209 - Peter Agapoglou of Autosport Fabrication
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In this episode of Do It For a Living, I talk with Peter Aggapoglou, founder of Autosport Fabrication, about his deep roots in the motorsports industry. Before launching his own shop, Peter built his expertise working for several high-end European and race shops, honing his skills in fabrication, chassis setup, and race car development. Peter also shares his challenges and solutions to running a business that caters to exclusively race cars. We dive into: His journey through prestigious race and performance shops before going solo The turning point that led him to...
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208 - Joseph Potak with HP Cult
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In this episode of Do It For a Living, I sit down with Joseph Potak, host of the new HP Cult podcast. We talk about his journey in the high-performance world, including his history with Texas Speed and how he became an expert in LS engine building. Joseph shares insights from the several books he has written on building LS motors and swapping them into different vehicles, and what led him to start his own podcast. Along with the podcast, he has created a website to share his wealth of knowledge, and his desire to bring back automotive web forums. Whether you're an LS enthusiast or just love...
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207 - Adam Hammer of Hammer and Dolly Restorations
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In this episode of Do It For a Living, I sit down with Adam Hammer of Hammer and Dolly Restorations to explore his journey into the world of classic car restorations. Adam shares how he got started, the challenges of building his own business, and the processes he uses to manage complex, long-term projects. We dive into his approach to business management, car building, and project management—covering everything from billing and customer interactions to record-keeping for both him and his clients. If you’re involved in car restorations or any type of project that takes months or even years...
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206 - Brandon Piper of BSP Motorsports
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In this episode of Do It For a Living, we sit down with Brandon Piper from BSP Motorsports to hear his journey from supporting a Dodge Viper race team to building a thriving business. Brandon shares how creating and executing a solid plan enabled him to triple his business growth in just three years. But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing—Brandon opens up about the unexpected challenges of relocating his business and the hurdles he faced while developing a new facility. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner, this episode is packed with valuable lessons on...
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205 - Sasha Anis of Mountain Pass Performance
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In this episode of Do It For a Living, we sit down with Sasha Anis, founder of Mountain Pass Performance, to discuss his journey in building a cutting-edge performance business. Sasha shares insights into starting and scaling Mountain Pass Performance, managing production and sales, and pushing the boundaries of innovation in motorsports. We dive into his experience building hybrid race cars and adapting Teslas for road racing, exploring the challenges and opportunities of electric and hybrid technology in competitive applications. Whether you're an EV enthusiast or a performance shop owner,...
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204 - Richard Fielder with Evolution Dynamics and Scaling your Business Discussion
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In this episode of the Do It For a Living Podcast, I’m excited to introduce a new voice to the podcast: my business partner at Evolution Dynamics, Richard Fielder. Richard will be joining us as a cohost for future episodes, where we’ll dive into the ins and outs of running a business. We start by getting to know Richard better as he shares his personal journey into the industry and the experiences that have shaped his perspective. After that, we’ll dig into a topic that’s critical for any performance shop owner: scaling. We’ll discuss scaling operations, staff, and customer...
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203 - Adam McCreery with AFR Autoworks
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In this episode of Do It For a Living, I sit down with Adam McCreery, founder of AFR Autoworks, to explore how he built his business using data-driven decisions. Adam shares how tracking shop hours, billing accurately, and managing overhead have been the keys to his success. We dive into the systems and strategies he's developed to maximize efficiency and profitability while maintaining high standards for his work. If you're looking for practical advice on running a more efficient and sustainable shop, this is an episode you won’t want to miss! AFR Autoworks contact: Adam Directly: ...
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202 - Kevin Emr of E-Muscle Cars
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In this episode of Do It For a Living, we sit down with Kevin Emr, the visionary behind e-Muscle Cars. Kevin shares the story of his journey to combine cutting-edge electric vehicle power and technology with the classic aesthetics of muscle cars. We dive into the challenges of building an innovative business in a rapidly evolving market, how Kevin approaches modernizing iconic vehicles without losing their soul, and his vision for the future of electrified performance. If you're curious about the electrification of classic cars or looking for inspiration from an industry disruptor, this is an...
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201 - Season 2 Intro and Matt Beenen of Builtright + Mountech Followup
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After a four-year break, we’re back with a brand-new season of the Do It For A Living Podcast, and we’re kicking things off strong with a follow up from a special guest: Matt Beenen. Matt is an experienced entrepreneur and the driving force behind several successful businesses, Builtright and Mountech. In this episode, he shares insights from his journey, the challenges he’s faced, and the strategies that helped him scale and strengthen his companies. We dive into topics like building a sustainable business model, adapting to industry changes, and the importance of a solid team. Matt...
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163: Stewart Waliser of Stews Self Service Garage
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Stewart grew up in a Seattle suburb and was an active kid. When he turned 16, he got a beater $500 car and was tasked with keeping it running. He used this car to learn maintenance and slowly acquired mechanical skills. He went to college and continued to modify cars. He was living gin the dorm and didn’t have a place to do the work so he called several shops, but nobody would allow him to do the work at their shop. It was at this point that he shifted from wanting to be a surgeon to owning a DIY garage. He spent all winter break creating a business plan and researched other self-service...
info_outlineJonny Mill grew up in a small town in California and moved to LA as soon as he graduated high school. He worked at a talent recruiter and had various jobs in the entertainment industry with advertising and marketing. He always enjoyed cars, but things really took off when he developed The E-Stopp (an electronic parking brake). It was intended for handicap vans but soon found an amazing niche in the automotive restoration market. He was approached by Bryan Harrison of SEMA to compete in the first SEMA Launch Pad competition and took first place. After that, he started an innovation company and then began doing marketing/advertising for various TV shows and networks.
He recently took a position at WheelWell.com where users can showcase their car builds. It has grown to an online hangout for car enthusiasts to share reviews, link to all the products used in their build, and even facilitate selling their vehicle. WheelWell’s latest push is their marketplace which allows users to purchase the parts they see on the user’s build. They have even introduced a “mod score” which rewards users for generating their own content and provides discounts in the marketplace.
To check out all the builds, or even add your own ride, check out WheelWell.com