We recently connected with Cody Bennett and have shared our conversation below.

Cody, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

These thoughts creep in almost daily. Owning and running a business, especially when you are doing the actual hands on work, is breaking. Mentally, physically, spiritually. There are certainly times when I think geez it would just be easier to be told what to do and collect a paycheck, but it doesn’t fill my cup. I need to create, I need to explore, I need to build and all of those things are filled with constraints working for someone else. Being a business owner is certainly not for the weak, you have to pick yourself up daily!

Cody, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I own and operate a small fabrication, offroad, and hot rod shop. I can do everything from ornamental iron to full blown show car builds here with the help of other trusted vendors I utilize for things I don’t do in house like interior and paint work. I’ve been doing this since I was 17 and taught myself new skills along the way over the years. I opened the doors full time 2 years ago and haven’t looked back. The SEMA show in Las Vegas last year has been the highlight so far, I finished in the Top 40 in The Battle Of The Builders and that was completely unexpected. Everything I do here is one off, I don’t want it to be the same as something someone else built and that is really what I strive for and will never relinquish from. Every client has a vision, every client has specific wants, every client is different, so I feel the end result should be as unique as each clients own DNA.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

That is exactly what happened. I worked primarily on my own projects for years until someone wanted to pay me to do something when they saw my own. From there it turned into years of coming home from the daily grind to changing clothes and starting the second shift. I did that for years, saving, learning, building, until the time was right to build my own shop. Once the pieces were in place I took the leap. A lot of years of hard work and late nights for sure.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I follow up with the jobs I complete, I ask how they are enjoying it, I go to shows and events with them, I help them continue the project if I only helped with one aspect. I think doing so has brought several relationships from just a client to a solid friendship as well. Those are the best. They never ask for a discount and they trust you. Trust is one thing I appreciate more than most. When you are spending thousands of dollars of your hard earned money with someone you barely know, trust has to be present.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.BennettBuilt.biz
• Instagram: @bennett.built
• Facebook: facebook.com/bennettbuilt.biz
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/cody-bennett-636813268
• Other: TikTok @bennettbuilt