We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lawson Pombert a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Lawson, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea
As with anything, a plan for execution is a must. When I first discovered the Hydrographic process I was very interested in all the possibilities, with seemingly a million directions to go. For the first few months it was truly just trying the process out on different items and getting familiar with it. Anything from mugs and controllers to guitars and helmets. Of course, none of these items actually turned out well in comparison to today’s standards. However, they did turn out well enough to drive my curiosity and feed my need for the creative process. I had always told myself I was going to be a business owner, and once I got more comfortable with the process I knew I had a good starting point. At this point, I was still in my mom’s garage. I realized I needed to advance my equipment in order to produce better results. It was at this point I invested in better paints and supplies; as well as built my first hydrographics tank out of an old construction tote. Once I upgraded a few things, I wanted my focus of the business to be on the automotive industry more than anything else. I would say making a business page on Instagram is what made the business finally feel real to me. I would post as frequently as possible, and trust me, they were mediocre posts with terrible photos. It was my passion towards cars that made me strive so hard to transform the business into what I knew it could become. At the end of the day, it truly was just staying consistent with trying new parts, posting more pictures, and doing more research that kept me on the right path. Early on there were plenty of week-long periods where I wouldn’t post or wouldn’t hydrodip because I wasn’t seeing any kind of growth. Once you forget about the results and just focus on being consistent is when things start to flourish. The beginning steps of anything like this is focusing on learning the craft, and for me that was in a very obsessive manner. It never felt like work to me, there were long and cold nights, but the results always enticed me to keep going. The business, in all reality, didn’t become real until around 2 years in. I was 17 when I first started this, so I not only needed to learn about the process, but also what strategies were effective when it came to marketing, managing, selling, etc. You can have a million ideas, but you have to be willing to try and fail if you ever want to see results, otherwise an idea will never be anything more than that.
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
My name is Lawson Pombert. I am 22 years old, and I am the owner of an Automotive customs shop named Hydrodypz. We specialize in all things having to do with custom finishes and creations. We offer unique coatings ranging from carbon fiber to custom printed images to solid colors that can be applied to almost anything on a vehicle. My perspective on my business is that I am an artist and your vehicle is a canvas. We do custom wheels, engine bays, full interiors, calipers, aero parts, grilles, bumpers, you name it we create it. We also do installation of aftermarket components and even custom paint work. I got into this industry due to loving cars my entire life and always wanting to be around them. I knew I wanted to work on cars, but not in the standard way. I wanted to take a car that was already beautiful, and make it a true showstopper. We do this by collaborating with each client individually to understand what their desires are with the vehicle, and see how we can put our “spice” as I like to call it into their idea. Being in the industry for 5 years, I have seen a lot of different build styles, and although I might get some inspiration, I always make sure each client gets a truly one-of-a-kind style that fits their needs. I pride myself on me and my teams ability to treat each vehicle as if it was our own and offer a service unlike anything else currently available. At this point, we have many clients that have a vehicle and a budget, but no idea what direction they want to go with their build. This is when we do our best work. Creating and visualizing comes easy to me, so I will truly let the vehicles lines, colors, and personality guide me through the entire creation process. I know that may sound a little crazy, but I am able to allow the cars to decide what direction they are wanting to go. We consider the overall design of the vehicle, so that we can encompass and accentuate all of the natural beauty of each vehicle. To most it might just be a car, but to my clients these vehicles are representations of their lives. How hard they have worked, the hardships they have been through, and the desire to become more in the world. These cars are so much more than just a mode of transportation, they are a lifestyle. I do everything I can to ensure an experience unlike any other that goes further than just the work on the vehicles. Its the relationships that are built through this business that mean more to me than any car or project ever could.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
This business has taught me many lessons throughout the years. My biggest takeaway with being a business owner is that there is only one mindset you can have “Whatever It Takes”. It doesn’t matter if you are sore, tired, broke, sad, angry, whatever it is, you put those feelings to the side, and you get the job done. When I was a few years into this I finally had the need to get a shop of my own. I was put into a bad situation with the shop I was currently at and had to move out immediately. I was told by many that I wasn’t ready to be out on my own, and that I wouldn’t make it. I was made promises by people very close to me that they would help me get through this situation but those promises never came through. When I went out looking for a shop of my own, I was 20 years old and, as you can imagine, a kid in most peoples eyes. After looking at many different locations, I found one landlord who was willing to give me a chance with a 1,500 square foot shop. A year and a half later, that same landlord helped me into our current 5,000 square foot facility with everything and more I could ever ask for. There will be a lot of people who don’t believe in you, but you have to forget about them and think about all the people who do believe in you, even if its only you. I have been blessed with many friends and family members who have believed in this crazy idea ever since it started, and without them I don’t know if I would have ever made it here.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Call me a little old school, but for me a man or woman is only as good as their word. If you can’t trust their word, you can’t trust them. I have made it a point to always be a man of my word even though it has put me in tight situations more than once. We focus on making sure each client feels just as important as the next. Whether we are doing a full build on a Lamborghini or just a few parts for someone’s project car, we make sure all clients get the proper communication and work quality that got us our reputation in the first place. Word of mouth is everything in this industry, and it is important to make sure if there is ever a problem that arises with our product, whether it is our fault or not, that we address it until a customer is fully satisfied.
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Image Credits
GfPhotos Alpine Visuals