Pre Car Wash Career

[ted mcmeekin]

A recent post by Big Leo gave me an idea. Please give a brief summary of your pre Car Wash years.

I:

pre school worked part time for my Dad (no pay) in his 2 person coal mine(Only10 --not much work), hauled coal top soil, ashes operated our tractor

went to Penn State
became a US Navy Officer
joined Duke Energy designing, building, operating power plants
retired and built Wash with my son
entertain our 9 grand kids

WOW just realized I'm an old fart

life is good !

Ted

 

[Waxman]

Started detailing cars for money at age 15.

Worked in a lumber mill as first job. Very hard work.

Worked at a drug store, and convenience store before college.

Graduated from Providence College.

Worked for a forklift company after college; hated it' desk job.

Worked for a company that sold and assembled industrial (seal/less and sine) pumps.

Was a temp. UPS driver. Very hard job.

1996 went full-time w/detail shop.

2006 opened new carwash.

2008 built new detail shop.

Was a member of Trailer Park, Syzygy percussion and now Unit7 (all musical groups).

Turning 40 this Fall; getting old!

 

[Sequoia]

History

After High School, went to college for 6 years but never graduated;
Was homeless & sleeping on friends couches at times;
Played poker for a living and supported myself with no other job for a 2-year period;
Started a software company in 1981 although I knew nothing about software;
Met my wife in 1985 and it was the best thing to ever happen to me;
Built the business, became a pilot, and flew to virtually every state in the U.S. promoting my business;
Flew a single engine plane from California to the Arctic Circle and back once for our annual vacation;
Sold my company in Yr2000 when it had grown to 36 people, $4M annual revenue, and 1,000 customers;
Went back, after 21 years, to finish college (2002). Graduated along with all the 22-year olds half my age;
Spent 3 or 4 years as a Real Estate broker investing in properties and real estate;
Bought my 3-bay SS in 2005 because I missed having a business to run but didn't want the employee headaches;
Got diagnosed with colon cancer in 2007, had chemo/radiation/surgery and so far it looks like I've beaten it;
Found the Autocareforum and all of its expertise, which was KEY! ; and,
My wife recently retired and we're spending a little time traveling in our motor home.

And, I resisted torturing Pat Crowe too much here at the Forum. But not entirely.

 

[bigleo48]

Since I was the inspiration to Ted, I guess I better fill in my blanks.

-Dad (a cop) died when I was 6 and left my mother (school teacher) to raise 6 kids alone. I was #5 and actually had a great childhood.

-Always worked with my hands as a kid, building stuff, worked as a bike mechanic and movie theater projectionist as a student.
-Went to college in Electronics, worked in Cable TV, Metropolitan Area Computer Networking, Cellular, Paging, Satellite communications. Now manage satellite tracking facility.
-Married with two great kids.
-Had a partnership in a Telecom Training Company.
-Built the wash because the town needed a good one and I needed to consider leaving the telecom industry after it s#it-the-bed in the early part of the decade (most people don't realize that 90% of all telecom companies filed for bankruptcy or went completely out of business.

I spend whatever spare time I have with my family watching my son play various sports or my daughter riding her horse. We also boat, ski & ATV

Getting older but never been happier...BigLeo

 

[dclark3344]

Grew up POOR and hated it.

When I was about 10 I help my parents clean office buildings.
At 12 bought my first lawn mower and mowed yards
At 14 worked as a trim carpenter helper and painter at Ornamental Iron Company
At 17 had one year of college under my belt but it was too hard to work like I did and go to night classes.
At 18 had my journeymans Carpenter Book and worked on cooling towers at refinerys and power plants. I also continued my education and became a realtor.
At 19 I went to work for the New Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company factory and stayed there 23 years, starting in production and spent most of my carrier in the maintenance field as they sent me to school on welding, electrical, electronics, pipe fitting, hydraulics, machine shop, HVAC, and Mechanical Engineering.
During my 23 years there I bought and sold real estate, Started Para-Dice Family fun Center with 23 video games,10 pool tables, and a mechanical bull.
Raised 2 children and son that is a Chemical Engineer made over 200k last year and my daughter is about to complete her Physical Therapy Assistant program.
I left Goodyear in Lawton, Ok and moved to Norman Ok where my son was attending the university and built me a carwash which I opened in May 2003.

The 23 years at Goodyear made me appreciate the job I have now, this is a walk in the park. LOL I look back and wish I had taken the plunge at a much younger age. I feel like I served a prison sentence of 23 years, we had gaurds at the gate, my family only got to see the insides of the factory 2 times on special occasions in 23 years, we had very limited contact with the outside world, and we were surrounded with fencing with the barb wire at the top. and everybody had to wear a badge, steel toe shoes, safety glasses, and ear plugs.