Driven By Details Podcast

In this episode of Driven By Details, I sit down with Tony from Shine Effects Auto Spa.

Tony has deep passion for this industry and his story is really inspiring. Like many entrepreneurs trying to make their business thrive, often times we struggle to get the business running smoothly and consistently. Tony has experienced many ups and downs during his six years in business.

As the episode unfolds we talk about how he got stated detailing and how training really help give him the push needed to grow his small business. Tony has recently relocated his business moving from Kentucky to Arizona and I thought it would be great for him to tell his story.

The audio in the beginning is a bit muffled, but it improves quickly, please hang in there.

Thank for listening!

Spring is in the air and we are getting ready for a busy season ahead. This year will be a year of growth as we begin construction at the new Gloss University Headquarters. We have a ton of cool things planned for the future and are looking forward to the build out of the new space for Gloss University.

In this Episode I sit down with David to talk about our recent training at a local New Car Dealer Group. This week long training involved lots of learning for both the students and the instructors. We have also proven that APS can really make positive change in when properly used for interior and exterior detailing.

The year is off to a busy start. We are expanding into new things this year. Gloss University has found a place to call home and we are looking forward to this next chapter.

Training and education has been our focus and we have so much to work towards over this coming year. Thank you for everyones support!

In this episode of Driven By Details, I sit down with Jason and David to talk about pricing in 2024. I am still heavily involved in the car wash industry and recently read through the new Auto Laundry magazine. The January 2024 issue released a new "Detailing Survey" that highlights some of the average price points of detailing services across the country. It was shocking to me as I read how cheap some of these a la carte services are listed at freestanding shops across the county. It had me begin to think about my own pricing for service.

As prices for goods continue to climb, I am curious to see how prices for services may follow. There has always been this ongoing discussion about "how much do I charge" and it can be difficult to raise prices because of the added fear of losing business. So in this episode we talk about pricing and when might be the tipping point of turning away clients due to high priced services. 

In this episode of Driven By Details, we are joined by Craig Stewert from Rossland British Columbia. Craig's backstory and his years driving a truck, really sets the tone for how he got into metal polishing and the passion he shares for a clean truck. Craig spends lots of his time on the road traveling to his clients to offer his services. Even thought his main focus is metal polishing, he is still offers detailing services for his clients.

As the episode progresses, we talk about the climate in Canada, and how Ceramic Coatings do not hold up to their durability claims in these areas. If you are into metal polishing or trucks, be sure to give Crater Service a follow on Instagram to see some of his amazing work. You hope you all enjoy this episode as we share the stories behind the shine.

** PART TWO **

On this episode of Driven By Details, Jason Killmer joins me while we sit down to talk with Gary Robinett form Motorsports Distributing. Gary shares stories from the past and present day with his more than 30 year in automotive and detailing. I was eager to have Gary on the podcast to discuss the detailing industry. Gary has a passion for his work along with his customers and is always eager to educate his clients. This industry has seen many advancements over the last 30 years. Its certainly cool to look back and see how far we have come, and also recognize how far we have yet to go!

Join us on Part Two as we talk past, present and future of this industry.

On this episode of Driven By Details, Jason Killmer joins me while we sit down to talk with Gary Robinett form Motorsports Distributing. Gary shares stories from the past and present day with his more than 30 year in automotive and detailing. I was eager to have Gary on the podcast to discuss the detailing industry. Gary has a passion for his work along with his customers and is always eager to educate his clients. This industry has seen many advancements over the last 30 years. Its certainly cool to look back and see how far we have come, and also recognize how far we have yet to go!

Join us on this two part episode as we talk past, present and future of this industry.

In this episode I am joined by Niko from M&V AutoBody & Sales. This is a special episode for me, specifically because I have know this family for two decades now. One of my first deliveries back in my sales days was here at M&V Auto Body in the early 2000's. At that time Niko was just a young boy that I occasionally would see form time to time. Fast forward to present day time, and Niko has some years under his belt now working with his brothers and his father. Niko's father Vince, started the business back in 1983 and now has two of his sons are working full time for the family business.

I love this episode because Niko shares some stories about his own struggles with industry expectations, and some of the confusion that comes from consuming to much information on YouTube. M&V Auto Body has been a long time client of mine and when Niko started working full time, I spent many hours demoing new tools, products, pads, and liquids with them at the shop. This was also the same time where Niko and his father had some disagreements on what tools worked best for polishing fresh paint. Shortly after all of this, I was stepping down from my sales career. So now more than five years have passed and the M&V Auto body team is going to be doing the restoration work for my 2000 Honda Civc, and Niko is even painting cars and has much to share with all of us.

We had so much to talk about on this episode, hope you enjoy!

I had the chance to reconnect with Tou this past summer at Gloss University. Tou originally attended the very first class back in 2020 but this time came back as a guest instructor for the 2023 class. It's always a pleasure to work with passionate people that share a similar story and vision. Tou's story is far off from my own story of working a full time job waiting for the right time to make the jump into running your own business full time. I believe that many entrepreneurs have a difficult time knowing when, or even if there is a right time to make a move. Tou started up his detailing business "Yelo Autosports" in 2015 as a side hustle while holding down a full time job as a firefighter. It was not until 2021 that he left his full time job with the fire department to live out entrepreneurial dream. Tou now works full time in his business waring many hats and now offering many different services to his clients in St. Paul Minnesota.

Join us on todays episode where Tou shares his story behind the shine. Thanks you everyone for listening!

As the detailing industry has expanded over the last decade, the Long Throw DA's have made such a huge impact on how paint is being polished today. Because the DA Polisher has grown in popularity, it has also driven the advancement in new pads and liquids to accommodate this polishing system. But what about the Rotary Polisher? Does it still have a place in modern detailing? Is one really better than another? There has been lots of controversy on social media about this topic. So much that I just wanted to talk about it on the podcast. In my personal opinion, both tools have their set of characteristics and place in the world of buffing and polishing paint.

In this episode of Driven By Details, I sit down with David Patterson from Oberk Car Care to talk about new products that are in the hopper for Oberk. Then we dive into the DA/Rotary topic before wrapping up this episode, we take a look into the future for Gloss University. Hope you all enjoy this episode,

Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Driven By Detail's I am joined by David Patterson to talk about working on the SEMA cars for the RingBrothers.

The RingBrothers have been building world class custom cars for longer than I have been alive. It has been a really honer to have this opportunity to prepare some some of these cars for SEMA this past season. Long days and nights to get the job complete but totally worth the outcome. If you have not yet seen Oberk's behind the scenes video here is the link. Thanks For Listening!

Oberk Tusk

https://youtu.be/pTPJBUZNMwI?si=Oi3irDe8d7x4szWf

Driven By Details Is Back For A Second Season!

After a short break in October Driven By Details is back with new episodes this fall. On this episode I am joined by David Patterson and we talk about the Gloss University class back in September at Robby Layton's Shop in Ephraim Utah. This was our first time doing our new "Detailing 360 Course" We had a great group of students that came from near and far for this one day course.

After two nights in Utah, David and I were off to California to spend the week at Beverly Hills Ferrari to work with their head detailer Ronnie Vaia. Our main goal was to help prepare some new Ferrari's for sale and see first hand overall paint condition and quality of some of these new Ferrari's coming off the boat. Working with the team at Beverly Hill Ferrari was a really amazing experience and we were honored to be there. Ronnie uses Oberk exclusively and has even help test some of the new products that are being added Oberk's line up of amazing products. You will here the full story on the podcast, thank you for listening!

Septembers podcasts have been focused around Small Business and we are wrapping up the month with Fill Cassata from VIP Express Car Wash. Fill has been in the industry for over three decades and began his journey as a mobile detailer in the 90's. Shorty after that, Fill bought a Hand Car Wash that became very successful. Mattie actually spent a summer working for Fill part time at the hand car wash. Fill eventually sold the Hand Car Wash and ending up purchasing a small tunnel "Soft Cloth Car Wash" that we know today as VIP Express Car Wash.

Fill has a tremendous amount of experience in the car wash and detailing industry, along with high expectations for customer service. There are many things that Mattie has learned from Fill over the years. It was really fun to go back in time and dig up some of the past. It is just a reminder of how much this industry has evolved over the last few decades. Thank you all for listening, check out VIP Car Wash in the link below. See you all in October.

In this episode of Driven By Details Mattie and Killmer sit down with the owner of On Tour Brewing Company Mark Legenza. On Tour Brewing Co. located in Chicago has such a great vibe in a cozy tap room. Along with making some really tasty beverage's you can catch live music at the brewery many nights throughout the week.

This is where Mattie and Mark first had the chance to meet. This past summer at a weekend show Mattie and Mark had a really great conversation about business. Mark was being honest and vulnerable about some of the struggles that come with owning and operating a small business. Marks story was the spark to get Mattie thinking about how many small businesses have so much in common.

Mark shares a brief background of how he started making beer when he lived in Colorado. As the podcast evolves, we start talking about some of the differences and similarities that our industries experience. Marks passion and dedication to his industry is infectious and it was a real pleasure to have him on the podcast.

Enjoy,

For more information about On Tour Brewing Co. click the link below

https://ontourbrewing.com/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/ontourbrewing/

Jason and Mattie are keeping the small business theme going through the month of September. We are calling it "Small Business September"

In this episode of Driven By Details Mattie shares a story about his neighbor that started up a landscaping business as a side hustle. A little over a year after starting his business, he has decided to close up shop and sell off all his equipment.

Small Business is the backbone of our society and plays a major role in our economy. The car washing, detailing, and auto body & collision industry is made up of mostly small independent business. Many of these small business encounter very similar struggles that often don't get talked about. Social Media likes to point out all of the glitz and glam that come with owning and running a business, but often down plays some of the common struggles that many business owners and entrepreneurs experience. Our goal is to share some of the struggles that come with the territory of owning, running or managing a small business.

In this episode of Driven By Details Jason and Mattie sit down and continue the conversation of the small business struggles. Owning, operating and growing a small business comes with many challenges that continually haunt the business owner. Small business is very rewarding but it also can be scary when things are not going how you planned. As this episode progresses, Mattie dives into some car washing stories from his days in the field working with other small business. We also talk about modern tunnel car washes and how they can harm paint finishes. Additionally we share some details on the upcoming Detailing Basics Class that will take place Saturday September 30th at Layton Auto Body in Ephraim Utah. Robby Layton has a very successful YouTube channel, and he will be hosting the Gloss University Team for a one day class. Check out the link below for more information.

Thanks for listening

https://glossuniversity.com/products/gu-lite-layton-auto-body-ephraim-utah-september-30th

Mattie & Killmer sit down to catch up on a new episode of Driven By Details. As we are halfway through the month of August both Jason Killmer and Mattie are feeling a little burnt out as we are both dealing with the "Small Business" struggle. Running and operating your own business is very rewarding, however it does come with a set of challenges that never seem to go away or get easy to manage.

Killmer was just back in Nebraska working on a few show cars, and Mattie had a few days away for service work as to focus on the rebuild of Gloss University web page. This new Gloss University web page has opened up a book of new ideas for the future and has also added a bit of anxiety to get this new web page completed.

In this episode Killmer and Mattie wanted to talk openly about what is going on in both of their small businesses, and some of the mental struggles that all of us deal with in someway or another. Thank You everyone for your support and we hope you enjoy this episode of Driven By Details.

Gloss University 2023 at the RingBrothers in Spring Green Wisconsin.

Killmer and Mattie sit down to talk about the busy calendar, and some of the projects that Jason has been working on leading up to this summers Gloss University advanced class.

This years class at the RingBrothers was really special, with a great group of students eager to learn. This two day advanced training offered great hands on learning on some really awesome cars. This was an advanced class based around wet sanding and paint correction, with a mixed group of students from across the country. During this two day class, students were introduced to wet sanding OEM and aftermarket paint, while getting to practice pulling out sanding scratches with a variety of tools, pads, and liquids. This two day weekend class allowed the students to work side by side instructors, David Patterson, Eron Knox, Jason Killmer, and Matthew Arendt.

Thanks for listening!

In this episode we are going back in time to learn about how the idea for Gloss University was born. I am joined by Eron Knox and David Patterson as we sit down to talk about Gloss University's up coming class at the RingBrothers in Spring Green Wisconsin on July 29th and 30th 2023.

For the last few years, Gloss University has held group training classes at the RingBrothers headquarters. Every class has been a experience to remember for everyone involved, and we are super excited for this years event.

If you are a looking to take your skills to the next level, a Gloss University experience will help break down advanced techniques and terminologies that will help you build confidence as a technician in wet sanding and paint correction.

The detail industry has changed so much in the last 10 years. In this episode, we talk about a few of the benchmark things that have changed the industry. Specifically, the long throw DA polisher and the microfiber pad is a main topic in this episode. Since the introduction of these two items we have watched the industry explode with many companies making DA polishers, along with all kinds of pad innovations. The DA polishers and the microfiber buffing pad has allowed many beginner detailers to enter the industry and achieve good results without any experience or training. Jason Killmer and Mattie discuss the timeline of this system entering them market. Additionally there are a few other things that have changed the industry like abrasives, ceramic coatings. What will be next? We will be curious to see what new innovations lye ahead.

Thanks For Listening!

In this episode of Driven By Details, Jason & Mattie sit down and share some stories of when things go wrong. Mattie shares a recent story about a phone conversation with a detailer struggling in the field to complete a project.

As service providers, we are always striving for ways to make our jobs simpler and improve quality. However, sometimes things do not go as planed. Even with the best intentions, there are circumstances when things just don't go well, or accidents happen. We cannot control how or when these things might arise, but how we react is often more important. This is where experienced technicians have an advantage over the beginner. If you are a beginner detailer, and are working on building your portfolio it takes some trial and error and practice to hone in and perfect your skills. During this time of growth, mistakes are made, things go wrong, jobs take longer, results are inconsistent and this list goes on. At any level of service work, sometimes things just go wrong.

We appreciate your support!

Thanks For Listening!

What a great time to be a detailer. So many awesome products, tools, accessories, to make the technicians job easier along with improving the outcome. However, it seem like in the last 5 years we have more and more new products. Along with all the new products, comes the product reviews on YouTube. It seems as though the detailing industry has a completely different industry inside itself. So many YouTube influencers pushing out content for the sake of making content, reviewing a product for likes or affiliate commission. It seems as though YouTube has helped the detailing industry while hurting it all at once. So many different peoples opinions on one product can leave some of us feeling confused.

Whether you are a DIY or Professional Detailer, YouTube has been a great resource to gather information and get a temperature check on a product or a process. Has YouTube help the detailing industry or has it hurt the industry? We don't have the answer in this podcast, but its something worth talking about.

Mattie & Killmer sit down for a birthday podcast celebrating Matties 41st birthday!

Back from a recent trip to the RingBrothers paint correcting and ceramic coating two new cars, one of them happed to be Mike Rings new SRT. With only two days to complete the job Davy P and Mattie worked long days to knock out both vehicles. The first one was a new Black Acura MDX with 4,000 miles, the second one was Mike Rings new SRT.

I am sure most detailers prefer to work on new cars when given the chance vs countless labor hours on high milage used vehicles. However, many new cars are coming right from the manufacture with paint issues these days. A common problem is factory die back or paint shrinkage and this new SRT was by far the the worst we have seen have ever seen. If you are new to detailing and are not familiar with this term, you can ready about it on the internet. I-CAR and BASF have some information on there web page describing some of the causes.

Many professional detailers are equipped with the tools, pads and liquids to tackle the common defects such as scratches, swirls, blemishes, fading and oxidation. When it comes to Dye back, its more of a chemical reaction from the paint drying and some of these "defects" or "inconsistencies" are stuck in the clear from cross linking. Sometimes its an easy fix just by cutting with a microfiber pad, and other times its time it becomes time consuming and can involve sanding the paint.

Its very likely that the car care industry will continue to see more and more of this in the future, we walked to get the conversation started about this topic. If any of our viewers that are listening to this episode or have read this text, please reach out to Mattie about your experience on dealing with this, your feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Jason & Mattie sit down to talk about about some of the things that lead to becoming efficient as a detailer. In the modern detailing world it can be really challenging to consistently be efficient. Setting expectations, being confident and doing what is best for the client is not always easy to do. Since Ceramic Coatings have become more main stream combined with lager tickets sales, some professionals in the detail community have struggled to put out quality in a timely manner. We as professionals tend to over think and over do many things in the detailing process.

Jason & Mattie talk about some of the things that have helped them become efficient with their detailing processes. Topics like, wash prep, customer communication, service outcome, expectations, practicing are just some of the highlights of this episode. Efficiency comes with time and the more you work at understanding your processes and knowing what can or can not happen with the service offering, helps you do what needs to be done quickly, confidently and efficiently.

Jason was just recently on a podcast with Nick from Hawk Talk, you can view the episode in the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRRBMHkIeY8

The 2023 Detailing Season has begun and there is a lot going on. It is mid April and the cars and trucks are starting to stack up as the phone continues to ring. New customers continue to call to inquire about paint correction & ceramic coatings along with detailing work. Jason Killmer is busy making sanding blocks and is cranking out his Master Sets, he is also getting ready to head east to Spokane to work on a few show cars.

We have been looking forward to going to California to host the Gloss University Event at Sprengers Detailing Studio, however we have had very little traction or interest in this class. Because of this we are postponing the class until further notice. Stay tuned for more classed coming in 2023, we will make announcements on the podcast when we know about more events taking place later in the year.

Thanks You For Listening!

Jason and Mattie are back from spring break! The 2023 Detailing season has begun and there are many exciting things going on. 

In this episode, we discuss Mattie's recent project helping the new car dealership solve a problem with a unhappy client. A new vehicle was sold last month and when the customer took deliver of the new Hyundai Genesis it has excessive rail dust all over the finish. Additionally, the vehicle came from the manufacture with a "matte" finish in the color white, with a gold flake that resembled the look of iron fallout and iron deposits. After spending the day at the new car dealership, it is very clear that not much has changed over the years. Employees seem to lack accountability and communicate poorly. 

Jason and Mattie talk about how this impacts us as detailers and what we can do to help communicate honestly with our clients!

Thanks For Listening 

YouTube university VS one on one training. Killmer and Mattie discuss the idea of training with a group or person vs YouTube university. Whether you choose to train with a group, or you choose to train with an individual, there is a time commitment that is required. If you are looking to fast-track or advance your skill set in auto detailing or paint correction, training with a person or a group can help develop your skill set and accelerate the learning curve. 

Thanks For Listening!

Killmer is home from another long trip, this time he is retuning from the Grand National Roadster Show in sunny California. Killmer shares some stories of his experience at the show, reconnecting with some old friends and making new ones along the way. Killmer has rediscovered his passion for hot rods and had such a great time at the show. 

As the episode progresses, we talk about how having the right attitude can really shape your daily landscape. We wonder what it must be like to build these hot rods and talk about some of the countless hours that go into some of these builds. Will the hot rod industry change over the years as some of the veteran builders  retire. What will the future look like with the labor force, and what will we do as an industry with a the labor shortage.  

Thanks for listening and enjoy the episode!  

Jason and Mattie sit down with Markus, to discuss some of his past working for Meguiar's in Irvine California. Fast forward to present day, Markus has moved onto working with Harbor Freight Tools. 

Killmer talks about his love for Harbor Freight and the convenience of having so many locations. Jason has shopped and many of the locations across the country with his travels detailing hot rods and more. Markus shares some insight on developing some of the polishers you see today on the shelves at Harbor Freight Tools, along with some of the future goals of the company. Like Jason and Mattie, Markus shares a deep passion for this industry, and because of his background in detailing he provides a lot of value and is a really great guy. We really enjoyed having him on the Driven By Details Podcast. 

Thank you for listening! See you on the next Podcast.  

One of our friends called us the three amigos, so that is what we are naming this episode. David Patterson & Jason Killmer have known each other many years before connecting with Mattie. David shares a deep passion for auto detailing industry, and brings a very high skill level to this industry. Oberk has created some staple products in the the industry by trying to simply the process and remove the guess work. 

In this episode we discuss how Jason Killmer and David Patterson met. We also dive into some of Davids background of working with Lake Country Manufacturing. David has spent many years dissecting and perfecting the engineering behind buffing pads. He has an incredible amount of real world experience and has developed and tested some of the best buffing pads and products used in the professional detailing industry today. 

As this episode evolves we dig into the evolution of buffing pads, and discuss how the modern day long throw polisher changed the way buffing pads needed to constructed to work with the long random orbit of these awesome machines. 

Thanks For Listening! 

Please check out Oberk products @www.oberkcarcare.com   

For our first guest of the year, we invited RJ from WD detailing. We look forward to having more guests on the podcast in 2023. WD Detailing has built up a great business in Ohio and has a very successful YouTube channel that puts out weekly content. In this episode we talk with Rj about his recent project with Killmer on the 57 Bel Air. We also discuss some of the challenges we all face as detailers. 

To find out more about RJ and WD Detailing check them out in the link below.   

WD Detailing On YouTube. 

https://www.youtube.com/c/WDDetailing

As the new year gets underway, both Jason and Mattie are very busy. Jason was recently in Ohio with WD Detailing while Mattie was with Oberk Car Care in Michigan at Jesse's Classic & Customes to kick off the New Year. We have a lot of fun stuff planned for 2023 and in this episode, Jason & Matt catch up live on the podcast to recap the last few weeks, and set the tone for all the craziness coming this year.  

Thank You For Listening!! 

Mattie and Jason talk about some to the challenges associated with auto detailing. This is a hard topic when it comes to pricing out your services. Around the globe you will find all kinds of different pricing structures for auto detailing.  What should you charge? How do you get charge more for your service? There is no easy or perfect answer to this question. It helps to know that we are not alone when it comes to pricing.  

As the year draws to a close, Mattie and Killmer sit down to talk about past, present and future goals. Killmer digs into his goals for working with certain painters from across the country. Mattie talks about the goals of the driven by details podcast as we close out 2022

Thanks For Listening!!

Mattie & Jason Talk about ceramic coatings. Mattie shares a story about how he was introduced into ceramic coatings, along with some of the things he has learned along the way. Coatings help drive bigger ticket sales, but not everyone wants to pay that kind of money additionally, not every vehicle should have a coating installed. 

Thanks for listening, Enjoy! 

Killmer is back home from his travels. There has been some new developments for the 2023 calendar regarding training with Gloss University. Mattie & Jason discuss whats happing live on this podcast as we plan ahead for 2023. 

Thank you all for listening. We appreciate your support!

Mattie & Jason talk about the tools used daily in the modern world of detailing. From rotary buffing, DA polishing and forced rotation correction, choosing the tool thats best for you takes some time. Using the tool to is full potential can really take some time to master. Having so many choices makes it a great time to be a detailer.  

Jason and Mattie sit down to discuss that moment in time right before Mattie started his full time detailing business. We also discuss how training is a big part of our past and how it will evolve in the future.  

A brief back story about how Jason and Matt met for the first time. Having only connected on Instagram a few weeks before, Matt and Jason finely got to meet in person at a detail training event.  

Matt and Jason discuss Matts backstory, and discuss some of the things that led up to where he is today with his detailing business.  

In episode one we discuss a bit of Jason Killmer's back story. We explore some of the things leading up to Jason getting into auto detailing and talk about how he became know as the "sandman"