We were lucky to catch up with Tom Coletta recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tom, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I graduated college (WPI in Worcester Mass) with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2010 and worked as a manufacturing engineer and Project Manager. It was safe and paid fairly well but I was always stressed and anxious. On the side I was filming YouTube videos reviewing cars and I knew that made me happier. in 2019 I took a big risk and quit my full time job to focus on YouTube as my primary job. There was just enough income to pay my bills but it was nowhere near my salary. Thankfully the risk paid off and within just a few months the channel took off and I had a promising career doing what I loved.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I was always fascinated by cars and cameras. It was tough to take my photo as a kid because I wanted to be the photographer, not the subject. Naturally as I got access to cars it seemed appropriate to take videos. This was before YouTube was even a thing. They were short clips and never shared with anyone. But I loved that I could control a shot and create something exciting. Eventually I managed to find a way to stay behind the camera and be the subject of the video. Once I started filming POV style drives I knew that was the key. I allowed the car to be the focus and I could show exactly what it was like to drive an array of cars from the driver’s seat.

This quickly turned into a product that I could sell to clients and YouTube viewers alike. When a car is up for sale, usually at auction, I’ll photograph and video the vehicle in a unique way that puts the buyers in the driver seat.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

My new career started with a pivot. I was a project manager for an automotive parts supplier. The projects continued to stack up and become more complex. Staff was in short supply and the stress was mounting. When I looked around the business it was striking that I didn’t look up to anyone professionally. I didn’t want my boss’s job, or their boss’s job. I wanted to leave. I wanted to take a breath. There was enough equity in my side gig to float my bills but no guarantees that I could build it into something that would actually pay a living wage. I took a chance quitting my job because I was fed up. If I didn’t quit now then when? It seemed like the hardest decision to make until I had to make it. The pot was boiling. I had to get out. Once I had that freedom I started to relax and focus on my creative endeavors and it just snowballed and grew like crazy. It’s amazing what you’re capable of when you can breathe and focus on something you’re passionate about.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal for my audience is to bring them rare experiences without the financial barriers. Expensive and exotic cars have a major pay wall for most, and unless you have some wealthy friends you may never even ride along. I want to democratize the experience and bring people along with me so they can feel and hear their dream cars. I also wanted to show people the reality of driving their dream cars. Meeting your heroes can be disappointing. Cars from the past were written about and photographed in magazines, so fans were unable to see and hear the drive. My videos put people in the driver’s seat so they can assess for themselves.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @tedward_IG
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/tedwarddrives

Image Credits

John Allen – @whosjohnallen Photographer of photo sitting down on rock with clouds below
Dominic Mann – @dominicmann.photo Photographer of photo sitting in red car