We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ian Hardy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ian, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
As a recent college graduate from the University of California, Davis, I was excited to enter my career in education. I was admitted to UC Davis’s Graduate School program, where I planned to obtain my master’s in education as well as my teaching credential. Unfortunately, I withdrew from the program due to some financial uncertainties. I was not prepared for the student loans, so I decided to get to work and start saving for my graduate school tuition, and that was when Hardy’s Wash N Wax was born!
Right after graduation, I used a large sum of my money to invest in my business. I bought hundreds of dollars worth of equipment, tools, products, and chemicals. I already had the tools and products needed for a basic car cleaning service, but I wanted to elevate my services and provide more detailing options. I didn’t expect to be profitable after investing so much money, but I was enlightened to see my investments pay off in a short period of time. I designed a business card and printed out 500 copies, which ultimately sparked the flame that was needed in order to get my business running. I started leaving cards on car windshields in my neighborhood and shopping centers and handed them out to friends and family. One job turned into two, another referral turned into four jobs, and so on. I was starting to see real growth and potential in my business. Through social media platforms such as Instagram and Nextdoor, I advertised my business and accumulated a steady clientele. I spent almost 6 weeks waking up with the sunrise, loading up my Toyota SUV with all my equipment, and detailed cars until the sun in Southern California became unbearable. I would then go home to my office, where I began to familiarize myself with business advertising, such as Google ads and Yelp. I started a social media account to post my work, and then it all started to unfold from there. Being able to advertise my passion and mission goal to save money for graduate school positively impacted my motivation to continue to invest and grow my business.
Ian, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a 22-year-old car enthusiast who has a passion for bringing cars back to showroom quality. There is something about stepping into your clean car and getting blinded by your chrome emblem on your wheel as you take in the fresh scents of citrus and leather cleaners as you ride! It brings me so much fulfillment and joy to be able to provide a service to others that is appreciated. I am college educated at UC Davis, I received my bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in communications business marketing. I am using this business to help fund my future aspirations to attend graduate school.
I started detailing cars when I bought my first car at the age of 16. The first thing I did when I brought home my Infiniti was clean it inside and out. I had used very basic cleaning supplies and tools—your basic wash mitt and bucket with some soap. I used a few microfiber rags and Dawn soap and water to clean my interior. I was immediately attracted to the satisfaction of seeing a dirty carpet or surface turn clean. I would wash my car bi-weekly, sometimes weekly, because I was focused on keeping my car as clean as possible. I started to explore more products and tools and was influenced by many social media creators and detailers online. Social media influence played a huge part in my success because I was able to make short videos, or Instagram reels, to showcase my work. I would spend an hour a day compiling my before and after shots of the car I detailed, and create a short video to display my work. This creative aspect of my business created traction online, and eventually I was getting some clients from my own marketing I did through Instagram.
What separates me from other detailers in my industry is the personal connection I make with my clients. With my background and education in psychology, I know how much it means to be able to trust someone. Credibility is hard to come by, but luckily for me, I had the opportunity to work at the largest Mercedes-Benz dealership in California, and this is where a lot of my observational learning and networking took place. My standards were immediately touching the ceiling after stepping foot into half-million-dollar Mercedes and Audis. I knew from then on I needed to represent that quality of work, so even when you are stepping into your Toyota after a detail, you still feel like you are riding in a luxurious Mercedes, hence my motto “making your luxury car luxurious again.”
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I strive for perfection. I think it could be something to do with my OCD nature, but seriously, I just know what is expected and I compete to beat the competition. I am always working to be better everyday. Each car I get the chance to detail, I make it a challenge to make it cleaner than the last job I had. Having a competition with yourself every day can result in quality work all of the time. From my understanding in the business industry, competition is the greatest thief of joy. Because I don’t compare myself to others, and I compare myself to only myself, this helps me reach my goals and elite level of work with each opportunity I get. Lastly, I like to use opportunities to educate my clients on the importance of detailing and protecting their car. I often use an example with something that the client is familiar with. Using an analogy helps my clients understand the purpose of the work I provide. This way, they are fully aware of the service they are getting, as well as becoming more educated on a new topic they were before unfamiliar with. This has set me apart from many other businesses because clients tremendously value an education explanation, which helps build trust and credibility.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I started my first car detailing job during the pandemic in 2020. I was let go from my job due to the pandemic, and I was immediately faced with unemployment. As a young adult who just graduated from high school, I wasn’t certain if college was the right decision for me. I was unable to find a job as well, so I took matters into my own hands. Like I mentioned prior, I was washing my cars multiple times a month, each time learning more strategies and skills that made me more efficient. I decided to advertise my skills to my neighborhood through a social media platform called Nextdoor. Also, while I was outside detailing my own car or my parents/siblings, I was getting direct exposure as my neighbors would drive by and wave and smile. Eventually, neighbors became interested in my services; one job became two, then four, and so on. The hardest part of anything you do in life, at least in my own experiences, is just getting started. I started cleaning my own car for my own enjoyment, not expecting my passion to eventually turn into a skill and service I provide for others. In hindsight, when you have a passion for something, stick with it. A passion should be something in which you don’t feel “forced” to do or get better at. A passion is something you look forward to, and you voluntarily sacrifice your time in order to learn more about your expertise. It was because of my passion that I was able to succeed during a complicated time in my life, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. My resilience was exercised as soon as I made the decision to start my business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hardys-wash-n-wax.square.site
- Instagram: hardyswashnwax
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-hardy-8a233a224/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ianhardy8278
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hardys-wash-n-wax-irvine-2
