Auto Fetish Detail History

Welcome to the history of Auto Fetish Detail. Told by myself, your humble moderator, Darren Priest. I have condensed this so as to bore you as little as possible.

Follow along with me on this roller coaster of a ride I call my life.

Start Date (approximately 1988)

Needed extra money.

Went looking in newspaper (this was well before the Internet we know today).

Found help wanted ad for auto detailing with a company called Tropic Shield who is still operating business from Irvine, CA now.

Ad said no experience needed. Had none anyways.

Traveled 80 miles one way to job interview in Chatsworth (Yes, there is a reason you have never heard of it).

They liked me so much I got the job. Of course they gave everyone a job since this was part of a bigger strategy on their part. This was more of a bait and switch plan of marketing than any real ad for employment. Since no experience is required, this meant that everyone could qualify and would likely respond to their ad. And as likely was the case for most of the guys who applied, we all thought that we could learn the business then branch out on our own.

Auto Fetish Detail -History chpt.2

Bought my own Tropic Shield business.

Did absolutely nothing with it. . .Oh, except spend hours of my time detailing and applying the infamous “Teflon Polishing Systems” on two of my friend’s cars for free; all within a two year period of time.

Decided it was time to sell.

Sold one said “Tropic Shield” franchise to another guy who thought he could make it in the business (despite my warnings); netted a total loss of about $1500.00 -Successfully completing yet another course at the “School of Hard Knocks”.

Went back to college to waste more of my time and those around me, while trying to figure out what I would do when I finally grew up; which never really sounded appealing.

Enrolled at Fullerton College.

Cute Asian girl in art class mentioned she needed her car detailed.

Secured my very first official detailing appointment for that following Saturday morning at cute Asian girls house.

Auto Fetish Detail -History chpt.3

Realized I needed to put together a plan pretty quickly as to how I was going to show up to her house and detail her car. No equipment, no products, and not much experience; kept telling myself to not sweat the small stuff.

I found the nearest Pep Boys Automotive store and went and stocked up on all my “driveway detailing” gear.

Drove up in my 1976 Datsun 280Z for my very first detail appointment, armed with my garden hose and extension cord; this was my interpretation of “fully equipped, mobile contained unit”

Made me an extra $40.00 that morning detailing a white Toyota corolla (make and model changed to protect the innocent)

Mostly enjoyed the experience and decided that maybe I could do this detailing thing for real. The cute Asian girl part only enhanced the experience.

Put my creative side of brain to work and drew up some business cards.

Wanted a business name that was unique and memorable; Auto Fetish Detail seemed to be the winning combination: memorable, while being ambiguously and overtly sexual all at once.

The inspiration came from a record store in L.A. called Vinyl Fetish.

Auto Fetish Detail -History chpt.4

Welcome to the birth of Auto Fetish Detail click here to see the auto detail logo history of Auto Fetish Detail

First things first.

Got some business cards printed up with my first logo.

Went to Brea Mall and left cards on the nicer cars parked in the parking lot.

Quickly got escorted off mall premises by Mall Security for soliciting business and illegal canvassing.

Did happen to score one detailing job from a lady in Hacienda Heights, Ca. Sherri with a white BMW 630i. (name and specifics have been altered once again to protect innocent)

Did nice enough job to get referral for father’s car, mother’s car, and neighbor’s car.

One thing led to another and found myself doing various detail jobs around town.

Had upgraded to working out of a Suzuki Samurai by this time.

Maintain this while holding down full time jobs. Also continued going to college to waste further of my time.

Auto Fetish Detail -History chpt.5

Realized I was not built to work for “the Man” and “Corporate America”. Questioning my leaders and the system wasn't encouraged or tolerated much. "Doesn't play well with others" also comes to mind.

Once I realized this, could not exit the world of the "wage slave" fast enough.

Started looking for a detailing business to buy that included a true “self contained mobile unit”.

Found a guy selling a unit with a mobile wash route within the city of Santa Ana, CA.

Sounded like the perfect opp.

Borrowed money from my Father in law; thanks Bob!

Bought me a mobile wash route that included all of 3 solid customers that included all of about 15 cars.

Business also came with a certain undocumented worker name Rafino, my flaky Latino friend.

Rafino lasted a couple weeks until he went MIA.

Worked like hell to build the route up.

Solicited my services to all the businesses in the area.

Learned that the harder I worked, the luckier I seemed to be.

Kept working like crazy and grew the business little by little.

Auto Fetish Detail -History chpt.6

Liked the idea of a weekly wash route that brought in consistent money.

Found myself with my first time employee as business was keeping me busy six days a week.

Found that I was killing myself a little less each week by having an employee.

Introduced to the world of payroll taxes, workman's comp., etc.

Also introduced to the harsh reality of paying self employment taxes to an incredibly wasteful and inefficient government.

Kept plugging along.

Kept working the business and bought a second truck to send my dedicated employee off to make the two of us some money.

Needed to hire yet another full timer to help me on my route.

Needed to hire another full timer to help with the other route.

Time to add yet another truck to the business and develop another route.

Did this multiple times for a total of 4 trucks/vans with one to two guys per each.

While working my route in an area of Santa Ana, CA noticed a retail dealership called Phillips Auto, who had set up a car sales lot location within this business park.

Same Phillip’s Auto that is now on Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach, CA click here to see Phillipsauto.com

Noticed how “shabby” the showroom cars at Phillips Auto looked.

Offered to perform the expert Auto Fetish touch on a certain 1991 MBZ 300CE.

Car had been sitting in showroom for many months. Car was sold second day following the Auto Fetish touch by the expert. (that would be Me)

Auto Fetish Detail -History chpt.7

Negotiated a relationship to take over the detail bay for Phillips Auto dealership to include the following: two full time employees, detail all cars for showroom, detail wholesale cars for auction, maintain all showroom cars.

Moved most of my business operations to this location to now run the shop and four other mobile wash/detail routes.

Nice to have an actual business location instead of my garage at home.

Continued to grow the business and assumed more of the management duties as the business grew.

Things started going “south” with my partnership at the dealership.

Found out what my contract really meant, despite what was written. Also learned that cliche's exist for a reason.

Decided to end our arrangement and go separate ways.

Back to running the business from my garage.

Also secured a deal to set up a wash/detail center in the Val Mesa Medical Building parking structure in Fullerton, CA.

Thought this was a real coup on my part till I learned that doctors and nurses tend be pretty “cheap”. (just my opinion of course)

Continued to train new detailers for the different routes; helped numerous of my employees go off on their own to start their own detailing businesses.

I keep getting older despite my futile attempts to stay younger.

Get worn out from the duties of management and being the boss.Decide to scale way back.

Still not getting any younger; still need to support myself as well as three children and a wife.

Consider another course of action for a major career change despite my love for detailing cars. All the while still maintaining some form of detailing business.

Decide to explore other means of income streams.

Auto Fetish Detail -History chpt.8

Buy paintless dent removal business called West Coast Dent and Ding.

Go through training and throw myself to the lions.

Realize just how unprepared I am for the business, and how much this is truly an art and skill that is not easily mastered. Decide that ethically, I am not wired to work for the typical car dealership that requires a unique sort of “ethics”.

Introduced to terms like “kick back”.

Lost all three dealership accounts that came with the business.

Decide to buy a Print and Promotions franchise called Proforma; a print and promotions business that brokers to end users click here to see Proforma.com.

I think this will be a means to the end for me with a career.Start pounding the pavement cold calling and trying to make “the sale” with all things print and promotions.

Realize that print and promotions are often thrown into "commodity hell" where it often all comes down to price.

Prefer the world of detailing once again, where I am judged on workmanship and performance, not just a number.

Keep moving forward.

Friend at gym hits me up for a business partnership in a completely unrelated industry called concrete.

Decide to invest in a cement pumping business with this friend who has plenty of experience but no money. I have some money but no experience; seemed like a good fit. This relationship lasts about six months until the friend is able to buy me out due to lack of interest on my part.

Started researching the topic of Internet and online marketing.

Spend lots of money on online marketing courses; but don’t know how to make a living on this yet.

Decide that being a hairstylist might fit into my list of needs for a career: A creative outlet for myself, the ability to make good money, possibility of salon ownership, etc. Seemed like a good fit for numerous reasons.

Learned I needed to sign up for beauty school.

Spend the next 13 months in beauty school hell with a bunch of ignorant and naive girls, a few gays that are more “girls” then girls themselves, and a handful of used up, never have been, bitter old teachers that drink themselves into oblivion every night just so they can cope with these same ignorant and naive girls, and the “girly” gays, day after day in class.

I do this day after day for thirty hours a week, for the next 13 months, so I can take the State Board test.

Just short of going completely "postal", I complete the required hours of outdated and meaningless instruction that our wonderful state of California requires.

Take state board test and pass first time.

Solicit myself to a well know hairstylist named Pon Saradeth to work as his assistant.

Auto Fetish Detail -History chpt.9

Take up mentorship with Pon at Pon International Hair design in Anaheim Hills, CA, and start my new career as hairstylist.click here to go to Pon International

Below is a picture of my business card when I was the Hairstyling Maven

Thought I knew what stress was until I found out how emotionally attached women are to their hair.

Now I get to juggle Hairstyling, Print/Promotions, and detailing.

Apparently I didn't think I had enough stress in my life yet.

Realize that four walls and a schedule were a fast ticket to claustrophobia and nauseum. Decide hairstyling is not going to work for me after all.

Still working the car detailing business.

Auto Fetish Detail-History chpt.10

Decide to really downsize my detailing business and put up for sale.

Neighbor informs me that he has always wanted to be in business for himself and wants to buy my business, as he is naturally neurotic about keeping his cars clean, and thinks he and detailing would be a good fit; most guys do until they find out it actually requires lots of work.

Neighbor secures financing and buys most of my equipment, my route, and comes up with his own business name.

I decide as part of the deal I would keep a select few of my detailing accounts that consist of mostly weekend work; all maintenance detailing.

Liked the idea of doing maintenance detailing and none of the weekly washing.

Start seeing the detailing business with a “new set of eyes” and create a niche for myself; detailing and maintenance detailing only.

Implement maintenance detail schedules for my customers.

Now I get to enjoy all the best parts of detailing for myself, while taking my passion out on cars and getting paid well for it.

Realize that what I have learned and know, would benefit others in the car care world.

Decide to take my past experiences and combine with my study of marketing and the Internet, and create an income stream for myself.

Create ways to market all my years of experience and expertise from the detailing world.

Create and developwebsites to market all the many areas of detailing. (see footer below to create your very own website and income stream)

End of Auto Fetish Detail History