We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Scott Eakins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Scott below.

Scott, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

When I look back, I wish I had started my business sooner. I started my business in 2021. At the time I was leading a vinyl wrap team at a local sign shop. I was also doing wraps and graphics on the side for a shop I have worked at most my life. I love being able to be creative and applying that to vehicles. I got to be more creative in my side work and I was starting to get burned out by the same work in the sign industry. I was nervous to take the leap and turn my side job to my main job. I had been considering this for at least 5 or more years before I jumped. When I look back I had the support, talent, and clients to start my business years before I did, and I wish I had. I think if I had started sooner my business would be that much larger and my client base would be much more refined.

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.

I graduated from a small but respected design school in Kettering, Ohio (SAA, now know as The Modern) in 2011. While in school we were required to do an externship with a local business, and I was sent to a local sign shop. Here I learned about designing for large scale signage and vehicle wraps. While in my externship I got to get some experience with vinyl and vinyl wraps. I instantly fell in love with vinyl and what could be done creatively with this product. While I went to school and did the externship I worked as a mechanic in a car and four wheeler shop, I had been working there since 2004. Around this time I reached out to my boss to see if he would be open to me putting some vinyl stripes on one of his cars. In early 2011 I put my first custom graphics on a personal vehicle, my bosses 2009 Nissan GTR. I look back at this moment as the seed of my business, this is what I wanted to do! I graduated collage and the sign shop I had an externship with hired me right away. I worked in the sign industry for years. First I was a lead designer and project manager for a shop, which did not provide enough hands on work with the vinyl. I moved on to another sign shop with the intent of focusing on vehicle wraps. I worked my way up through this company becoming the wrap manager and even creating a new division within their business. All the while I continued to work for the mechanics shop on the weekends and spare time. I was building a name for myself at this shop known as the “wrap guy”. My “day job” focused on doing commercial wraps for businesses while my “side job” allowed me to be more creative which is what I enjoy more. For a decade I continued this way pushing off starting my own business even when my side jobs boss urged my to come on full time and start a new business. I finally came to my senses and took the leap in 2021. I like to provide affordable car wraps and graphics for my clients, often going above and beyond with each project. I get to do what I love everyday and I want to pass that joy onto my clients.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

I met my partner when I was 15 years old. As a high schooler I was just looking for a summer job and found one at a car and four wheeler shop. I have been working with them for almost 20 years now. You never know where connections can take you in life. I stuck it out with them and we have formed a bond like family, so starting a new business together just made sense

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I do vehicle wraps, and have provided some work for people that are known in the local car scene. I go to car shows often going with past clients having a “showcase” of my work to exhibit at these events speaks volumes to potential clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wewrapohio.com/
• Instagram: _wewrapscott
• Facebook: _wewrapscott

Image Credits
All photographs taken by me