Final Thoughts

BY TIM DAVIDSON

OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, I have worked with a few coaching companies, all excellent, that have helped me with my business. Recently, I caught up with my first business coach, making me feel very nostalgic. I recalled our conversations from years ago and what I learned from him and others in my group. These people helped put my business on the right track. Two pieces of advice from my time with this company that stuck with me the most are: "You have to decide if you want to be a technician or a business owner," and "You can't work on your business very well if you are always working in your business.”

I have been very fortunate in my 24 years in business, but it wasn’t always easy. During my first four years, I was a novice and inexperienced. Sometime within my first four years, I was introduced to the VISION Hi-Tech and Expo training in Kansas City. At VISION, I took classes on how to operate a business and fix cars. When I wasn't in classes, I walked on the trade show floor, learning about other opportunities that would help me take my business to the desired level. In addition, I was also exposed to new and innovative tools and equipment to help me do this.

As we know, VISION is only four days, and after my first time there, I discovered I wanted to experience more. I needed a place where I could gain more networking opportunities with forward-thinking shop owners and more training. This is why I joined MWACA (ASA at the time). Becoming a part of MWACA helped further my aspiration for my shop by allowing me to attend training year-round, exposing me to a caring community, and helping me make connections with people throughout the industry.

I am so grateful that I got involved with MWACA and later with MWACA leadership. Becoming a part of the MWACA lead- ership team allowed me to work with the Godfather of VISION, Jerry Holcom, and many other great people from all around the Midwest who genuinely want to see others succeed. The icing on the cake was working with Sheri Hamilton and her staff. I am certain Sheri is taking therapy due to working with me.

All this coaching, training, networking, and involvement in MWACA paid off this past June when I realized that because of MWACA, my business was an asset to my community. In the small city where my shop is located, I have seen shops struggle and close, or reduce car count due to the owner’s age or health issues. When these shops closed, the only assets they had to sell were their tools, a little inventory, and the shop building itself. Unfortunately, this seems to be the norm for a small-town auto shop owner. I avoided this pattern because MWACA taught me how to create a valuable business. I suspect I may have made that same old "tool liquidation sale" as the others had done if I hadn’t known I had other options. My key man and I executed our plan for him to take over and purchase my business, and now he is working on building his dream, and I am enjoying watching him do so. I am proud to know I could do this for his family and mine.

I will leave you with this. Someone once told me, "You become most like the seven people you are around the most." I find this true. It pays to continue to learn and hang out with some of the best people in the automotive aftermarket industry.

Tim Davison has been the President of Chumbley’s Auto Care since 1999 and the President of MWACA for the past four years. Now that he is retiring, he plans on spending time with his wife when she’s not at work and picking up a constructive hobby to occupy his time.