From Rehab to Rolex: Dann Williams' Journey to Entrepreneurship Featuring Dann Williams with Owner's Pride

[00:00:00] The Origin Stories of High Impact Entrepreneurs

[00:00:00] Intro: Tell me your story. 
[00:00:01] Intro: Tell me your story. 
[00:00:02] John Kelley: How did it all start? 
[00:00:03] John Kelley: Do you remember? 
[00:00:04] Intro: Oh, now what happened? 
[00:00:04] John Kelley: How did it stop? 
[00:00:06] John Kelley: You're now tuned into the Small Business Origins podcast. 
[00:00:10] John Kelley: I love an origin story. 
[00:00:11] John Kelley: Each week, we dive into the real stories of entrepreneurs and businesses from across the nation. 
[00:00:16] Dann Williams: Who is he and what's his origin story? 
[00:00:18] John Kelley: Who started with just an idea and are now making waves. 
[00:00:22] Dann Williams: I told you this was a good idea. 
[00:00:23] John Kelley: This is Small business origins. 
[00:00:30] John Kelley: Yeah. 
[00:00:31] John Kelley: What up, everybody?

[00:00:32] John Kelley interviews Dann Williams, owner of Pride, On Small Business Origins Podcast

[00:00:32] John Kelley: Welcome back to another episode of Small Business Origins. 
[00:00:35] John Kelley: I'm your host, as always, John Kelly, aka John the Marketer, on Instagram and TikTok. 
[00:00:40] John Kelley: And you're tuned in. 
[00:00:41] John Kelley: It's our nationwide search. 
[00:00:42] John Kelley: We're looking for entrepreneurs with a story to tell. 
[00:00:45] John Kelley: And joining me out of San Diego, California, but the company is in Omaha, Nebraska. 
[00:00:50] John Kelley: I've got Dan Williams with owner's Pride. 
[00:00:52] ad: Dan, welcome to the show, and thank. 
[00:00:55] Dann Williams: You so much for having me. 
[00:00:56] ad: Dude, it is a pleasure. 
[00:00:57] John Kelley: And I say that every single episode, and I know I sound like a broken record, but it really is because I get to virtually travel to all these places and dive into what makes people tick as entrepreneurs, what their companies are doing, why? 
[00:01:10] John Kelley: And I bring these companies to a group of listeners that is so supportive, and I got to stop and say, I love our listeners because I love hearing stories. 
[00:01:18] John Kelley: People will text me and say, hey, I went and tried this restaurant that you had on, or I bought this product that you had on, or I'll have the actual guests be like, hey, I had three people come in the restaurant today, and they all said they heard about me on the show, and that's what it's all about. 
[00:01:32] John Kelley: So I'm thankful for the guests that, come on, spend your time with me here talking on this show. 
[00:01:37] John Kelley: And then, of course, always super thankful for the listeners.

[00:01:40] John Kelley and Dann Williams discuss travel perks and upcoming Vegas trip

[00:01:40] John Kelley: But before we hop into today's episode, we always start out with an icebreaker question. 
[00:01:44] John Kelley: Today's Icebreaker question is, would you rather get free plane tickets or free accommodations. 
[00:01:49] ad: For the rest of your life? 
[00:01:52] Intro: I think I'll take the free accommodations because I can buy the plane ticket there. 
[00:01:58] Intro: And my accommodations, that hotel or whatever I'm staying, is usually a lot beefier. 
[00:02:03] Dann Williams: Beefy, Beefier. 
[00:02:07] John Kelley: Hey, that's kind of exactly what at first, I thought about the plane tickets. 
[00:02:10] John Kelley: I was like, bro, I can find out accommodations when I get there. 
[00:02:12] John Kelley: And then I started thinking about it, and I was like, the accommodations are always more expensive, so I'd rather come up with a three to one $800 plane ticket and then get there and have three, four, $5,000 worth of accommodations. 
[00:02:24] ad: For free, especially if you stay for. 
[00:02:26] John Kelley: A week and it's all included. 
[00:02:27] ad: Why not? 
[00:02:28] Intro: And the other half that we're getting ready, we're going to go to Vegas for my wife's birthday next month. 
[00:02:33] Intro: See Miranda Lambert and I need to get a pet sitter, house sitter. 
[00:02:37] Intro: So as expensive as that is to have somebody come and stay at your house, if that was a third option, that might be where I would go. 
[00:02:46] John Kelley: Look, I just want to get it all paid, know somebody just flying me around to go wherever I want and spend time out there. 
[00:02:52] ad: That's the dream. 
[00:02:52] ad: I love traveling. 
[00:02:53] Dann Williams: Yes, sir.

[00:02:54] Revolutionize Your Business with Wingman

[00:02:54] John Kelley: Hey there, entrepreneurs. 
[00:02:56] John Kelley: Are you tired of juggling multiple platforms. 
[00:02:58] outro: For your marketing and sales needs? 
[00:02:59] outro: It's time to revolutionize your business operations with Wingman. 
[00:03:03] outro: Wingman's an all in one marketing automation software. 
[00:03:05] outro: It's designed by experienced marketers who understand your struggles. 
[00:03:09] outro: It's a game changer. 
[00:03:10] outro: It combines the best tools to streamline your communication, automate your workflows, and grow your business. 
[00:03:16] outro: Capture leads using landing pages, surveys, forms, and more. 
[00:03:20] outro: Nurture them with personalized messages via voicemail, SMS, emails, and even Facebook Messenger. 
[00:03:25] outro: And close deals with built in tools to collect payments, schedule appointments, and track analytics. 
[00:03:31] outro: Say goodbye to multiple marketing tools and hello to Wingman. 
[00:03:34] outro: It's your unified platform for all business needs. 
[00:03:37] outro: You can enhance your online presence, manage your reputation effectively, and cultivate leads effortlessly. 
[00:03:43] John Kelley: So, are you ready to take your. 
[00:03:45] outro: Business to new heights? 
[00:03:46] outro: VisIt trustyourwingman.com today and let wingman be your copilot to success. 
[00:03:51] Dann Williams: I've been to Wingman. 
[00:03:53] ad: Awesome.

[00:03:54] The Impact of Wrestling and Mentors on Dann Williams' Entrepreneurship Journey

[00:03:54] John Kelley: Well, we're here to talk about you, where you came from, how you got into entrepreneurship. 
[00:03:58] ad: Dan, what's your origin story? 
[00:04:02] Intro: So I very recently, on the Owner's Pride podcast, did an episode where I kind of went back and I touched on this exact thing. 
[00:04:12] Intro: And out of the people who have been very influential in my life, of course, my father, he passed away about twelve years ago, and the other person who I throw into that mix was my wrestling coach in high school. 
[00:04:24] Intro: And so I just had gone back and revisited. 
[00:04:26] Intro: I've just turned 54, so it's been. 
[00:04:28] Dann Williams: A few years, but through high school. 
[00:04:32] Intro: Wrestling, summer and winter, freestyle. 
[00:04:35] Intro: I think that is one of the main things in my life that's given me tenacity and drive and taught me to never, ever give up. 
[00:04:43] Intro: So it was incredible to be able to go back to talk to Royce Decker and really have that discussion and tell him how much of an influence. 
[00:04:51] Dann Williams: He was in my life. 
[00:04:53] John Kelley: Yeah, I love having other podcasters on the show because you understand podcasting, so you get the whole conversation back and forth. 
[00:05:00] ad: It always winds up being a great episode. 
[00:05:03] John Kelley: But that's one thing I wanted to do, was stop.

[00:05:06] Owners Pride: A Talk with Dann Williams

[00:05:06] John Kelley: And let's also talk about your podcast. 
[00:05:08] John Kelley: Let's drive some people to listen to that because it's something I didn't mention in your intro. 
[00:05:11] John Kelley: But what is the owner's Pride podcast all about? 
[00:05:14] Dann Williams: So we really originally had started the podcast to bring in people that were. 
[00:05:22] Intro: In our network of authorized installers for owners Pride, and that's people that we've authorized to use and sell our ceramic coatings and sell our compliant warranty programs. 
[00:05:32] Dann Williams: So the idea was to kind of. 
[00:05:34] Intro: Bring it in and focus on them for half hour power interviews. 
[00:05:37] Intro: And they can take those pieces of the interview and put it onto their own social media and onto their website. 
[00:05:43] Dann Williams: Kind of the idea is if you're. 
[00:05:45] Intro: Going to look for a company to detail your car and you see that. 
[00:05:49] Dann Williams: You go to their website and the. 
[00:05:51] Intro: Company whose products they're selling, they're sitting down and they have a really nice interview that's focused on them. 
[00:05:56] Intro: It really helps create them more as. 
[00:05:58] Dann Williams: The authority and the guide to give them more credibility. 
[00:06:02] Intro: And then I love doing podcasts and interviewing people. 
[00:06:06] Intro: I've did it with my old company as well. 
[00:06:08] Dann Williams: And for me personally, it's really helped. 
[00:06:11] Intro: Me in the sales side of what I do in being able to communicate and talk with people, to ask those open ended questions. 
[00:06:20] Dann Williams: And then the hardest part originally was. 
[00:06:22] Intro: To shut my mouth and let them do the talking. 
[00:06:26] Intro: So it's helped me with sales, and it's probably the favorite part of what. 
[00:06:30] Dann Williams: I get to do for my living. 
[00:06:32] John Kelley: Yeah, I mean, it's got to be enjoyable because podcasting is fun. 
[00:06:35] John Kelley: Like you said, getting to meet other. 
[00:06:37] ad: People and just hear all about them. 
[00:06:39] John Kelley: And their companies, what they're doing. 
[00:06:41] John Kelley: I don't know, maybe I'm nerdy, but so are all the listeners that tune in because they like to hear it too? 
[00:06:45] John Kelley: I think. 
[00:06:45] John Kelley: So it is a lot of fun. 
[00:06:47] John Kelley: Now, owners pride, I know you mentioned these dealers and stuff, so it's not really like a franchise type thing. 
[00:06:52] John Kelley: You just have to buy in as an authorized dealer to be able to offer these products as part of your service. 
[00:06:59] John Kelley: You have to own basically a shop that's doing this detailing, cleaning, all of that kind of stuff. 
[00:07:04] John Kelley: But then I can buy from the website directly if I want to do my own. 
[00:07:08] Dann Williams: Right. 
[00:07:09] Intro: So there are two different lanes of business that we have. 
[00:07:11] Intro: We definitely serve the needs of the DIY person who's going to be cleaning their own car. 
[00:07:16] Intro: I mean, there's even a ceramic coating. 
[00:07:18] Dann Williams: That you can use, and we're glad. 
[00:07:19] Intro: To give you instructions and help walk. 
[00:07:21] Dann Williams: You through that process. 
[00:07:22] Intro: As a matter of fact, if you call the 1800 number, it goes directly to my phone, and I would absolutely love to talk to anybody. 
[00:07:29] Intro: And then our main core of our business with this company is with authorized installers who are professional detail shops. 
[00:07:37] Intro: They apply to be resellers of our product and have access to everything we have. 
[00:07:43] Intro: Then they go onto our installer map, and we work with them and offer business coaching and really try to Help. 
[00:07:48] Dann Williams: Them scale their business and step away from the buffer itself and try to run their business as an entrepreneur. 
[00:07:58] Dann Williams: Yeah. 
[00:07:58] John Kelley: So it sounds like it's not just. 
[00:08:00] ad: Any fly by night person signs up. 
[00:08:02] John Kelley: For this, buys your product and reuses it. 
[00:08:05] John Kelley: These are people who are kind of vetted and probably have to go through some sort of, yes, we're legit. 
[00:08:10] John Kelley: We know what we're doing, and we're going to represent owners Pride well in. 
[00:08:13] ad: The work that we do. 
[00:08:14] Intro: Yeah, that would just be a train wreck if we would just let anybody on board. 
[00:08:18] Intro: We try to keep a little bit of distance between people and make sure that they're professional, that they're a licensed and insured real business, because when they're. 
[00:08:27] Dann Williams: Selling our products, having the only compliant. 
[00:08:30] Intro: Warranty program in our space, we just have to do things a little more. 
[00:08:34] Dann Williams: On the up and up. 
[00:08:36] Dann Williams: Yeah.

[00:08:36] Insights Into the Turnaround Story of a Mobile Detailing Business Owner

[00:08:36] John Kelley: So how did you get into doing this? 
[00:08:39] John Kelley: What did you do before you were. 
[00:08:41] ad: An entrepreneur and had this big company that's nationwide? 
[00:08:44] Intro: All right, so that wrestling in my early days, and then after high school, I went away to college, and I. 
[00:08:52] Dann Williams: Just went bald out, crazy partying. 
[00:08:54] Intro: I lived in a fraternity house. 
[00:08:56] Intro: I did a year and a half in college. 
[00:08:57] Intro: And then my parents were like, we're. 
[00:08:59] Dann Williams: Really wasting our money here. 
[00:09:01] Intro: So I left that, and then I kicked around. 
[00:09:03] Intro: I moved to Phoenix, Arizona, from Indiana. 
[00:09:05] Dann Williams: State, where I was really. 
[00:09:10] Intro: I did a lot of drugs and. 
[00:09:11] Dann Williams: Alcohol, and I played music, and I. 
[00:09:15] Intro: Toured in a band all around the Southwestern United States, which was an incredible time of life. 
[00:09:20] Intro: I had a blast from what I remember. 
[00:09:23] Intro: Went to rehab for my second time when I was 29 years old in 1998. 
[00:09:28] Dann Williams: June 3, 198. 
[00:09:30] Intro: Then I moved to San Diego from. 
[00:09:33] Dann Williams: Phoenix, and that was with the band. 
[00:09:35] Intro: That I was in. 
[00:09:36] Intro: We broke up about a year later. 
[00:09:38] Dann Williams: I was waiting tables at a Joe's crab Shack, and I was in my early thirty s, and I was getting. 
[00:09:45] Intro: To that point of life where bringing people iced tea just didn't feel cool anymore. 
[00:09:50] Intro: And my family was really pressuring me. 
[00:09:52] Dann Williams: To go into management for a restaurant. 
[00:09:54] Intro: But I just couldn't see myself doing that and being fulfilled. 
[00:09:59] Intro: AnD even now I look back and I just don't think I could have done that. 
[00:10:02] Dann Williams: My stepbrother and my sister are both restaurant managers, and it doesn't look like. 
[00:10:07] Intro: A pleasant existence when I contrast it. 
[00:10:09] Dann Williams: To what I do for a living. 
[00:10:12] Dann Williams: And I had bought a new Dodge. 
[00:10:14] Intro: Truck, a 2004 Dodge Ram pickup truck, and my budies. 
[00:10:18] Dann Williams: One of my really good friends, his. 
[00:10:20] Intro: Next door neighbor, had a detailing business, and he said, hey, I'll put a paint sealant on that, just like the. 
[00:10:25] Dann Williams: Dealerships do for $300, something like that at the time. 
[00:10:28] Dann Williams: And I was like, oh, yeah, sounds great. 
[00:10:30] Intro: They wanted to charge me one $200. 
[00:10:32] Dann Williams: For the same thing at the dealership. 
[00:10:34] Dann Williams: And I watched him do it. 
[00:10:35] Dann Williams: And I kind of was thinking in. 
[00:10:37] Intro: My head, like, I'm a pretty tidy fella. 
[00:10:40] Intro: I could do something like this. 
[00:10:41] Dann Williams: So he let me ride along with. 
[00:10:44] Intro: Him for two days. 
[00:10:45] Dann Williams: I had $1,100 of cash saved up, and I wanted a Rolex watch, but. 
[00:10:52] Intro: I could not afford to get that watch, and I didn't really want to go into management. 
[00:10:56] Intro: So he let me ride along with him and showed me the ropes for two days, went with me to the store, bought $1,100 worth of chemicals and. 
[00:11:04] Dann Williams: Equipment, and I started detailing on my two days off from the restaurant on Thursdays and Fridays. 
[00:11:09] Intro: And as that just kept rolling forward, I was getting busier and busier. 
[00:11:14] Dann Williams: About a month and a half in. 
[00:11:16] Intro: I had enough money saved up to get myself a Rolex, which I still have to this day. 
[00:11:21] Intro: I've never had a moment of buyer's remorse from it. 
[00:11:24] Intro: It's a symbol of victory for me and accomplishment. 
[00:11:28] Dann Williams: And seriously, I cherish that thing to this day. 
[00:11:32] Dann Williams: But I had started this detailing business. 
[00:11:34] Intro: And as it got busier, I would work less and less at the restaurant and more. 
[00:11:37] Intro: I probably worked seven days a week. 
[00:11:39] Dann Williams: For a year, year and a half. 
[00:11:42] Intro: Until I got down to one day a week at the restaurant. 
[00:11:46] Intro: And they were like, okay, buddy, you can go. 
[00:11:47] Dann Williams: Be free and do your thing. 
[00:11:50] Intro: I grew that business for twelve and a half years here in San Diego as a mobile detailing business. 
[00:11:55] Dann Williams: Did well enough that I could employ people and bought a house, which I'm. 
[00:12:00] Intro: In a pretty cool place in San Diego for.

[00:12:03] Taking Advantage of Opportunities in Business with Dann Williams

[00:12:03] Dann Williams: Buying A property is crazy here. 
[00:12:07] Dann Williams: And eventually in business I think one of the most important things, especially when. 
[00:12:14] Intro: You'Re doing something like auto detailing, you work mostly for affluent people who are successful. 
[00:12:20] Intro: People who are not successful are not really paying extra money to have your car detailed. 
[00:12:25] Dann Williams: It's not something that you absolutely have to do. 
[00:12:27] Dann Williams: It's a luxury item. 
[00:12:28] Dann Williams: So keeping your eye open to all. 
[00:12:30] Intro: Of the opportunities that present themselves and not being afraid to take those opportunities. 
[00:12:36] Dann Williams: Is probably the most core piece of. 
[00:12:39] Intro: Advice that I give to everybody that. 
[00:12:41] Dann Williams: I work with and that I mentor. 
[00:12:43] Intro: Because buying my house came from one of my customers who is a real. 
[00:12:47] Dann Williams: Estate lawyer who he just bought and. 
[00:12:48] Intro: Sold properties, and he helped me get in here because he bought it for. 
[00:12:51] Dann Williams: Cash and carried the loan for six months while I did some improvements. 
[00:13:00] Intro: There's just so much opportunity that you have to be able to reach out. 
[00:13:04] Dann Williams: And take advantage of it. 
[00:13:06] ad: Yeah, it sounds probably silly, honestly when. 
[00:13:10] John Kelley: I say this, but have you ever seen the movie? 
[00:13:12] ad: Yes man. 
[00:13:14] John Kelley: So that movie kind of gave me a perspective on things. 
[00:13:19] John Kelley: And I know, obviously, if you really want to get deep and philosophical, yes, movies are there to entertain and then they're fictional. 
[00:13:26] John Kelley: And sometimes it's supposed to give you kind of that other view or whatever. 
[00:13:29] John Kelley: But that movie, for some reason, has always stuck with me. 
[00:13:32] ad: And it's all the way down to this. 
[00:13:34] John Kelley: I answer phone calls that I don't. 
[00:13:36] ad: Recognize on my phone all the time. 
[00:13:39] John Kelley: And I do it because of things like that movie. 
[00:13:41] John Kelley: It goes exactly along with what you're speaking about. 
[00:13:44] John Kelley: You don't know what it is until you try. 
[00:13:47] John Kelley: And the worst case is you pick up and it's some scam call, spam. 
[00:13:51] ad: Call, and you hang up on them. 
[00:13:53] John Kelley: Or like me, I like to enjoy myself and have a little fun with them sometimes. 
[00:13:57] John Kelley: If you want to call and waste my time, hey, buddy, if I got time, I'm going to answer and we're going to go for a ride here and see how long I can keep. 
[00:14:03] ad: You on the phone. 
[00:14:05] John Kelley: My wife, in contrast, will not answer the phone if she doesn't know who it is caLling. 
[00:14:10] ad: And I'm like, to me, that's the. 
[00:14:12] John Kelley: Dangerous way to live because you never know. 
[00:14:14] John Kelley: It could be a million dollar phone. 
[00:14:16] ad: Call where someone's calling and wants to. 
[00:14:18] John Kelley: Set you up on something. 
[00:14:19] ad: It could be on the other side of that thing. 
[00:14:21] John Kelley: It could be, hey, there's something wrong with your child, your husband, your wife, your whomever. 
[00:14:26] John Kelley: You never know what that call is going to be about. 
[00:14:29] John Kelley: So answer it. 
[00:14:29] John Kelley: And it's the same thing exactly what you're talking about. 
[00:14:32] ad: Look into those opportunities. 
[00:14:34] ad: Don't let something pass you by. 
[00:14:37] ad: I am happily working full time at. 
[00:14:40] John Kelley: A job, and then I'm doing the same thing as you. 
[00:14:42] John Kelley: Right? 
[00:14:42] John Kelley: I work full time somewhere. 
[00:14:44] John Kelley: I love my job. 
[00:14:44] John Kelley: I enjoy it. 
[00:14:45] John Kelley: It's the fire department. 
[00:14:46] John Kelley: I'm a lieutenant on a fire truck. 
[00:14:48] John Kelley: It's one of the best jobs I think there ever could be in the world. 
[00:14:50] John Kelley: The problem is I work for the. 
[00:14:52] ad: Taxpayer, and the taxpayer doesn't pay a. 
[00:14:55] John Kelley: Million dollars a year. 
[00:14:56] ad: I want to make a crap ton. 
[00:14:58] John Kelley: Of money in my life, and I want to set my kids up for success. 
[00:15:00] John Kelley: So therefore I have my eyes set. 
[00:15:02] ad: On a bigger goal. 
[00:15:03] John Kelley: And so I'm doing the same thing you are. 
[00:15:05] John Kelley: Where I'm working this full time schedule there. 
[00:15:07] John Kelley: Then I work for a marketing agency my buddy owns, and then I work for myself, where me and that same buddy co own an event company together. 
[00:15:15] John Kelley: And we're trying to make it to. 
[00:15:16] ad: Where these two companies set us up. 
[00:15:19] John Kelley: Each of ourselves up, for life. 
[00:15:21] John Kelley: And that's the whole end goal. 
[00:15:23] John Kelley: And you're right, we're working basically two, three full time jobs worth of hours to just try and make it work. 
[00:15:28] John Kelley: And there's nothing wrong with that. 
[00:15:29] John Kelley: But if I don't answer every single. 
[00:15:32] ad: Phone call that comes in, or if. 
[00:15:34] John Kelley: I don't take every job interview for another position somewhere, even though I don't want to switch jobs, why not take that interview and see where it goes? 
[00:15:41] John Kelley: Because that's the best thing you can do, is walk into it and say, you know what? 
[00:15:45] John Kelley: I don't want this job unless it pays me more than $150,000 a year, which is another step up for me getting to where I want to go. 
[00:15:52] John Kelley: And then you never know. 
[00:15:53] John Kelley: Maybe they're going to look at you. 
[00:15:54] ad: And say, okAy, yeah, we'll do that. 
[00:15:56] John Kelley: Or maybe their offer is going to be higher. 
[00:15:58] John Kelley: Like, don't let that opportunity go to waste.

[00:16:00] The Journey of Dann Williams: From Detailing Cars to Supplying Detailers

[00:16:00] John Kelley: So I went off on that tangent to say, I love your message there. 
[00:16:04] John Kelley: I think it's an amazing one. 
[00:16:06] John Kelley: And for anybody who's in that struggle of wanting to work for themselves, and they're listening now, I mean, listen to this origin story and draw from it. 
[00:16:14] John Kelley: It doesn't matter what you did. 
[00:16:16] John Kelley: It doesn't matter where you are. 
[00:16:17] John Kelley: All that matters is where you want to go. 
[00:16:19] John Kelley: And I tell people this all the time, it's like GPS. 
[00:16:22] John Kelley: It doesn't matter what path you take to get to the destination, as long as you're going to that destination. 
[00:16:28] John Kelley: So there's going to be mess ups sometimes you're going to go to rehab. 
[00:16:31] John Kelley: Sometimes you're going to have a drug or alcohol problem. 
[00:16:34] John Kelley: Sometimes you're going to get arrested. 
[00:16:35] John Kelley: Sometimes you may get a felony record. 
[00:16:37] John Kelley: It doesn't matter as long as you recover from it and get to where you want to go. 
[00:16:42] John Kelley: In the long run, you can always. 
[00:16:44] ad: Fix it, but you have to start with today. 
[00:16:46] ad: You can't just let the past say. 
[00:16:49] John Kelley: Well, I wrecked out and I'm done. 
[00:16:50] ad: Get a new car, move on, go with it. 
[00:16:53] ad: So I don't know. 
[00:16:54] John Kelley: Absolutely love that message. 
[00:16:55] Dann Williams: That was great. 
[00:16:56] ad: So you decide finally, you've got enough. 
[00:17:00] John Kelley: Money, you're making it, you're doing it. 
[00:17:02] John Kelley: Where was that transition from detailing cars to stepping back and supplying detailers? 
[00:17:08] Intro: So right along with the same exact theme that we were on about taking advantage of those opportunities, I went to SEMA, which is the biggest trade show. 
[00:17:18] Dann Williams: For our space one year, and I went by myself, and I was working. 
[00:17:24] Intro: With, using a company called Opticotes Products. 
[00:17:27] Intro: At that time, I had become a distributor for them. 
[00:17:30] Intro: I went to another trade show, which those trade shows in our industry are. 
[00:17:34] Dann Williams: Huge to go to. 
[00:17:34] Intro: I don't know if everybody's industry, they're. 
[00:17:37] Dann Williams: As effective and there's great of connections, but for the detail space, you got to go to those. 
[00:17:43] Intro: I went to Mobile Tech Expo probably in 2006 or seven, and I took. 
[00:17:47] Dann Williams: A couple of employees with me, and. 
[00:17:50] Intro: I had sat through a seminar, and I became a distributor for another company. 
[00:17:53] Dann Williams: In the space that's called Opticote. 
[00:17:55] Intro: And the year that I went to SEMA, I was by myself walking around on the show floor, and I got to their booth, and it was the first year that they had had a. 
[00:18:02] Dann Williams: Booth, and I was talking to the CEO of the company, small Company, and. 
[00:18:08] Intro: A couple customers came up and they were asking questions. 
[00:18:11] Intro: So I just started answering questions. 
[00:18:12] Intro: And then I kind of weaseled my. 
[00:18:13] Dann Williams: Way behind it and stood there the. 
[00:18:16] Intro: Rest of the day because I was hanging out by myself anyway. 
[00:18:19] Intro: And the next day I came back and did the same thing. 
[00:18:22] Dann Williams: The following year, Dr. 
[00:18:24] Dann Williams: Goduse from that. 
[00:18:25] Intro: Company called me and said, hey, I would like for you to come to SEMA and work at the booth for me. 
[00:18:29] Intro: I'll pay for your whole trip and everything. 
[00:18:31] Dann Williams: And I was like, oh, that sounds like Fantastic deal. 
[00:18:34] Dann Williams: So I did that. 
[00:18:36] Dann Williams: And then I became a consultant for. 
[00:18:38] Intro: That company because the opportunity presented itself and I did it. 
[00:18:41] Intro: So I had my business and I was helping support the installers for that company. 
[00:18:46] Intro: It came to a point where it. 
[00:18:48] Dann Williams: Got busier and busier and he said. 
[00:18:50] Intro: It'S time to sell your company and. 
[00:18:52] Dann Williams: Come on board full time. 
[00:18:54] Dann Williams: So I did. 
[00:18:54] Intro: I sold my company, which selling a. 
[00:18:57] Dann Williams: Company in this space is a pretty neat notch on your belt. 
[00:19:02] Dann Williams: Also went there, and I worked full time. 
[00:19:06] Intro: The CEO got sick and he went away for a while. 
[00:19:09] Intro: And when he came back, I think. 
[00:19:10] Dann Williams: He kind of wanted to shrink the business down. 
[00:19:13] Intro: But that was okay, because then this opportunity with owner's Pride presented itself. 
[00:19:18] Intro: And once know, you keep your eyes open for these opportunities when things get a little shaky in one place. 
[00:19:25] Intro: Owner's Pride was a detail shop. 
[00:19:27] Intro: That was one of my customers. 
[00:19:28] Intro: When I was at my last company, they decided Damon Gray, who's the founder. 
[00:19:32] Dann Williams: Decided they wanted to not sell optimum. 
[00:19:35] Intro: Products, and they wanted to have their own line of products and their own ceramic coating and warranty program. 
[00:19:40] Intro: So they tapped me to come and. 
[00:19:42] Dann Williams: Be a part of that company, which. 
[00:19:44] Intro: It came with an equity position. 
[00:19:45] Intro: And they gave me a Mercedes and. 
[00:19:48] Dann Williams: Equity position, really good insurance. 
[00:19:51] Intro: It was a much better deal. 
[00:19:53] Dann Williams: So changing was a beautiful, beautiful transition at around 50 years old for me, went there. 
[00:20:01] Intro: We launched this company on February 15. 
[00:20:04] Dann Williams: In 2003, weeks before COVID shut the world down. 
[00:20:07] Dann Williams: So the amount of anxiety that I. 
[00:20:10] Intro: Felt as we launched the company, but. 
[00:20:17] Dann Williams: I'm telling you what, this world of detailing cars, most of the guys who are in this space made more money. 
[00:20:24] Intro: During COVID than they had made their entire career. 
[00:20:27] Dann Williams: We plowed right through year one. 
[00:20:30] Intro: We're well over a million dollars, and. 
[00:20:32] Dann Williams: We had a good 30 some percent growth the next year. 
[00:20:36] Intro: And we're trying to hit 40% next year for year number three, which we just started. 
[00:20:42] Dann Williams: It's just going fantastic. 
[00:20:44] John Kelley: It's amazing to hear because obviously, when. 
[00:20:47] ad: I started this show, it was called. 
[00:20:50] John Kelley: The Beef podcast back then. 
[00:20:51] ad: But it seems like, I guess probably. 
[00:20:54] John Kelley: Just because it was 2021 when we started recording, which means that obviously, we were at the tail end of the. 
[00:21:00] ad: Major COVID issues and things that we. 
[00:21:03] John Kelley: Were still dealing with and recovering from. 
[00:21:05] John Kelley: And that was kind of the number one problem that most businesses on this.

[00:21:09] A Conversation about Professional Car Detailing Products with Dann Williams from Owner's Pride

[00:21:09] ad: Show talked about was COVID. 
[00:21:11] John Kelley: That's the struggle. 
[00:21:12] John Kelley: That's the part that we had to kind of go through that made us nervous. 
[00:21:16] ad: But I love those stories of people. 
[00:21:19] John Kelley: Who took that and then just said, you know what? 
[00:21:21] John Kelley: This isn't a problem. 
[00:21:22] John Kelley: This isn't a struggle. 
[00:21:23] John Kelley: We're going to do better than we ever thought we were going to. 
[00:21:26] John Kelley: And I think some of it has. 
[00:21:27] ad: To do with luck. 
[00:21:29] John Kelley: Your business is just one that probably more people had time now to focus on what their car was going to look like and decided, you know what? 
[00:21:36] John Kelley: I got all this free time at home because of shutdowns. 
[00:21:39] ad: Might will get out there and detail. 
[00:21:41] John Kelley: My car and do something about it. 
[00:21:42] ad: Now me, I'm not that way. 
[00:21:44] John Kelley: I'm the guy that I'm looking for a really good dealer that you have that doesn't charge an arm and a leg but still does a good job and I can just take it to them and have them do it because not that I don't enjoy getting out there and putting my hands on my Jeep and cleaning it. 
[00:21:57] John Kelley: It's just that honestly, time is valuable and limited and it is something I just don't have time to do. 
[00:22:03] John Kelley: I could be spending that time focusing on the million other things I have on my plate. 
[00:22:07] John Kelley: So I'm looking for that person that is really good. 
[00:22:10] John Kelley: So can I just go to your website and kind of get hooked up with somebody who does this work that's authorized? 
[00:22:15] Dann Williams: Yeah. 
[00:22:16] Intro: If you go to ownerspride.com and click on Find an installer and you can put in your zip code or your address and it'll populate the page with. 
[00:22:25] Dann Williams: Who is near you. 
[00:22:26] Dann Williams: Got it. 
[00:22:27] John Kelley: Now, same website. 
[00:22:28] John Kelley: I can order products directly or is this something where I need to go. 
[00:22:31] ad: To someone that kind of resells it? 
[00:22:33] Dann Williams: No. 
[00:22:34] Intro: So a lot of our installers do resell products from their own shop. 
[00:22:39] Dann Williams: We make it convenient for them to do so. 
[00:22:42] Dann Williams: We are listed on eBay, so you. 
[00:22:45] Intro: Can buy any of the products there or ownerspride.com. 
[00:22:47] Intro: But I'll tell you what, if you go to ownerspride.com and you use EcowashtheWorld. 
[00:22:52] Dann Williams: At Checkout, you will get 10% off. 
[00:22:54] ad: Nice. 
[00:22:54] John Kelley: So what makes your product different from what I can go buy at AutoZone or Napa or any of those auto Parts Shops that sell these detail Cleaning products. 
[00:23:04] Intro: We like to say we have professional products without the professional problems. 
[00:23:09] Intro: So a lot of things that you're going to go Buy off of the shelf at Walmart or an Autozone are going to be much more heavily diluted. 
[00:23:17] Dann Williams: For products that are sitting on a. 
[00:23:19] Intro: Shelf in that kind of store. 
[00:23:21] Intro: Turn and burn is what it's all about. 
[00:23:22] Intro: So you really need that product to. 
[00:23:24] Dann Williams: Be that customer to come back in and buy the product. 
[00:23:27] Dann Williams: So we have more professional products like our eco Wash, which I always tell. 
[00:23:32] Intro: People my name is Dan E. 
[00:23:33] Intro: Williams and the E stands for Eco Wash. 
[00:23:37] Dann Williams: But it's Dilutable at 512 to one. 
[00:23:40] Dann Williams: SO a little dabble. 
[00:23:42] Dann Williams: DO you remember that Brill Cream Commercial? 
[00:23:44] ad: Oh, yeah, absolutely. 
[00:23:48] John Kelley: Motorcycles. 
[00:23:48] John Kelley: So we would use all that kind of stuff to clean Chrome and Whatnot. 
[00:23:54] Intro: And then again, our biggest customer is our professional detailer. 
[00:24:01] Intro: So you have access to A lot of the same Products that those Guys. 
[00:24:03] Dann Williams: Have, and it's just on a little bit higher level. 
[00:24:07] ad: So, I mean, it's basically, InstEad of. 
[00:24:09] John Kelley: Going and buying something that is already. 
[00:24:12] ad: Diluted, it's a little bit cheaper of. 
[00:24:14] John Kelley: A product where you're going to be able to use. 
[00:24:17] John Kelley: You can still use, it still works, but you're going to have to use a lot of it. 
[00:24:20] ad: This is something that it takes just a little bit, and you're going to. 
[00:24:23] John Kelley: Have the professional grade quality as if you are going somewhere that's doing a. 
[00:24:28] ad: Professional detail service that's just on your own. 
[00:24:30] Dann Williams: Yes, and we have a consumer friendly. 
[00:24:34] Intro: Ceramic coating, even if you wanted to coat your own car in your own driveway. 
[00:24:38] Dann Williams: But like you said, there's a lot. 
[00:24:40] Intro: That goes into it. 
[00:24:41] Intro: If you really want to decontaminate the. 
[00:24:42] Dann Williams: Paint and get the clay of the. 
[00:24:45] Intro: Paint and use the proper chemicals to decontaminate it, polish it, and then put a coating on. 
[00:24:50] Dann Williams: It's not just as easy as it may sound right off the bat. 
[00:24:54] John Kelley: Yeah, we've got guys at the fire station. 
[00:24:56] John Kelley: That is it. 
[00:24:57] John Kelley: Clay bar. 
[00:24:57] ad: Is that what you use to get stuff off? 
[00:25:00] John Kelley: And like you said, kind of decontaminate the paint? 
[00:25:02] John Kelley: I mean, these guys are just. 
[00:25:04] ad: They're ate up about it. 
[00:25:05] John Kelley: They love sitting out there and spending hours doing that kind of stuff. 
[00:25:08] John Kelley: And I'm like, well, I'm going to be inside working on this project that I've got going on or something. 
[00:25:14] ad: I love the idea of it. 
[00:25:15] John Kelley: It would be great to have kind of that owner's pride, pun intended of, this is my ride. 
[00:25:19] John Kelley: And I spent all this time making sure that it looks great and gets. 
[00:25:23] ad: Compliments, but it does. 
[00:25:24] John Kelley: It takes a lot. 
[00:25:25] John Kelley: And even if I listened to everything that you told me to do and read, everything I could read, diluted it perfectly. 
[00:25:32] ad: I mean, just did everything I was. 
[00:25:33] John Kelley: Supposed to do, I'd still find a. 
[00:25:34] ad: Way to mess it up. 
[00:25:35] ad: And that's always my fear, is when. 
[00:25:37] John Kelley: You'Re spending this kind of money on. 
[00:25:39] ad: Quality products, I just want it done right. 
[00:25:41] John Kelley: So I'd rather go to an authorized dealer, but that's just me. 
[00:25:43] John Kelley: So if people are out here and they want these professional grade products, then head over to your site and we'll put it in the show notes, too.

[00:25:51] Discussion on Owner's Pride Car Care Products with Dann Williams

[00:25:51] John Kelley: But what was that code again for. 
[00:25:52] Dann Williams: 10% off Ecowash the world? 
[00:25:57] Dann Williams: Perfect. 
[00:25:57] John Kelley: Heck yeah, man. 
[00:25:58] John Kelley: No, I love it because I went to your website, obviously, when we first started talking, and I saw a lot of things there. 
[00:26:06] John Kelley: So it looks like a solution for anything and everything you want to do for your car. 
[00:26:10] ad: But what is the bread and butter. 
[00:26:11] John Kelley: The really good products you offer that if anybody came to you and said. 
[00:26:15] ad: I need one thing, what would it be that you're looking to push the most? 
[00:26:20] Intro: Well, if it's a regular consumer, like somebody listening to this, that might want to wash their own car, I would say eco wash. 
[00:26:28] Dann Williams: It's just my thing. 
[00:26:30] Intro: It's ph balance of seven. 
[00:26:32] Intro: You put one little tiny cap full in three gallons of water, and it's plenty to wash your car. 
[00:26:36] Intro: If you live, like, I live in California, where we're, generally speaking, in a drought, you can wash your car with a couple gallons of water without having to hose everything down. 
[00:26:45] Intro: It's safer than using just regular car. 
[00:26:47] Dann Williams: Wash soap, ceramic detail spray. 
[00:26:51] Dann Williams: Fantastic product. 
[00:26:52] Intro: That's what I use on my own car. 
[00:26:53] Intro: Basically every time I wash it, those. 
[00:26:55] Dann Williams: Two products, I tell people if I. 
[00:26:57] Intro: Had to be stranded on a desert island by myself with my car and only two products, it would be owner's. 
[00:27:02] Dann Williams: Pride Eco Wash and owner's Pride ceramic. 
[00:27:05] Dann Williams: Yeah. 
[00:27:05] John Kelley: Are y'all doing anything for the consumer level? 
[00:27:08] John Kelley: To find out more information about y'all? 
[00:27:10] ad: Are y'all on social media, YouTube, anything like that? 
[00:27:14] Dann Williams: Absolutely. 
[00:27:16] Dann Williams: We're on all the social media channels. 
[00:27:19] Intro: We have a guy named Davis, who's our creative director, and he handles most of that. 
[00:27:23] Intro: I do the podcast for us, which there's a long form interview podcast where I try to bring in people from. 
[00:27:29] Dann Williams: Outside of our industry to discuss things. 
[00:27:34] Intro: Most of the podcasts in our space know the same kind of good old. 
[00:27:37] Dann Williams: Boys club where they all kind of. 
[00:27:39] Intro: Stroke each other's ego about what a great polisher they are. 
[00:27:42] Intro: So I do it a little bit different than I've just had. 
[00:27:46] Intro: Mike McCallowitz and Joey Coleman, who are. 
[00:27:48] Dann Williams: Both really cool business book authors, and just a lot of people from outside of it. 
[00:27:54] Intro: And to that note, we are starting a new podcast episode that's going to be really cool. 
[00:28:00] Dann Williams: I based it sort of off of that. 
[00:28:01] Intro: Jerry Seinfeld, comedians and cars getting coffee. 
[00:28:04] Dann Williams: But this is where I go to. 
[00:28:07] Intro: The customer, like car collectors and people. 
[00:28:10] Dann Williams: Who have had either used owners pride. 
[00:28:12] Intro: Products on their car, or they've had it detailed by someone. 
[00:28:15] Dann Williams: Maybe they're in a car club, or. 
[00:28:17] Intro: Maybe they're just really into their car, but we go and we talk about their car and their journey. 
[00:28:22] Intro: And then we jump into the car and take a ride and video the whole thing. 
[00:28:25] Intro: They are coming out so cool. 
[00:28:27] Intro: So I'm super excited. 
[00:28:28] Intro: That should launch sometime next week. 
[00:28:30] Intro: And that's really just a great way for us to kind of get a backdoor into a lot of regular consumers who they can see our name brand. 
[00:28:37] Dann Williams: And do something a little bit different. 
[00:28:40] John Kelley: Yeah, I mean, I just think that's probably somewhere that's underserved a little bit. 
[00:28:44] ad: Is that consumer that does want to. 
[00:28:46] John Kelley: Not spend thousands of dollars having someone. 
[00:28:49] ad: Detail their vehicle and keep it looking. 
[00:28:52] John Kelley: Fresh and protected and all that. 
[00:28:54] John Kelley: They want to do it themselves, but they don't know where to start because. 
[00:28:56] ad: With me, that's one thing I'm terrible about. 
[00:28:59] John Kelley: My wife gets on to me all. 
[00:29:00] ad: The time and she's like, that's a concentrate. 
[00:29:03] John Kelley: Why are you just using it straight? 
[00:29:04] John Kelley: You can dilute that and save it. 
[00:29:06] John Kelley: So I'm one that would look at. 
[00:29:07] ad: A product and be like, well, this. 
[00:29:09] John Kelley: Is a lot of money for this. 
[00:29:11] ad: Little jug of cleaner. 
[00:29:13] ad: And then you're like, well, yeah, but. 
[00:29:14] John Kelley: When you can dilute it like 30 times, that jug is going to last you months or years. 
[00:29:20] ad: It's not really that expensive because you're. 
[00:29:22] John Kelley: Paying for the concentrate. 
[00:29:23] John Kelley: So I forget little things like that. 
[00:29:24] ad: Which is why I don't like getting. 
[00:29:26] John Kelley: Into the weeds on how to detail these cars and take care of the. 
[00:29:30] ad: Paint and everything else, because I will. 
[00:29:31] John Kelley: Forget little details like that because I'm not familiar with it. 
[00:29:34] John Kelley: It's just not something I do for a living. 
[00:29:36] John Kelley: So I think that that's somewhere that there's probably some really good info that. 
[00:29:40] ad: Could be pushed out is just how. 
[00:29:42] John Kelley: To do it, like the professionals. 
[00:29:44] John Kelley: And then here's the stuff that's as. 
[00:29:45] ad: Good as what they're using, because oftentimes it is what they're using.

[00:29:49] Marketing and Networking Opportunities for Businesses

[00:29:49] Dann Williams: Yeah. 
[00:29:50] Intro: And I would love to have you over on our podcast because the message of marketing and everything that you guys are doing is always huge information for all of the small business owners and. 
[00:30:03] Dann Williams: Solopreneurs that are our audience. 
[00:30:07] ad: Yeah, it's insane, man, how much all. 
[00:30:10] John Kelley: Of these things can kind of overlap, and especially when it comes to marketing, that's why I enjoy what I do, because everybody that I meet, whether they become a customer or not, it's just good to have those connections. 
[00:30:21] John Kelley: And as you know, just like with the trade shows, I think trade shows are big because it's like not answering your phone when you don't recognize the phone number. 
[00:30:28] John Kelley: You don't know what you don't know, and you don't know who you don't know. 
[00:30:32] John Kelley: So if you can get to those trade shows, even if all you walk away with is a stack of business. 
[00:30:35] ad: Cards or new contacts, it can be. 
[00:30:38] John Kelley: So helpful for you just to be able to meet new people, talk about what you do, spread that message, and you never know who you're going to meet and who might turn into a. 
[00:30:46] ad: Million dollar connection for sure. 
[00:30:48] Intro: And I don't know about other spaces in particular, but when you're in the. 
[00:30:54] Dann Williams: Grind as having a detailing business and. 
[00:30:57] Intro: Every day you've got volume coming in, you're trying to close sales, you're trying to order products, maybe you have employees that you're trying to watch out, and. 
[00:31:05] Dann Williams: There'S all this going on. 
[00:31:07] Intro: It's such a great mental break to. 
[00:31:09] Dann Williams: Go and just be around a group. 
[00:31:12] Intro: Of humans who are all like minded. 
[00:31:14] Dann Williams: With you and just being able to bounce ideas because maybe your wife or. 
[00:31:19] Intro: Your friends, they're maybe sick of hearing you talk about detailing cars or whatever your business is. 
[00:31:26] Intro: But when you're with that group of people, so many fresh ideas come to play. 
[00:31:31] Intro: I've always come back feeling energized and with some new ideas that are going. 
[00:31:35] Dann Williams: To pump my business up. 
[00:31:37] John Kelley: Yeah, see, that's the thing. 
[00:31:38] John Kelley: All my friends and family are tired of hearing me talk about the podcast. 
[00:31:41] ad: But right now, podcast movement, as we're. 
[00:31:44] John Kelley: Recording this, podcast movement is taking off and starting today in Vegas. 
[00:31:48] John Kelley: And I'm like, man, I'm so sad I'm missing it, but I have so much going on. 
[00:31:51] ad: I have to be here. 
[00:31:52] John Kelley: But when you go to those places where that's all everyone does, they don't mind hearing about it because they want to hear about it. 
[00:31:58] John Kelley: They want to know what you're doing versus your friends and family are like, oh, yeah, you've got a podcast, bro. 
[00:32:04] John Kelley: We know. 
[00:32:04] ad: We've heard about it. 
[00:32:06] John Kelley: Yeah, and it's all in love, but they get tired of hearing about it. 
[00:32:09] ad: Because you're always trying to push that out there. 
[00:32:11] Intro: I wanted to go to that also. 
[00:32:13] Intro: I do want to go to one. 
[00:32:15] Dann Williams: Of these podcast conventions, especially as I'm. 
[00:32:18] Intro: Trying to take it kind of to the next level. 
[00:32:20] Intro: I don't think anybody in my space is really doing that. 
[00:32:22] Dann Williams: I looked at that one. 
[00:32:23] Intro: I'm teaching two classes this weekend, two detail clinics up in LA, so I. 
[00:32:27] Dann Williams: Couldn'T make this one work. 
[00:32:29] Dann Williams: I think there's one coming up in also. 
[00:32:32] ad: Yes. 
[00:32:33] John Kelley: Yeah, they had two events this year. 
[00:32:34] ad: So maybe we'll have to meet up. 
[00:32:36] John Kelley: In that one and go see what's going on there in Colorado. 
[00:32:40] John Kelley: I've never been to Colorado, so definitely. 
[00:32:42] ad: Somewhere I want to cross off my bucket list. 
[00:32:45] ad: There's actually a really cool. 
[00:32:47] ad: I think it's in Lakewood, Colorado. 
[00:32:50] John Kelley: There's a place called Rods and Bods. 
[00:32:53] John Kelley: They have a 75 car collection museum inside of a mall there. 
[00:32:59] John Kelley: I just found out about them on. 
[00:33:00] ad: TikTok, and so that's what I was sitting here thinking. 
[00:33:03] John Kelley: With your show and what you're doing, that's the perfect place to go. 
[00:33:07] John Kelley: I think he said he has, like, 150 cars total. 
[00:33:09] John Kelley: He keeps about 75 in this museum. 
[00:33:11] John Kelley: Some of them are actual screen time cars that they've got the certificate of Authenticity. 
[00:33:19] John Kelley: They've bought the stuff. 
[00:33:19] John Kelley: Like, he talks to Jay Leno. 
[00:33:21] ad: He's that level of. 
[00:33:23] John Kelley: They compare their car collection and whatnot. 
[00:33:25] John Kelley: And then, of course, he has the. 
[00:33:27] ad: Builds that he creates that there is. 
[00:33:30] John Kelley: No screen time for them to have. 
[00:33:31] ad: He just rebuilt a certain vehicle and. 
[00:33:34] John Kelley: Kind of throws it in there and just. 
[00:33:35] John Kelley: I mean, some beautiful things. 
[00:33:37] John Kelley: Everything from Eleanor from gone in 60 seconds to all these other cars that you can actually go in and see, and then one is featured where you can sit down, look, touch, feel, and take part in it more than a museum normally lets you do. 
[00:33:50] ad: So that would be. 
[00:33:51] ad: I want to have them on the. 
[00:33:52] John Kelley: Podcast, but for you, I think that would be a really good episode to have as. 
[00:33:57] Dann Williams: Yeah, that's. 
[00:33:58] Intro: Now that's one that I want to go and take a ride in the car and do one of my behind the wheel episodes. 
[00:34:03] John Kelley: Yep. 
[00:34:03] John Kelley: See, that's what I'm saying. 
[00:34:04] ad: We need to go do the podcast. 
[00:34:06] John Kelley: Movement in Colorado, have everybody that listens to our shows follow us on that. 
[00:34:10] ad: And then go interview this guy and get a nice little show going. 
[00:34:15] Dann Williams: I absolutely agree. 
[00:34:17] Dann Williams: Dan.

[00:34:17] Discussing Compliant Warranty Program and its Importance in Business

[00:34:17] John Kelley: What else can we say about your companies and your podcast? 
[00:34:20] John Kelley: Man, I think we covered so much. 
[00:34:21] ad: In so little know. 
[00:34:23] Intro: I'll touch on one more thing that really does set us apart from everybody else in the industry, and that is we have a compliant warranty program. 
[00:34:33] Intro: Most, and I can do this without disparaging anybody or really calling anybody out, but just with a cautionary tale for anybody out there who's thinking of getting. 
[00:34:42] Dann Williams: A ceramic coating that comes with a warranty. 
[00:34:46] Dann Williams: My air quotes. 
[00:34:47] Intro: A lot of these companies basically take a piece of cardboard and a crayon and write warranty with backwards ours and hand it to a customer. 
[00:34:55] Intro: We actually work with ECP out of Chicago as our admin for our warranty company. 
[00:35:01] Intro: Which is a big publicly traded company. 
[00:35:03] Intro: They make products for NASA, the military, OEMs. 
[00:35:06] Intro: And we have an insurance company behind. 
[00:35:08] Dann Williams: It, too, called Wesco Insurance out of New York City. 
[00:35:11] Dann Williams: So where does the difference come in? 
[00:35:13] Intro: If you have a warranty claim, anything. 
[00:35:15] Dann Williams: That'S actually covered under this warranty. 
[00:35:18] Intro: If my business goes out of business, the detailer's business goes out of business, you're still going to call a 1800 number and have that claim adjudicated for. 
[00:35:25] Dann Williams: The entire life of the warranty. 
[00:35:28] Intro: If you're in Houston and you get. 
[00:35:30] Dann Williams: Your product there and your warranty, and. 
[00:35:32] Intro: You move to the middle of Montana, and there's not an installer for owners pride around for 500 miles in any. 
[00:35:37] Dann Williams: Direction, you still call a 1800 number. 
[00:35:40] Intro: And they're going to find somebody to. 
[00:35:41] Dann Williams: Adjudicate your claim and make you whole. 
[00:35:43] Intro: And that is completely different. 
[00:35:45] Dann Williams: We follow the laws of the Federal. 
[00:35:48] Intro: Trade Commission, who regulates warranty sales in the United States, as well as the. 
[00:35:52] Dann Williams: Magnus and loss act of 1975. 
[00:35:55] Intro: So you're actually getting exactly what you pay for. 
[00:35:58] Intro: There's an aggregate tied to every warranty. 
[00:36:01] Intro: So there's like a $5,000 aggregate on a seven year exterior warranty or interior. 
[00:36:05] Dann Williams: Warranty where you're not going to get the runaround. 
[00:36:11] Dann Williams: A lot of these companies just, they. 
[00:36:13] Intro: Don'T play by the rules. 
[00:36:14] Intro: They say you have to come back in every year to have something else applied to your car or your warranty. 
[00:36:18] Dann Williams: Is not valid, and that's just not compliant and not legal. 
[00:36:23] Dann Williams: Yeah, that's a big deal for us. 
[00:36:25] John Kelley: No, I think that's a huge deal. 
[00:36:27] ad: Because as much as I. 
[00:36:29] John Kelley: And I don't mean this rude towards Amazon, I'm sure Jeff Bezos doesn't listen to the show and he's not going to hear this anyway, and it doesn't matter. 
[00:36:35] ad: But I hate shopping at Amazon just because I prefer to really give money. 
[00:36:42] John Kelley: To the little guy. 
[00:36:42] John Kelley: But the thing that always keeps me coming back is that I know if. 
[00:36:46] ad: There'S a problem with my order, there's very little questions asked, and I can. 
[00:36:51] John Kelley: Send that back in and get it taken care of and be made whole with no problem. 
[00:36:56] ad: And it's down to the point that. 
[00:37:00] John Kelley: Even if it's something that is my error. 
[00:37:02] John Kelley: Nine out of ten times that customer service agent is going to offer something. 
[00:37:06] ad: Even if it is just, hey, we're. 
[00:37:09] John Kelley: Sorry that we missed the mark on this, but here's $5 in credit on your next order. 
[00:37:13] John Kelley: I've had that happen a couple of. 
[00:37:14] ad: Times, and it's like hey, something's better than nothing. 
[00:37:17] John Kelley: It helps. 
[00:37:18] John Kelley: And to have that security and satisfaction. 
[00:37:20] ad: That I'm never going to have to. 
[00:37:22] John Kelley: Worry about the money that I'm spending. 
[00:37:24] ad: And that is so big because so. 
[00:37:26] John Kelley: Many of those places. 
[00:37:26] John Kelley: You're right. 
[00:37:27] ad: It's like I just disregard the warranty. 
[00:37:30] John Kelley: When they start talking to me about. 
[00:37:32] ad: It because it's like, well, we have. 
[00:37:33] John Kelley: This warranty and we do this. 
[00:37:34] John Kelley: And it's exactly what you said. 
[00:37:35] ad: It's like, okay, cool, dealer warranty. 
[00:37:37] John Kelley: But if I don't come in here and pay $300 for an oil change Every quarter, then you're not going to honor the warranty that you have because I didn't get the work done by you. 
[00:37:46] John Kelley: Even though I can go down the road and get it just as good. 
[00:37:49] ad: With better products, you are not going. 
[00:37:51] John Kelley: To value that enough because you want to get out of your warranty obligations. 
[00:37:56] ad: So I love hearing a good warranty. 
[00:37:58] Dann Williams: Yes, that is our flagship thing that we have that. 
[00:38:03] Intro: Really. 
[00:38:04] Intro: And as you're setting up a business, we're trying to set this business up to scale and grow a legitimate business from now into the future. 
[00:38:14] Intro: And if you're playing by the rules, yeah, sure, we can sell those fake warranties. 
[00:38:20] Dann Williams: We sure could, and we'd make more money. 
[00:38:23] Intro: But we're trying to set up for the long win. 
[00:38:27] Intro: There's a long game and a short. 
[00:38:28] Dann Williams: Game and we're playing the long game. 
[00:38:30] ad: That's the big thing, man. 
[00:38:31] John Kelley: If you could get that across to everybody to understand it in that way that, yes, you're going to spend more money up front. 
[00:38:37] ad: But in the long run, when you. 
[00:38:39] John Kelley: Have people that take pride in the loyalty they will have for your product. 
[00:38:43] ad: Because of the fact that you did. 
[00:38:45] John Kelley: Go the extra mile to make something quality, even if it is just a. 
[00:38:48] ad: Warranty, it means the world to somebody. 
[00:38:50] John Kelley: And they'll be so loyal to you and bring more people. 
[00:38:53] John Kelley: And you and I both know referrals are king. 
[00:38:56] ad: I can go out there and spend. 
[00:38:57] John Kelley: All the marketing dollars I want on my company to blast how good we are at what we do. 
[00:39:02] John Kelley: But it does nothing like the natural talking of one person to another, that social proof, when that person tells their. 
[00:39:10] ad: Friend it's more valuable than me spending. 
[00:39:13] John Kelley: Thousands of dollars on marketing efforts. 
[00:39:16] Dann Williams: And here's the crazy part, man. 
[00:39:19] Intro: Our product isn't any more expensive than any. 
[00:39:21] Intro: As a matter of fact, some of the ones with faux warranties actually charge more money for their product to their. 
[00:39:26] Dann Williams: Installer and to the end user.

[00:39:29] John Kelley's Conversation with Dann Williams About Business & Sales

[00:39:29] Intro: I don't understand how that sales call. 
[00:39:31] Dann Williams: Goes the zero card. 
[00:39:33] Intro: Does this one make it shiny? 
[00:39:34] Intro: Yes, this makes it shiny. 
[00:39:35] Intro: Okay. 
[00:39:36] Intro: Does this do this? 
[00:39:37] Intro: Yes. 
[00:39:37] Intro: If I have this problem, am I covered? 
[00:39:39] Intro: No, not so much. 
[00:39:40] Dann Williams: But this. 
[00:39:40] Intro: 01:00 a.m.. 
[00:39:41] Dann Williams: I. 
[00:39:41] Dann Williams: Yeah. 
[00:39:44] Intro: Just more work for me to do with my guys who are. 
[00:39:47] Dann Williams: Selling the product to make them better salesmen. 
[00:39:49] ad: Absolutely. 
[00:39:50] John Kelley: Well, and it's the why behind what you do. 
[00:39:52] ad: To offer something better and to offer something that people can truly value. 
[00:39:58] ad: Well, I can't thank you enough for. 
[00:39:59] John Kelley: Being on here, man. 
[00:40:00] John Kelley: We talked about some personal stuff. 
[00:40:01] John Kelley: We talked about the business. 
[00:40:02] John Kelley: I know it takes your time. 
[00:40:04] John Kelley: When you hopped on the call, you were in the middle of another call trying to support somebody. 
[00:40:08] John Kelley: And I'm sure as soon as we're. 
[00:40:09] ad: Done here, you're going to pick up. 
[00:40:11] John Kelley: That phone and get back on another call with somebody else. 
[00:40:13] John Kelley: And I know that we're all busy, so I really do appreciate you taking the time to sit here on the. 
[00:40:17] ad: Show with me and talk to our listeners. 
[00:40:19] Dann Williams: No, absolutely. 
[00:40:20] Intro: Thank you so much for the opportunity. 
[00:40:22] ad: Yes, sir. 
[00:40:23] John Kelley: And listeners, we value you and we thank you for taking your time to listen to another episode of Small Business Origins. 
[00:40:29] John Kelley: It's been a great episode for us. 
[00:40:31] John Kelley: I hope you're enjoying this. 
[00:40:32] John Kelley: Please make sure that you like, comment and review whether it's on Apple Podcasts, the website, WW, Smallbusinessorigen.com, or anywhere else that you listen to your podcast, man, I don't care if it's Spotify, I don't care if it's Amazon music. 
[00:40:46] John Kelley: It doesn't matter. 
[00:40:47] John Kelley: As long as you're interacting with the show, leaving those reviews, it's the most valuable thing you can do for all of us because it boosts us up to the front so that other people will hear these stories just like you do every single week. 
[00:40:58] John Kelley: We'll see you next week for another episode. 
[00:41:00] John Kelley: But until then, stay beefy, my friends. 
[00:41:05] John Kelley: Thanks for listening to another episode of Small Business. 
[00:41:08] John Kelley: Origin. 
[00:41:09] John Kelley: I love an origin story. 
[00:41:10] John Kelley: If you like what you just heard, leave us a review, subscribe and share with a friend. 
[00:41:15] Dann Williams: You guys, check this out. 
[00:41:16] Dann Williams: They're going to love it. 
[00:41:17] Intro: You're going to love it.