Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Hill.
Hi Joshua, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
My father is a mechanic and has owned his own small shop for over 25years. I grew up assisting him after school, on weekends, and during summer breaks. When I turned 18, I moved to San Diego with the goal of breaking into the custom auto body industry. Instead, I got my first apprenticeship as a technician, in a new car dealership service department. During that time in San Diego, the first car I bought for myself was a Porsche 924, which lead me into the European Sports Car scene. While looking at an opportunity to change jobs and work in a Porsche service/race shop, I came across the first Ferrari/Lamborghini service shop I had ever seen. I was offered a part-time apprenticeship, working nights and weekends, eventually, it became a full-time position. In 2009 when SoCal took a big economical hit, I moved to the Washington DC area with my (now) Wife. There were few options for jobs as a technician on Exotic cars in that area, at that time. So, I worked as a mechanic at a European used car dealership where I slowly acquired clients and was able to open my first shop, when I was 26yrs. I was successful as a mechanic but failed as a business owner, as I had no formal training or education in business. After closing my shop, I moved to Austin and worked again as an employed mechanic for a few years, picking up some of my own clients here and there. Eventually, through a mutual friend, I met Dan Hurlbert who had a YouTube channel about DIY projects he and his friends were doing with their own Ferraris. Working with Dan was a big break for me, finally really establishing my reputation in the Austin area, as well as around the country, and allowed me the opportunity to really build my client base. Following this, another mutual friend introduced me to Jon Gunderson of Dino Restoration, well known in the Ferrari Dino circles, who had recently bought a property with a workshop which he was looking to rent out, here in Spicewood. Nervously, we struck a deal and I made the decision to leave my current job and go back on my own as a business owner. This time, with a much better understanding of business, as I had much more industry experience, made great friends who helped teach me and answer questions I had while trying to learn about my previous mistakes and develop and educated understanding about how to manage a business in my industry.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like many educational experiences in life, there have been several very difficult days. The first major struggle was when I finally realized that simply being proficient at my craft had no relation to the ability to operate a profitable business. Managing margins is a full-time, dedicated responsibility, no matter what the business is. An example in my industry would be labor margins and product margins. It is critical to evaluate how many labor hours can be billed in a month, how many products will be sold along with the labor, and what those prices need to be to cover the overhead. Without pricing guides, experience, and diligent tracking of time and materials, it’s easy to give away time and products and never make a profit.
Another major hurdle was the realization the being the owner of the business doesn’t eliminate all hurdles and there is no “total control”. We all rely on a massive network of other people, businesses, and services to help facilitate daily business. Everyone is susceptible to making mistakes and many things happen which are outside of our control. Being able to navigate and adapt around these inevitable complications is critical to succeeding. An example here would be, having special ordered a product, paid for Overnight Express shipping on Thursday, for Friday delivery…and the cargo plane breaks down while loaded, on the runway, and cannot take off. So, the product is delayed for several days, on a job that was time-sensitive.
The last one would be managing customer expectations. Some clients are willing to be flexible, with the expectation that in the end, they will receive a high-quality result, which is what they value the most. Others may be very cost-conscious, require a lot more handling, question the process more frequently and more aggressively, and may still try to come back and place blame after they’ve decided the end result wasn’t to their satisfaction. Recognizing and managing these clients can absorb a lot of resources and yield little return and sometimes even cost money.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an automotive technician, I provide service, repairs, performance upgrades, and restoration for Exotic brand vehicles, specifically Ferrari & Lamborghini, first and foremost. The majority of my work is based on major repairs and performance modifications. I am known for being very thorough in my work as is often proven in my ability to communicate with a client about technical matters in a very detailed, yet easy-to-understand manner.
What I am most proud of in this business, is that the majority of my clients are referral-based. I am frequently brought vehicles which other shops did not provide competent repairs on and I consistently turn that experience around into a positive result.
What sets my business apart is twofold, my thoroughness in communicating with my clients and my strict standards of quality work. I am steadfast in my belief that thoroughness and quality are the most important aspects of our industry and we do not compromise on maintaining these standards.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I am a genuine believer that “luck” is everything. We never know for certain where life will lead us and what circumstances may exist, day-to-day. Many obstacles exist in our world and they change every day. There is nothing we can do to eliminate that possibility; we can only manage the problems as they present themselves. This “bad luck” is certainly frustrating and makes running a small business exponentially more stressful, but we can only accept it, adapt to it, prepare ourselves for the possibility it could happen again, and keep moving forward. Many situations in life can be managed by simply being aware and prepared. Sometimes this comes from learning from someone else’s past experience and sometimes we learn it the hard way, for ourselves.
“Good luck” is equally important though. We have to consistently conduct ourselves with the best intentions and hopes to achieve positive goals. Humans are social beings and we rely on each other in big ways. Treating people with consideration and respect go a long way in receiving good luck. People that are trustworthy and reliable, are the people most of us look for and are more likely to extend a little help to when it’s needed.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.exotic-power.com
- Instagram: exoticpowerperformance
- Facebook: @eppatx
Image Credits
Bianca Grey Delmar
