We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gary Frederick a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Gary, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Rise Detailing started as a side job. I was working for a car dealership detailing at the time and I had a passion to learn more about detailing. I attended YouTube university and learned about paint correction and ceramic work. Basically the process of repairing scratches and other paint imperfections and applying a protective coating after. Those services were catered to more high end clients and their personal cars and not so much the dealership world. I used pictures of my work at the dealerships to advertise on Facebook my ability to wash cars and also do those high end paint correction jobs. As time went on I gained more clients for both regular detail jobs and those paint correction jobs. The dealership I worked for ended up losing their contract and It left me in a position where I had to make a decision on jumping out there for myself full time or finding a better dealership situation. After some convincing by my mom and some good ppl i met along this journey i decided i could do this on my own. Starting out full time for myself I was doing mainly mobile detail wash jobs out of my old squeaky Nissan pickup; and paint correction work out my mom’s garage. Eventually I got a large storage unit and worked out of there while still keeping my mobile clients and upgrading to an older bmw suv. Now 7 years have passed and I have an actual 2 bay shop with a lobby located on departure drive and a dedicated mobile detail vehicle as well as that same older bmw suv for the mobile jobs.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have always had a passion for cars. Growing up I used to draw cars I made up in my mind. My dad also bought me an old 85 Camaro when I was about 13 and we used to work on it together. That foundation led to Car shows, modifying cars, fixing cars, racing, anything that I could do to be around cars. My passion for cars eventually grew into me wanting to pursue the automotive industry for a living. Originally it was industrial design; I wanted to design cars. I soon found out college wasn’t for me at the time and life eventually led me to taking on a temporary job detailing…so I thought! I found I was naturally really good at detailing, so i stayed in the industry. I fought to learn as much as I could everyday and that passion for growth eventually led me to where I am now.

Now I’m the owner of Rise Detailing! We are a company that specializes in paint correction and ceramic coatings but also provide other services such as custom caliper painting, mobile detailing, scratch repair, interior repair, stain and odor removals and much more. I pride myself on my work but more importantly my customer service. I wanted Rise Detailing to be a safe place. One where my clients don’t need to fear being taken advantage of. One where I have what my clients need in mind more than what I want(money). I tell my clients all the time I want your money, but I don’t want to take your money. I keep everyone well informed while vehicles are in my possession and I make sure everyone knows I genuinely care about them through action not just words. My company isn’t just a company; it’s my life long passion, my dream that I found a way to make into a Career. So I treat my company and everyone involved in it with that same passion I had drawing cars as a kid.

On this 7 year journey I can’t quite put a finger on what I’m most proud of specifically. It’s sooo many things! If I had to pick one thing I would say it was and still is “The Journey.” The ups and downs to get here have been intense to say the least. When I look back and think about the events that caused me to start this company. The people I’ve met along the way that encouraged me, whether it be client, family or friend. COVID! Working out my mom’s garage and the process it took to getting my shop. It has been amazing! I’ve learned more in 7 years than I could have ever imagined. The journey brought me out of my shell. I’m very introverted. But now I find myself enjoying the customers and conversations just as much as the cars. The Journey forced me to mature as a man. I became more responsible , more aware, more empathetic. My relationship with God became infinitely stronger because through all the rough and unsure times; I asked and I received. He made a way in many ways and situations some explainable and some that I’m unsure how it happened to this day. I try and remind myself now that the journey isn’t just the past. Every day that goes by is apart of the past and written down as apart of the journey. Don’t be too far sighted; So focused on what you see in the distance you forget to look down and take the steps toward it today. Today is what gets you closer to the goal youre focused on in the distance. You have to be intentional in the present. Put in the work. The time. The money; Whatever it takes to continue to pave the road for the journey in the direction you’d like it to travel in. All that being said, I’m very proud of the road I’ve paved so far…My journey.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

The main thing that helped build my reputation is my work and attention to detail. That’s most important when you’re providing a service. Make sure the work is good! After that my customer service. I tell ppl all the time that there’s a ton of ppl that do what I do. And there’s ppl out there that do good work just like me. But what sets you apart is how you treat ppl. How you communicate with ppl and how you care for the customer. I believe customer service is a lost art these days and it’s an easy way to not only make sure you get new customers but also make sure the customers stay.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

During Covid I was transitioning from my storage unit phase to getting in my first shop. I took over an old buddies lease and after about 4 months it would be time for me to sign my own lease. However, stay at home orders were put in place 1 week before I was supposed to sign my new lease. That first week I didn’t get one single phone call. No call, no work, no money. I debated on if I should sign my lease or not. A lot of ppl that have always motivated me even when I didn’t believe in myself also had their doubts; which was very unsettling. I ended up pushing through it and told myself I rather try and fail than never try at all. I signed the lease and with that came a hunger like never before! I began to run ads for service at a discounted rate and went to work. In the end I made more money during Covid than I had made in any of my previous years by a good margin.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: risedetailing
• Facebook: Rise Detailing and/or Gary Frederick

Image Credits

Gary Frederick