We recently connected with Andy Strano and have shared our conversation below.
Andy, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?
Not giving up. Plain and simple. I’ve been on my own for a while now and have had things in my life happen that many would give up after, however, I’ve learned to just stay the course. If you feel that you’re led to be something or do something, no matter how difficult it may be, no matter what life may throw your way, stay the course. I grew up with certain values and have a faith that I won’t let be shaken by the worlds issues and problems. Stay the course. My side business has grown over the years not because I gave up, but because I’ve made great relationships with people on my journey that have helped me grow and stay focused on my goals. Success starts with a mind set that you are not going to give up no matter what.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
Growing up in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, my childhood friend and I were always together. He and I developed a friendship that still to this day exists. As far as my business is concerned, when I became an adult I had the opportunity to purchase one of my childhood dream cars. I however not only wanted to own this car, but I saw a business in it and that is exactly was the goal of getting this car. He helped me with a website and I worked on getting to know the other owners in the community, assisting them into getting their cars out of the garage and more into the public eye. Through this, my business has done well as well as become a very big part of my life, as well as my childrens’ lives. My love for science fiction as well as the creative mind in the arts has expanded to many more faucets of the sci fi realm. I consider myself to be a builder, collector, teacher, and supporter of creative thought. My main bread and butter is my art teaching career, allowing me to teach my sons to use their creativity to find their place in this world, whatever it may be, teaching them not to give up and stay the course. Its the same that I’m teaching my own students. My Delorean business not only has given me many opportunities to talk to complete strangers but has also been alot of fun. The relationships I’ve made with Delorean owners spreads across the country. Locally, I’ve also built a “little free library” off of the Doctor Who time machine aka The TARDIS. This stationary structure has brought many to my own front yard and many times when I’m home, I get to meet people I would have never been able to meet before. Inside the TARDIS is also one of Minnesota’s top Geocaching sites and therefore brings even more to me. I really enjoy meeting new people, whether it be when I take the Delorean out for a drive or an official event, or with the TARDIS. With my talents as a builder I also enjoy meeting and talking to people of the same likeness. I feel I am set apart from others because of my ability to talk to anyone. I feel that through my many interests as well as through the many events I’ve done with my car, I have the ability to basically be sociable to just about anyone. Getting people to feel accepted and welcome is something I feel I am gifted in. Everyone has a talent and a place here and I really enjoy finding that thing and helping someone explore it.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
A bit over a year ago, I went through a divorce. Along with that, my website just got a full on facelift that put me into some debt. With this, I had to move out of my home into a small apartment and begin a life where I was managing three small boys, a full time job, a side business, debts, depression, and living in a state where I have no family and not many close friendships. It was tough. It was hard. I relied on my childhood friend through phone conversations, as well as my faith that I knew I needed to stay the course and know that it isn’t me that is in control, but ultimately HE was. My faith has been there all my life, but it is in those dark times when the rubber meets the road, is when you find out what you’re really made of, and ultimately, what He is made of. I can say with confidence it has been a year away from all that and I feel I have come along away. The business website is fully paid for, a house was purchased, my boys are doing great in school and I have a great relationship with them, I’ve met some wonderful people and I stayed the course. I am still faithful in my commitment towards my home church as well as in my faith. Yes, life has been tough but I believe that I am doing great. I am happy where I am.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
Shawn and I have been friends since the 1st grade. I do not consider him a friend but a brother. We’ve shared so much of ourselves together. He was always the brain tactics behind things in my business while I was the executer. Growing up, Shawn and I would stay up late and just “science” into the early hours of the night. It was a real Doc and Marty relationship. Doc was always inventing something while Marty kept him on Earth and from blowing himself up. It amazes me how the things that Shawn has experienced in life, eventually I’ll go through something similar and we are there for each other. Shawn went through a nasty divorce years and years ago and had to be there 100% for his daughters. I was there for him as much as I could despite the fact I lived across the country in Las Vegas. Then years later, when I’m living in Minnesota, I entered my chapter of a divorce and then Shawn is there for me as well despite the fact he lives in Pittsburgh. Years ago Shawn saw how I was renting out my Delorean locally when I lived in Las Vegas and was getting referrals for other owners around the country because of my relationships with other owners, so Shawn took the initiative to build an official website. This launched a full on business that really took off back in 2015. Because of Shawn’s insight into who I am, we’ve really dove into this way of getting the car more in the public eye and making a business from it. He likes staying behind the scenes while I like to take the helm as to keep thing moving parts moving. I couldn’t have done any of this without him and consider him a life long brother. But it doesn’t stop there with just the business side of things. Shawn and I have joked that sometimes we’re even on the same brain wave when we’re talking. The best story I can remember of when Shawn and I first met was this. When we were very young, we were in the same elementary classes. Sometimes when you’re a kid, and you’re still trying to figure out the world, you fill in the gaps for truth. Shawn noticed as a kid that I was very creative when I was in art class and assumed I had some sort of a “creative” disease because I was so different when I was making or building something. He literally, as a child, thought I was dying because I would do an art project differently than what the teacher was asking. I love this story because it just goes to show that I must have been on my own page of having the ability to build or create things out of whatever material was available. But being that Shawn as more of science-y kind of kid, assumed there was something wrong with me. It makes me laugh to this day that him and I are as close as we are. I feel bad for people that do not have that friend in their lives like what we have. I am honored to see that he has 2 wonderful daughters as well as a wife that I am getting to know. I am very thankful for what God has given me in Shawn.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.RentDelorean.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/rentdelorean
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/rentdeloreans
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/RentDelorean
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- Yelp: https://g.page/RentDelorean/review?rc
- Other: https://linktr.ee/rentdelorean