We recently connected with Robert Bowden III and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Robert , thanks for joining us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
I was very fortunate growing up to have two parents that supported my dreams of starting a small business. They encouraged me to take calculated risks, they slowed me down when I was running too fast and they ensured I looked at all the details in front of me before making serious decisions. My parents never held my hand as I started and grew my business. But they were always there if I needed to bounce an idea off of them or ask for advice when I was at a cross road. My parents have always been right by my side supporting The Spartan Garage, wether that was wearing our merchandise, attending automotive shows, helping with paperwork early on and even getting their hands dirty while we expanded from shop to shop. But most importantly, they supported me when I struggled with the emotional and physical toll of being a small business owner at a young age, especially during the last two and half years in this covid-19 pandemic affected economy. My business would truly not be where it is today without my parents and I am extremely grateful for 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 Robert Bowden III, I am 24 years old and the Founder / CEO of The Spartan Garage. We specialize in automotive customization and service. Working on everything from Cars, Trucks, to SUV’s. We are located in Bowling Green, KY just 45min north of Nashville TN. We operate out of a 9,000sq/ft state of the art shop and staffed by 6 full time automotive enthusiast in both Sales & Service. Our customization services include Wheels, Tires, Suspension, Accessories, Performance Upgrades, Lighting, and Leather Interior Conversions.
I am extremely proud to say my business started in my parents garage and over the course of 7 years, we have organically grown into the shop we are today. We have an incredible work environment in our business and we pride ourselves in offering the best quality service and experience for our customers here in South Central Kentucky.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Like every business in the USA during the Covid-19 Pandemic, we have faced challenge after challenge to continue our operations and grow Quarter over Quarter. At the peak of the pandemic in early 2020, we had to close down the shop and layoff the entire TSG staff. We were closed for a few months and during that time, we secured a PPP Loan which enabled our business to re-open and re-hire 100% of our staff that was laid off. Since re-opening, we have continued to grow and accomplish goals within our business. But not without hurdles. It seems like every 6 months since the beginning of 2020, we get hit with a new obstacle that forces TSG to pivot, adapt and continue down our path of accomplishing goals and creating a great place to work for our employees and a great place to shop for our customers. The end is not in sight though, it seems that the pandemic has created numerous issues within our industry, from supply chain back ups, price increases, and labor shortages at the manufacturers and distributors that we purchase from. With patience and hard work, we will survive and grow from these times.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
The Spartan Garage was originally established to be an Online Retailer of aftermarket automotive parts. This chapter was 2015-2017 but as time went on, we determined that breaking into that market would not be achivevabe with our budget and resources at the time. We decided to close down the online retail portion of our business and focus on growing a physical shop that sold and installed aftermarket parts. The pivot was not an easy chapter in our story over the last 7 years, but it was one that had to be made and because of it, our business has grown tremendously and turned into something we did not dream of 5 years ago. Everything in life and business happens for a reason and you have to be able to recognize when certain hurdles come before you and determine if you are meant to go over them or stop in your tracks and re-evaluate what you are doing. We have been fortunate to establish an incredible staff at TSG that enables us to accomplish goals and continue to build onto our successful shop.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thespartangarage.com/
- Instagram: roberrbowden_official
- Facebook: The Spartan Garage
- Linkedin: Robert Bowden III
- Youtube: The Spartan Garage
Image Credits
I own the rights to all photos that have been uploaded.