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 1: I created my own wheel brand. And I was actually 333 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 1: putting this on celebrity cars, athlete. 334 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:31,360 Speaker 2: Cars, hopefully with a contract this time. 335 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: Right, Oh yeah, everything was contracts. You know. Now, I 336 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 1: learned the American way. I'll still give you trust, i'll 337 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:41,160 Speaker 1: give you respect, but if we're going to do something 338 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 1: business wise, you have to do a contract. 339 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 2: And yeah, there were contracts. But he made one critical 340 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 2: new addition to his team that made a big difference. 341 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: My wife says, whatever you're doing, we're doing it together. 342 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: And my wife came into the business and she became 343 00:15:56,640 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 1: the accountant whatever she wanted to be the resident, but 344 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 1: her being there, it will never happen again. Like now, 345 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 1: sky is the limit. We're going forward and it's thanks 346 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:12,040 Speaker 1: to those moments that you live, that you go through 347 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 1: and not giving up ever giving up is continuing to push, push, push, 348 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:20,520 Speaker 1: and being the best you can be today. 349 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 2: The auto firm and his tire brand of Orza, generate 350 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 2: twelve million dollars in sales every year, and collectively they 351 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:30,480 Speaker 2: employ over forty staff members. The auto firm customizes over 352 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 2: a thousand cars a year, almost half of which Alex 353 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 2: says are for celebrity clients. But more importantly, he and 354 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 2: his wife Amy have retained full ownership of the company 355 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:41,560 Speaker 2: and they plan to pass it on to their two sons. 356 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 1: One day, I built something, but now I get to 357 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: enjoy my family with it. I'm gonna keep doing what 358 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: I do. I'm not gonna stop. The drive is always 359 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: gonna live there. I wake up in the morning and 360 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 1: that's what I want to do. 361 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 3: That was juicy story. There's a lot to unpact there 362 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 3: and I'm really excited to get to it. But first, 363 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:07,919 Speaker 3: and I don't think you know this about me, but 364 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:10,879 Speaker 3: I'm kind of a car girl. You're not impressed by 365 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:12,640 Speaker 3: fire coming out of a Lamborghini even. 366 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:15,679 Speaker 2: Well, look, I'm in awe of what he builds, and 367 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 2: then I'll go back to driving my Honda a Cord. 368 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,160 Speaker 3: At least you can acknowledge, as your non car self 369 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:22,880 Speaker 3: that it is quite amazing what he did. And when 370 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 3: I think about the branding model that he put together, 371 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:30,880 Speaker 3: where he's tying his own brand to other world class brands, 372 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 3: how brilliant Rolls, Royce, lambri all this. 373 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, Alex clearly understands marketing and brands and how it works. Yeah, 374 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:40,480 Speaker 2: and he understands that the best brands aren't built through 375 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:43,520 Speaker 2: advertising dollars. They're built through word of mouth and reputation. 376 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:45,920 Speaker 2: One of the things I tell my employees all the 377 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:48,960 Speaker 2: time is that you don't create a brand. A brand 378 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 2: is a reflection of what you do anyway, and then 379 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:53,399 Speaker 2: you get to take your megaphone and yell about that 380 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:55,600 Speaker 2: brand that you have that your customers know you have 381 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:58,359 Speaker 2: because you deliver it. And I think he figured out 382 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 2: a way to tie his brand that people already knew 383 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 2: about and attach it to the right megaphones with the 384 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:07,200 Speaker 2: right associations in a way that really benefited his business. Oh, Yeah. 385 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 3: For him to have gotten this far and never paid 386 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:13,280 Speaker 3: for advertising, that's huge. I mean, he's got all kinds 387 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:16,439 Speaker 3: of credible people speaking to how wonderful his products and 388 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:19,880 Speaker 3: services are. I really think he put together something amazing. 389 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 2: Well. I think a couple of things. One is he 390 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 2: understands his brand and what it stands. 391 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:24,200 Speaker 3: For sure. 392 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 2: His brand is grounded in the product that he actually delivers. 393 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:32,199 Speaker 2: And my products and experiences for my customers inspire passion 394 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:35,879 Speaker 2: in them, and that creates a marketing engine in and 395 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 2: of itself. And then I take all of that and 396 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:38,920 Speaker 2: I package it up and I put it next to 397 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:41,400 Speaker 2: other brands that people love, and I'm off to the races. 398 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 3: Yeah. 399 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 2: And when you hear Alex talk about what he did 400 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:48,359 Speaker 2: to this car or that car, he's talking about his brand. 401 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:51,440 Speaker 2: And I see too often people talk about this is 402 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:54,320 Speaker 2: my manufacturing or this is my product delivery. Then I 403 00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:56,880 Speaker 2: go think about marketing. No, no, no, he's not thinking 404 00:18:56,920 --> 00:18:58,720 Speaker 2: about them separately. They are one and the same. 405 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:01,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's so cohesive of how he's done it all. 406 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 3: He did get some help, and I want to talk 407 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:06,720 Speaker 3: about that like I'm a trusted advisor, I'm a lawyer, right, 408 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,360 Speaker 3: And I want to stress how important it is as 409 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 3: a business owner to have advisors around you that you trust, 410 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 3: who understands you, who know how you do business. And 411 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 3: we got a chance here to see with Alex that 412 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,200 Speaker 3: your advisor doesn't actually have to be just your lawyer. 413 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:22,920 Speaker 3: In this case, it was his what. 414 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:25,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, you have to have people you trust and that 415 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 2: can be your spouse, it can be your best friend, 416 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:30,040 Speaker 2: it can be someone that works for you, it doesn't matter. 417 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 2: You have to have people you can rely on, and critically, 418 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:35,879 Speaker 2: you have to have people who will challenge you. So 419 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:38,680 Speaker 2: if all you have are people who are by your side, 420 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:40,600 Speaker 2: who will tell you that every decision you ever make 421 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 2: is right and every thought you ever have is brilliant, 422 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:46,000 Speaker 2: then you know there is no chance that your business 423 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 2: is going to grow and extend and take it to 424 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:50,120 Speaker 2: the next level. It can't happen that way. 425 00:19:50,359 --> 00:19:53,160 Speaker 3: No, it can, because you can't grow the best version 426 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,000 Speaker 3: of your business if you don't have people around you 427 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 3: who are willing to tell you the truth. 428 00:19:57,080 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 2: Seriously, I think the other thing that really comes through 429 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:02,040 Speaker 2: is just how much this is not work for him. 430 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:04,800 Speaker 2: This is his passion. If he couldn't get paid for anything, 431 00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:06,080 Speaker 2: he would still work on cars. 432 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I like that he really spoke to how 433 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,439 Speaker 3: critical the passion piece is. Now, of course, you know, 434 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:15,439 Speaker 3: do what you love, but better pay right. But I 435 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 3: really like how he encourage people to pursue that which 436 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:21,679 Speaker 3: really matters to them, and it doesn't necessarily have to 437 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:24,439 Speaker 3: be the particular thing they're selling. It could be the 438 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 3: passion that they have in how they're doing business, you know, 439 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 3: because some people don't have passion for microchips or whatever 440 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:31,920 Speaker 3: it is that they're selling, but they have passion for 441 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:34,879 Speaker 3: the fact that they're selling and they're solving problems for people. 442 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:38,199 Speaker 3: And I think that, you know, there's different ways to 443 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 3: foster that passion. 444 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 2: But I do see sometimes and I bet you do too, 445 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:44,360 Speaker 2: that sometimes they have so much passion for the end 446 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 2: product of the business but less passion for running the 447 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 2: business and the enterprise and the business side of what 448 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:51,760 Speaker 2: they do. Sounds like he's got a reasonable balance, But 449 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:53,919 Speaker 2: I do hear quite a lot. You know, whatever it 450 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 2: is that you do. I didn't get into business to 451 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:58,800 Speaker 2: run a business. I got into business to cook food 452 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,399 Speaker 2: or to fix up or to do whatever. Yeah, I 453 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:03,320 Speaker 2: don't like this whole business part of it sounds like 454 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:06,360 Speaker 2: it sounds like he's learned some hard lessons in that regard, 455 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:08,400 Speaker 2: but I see that all the time. 456 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, And the key is it took him time too. 457 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:12,639 Speaker 3: He didn't have all that figured out, which is why 458 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 3: Deal one didn't go well. Deal too kind of you know, 459 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:18,320 Speaker 3: fell apart as well. But one thing that he said 460 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:21,479 Speaker 3: was that he now has people who protect him. So 461 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:23,920 Speaker 3: he put together the right team. But it took him 462 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:27,639 Speaker 3: time too, and it takes some mistakes. Sometimes you get right, 463 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 3: sometimes you don't, and then you tweak right. 464 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,879 Speaker 2: And I think it's important to recognize those inflection points 465 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 2: that happen with a business. Right, there's a point at 466 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 2: which it turns from just a passion to a business. 467 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 2: Then there's a point where it turns from a business 468 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 2: to a growing business that has risk that people are 469 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:45,720 Speaker 2: going to be coming after from a competitive perspective, that 470 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 2: you know, the stakes start to go up. You know, 471 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:49,919 Speaker 2: there's the kind of inflection point that happened to him 472 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 2: where something terrible happens. But then there's those other inflection points. 473 00:21:53,119 --> 00:21:55,480 Speaker 2: You may not know their inflection points until later. 474 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:57,919 Speaker 3: You look back and say, ah, that was the moment. 475 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:01,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, Tanya, I want to share one last part 476 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:03,320 Speaker 2: of my interview with Alex that I think you're going 477 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:05,439 Speaker 2: to really like. That speaks to what it is to 478 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:06,400 Speaker 2: be unshakable. 479 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:07,159 Speaker 3: Let's hear it. 480 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:11,399 Speaker 2: So, Alex, you've told us your incredible story. There's a 481 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:15,200 Speaker 2: lot of small business owners listening today who certainly want 482 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:17,359 Speaker 2: to build their own version of what you've done. If 483 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:19,639 Speaker 2: you could leave them with one piece of advice, what 484 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:20,199 Speaker 2: would that be? 485 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:24,160 Speaker 1: To not be afraid? And it requires money, as it does. 486 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:25,879 Speaker 1: I had to sell a house to do it. If 487 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:28,320 Speaker 1: you have to sell your house, if you have to 488 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: sell anything that you have to be able to build 489 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 1: a dream, take the risk and do whatever you have 490 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 1: to do to do what you love. 491 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:36,880 Speaker 3: Well. 492 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:39,359 Speaker 2: I can only imagine what's next for Alex. He's growing 493 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:42,160 Speaker 2: like a weed. He's got a plan, his whole family's involved. 494 00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:44,119 Speaker 2: I think we're going to be seeing more of Alex. 495 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:44,439 Speaker 1: Oh. 496 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:46,439 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's going to be exciting to see what he 497 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:47,040 Speaker 3: does next. 498 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:50,399 Speaker 2: Thanks so much for listening to The Unshakables. If you 499 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:53,560 Speaker 2: liked this episode, please rate and review it. It'll help 500 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:57,440 Speaker 2: our show find more listeners. Next episode, we'll hear from 501 00:22:57,440 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 2: an entrepreneur who wanted to capture the feel of a 502 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 2: life Tino home through candles by finding a niche and 503 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 2: building a strong brand story CEO Melissa Gallardo sold Nostalgia 504 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:11,720 Speaker 2: to major retailers all over the country. I'm Ben Walter 505 00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:14,679 Speaker 2: and this is the Unshakables from Chase for Business and 506 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:16,440 Speaker 2: Ruby Studio from iHeartMedia. 507 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:21,439 Speaker 1: Bmshakables is a production of Ruby Studio from iHeartMedia and 508 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 1: Wheelhouse DNA