We recently connected with Adam Levine and have shared our conversation below.
Adam, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Is there a historical figure you look up to? Who are they and what lessons or values have you learned from them?
With regards to enterprising, there are a handful of historical figures I admire and think about frequently. One of my chief role models is Sir Howard Carter, the archaeologist who discovered the buried tomb of King Tutankhamun. His story inspires me anytime I think about it, and I revisit it when I am wanting for a little inspiration during the moments when work gets tough.
Howard Carter was not really taken seriously by the stuffy English archaeology establishment. His background was not actually in archaeology, but drafting, and he was looked down on as an artist wannabe archaeologist and dismissed. When he visited the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, which was all the rage in the archaeology world and highly plumbed, Carter became convinced that there were more treasures to be discovered. Most of his colleagues and the locals thought this was impossible and a little crazy.
Somehow Carter was able to persuade a patron in England to fund another excavation in the desert. They divided a vast area into four quadrants and proceeded to dig in one at a time. The first three quadrant digs yielded nothing. The patron’s funds were running low, and Carter was exhausted and discouraged. Carter’s contemporaries derided him and ridiculed the quest. But there was still another quadrant to explore and Carter was not prepared to give up before doing so.
And sure enough, one day when a seven year old Arab water boy accidentally dropped a cup into the sand, it went all the way through! The cup landed on what ended up to be a staircase, which was descending. It was the entrance to the tomb of a little known boy Pharoah, King Tutankhamun. But not only was the tomb there, abundant and stashed with priceless art, statues, treasures and amulets–it was completely undisturbed. Of all the other Pharoah tombs in the Valley, Tut’s was the only that had never been plundered by robbers over the centuries…it was too well concealed. The discovery yielded the most complete, perfectly preserved and magnificent treasure in the history of Egyptology!
I admire Carter because all he had was a dream and the determination to see it through. Every headwind was up against him–social, professional, logistical, financial and probabilistic. But Carter would not yield. He stuck to his own system, he persevered, and the results of his determination paid off in multiples of thousands. As an entrepreneur, and as an entrepreneur who has a specific visions whose execution depends on not being able to compromise them, I identify with Carter. I have been doubted, or dismissed because I did not check certain boxes; but I have found that to persevere in the belief in one’s own creation can overpower all doubt. Carter was unafraid of failure, but at the same time, he refused to concede his success before he absolutely had no other option. And for that alone, Carter succeeded beyond everyone’s wildest dreams, even his own.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I fell into doing Grave Line Tours accidentally. As a fourth generation angeleno who is obsessed with true crime and Los Angeles, I had always reveled in being able to take haunted tours around the city. I got into a different line of work, but in 2020 the tour operator who provided tours of dark los angeles history and crimes shut its doors. It took me about five seconds to realize that I had to revive them.
In contrast with this previous operator, Grave Line Tours (in a nod to a company from the 90s with the same name) employs funeral limousines in order to transport our mourner tourists. We provide a total immersive experience by giving our mourner tourists access to crime scene and autopsy photos in coordination with our stops, and by playing original audio clips from tv interviews, news stories and 911 calls. Our tours are 100% live given by passionate storytellers, and the intimacy inside of each limo lends a unique authenticity to each tour.
Grave Line Tours is the only vehicular sightseeing tour operator to serve Los Angeles that provides exclusively morbid tours. In the wake of lockdown years, and during a tough era for the city, Grave Line offers locals and visitors with exceptional experiences that are at once terrifying, amusing, educational and totally transportative. We travel back to the fascinating yesteryear of LA and invoke stories packed with gorey, scandalous and tragic detail. Grave Line limousines don’t just transport you to different locations. They transport you back to the mesmerizing events which have come to define the city.
Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?
Well, there was that one time that our Manson Family Murders tour limousine had a tire with thoroughly worn tread and got stuck on the 118 freeway. LOL.
The driver heard an unnerving sound coming back from the Spahn Ranch, and pulled over to the shoulder. One of our very resourceful mourners suggested we call the Cal Trans service that roams the freeways to tow stranded vehicles, and they came immediately. They were able to change the tire out then and there and the tour went on its way. Everyone was refunded for their pains.
That was one of the most terrifying moments I think I have ever experienced during Grave Line. I replaced all four tires on both limousines immediately!
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Honestly, this is the most important thing to me. And there are no shortcuts. While every business is different from the others, for long term success, every business has to have total integrity. I and my team all know this viscerally, and it sort of dictates everything we do.
I have found that, in an age where customer service in basically non-existent, if you can provide an outfit where the old fashioned customer service still exists, people will appreciate you very much. In my head I still live by the mantra that the customer is always right (even when they aren’t!) and it guides all the decisions I make regarding, conflicts, refunds, misunderstandings and interactions.
My guide and I both share a deep and abiding respect for each of our mourners, and I think we have both found that when we have an opportunity to come to know them individually, they are all so great, each in his or her individual way. They teach us a lot about providing tours, improving on them, or little details about the crimes we discuss. Our reviews are very strong, and I never take this for granted. While a lot has to drive this, not least of all having an excellent product or service, I do think the key is to connect on a human level with each of our lovely mourners.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.graveline.rip
- Instagram: @gravelinerip
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gravelinetours
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-levine-027734328
- Twitter: @gravelinetours
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSaoeF866QBV3fw4IPLhUUw
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/grave-line-tours-los-angeles?osq=grave+line+tours
