The Gearbox Podcast

Jimmy Purdy 0:00
Well, this is it. This is the gearbox,

Lalo Castro 0:02
whatever you call it.

Jimmy Purdy 0:04
Yeah. What do you think of the name? Like, the gearbox because we're in a box. Kinda. We're talking about gears and gears and stuff. I guess we're gonna talk about recipes today. Yeah.

Lalo Castro 0:16
So Russ is CES.

Jimmy Purdy 0:19
So auto repair in Paso Robles, Paso Robles, auto repair.

Lalo Castro 0:25
pastorals auto repair. Yes. That is a spot right there. Festival was auto repair.

Jimmy Purdy 0:32
So if you were to change or do the whole thing over again, would you do it? It's a tough question.

Lalo Castro 0:38
It is a tough question. I think about that every day. There's days where I say no. And then there's days where? I guess in the good days, I say, Yeah, you know, this is a good choice. But there's more days where I keep on asking myself why why did I do this?

Jimmy Purdy 1:02
Yeah, we all do. Yeah. So every, every every road leads to this final destination, right. So when you started, you started a shop. Probably most people are looking at a direction like this is trying to purchase a shop maybe from a an established business. And everybody thinks it's the same thing. You're the buyer shop that's established. Are you are you are you doing yourself? Are you going inherited, whatever. But it's not always cut and dry black and white. Right. So your path to where you are now is definitely kind of interesting. And I think it's interesting, because we were about what a quarter mile from each other.

Lalo Castro 1:48
On our urban before we were neighbors.

Jimmy Purdy 1:51
Yeah, I had to get off.

Lalo Castro 1:53
I miss my neighbor.

Jimmy Purdy 1:54
That Street was get out of the ghetto, you know, step up my class a little bit, you know,

Lalo Castro 2:01
moving up. Yeah, exactly. But it was nice to have you down the street. Walking distance where? Yeah, I need to get away from the shop. I used to walk down to yours and just relax a little bit and just that was my sanctuary. Right. There's my go to spy just to get away from everybody. Everything.

Jimmy Purdy 2:18
Drink all my coffee, my snacks. Yeah, yeah.

Lalo Castro 2:21
Especially your snacks. Yeah, good snacks.

Jimmy Purdy 2:26
Part of the waitstaff, you know, yeah.

Lalo Castro 2:29
I was. I was pretty much like a customer. They're been there. Every day.

Jimmy Purdy 2:34
Now customers. Customers used to give me a profit margin.

Lalo Castro 2:39
Baby. You know what, I'm one of those customers. I wanted. I was one of those customers. Are they gonna give you a profit? Yeah, you're definitely. Yeah. So

Jimmy Purdy 2:50
oddly enough, both both come from Brussels. Right. Which is strange. But both shops operate on that street since the early 70s. Go way back is. Now your, your your path is interesting, because you've had a partner, which is also the seller. Right. So that's interesting.

Lalo Castro 3:13
Yeah. So, I mean, yeah, I started off working there for, gosh, 10 years. And then that's when the opportunity came along, where I was the chosen one to take over from Lucky. Lucky me. So at that time, I was like, yeah, pretty pumped up. Pretty excited about it. It's like, man, that finally the dream came true. You know, and just so you know, poor Mexican growing up and Passover finally made it making the dream come true. You know, Rags to Riches, you know, exactly. So I was I was pumped up excited. And then finally made the deal. And I thought it was just going to be just a smooth transition, just your normal day, just show up to work, open up the doors and get to work and make money.

Jimmy Purdy 4:07
employees come flooding in customers come flooding in. Now, walk us through the path there. So definitely wasn't that straightforward as far as grabbing the keys and being able to run the business on your own right. So you went through, I don't know if we want to name drop as far as who you use necessarily to purchase it. But you had a unique style. And I've seen him a different I seen him at Apex a couple of years ago. He had a really good strategy about shop owners that want to sell their business to one of their employees or one of their technicians, or vice versa for technicians looking to buy a shop from the owner. Kind of kind of interesting, it was it was pretty interesting to listen to the kind of the way he did it, and kind of walk me through that a little bit with

Lalo Castro 4:59
well Yeah, yeah, we were we were in Napa, one of those Napa expos that we usually go to. And me and my Russ been talking about it for a couple years or so trying to make it happen trying to figure out a way to make this transition. I just couldn't figure it out. So luckily, yeah, we went, we attended this expo and was at the seminar. And that's what we came across as gentlemen. That pretty much explain everything. Everything operates how everything works. And as soon as he started talking and explaining everything, that's when me and Russ looked at each other and say, Well, this is a guy who's got we need to get. So this guy facilitates makes it very easy to do this transmit transition, he pretty much works up everything, contracts, everything that's needed to bind this legally binding contract. And makes it easy for the buyer, and also for the seller, to make it make that happen.

Jimmy Purdy 6:13
Yeah, keep gives everyone a piece, but that keeps them on on board as well. Right? So

Lalo Castro 6:17
does for for a short period of time, of course. And, you know, after after we took them on, and we finalize everything and sign everything in, I got the keys and there you go. Yeah, he was he was still on for about a year to make sure that everything went smoothly. Or if we have any questions, he was there to answer those questions. Because yeah, there was still a lot of questions as we went along that we didn't know what to do, how to do this, or whatnot. And so that was very, very helpful to have just having them pretty much in my back pocket to call me. Hey, what do we do here? I mean, we came across a situation I don't know how to handle this. And he he's he's very, very, very smart guy. He knows how to walk you through everything.

Jimmy Purdy 7:11
Yeah, that was a an interesting way. I had a much different experience in the way I conducted our ownership transfer, but I'll get I'll get into that a little later. It was definitely not I don't know a little more backyard handshake kind of deal. But I meant as far as keeping Russ your Russ, the owner of the the original shop on board. So this process keeps him on board. Right,

Lalo Castro 7:34
right. Oh, yeah. So yeah, we've been we've been on this for about seven years so far, which this year would be his last year, as far as being hands on. Pretty much involved with everything in the shop. So it's been, it's been a long, long, seven years, because I mean, it's when I finally realized that I'm having a partner is tough. Yeah, because I got, you know, I got my own direction I want to go with and you can because you got to consult with your partner about certain things during matters partner slash boss, partner says boss, yeah, and that's that was, that's the most difficult was like, so many thinking. I was like, Man, this is my supposed to be my deal. Why does it feel like I'm doing employee? So that's what made him more, more, for me more difficult and just kind of started losing my momentum after a while, because I just felt like I couldn't do anything that I wanted to do. Yeah. You know, and that's it. That's when I kind of envy your process, because you right away was able to take over and do your thing handled it however you want to me, and the other hand was good. Watching what you know, you guys, I mean, everybody that, you know, certain acquaintances that we have, which is good, seen them opening up shops, and when I'm doing their thing and

Jimmy Purdy 9:01
Lina Yeah, and I think that that's interesting, because there's a lot of probably listening right now that are thinking the same thing. Should I open up on my own show I bought from my boss, I don't know if you know, you typically the owners of a shop that are really good are gonna want to give it away very easily or very cheaply. So like, I'm not going to spend that kind of money about doing on my own. And I don't, I wouldn't recommend that. I don't think that was very easy. I mean, obviously, one way, there's no easy way, right. But I think it's interesting, this dynamic here. We're basically we're I mean, we're literally within 500 yards of each other with two totally different directions that we had, where you had. And I say that in a way that makes it like, you're entitled in a sense, but I don't I don't mean it to translate that way. But you had like the mentorship along the way you had a guy that was and he ran it, he ran a good shop he's been around for a long time was it's been passive auto auto repair for decades. and so on my side, not that it was a bad shot, but it was not well managed. And so it's definitely a little different. So I don't know if my mentorship would have even helped from who I bought it from. But it's still getting into the mix of everything. And then kind of having someone to circle back to, I guess, who you used to buy the, you know, do the transaction probably was a big help to as well, having just, you know, a lot of information education. Luckily, in our day and age, we have a lot of podcasts and different things you can listen to, to try to help you along the way. So I honestly think that was the only reason why I made it. As far as as far as I have is just being able to go on podcasts, listen to YouTube channels, listen to other people, what they're doing, the conversations we constantly have about it. I mean, you just constantly asking and asking and asking. So I don't know, it's I don't know if one way is easier or better than the other right?

Lalo Castro 10:55
Yeah, I don't I don't, you know, I look at it both ways. And I said, well, would have been easier to open up my own shop. Probably not. Because at that time, I didn't have the resources to do so. So for me, yeah, you're right, it was a lot easier, because I was just able to walk into establish, facility ready to go, we're ready to rock and roll with, you know, our clientele can't complain. I mean, we had very good clientele. So I was I wasn't worried about it. So it was nice to be a walk in the door and conduct business like any other day. And what I thought made a lot easier for me was the fact that I was already doing a lot of these chores. I'm pretty much taken on this manager role. Right? So for me, it was just like, Okay, well, I'm already doing a lot of this manager, manager role that I'm supposed to be doing so,

Jimmy Purdy 11:50
or what you thought you were supposed to hold what

Lalo Castro 11:53
I thought, but what was I wrong? Once I Yeah, once I got the key. I mean, I was like, what was totally different? Isn't that what, this is not the roles I thought that was like not going to deal with the headaches now I've got to deal with, you know, customers complaining, and we're seeing a wall here and your employees complain? Yeah, I mean, yeah, that is that is the worst isn't as the worst. I rarely hear customers complain to the employees, because Oh, my God. So anyways, it just it was it was a lot easier for me in that aspect. Because everything was there for me already. Yeah. So, you know, versus what you did? I mean, I mean, you almost had to start from the bottom? In a sense, a sense. Yeah. So

Jimmy Purdy 12:35
I think it helps to have I mean, any part and it's just like, I guess you look at it as like a an assessment or diagnosis on a vehicle, where you're just eliminating possibilities of what the problem is. And so anytime you can walk into an established facility, even though quote unquote, air quotes established, right, if you have even a small clientele base, even if the phone number, even if the if you just have a rent, you know, a lease sign already, like anything you can check off that list is already helping you move forward. So I think I mean, definitely not from the bottom bottom, necessarily, for me, I didn't have to go looking for a property and it had to, you know, get a phone number, I'd have to, you know, build a client list per se, I had to definitely fire a lot of clients. But yeah, we all do from year to year and decade to decade. So that that was just, it was just easy to get in front of that ball and learn how to manage that, you know, you know, this isn't working for anybody here. We don't do that. And we don't do free diagnosis is we don't do free code checks. We don't do free anything.

Lalo Castro 13:44
Sometimes you got to say it's not you, it's me. isn't gonna work. Sorry.

Jimmy Purdy 13:50
This isn't a beneficial relationship for either one of us in here, you know. So that's, that's interesting, too. So when you take over from, you know, another owner, obviously, no matter how seamless you try to make it, there's always changes you got to make, right I mean, for me, there was a huge customer base I had to I had to change to the policies we had to change it was it was purely transmission shop, had to move it more into a full auto repair facility. What were some of the big struggles or the big changes that you obviously are still facing now so and that's, that's that's a great question. Because you got guys that are looking in the same shoes that you are right now Hey, I'm gonna buy my shop, by the shop from my boss, he's gonna take over we got a 10 year plan, whatever it is, but you don't think you try to think ahead, but you don't anticipate some of the roadblocks that come up right like something like you were just excited to get there. Let's make this happen. It's gonna be mine. I do whatever I want. And then you realize, like, hold on a second. Like he's still part of it, but I don't want to do what he's doing anymore. Does that make sense? Yeah.

Lalo Castro 14:49
You know, this is don't get me wrong. I mean, this guy. He's phenomenal guy's smart. I mean, he he's ever looked back at his history of where he came from. I mean, all these businesses he had, and he's, he's made

Jimmy Purdy 15:07
big. Yeah. And not to say that you're right, or he's right, or anybody's doing anything wrong, but we all have our personal touches that we want to do so that we know, it's your shop, you know, and so you can't do everything he's doing. Because it's not, you're not him.

Lalo Castro 15:22
Not because I know exactly, you know, and then that now I just, I look back, and I was like, if they take, take me back to where, back when I was a youngster, you know, where your parents are giving you advice. Don't do this, don't do that. And this is the way you do that. And obviously, as a teenager, youngster, you don't listen to your parents who, you know, no, I want to do it this way. And this is why I want to do it. So it turned aspect, that's the way I was kind of looking at things. It's just I was, you know, looking at it that like in that aspect. Now looking back as the you know, what he was right about a lot of things. Yeah. And, and at that time, you know, a few years back, I was like, No, I wasn't my set in my ways. And this is the way I want to do it. And, and now I'm seeing some, some of the fruit, you know, producing now. It's like, crap, now I'm paying for that now, because he was right, I should have just done it this way. Done, whatever. I mean, however you advice he gave me and I should just follow that advice. And I would have probably wouldn't be in this position. To You know, I had my I had my dream shop. I was expecting to run, you know, I was expecting to, you know, I'm gonna be the, like, the nicest boss ever. We're, you know,

Jimmy Purdy 16:42
barbecue every Friday, we fry lunch every every day new, you know,

Lalo Castro 16:47
just hey, you guys, you know, you guys know what to do. You just do your job. And you know, we'll be fine. Just know. Other than that, you could do whatever you want, kind of thing. You know, everybody's gonna be happy. I don't know what I was thinking, man. I was, I was, I was thinking of rainbows and unicorns and everything. You love puppies and everything, you know, you

Jimmy Purdy 17:04
had a crush on the

Lalo Castro 17:07
Yeah, so I was like, the sophomore on my shop, I'm gonna, it's gonna be, it's gonna be fun, fun atmosphere, everybody's like, laid back, everybody's gonna have fun. You know, there shouldn't be a lot of laughing going on whatever. You know, it's like, that's that was my thinking back then. And then now, reality hits. And now everything changed around for me. Now I'm just No, they think this is dreaming going to happen? In unless unless I change, you know, my ways. And no, you got to think apparent, you got to be strict, and you got to be firm, but at the same time, you got to be, you know, understanding that in this day and age right now, you

Jimmy Purdy 17:45
gotta be a little right.

Lalo Castro 17:47
You're right about that. So a lot of the stuff I started noticing is like, now I see that I see the light. Now I see why. My my boss partner was the way he was. Avoid all this,

Jimmy Purdy 18:02
right? Because your your epiphany, your realization didn't happen overnight. Right? It's been what, close to 10 years now about Yeah, and I mean, just a struggle the whole time and realizing that everyone you hire is not going to have your mentality. I think that's the biggest one for me to you just, you just assume every tech and every mechanic you're gonna hire is just going to come in and be the Rockstar, you know, and I think that's the biggest challenge. So I think for me, it was the last thing I thought about it was like, I had all these other things, and I'm like, Oh, I'll be able to get employees, like, I'll be able to get text. Like, there's plenty of texts out there, like, and so you just didn't even think about it. It wasn't even. And not that you wanted to treat them poorly, right? Like we, you know, had the same idea. Like, obviously, we took over because we wanted to have a better environment for everybody else. It was kind of the reason why I started taking over is like, we can make so much more money here. And that means everyone gets paid more, you know, and then we can do fun stuff too. But you start realizing there's so many, you know, people employees tax whatever want to call them out there that just aren't don't have that mindset. And it's so hard to wrap your head around like, what what do I need to do? And he realizes you're just the way you are? Who you are,

Lalo Castro 19:13
then that's a thing and every guy that you look for you're looking for somebody like you Yeah, and that you can mean to find another Jimmy out there? Probably almost impossible. So it is like it's you know, so it's the song One in a Million Oh, yeah. One of them. Yeah, it's one of the million you know, so it's like in me the same way every every every tech every person that came through I was just trying to you were looking for me. Yeah looking for you gotta find my Jimmy. I gotta I gotta have my Jimmy over here. So it just, you know, everybody, everybody's different. And, you know, I've had guys that don't even last a week because they just don't last

Jimmy Purdy 19:58
right now. Don't Yeah,

Lalo Castro 20:00
he then you left wondering if this was something I did was Yeah. Not a good boss or or what?

Jimmy Purdy 20:06
Yeah. Now is that the hardest thing, the hardest pill to swallow right there, especially when you're starting when you start getting guys that are quitting on you or not showing up? I mean, it's still for me, it's still fresh for me. I had to just let a guy go today. And it's like, it's like, we makes you think like, is it something? I mean, I get the realization, I was like, Okay, it's obviously not what it did. We tried everything we could, but you're still wondering, especially in the very beginning, like what do I need to change to change who I am and you get so emotionally involved in like, these guys that come in and work and everyone thinks, oh, you're just the big bad boss, right? You just like, Oh, you'll just replace me at any minute. Like, here's, um, I'm just another number. He was like, No, not even a little bit. You know, like, yeah, of course, the paychecks obviously, in the front of your mind every week when you got to write it for him. But during the week, you're wondering, like, Man Is everything all right? Like, you don't want to sit down and have lunch, you know, because you want to make sure you're doing everything you can to make sure that they got everything they need to continue working and making their money. You know, he's like, you feel guilty? Just taking 10 minutes to eat a sandwich? You know? Why, right? I mean, I've seen you on your car. Hidin stuff in your face real quick. What do you do it out here? I don't want to see anybody see me?

Lalo Castro 21:19
Yeah, so it's like embarrassing. It's like, you're like, I don't know. How can I go? I mean, you know, kinda, you gotta hide used to be. I mean, that's, that's pretty bad.

Jimmy Purdy 21:30
Yeah, yeah. And you don't really I mean, it's that it's that bootstrapping, at first, you know, when you're trying to, and you don't realize it till later on. It's like, wow, that was like that was making the mistake. But you think that you're doing the right thing, because you just need to be sure that you're there, you're present, you can be accessible at any given time, for any reason, because you hated it. When you worked for someone and you were looking at where's this guy was on a test drive, like, I need, I need the boss, I need the boss, you know, and then you realize, like, Well, that was poor leadership on their part, too, is like, you should have systems in place that everybody knows what they need to do it every time. But in your own mind, you'd haven't realized that yet. And you just keep trying to be available, and you try to be there and you're just trying to do the best at being a poor manager. That makes any sense. You know, you're just like, Well, he did it this way. So I'm gonna do it even better that way. Like, that's even worse.

Lalo Castro 22:22
Are you right, in the in bringing up that point? I mean, I think that's how I got started with I say, with that mentality that I got it initially was, I was kind of using them as a guideline. And as I, you know, when I was working for him, you know, there was no radio loud. And just pretty much you can even, there's times where you can feel like you couldn't even talk, you know, what's your Conrad over there, you know, just just get to work. And that was it. And that's kind of what I use for for me was, you know what? I didn't like it the way it was. Back then. When I was working. I didn't get this. I didn't get that. So for me, it's again, I kind of go back to referring back to to having kids. You know, you want to give your employees everything you didn't have back then. Just like your give your kids where you couldn't have back then either even though without spoiling grant grandparents, grandparents. But yeah, what else? Well, grandparents will spoil your kids. Yeah. But you know, me I'm now I'm trying to find the fine line between, you know, giving them what they want without them getting spoiled, because I got to the point where they were expecting all the time. They were expecting this expecting that and it's like, you kid know, my employees. My kids are well trained. They know they know. They know. I give props to give props to the mom they know they come alive. But now my kid that's why I know now I have my wife at the shop now hoping to be able to do the same thing and deal with my kids to do what the guy but it backfired on me now she's part of the guy who's now she's, I think I joke around with it wouldn't surprise me if these guys decided to go protests outside of the shop because, you know, unfair wages, there's, you'd be out there with them too, with the sign and everything. And I was like,

Jimmy Purdy 24:12
You're on the wrong side. Yeah, exactly.

Lalo Castro 24:13
Exactly as what I told you, so you don't know. What are you doing out there? I was like, Well, I'm just trying to help them out. And I'm like, No,

Jimmy Purdy 24:19
let's say you're helping the wrong direction. Actually, you're helping poor management. Exactly. It's like you're gonna change. And so that kind of backs all the way up to the verse question of like, what exactly do you do differently than before? Right? So not like they said, and this kind of the way I'm wording it now makes it seem like what he was doing was wrong, but times have changed, you know, so like cellphone usage and stuff like that. You know, you know, it shouldn't be on your phone, but you need it sometimes to look up certain information, whether it's a tablet or laptop, whatever the shop is that they have, but I mean the times are changing. So the different ways of leadership. You You know, you see what they do, and you're like, Oh, he didn't let me listen to radio. So I'm gonna crank that radio up, we're gonna have a good time. And that's not a bad thing. That's that that breeds a good shop culture. As long as you know, there's kind of standards around it, you don't want that thing cranked up so that the next tax I can't even think right now, the service visors on the phone, like, I can't even conversation right now. So there's definitely a point to not having the radio turned up, but also like, hey, let's turn it up a little bit, and get myself out of my mind a little bit, you know, like, that's not a bad thing, but it was

Lalo Castro 25:28
not. And I think it is necessary. And again, I mean, you know, with, with him not allowing the radio back then just like you said, I just told myself, I'm gonna have a radio, the first thing I'm going to do, soon as they walk in the shop, when I got the key to putting on my doing, that's what I did. I got a radio, I put it on, and it's like, you know what, okay, now, now we're talking. That's the first thing I do.

Jimmy Purdy 25:50
It's been a, it's been over half a million dollars, just so you can listen to the radio, or he could have just got a job somewhere else.

Lalo Castro 25:57
I should have gotten

Jimmy Purdy 25:59
an expensive radio day, wouldn't it?

Lalo Castro 26:01
I think I just did that just to prove that point. Why radio and that's it. But you know what, but then I, you know, as time passed by, I didn't notice you know, what, there is times where you do need, you do need some peace and silence, just to be able to think and there's times I walk in the shop and not even think about it, and the radios off. And it's been on offer for a while. And as I got it is nice. In just fine. I mean, it's quiet, peaceful. I was like, everything's relaxed. Cool. But you know, there's times where you do need it on to kind of get you pumped up motivated and get things going. And for the most part, that's, that's what we have it but I think, yeah, it gets, it gets to the point where, you know, some of the guys will take advantage of it. And it did before, I mean, my previous employee that I had, and I mean, he had a tendency of doing that just turning the thing up, right, cranking it out, crank it out, and he's like, you know, what, no, you know, and I, you know, the fact I'm not as fortunate as you are to have a nice office and everything, you know, mine, you know, at the shop, it's a box, it's well, it's still still an office. It's a nice office, but you know, at the shop, there's pretty much offices right there at the shop. So there's no walls, no nothing, which is right there in the open. So with the radio blasting, can you barely hear the customer? Or even the customers like sometimes like what's going on there? You have you have a nightclub going on? Oh, there it was. I mean, it's just and then at that point, I guess you're gonna wouldn't know that.

Jimmy Purdy 27:28
Yeah, it's crossed the line between trying to keep techs happy and productive, and then being unprofessional. And it's one of those many, many gray lines that you're constantly trying to battle all day long, you know, where as you start, you just wanted to be a tech and just work on cars and have a good time. And you're like, hey, I can do this myself. I can hire other guys that are like me, well, I'll just sit here have a good time and make tons of money and fix cars when it's like, doesn't. That's not the reality.

Lalo Castro 27:53
It's not it's not the reality, and and

Jimmy Purdy 27:56
you just slowly see see yourself turning into a Ross, you know,

Lalo Castro 28:00
you're right. You know, sometimes I do sit there and I was like, Man, I'm already turned into him now. I know. And, and I, when I get it, I mean, it's, it's the reason for that. And the reason why he knows he made it this far is because of who he is. And yeah, I respect that. Now, I respect that. And yeah, now I'm trying to turn myself into a little bit of that too, because, you know, you got to have law and order there or else, everything goes chaotic. You've been at the shop, or at few times where things get chaotic, and just, everyone's just having a great time, everyone's gonna have a great time doing what they want, whatever. And, you know, finally they got to the point where it's, you know, what, enough is enough? Really, I gotta change it.

Jimmy Purdy 28:40
Well now and now not at all. It's not all bad, right? So there's definitely some what the word is I'm looking for, but there's definitely some would you succeed some, some, some numbers or facts you can put up behind that, right? So not to get too too deep into the financial side of it, but it's not like you're doing bad. I mean, so there's definitely proof in the pudding. Let's put it that way. As far as like the way he had managed and the way you've where you started and where the numbers aren't now, and of course, that's a lot of help from mentorship, maybe from internal from having him on board or from who you use, but also outside training, right. So it's definitely helpful to do that kind of stuff. And then also realize like, okay, my tech mentality, running a business is not was what makes money. So have you seen a change in the numbers as far as between car count Aaro you know, in implementing these changes, it definitely impacts the bottom line is, I guess, is what I'm getting at?

Lalo Castro 29:44
Yeah, I mean, obviously, training is a very important and I've always stressed how important it is for training. I try to get my guys to go to training and whatnot. But I try to focus on myself a lot more as far as you You know how to be a good leader? Right now? That's the one thing I'm struggling with is becoming a good leader.

Jimmy Purdy 30:06
Yeah, you've had really great months. But you want to sustain that.

Lalo Castro 30:09
I want to keep that. Yeah. And I know that I have room for improvement. And that's what I got to trying to find out myself is what changes I need to do to become better.

Jimmy Purdy 30:18
So you're at a what? 70 ad car count a month. When those lines

Lalo Castro 30:24
Yeah, I went from Yeah, I went from below. Um, it was like, maybe 45 almost doubled it.

Jimmy Purdy 30:34
Yeah. And that that car count is everything that matters. But obviously, your average repair order went up as well. Oh, yeah.

Lalo Castro 30:40
I mean, that was that was down from to 200. And something and all of a sudden, that ramped up to average was 500. or something. Yeah, work order. You know, I, especially this year, this year, I say past last year, I mean, I've noticed a significant ramp on the gross profit and, and total revenue from my shop. And that there was amazing it was it was exciting, thrilling to see that haven't never seen that before. Even even Russ was amazed by that. Compared to what he used to produce to work, what he used to produce with their shop to what it is now. I mean, that pretty much almost close to triple. Which does amazing. Now I have a little taste of what, what could happen. Yeah, the potential the potential.

Jimmy Purdy 31:40
And that's funny, because that's changed your motivation of keeping the shop medicines, right? So you had a different motivation mindset when you took over, right? You just wanted the radio. And now we see the value. Now you see the numbers and you're like this is now what I'm going to start channeling my energy towards, you know, not just car count, but keeping your average report, repair, order up, keeping the guys productive, keeping them efficient, keeping them happy. I think that kind of goes back and forth, you always want to have the guys happy, even when you start to, you know, 10 years down the road. But it's interesting coming from the how the motivation change and how it needs to change and how some guys out there that are running a shop just need to see a different way of viewing who they are and how they're running their shop. And then what can motivate them moving on because you lose that motivation. Once you own it once you got the keys once you control the radio, now what is their, you know, now Okay, now I'm just gonna, I'm gonna work really hard and get as many cars as I can for no good reason. You're just running on the treadmill. And you're like, yeah, and then you're like, Where's my money? And you get down to the end of the first year, the second year that you guys were partners together, and you're like, where's my cut? Like, there is no

Lalo Castro 32:49
that you know what? And that's honestly, I think, for me, that was a really downer for me. Because the first set first two, three years, I will see anything. So I was like, why am I doing this way? Am I beating myself up? Why am I stressing now? For what, um, am I getting anything out of this place. And finally, I think the eye opener was, you know, a couple years ago, when finally, we started finally making some money to where I actually was able to put money in my pocket at that point, which also returned helped me be able to finally purchase my home, which I've been working on working hard to make that happen if it wasn't for that, and none of that would happen. But yeah, that now it's a big motivator for me, I'm pumped up I'm excited for this year, because now obviously, they want to do better than last year. So I kind of started to get that thrill back from from the beginning. But I had that motivation, that pump that wanted to go get it type attitude. And now I'm starting to get that back again. So trying to make this happen this week. Okay,

Jimmy Purdy 33:54
we motivated again, it might have been Yeah, cuz the beginning. And that's, that says a lot to like, how the whole situation was managed to is taking this to three years. And I think there's a lot of negative connotation about bootstrapping, and I don't think that's necessarily what I'm what I'm referencing here, but definitely putting as much back into the shop and the business as you possibly can in those first couple of years I think is pretty critical. I don't think bootstrapping in a sense of like not paying yourself and and keeping you know all your employees wages as low as possible is what needs to be done but you're talking about as actually your your stipend at the end of the year. Right. So Oh, yeah. So you you were still paid as an employee and paid you know, a good technician wage but you're talking about your dividend at the end of the year owning the shot, right? Yeah,

Lalo Castro 34:47
yes. Sorry. Yeah. So yeah, I'm still getting paid my normal salary that I was getting, but obviously what you know, prices nowadays you can't survive on that now. Right? And you can't even you can't even

Jimmy Purdy 34:58
well not not and not right Running a shop not running the shop when you have all the responsibilities.

Lalo Castro 35:03
That's, that's what I keep on telling myself is like, I got all this responsibility, all the headaches and everything yet. I'm not reaping anything, you know, and that was that was a downer for me. I'm just like, I shouldn't I should just go back to being an employee. Yeah. And forget about the head. So but like I said, once I started seeing the increase and climbing and I started, okay, it looks I was able to see what happened this year. And, okay, well, the a little bit better, but I was I finally made it happen. And, you know, I got a little bit of kickback

Jimmy Purdy 35:35
now from now that also in that, in that point of time, when you're struggling, you know, in a sense, struggling, you're not getting your what you feel is your, what you should be getting, and you hire new tech, right? So how's your thought process between when you started and where you're at now? Now, of course, we are in like, I mean, everyone, there's always a tech shortage, but from, you know, 10 years ago till now, it's it's definitely a lot different. But besides that, you know, personally, when you look at a tech to hire them, from where you when you started until you're Now how's your mindsets different? Like what are you looking for now for a tech, and not so much as like what they can do, but financially?

Lalo Castro 36:18
Well, I've been fortunate enough not to have to look for texts, as often. Most of my guys that I hired on have stuck around for a while ever since I pretty much took over. So I haven't had to have that I've had that problem yet to where I have to be searched for anybody. But that changed here in the last week where one of my guys but also one of my guys already, so can't blame him. He's preserved, you know, looking for a better opportunity, which, you know, that's, that's, I think that's what sucks, you know, for shops, small shops is you can't get people with these benefits that you know, these government jobs

Jimmy Purdy 37:03
and stuff. I mean, that's what that's what needs to change in the end. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. And

Lalo Castro 37:06
then, you know, so I don't blame him. I mean, I just don't know. You know, what you gotta do we gotta do for your family. There's no, no, no. No foul. Yeah, no hard feelings. No hard feelings. I mean, you're thanks for your hard work, dedication. And you know, and I

Jimmy Purdy 37:24
lucky you got him for almost five years. I don't I don't think I've had a tech for more than a year in the last six years since I've owned this place. The high tech turnover. I think I'm a nice guy, but I don't know. I guess not. I don't know. But maybe your whole nice, easy going turn up to work. You know, what happened around longer? I don't know.

Lalo Castro 37:46
I think that's right. I think the word went around. And I think that's what that's what it was. But you know, it did hurt because I mean, he this guy was a guy that kind of turned around for me a little bit at the shop. I mean, he made he pretty much made it happen in the last few years. I mean,

Jimmy Purdy 38:04
yeah, you molded him, you trained him. And now he grew wings, and he decided to fly away. Exactly. It's the hardest thing but it's also the best thing for the industry as a whole. I mean, you trained him really well he learned and now he's gonna go out and make the rest of the industry look good. So yeah, it stings of course for us. I mean, from the pocket to when you got to show up and he's not there and there's that that empty spot in the corner of the shop. You can you know, cry a little bit and that's you know, no and that's for the industry as a whole we're not trying to attack you right he's like out there and he's doing his thing you know,

Lalo Castro 38:40
no, you're right. But yeah, you're short of doing what you just mentioned, I was you know, pretty close to doing I just wanted a corner and just Monday morning come in and shop and not seen his boxer and just heard his voice and everything and just then you

Jimmy Purdy 38:57
like think you hear it and you're like, No

Lalo Castro 39:01
it's one of the other guys like it's just you know, so But no, he was like I told him you know, he left a big imprint there to shop and you know, an imprint that nobody's ever gonna forget I mean, he did I said he changed he changed it for me and that's what I'm very grateful for him for doing that. So you kind of opened up my eyes to to what's possible

Jimmy Purdy 39:21
Yeah, bring someone on you can train him in house and

Lalo Castro 39:25
so without him I don't think it would have been this position

Jimmy Purdy 39:28
and that's a good learning experience too for for you for the next one right and that's kind of kind of the direction I was going with with like the conversation is like for me starting in it was all about you know sounds terrible standards way but negotiating the lowest amount I could hire someone on for right because when I started you know you read all these books in you listen all these things about oh, keep your costs low. It's not how much you make, it's how much you keep and on and on and on. So you're like Okay, so I'm gonna negotiate everything you're negotiating the freakin the uniform service to the to the Colgan guy do that you On PJ Nene seen if there's anything I mean, you're just like, you're just on one you're, you know, salesman, one on one, you know, so when a tech comes in, and you're like, you know, I want to start, you know, 30 books out, how about 24 and a half, you know, it's like, you're just, you just turned to this guy, you're like, constantly, like, just been everything down. But it's like, that's the one, I think the biggest mistake I made is, is like, and maybe the highest reason I have such a high telco turnover is because I do that, and then I expect a whole lot out of them. And I don't think it's been till really this year, I've really realized, like, you know, what, I'm gonna pay whatever it takes. And whatever they ask, I'm gonna give them if they walk in the door, and they want 4045 50 bucks an hour, you got it, you got it, see what you can do, like, your here's your paycheck. And this is what I expect. And as long as we're all on the same page, that you just tell me what you want, you know, in a sense.

Lalo Castro 40:48
And I think that's the biggest point, I think you can go cheap when it comes down to tax, right when you can and, and that's one thing that I'm learning now. I mean, you know, just comparing it to my last guy. I mean, he was worth every penny. Yeah. So whatever, whatever it was paying him, he was worth every penny. So now, like you're saying, Now, the same qualities he had. And that's what I'm looking for now and the next guy, and I'm willing to pay whatever he needs to pay to, if it meets the requirements, so to make it happen, and

Jimmy Purdy 41:20
then make sure you stay on top of it, too. You know, I think like the one year evaluations that you sit them down and say, Hey, are you doing really well, I think you should be reevaluating yourself as to a point to like, hey, if this guy came in my shop, with the experience that I've just taught him in a year, what would I pay him? You know, I think it's hard for a lot of guys would look back like, you're, I mean, you're a smart guy, you taught him a lot. And so in a weird way, you've costed yourself money, in a sense for payroll, but it hasn't, because he's paying that back and tenfold by the experience that you've taught him. He's made you so much more money, but it's like, the more he learns from you, the more you that you really need to pay him. And I think a lot of guys that own shops don't realize how smart they are. Or like how tech savvy they are, and how much they're teaching these green things. Right are greenhorns and it's like, I'm making you someone important. I'm making, I'm teaching you a lot. So here now I'm paying you because I'm teaching you. And I think that's another big aspect in the industry, too, that needs to change like, you just because you taught him something doesn't mean you don't you get to negate paying him for right or her? Yeah, and then,

Lalo Castro 42:26
you know, I never I never held back when it came down to, you know, spending what I do now it was spending money on my guys and training, anything, they can make them better. Right? No, go for it. Whether it's training, whether it's you know, you know, AC Testing, testing, whatever, yeah, you know, anyways, to motivate them to improve themselves. I'm all for it. You know, even you know, as far as you know, as simple as, you know, taking small little trips here and there. I mean, it's just like a just kind of get together just kind of have that, bro time with a commodity. That's what it was. Yeah, you know, and kind of get in there, you talk the Tuesday, whatever. You know, and, you know, it just, you know, see what they want. I mean, and that's one of the biggest things that I think I started doing. And then I failed, is like you're sitting having monthly meetings or quarter meetings with them to say, where you're at, you know, I it's hard, man. It is, and oh, and I think I get you get into that boss mentality that you forget, you know, they're also human beings, they, you know, they want to sit down, they want to talk, you know, see where they're at. I mean, they grab issues at home you don't even know about and that's what's affecting their work. Yeah. You know, even though we say you know, leave issues you have at home, you Matador to bring them with you. Yeah, but it's hard to do not not in 2023. Now, it's hard to do. So yeah, I think that's one of the things I think I've failed. And I think, let's say my guy that left, he taught me that, as you say, you got to give five to. I've heard that expression. You had a gift to take five years, something like that takes money to make money. Whatever it is, people think there was it wasn't as important as

Jimmy Purdy 44:21
everything is it wasn't really like yeah, I'm sorry.

Lalo Castro 44:25
You got to show that you care. Yeah. So they so they could care. So. So that's one of the things I've I've needed where I know I need to work on and,

Jimmy Purdy 44:33
well, it's difficult in a situation when you're the owner and you don't have the mentorship and I think this circles back to the beginning of the conversation of like having someone that your boss that's your partner that you're together on this thing is he can always look over your shoulder, hey, you're doing this wrong. And I didn't really have that I didn't have someone saying this is what you're doing wrong. I had to like, look back on the scope of what I was doing and say what am I doing wrong? And then look at what other people are doing is like, and then try to be a third person in my own situation like, okay, is this did I do that is that like what I'm doing right now and it was like, so hard. And it still is, I mean, luckily, my wife, you know, she runs the front, so she can definitely keep me in check a lot better. And that's probably been the biggest, you know, part of, of our shop moving up in the world is is having heard, you know, keep me in line, making sure that I'm staying on my path, because I'm just like, oh, this is a good idea, I'm going to do this. But if no one's checking your work, you don't know that you're doing it wrong. And for tax and not to say tax have it any easier. But, you know, you start micromanaging a little bit, and you're like, Hey, your productivity is down. 5% What's going on? You know, and, and it's like, that looks like a bad micromanaging situation. But it's like, Hey, I'm paying you your productivity bonuses. So of course, I'm worried why you're all of a sudden you have a 10 or 15% decline in your productivity in the last three weeks. Like, yeah, I'm concerned about that financially, but also like, Hey, man, what's going on? And us in our positions, we don't really have that unless you have like a coach, or somebody that's above you. That's like, hey, so I'm, I'm noticing your numbers are down what's going on? And it could be something personal could be, hey, my wife's been sick. Hey, I'm just like, filling out of it hate. And it's like, that's why it is important to have those conversations to stay on top of those it is

Lalo Castro 46:18
there's nothing wrong with like, talking about the productivity and all that it's like, it's just the way you come at them. Yeah. I mean, not what you say. But how you say how you say, Yeah, you know, so if you take them out for a let's go for lunch, whatever, you know, in a neutral environment,

Jimmy Purdy 46:34
you're kind of expecting them to bring it up, though, too, right? I mean, we have the kind of the same pay plans, we've gone over this before our do our bonus structures, and we pay them based on productivity on top of the hourly. And it's we both have hybrids, but you know, we try to stay on that same page there. But when they start dropping back, you start like, hey, what, like, why aren't they asking me about this? Like, aren't they? Aren't they worried about not getting paid?

Lalo Castro 46:58
You know what I funny, you bring that up, because one of my guys is pretty good about that. He does bring it up to my attention and say, you know, I haven't you noticed that my numbers are down, my part of productivity is down. And so, yes, I mean, but I've don't bring it up. Because if there was something going on at home, I think it's personal, if it's something that really will, you know, really is bothering you that you bring it to my attention. Yeah. So um, yeah. So I'm waiting for him to tell me what's going on. And he's waiting for me to ask. So it's like, it never it never happens. Yeah. So now, I've learned that once I see something, hey, what's going on? Everything's okay. I mean, I mean, there's anything I could help you with. I mean, Joe, I noticed that last month, I mean, kinda,

Jimmy Purdy 47:46
well, I think we both have a little PTSD when it comes to like, bad employees. Even the very beginning, everybody, like everybody's, you know, trying to do it cheap and buying cheap labor and trying to, you know, not not having the culture that you should, and you're just, you're hiring based on numbers instead of, you know, getting to know somebody, like, hey, we can really get along, but you get a little bit of that PTSD going on, right? Where you're like, I don't want to ask because I don't want this guy to, like, freak out. You know, like everything. Like, we're stable right now. And just like keep it that way. So I'm not gonna say anything, but you start realizing like the, the actual real tax, the good, the good employees, they will appreciate that they appreciate you coming up just like you. And a sense would appreciate someone telling you, hey, you're not doing this, right. What do you think about doing this? And you're like, Oh, dude, give me some gold nuggets. Man, tell me what I'm doing wrong. Please, for the love of God. Tell me what I'm doing wrong. No, and I just soak that in. And I've noticed that two of the same taxes like you tell them not necessarily what they're doing wrong. Like hey, you know, if you if you decided maybe to use the restroom before you got to work or maybe like, if you had your next whatever, whatever tip you want to tell them like, hey, maybe if you hustle with a little bit, you could pick up your Oh, that's a great idea. I'm going to do that. And it's like, but you get the other guys are like, Why you always watch what I'm doing? Like, what's with the freakin attitude man, like I'm paying you to do when you do well.

Lalo Castro 49:09
Yeah, and that's one thing they don't understand is like, your pay goes along with your productivity. How well you the shop does so the shop does good. You do good.

Jimmy Purdy 49:18
Yeah, cuz you have an incentive for the shop sales too. Right? Yeah, you divvy up shop sales?

Lalo Castro 49:24
Yeah. Yeah. So I mean, we had, you know, my tech guys, there, they get their obviously their hourly rage. As a guarantee, then they get their flag time. So usually, they hit the flag time all the time. So I really don't worry much about paying them hourly. So it's always a win win. And my guys don't flag time. Guys don't flag time. He knows what numbers to hit. And he hits all numbers most of the time. So I'm usually not worried about

Jimmy Purdy 50:00
out there. So you hybrid it out for every tech individually in the shot. Yeah,

Lalo Castro 50:03
yeah. So and then we used to implement, which when the whole pandemic hit that kind of changed everything. But we use also used to have a team bonus. So based on the growth, I had some different tiers, you hit this tier, a gross profit, you get this percentage at this when you get this percentage. So it's kind of like a big ol pot. So at the end of the month, depending on where we where we hit, that number gets divided amongst them. So they had their flag time earnings, and then they had their end of the month team bonus for working together. That was kind of a little iffy. Because sometimes, you know, they, they tend to clean competition. Yeah. Because, you know, this guy needs help. And he's asking for help. And it's like, well, no, even you're taking a week away from my job. I got to finish up and yeah, they wouldn't help each other. I say, will you still working towards this goal? So, you know, that's kind of the whole point. I decided to do that. Yeah, they would,

Jimmy Purdy 51:10
they wouldn't abandon the team bonus. Yeah.

Lalo Castro 51:12
Yeah. So it's like, shoot, I

Jimmy Purdy 51:15
mean, just learning every day

Lalo Castro 51:19
to go as I expected, and I mean, now they're asking for it back. Because like, Hey, are we ever gonna get our bonuses back or team bonuses, like before you guys don't work as a team? What's the point of that, that was the whole point is to promote that, but, you know, Eric was looking for themselves. So I might, I gotta just gonna be structured differently. And, and you know, that, and that also use it for like, like shop cleanup. Because that was, that's one of the biggest things for me is to shop cleanup. And that's one of the areas that I think we could improve to more I mean, we, it just becomes a mess sometimes in there. And I was like, man, if everybody just clean up for themselves, we wouldn't have this problem. You think so. But one point or the other as well, I didn't make that even I didn't do this. It's like, somebody did, you just didn't appear by itself. Right. So that was also another incentive for that too. But it just

Jimmy Purdy 52:14
a cleanly bonus or something the other shop culture, I mean, you would assume you walk in somewhere, and it's like, you pick something up, you put it back where it belongs. And it's I mean, but then there's the, the other side of it, where you're just trying to get the job done. And it's like, well, for the benefit of the shop, if I, you know, you know, out of efficiency, you're trying to just get stuff out of the way so you can get the car in and out of the bay. And so all of a sudden, around your bay, you got all these boxes, and now you got these oil drain panels you got everything kind of pushed to the side, because they're just in and out, in and out. And it's, I don't see the benefit of doing that. I mean, I understand. I mean, the hardest thing I understand, but I get the mind processes, like Well, I'm not going to spend five minutes constantly putting everything back when I got to pull the next one and I'm not gonna go put the oil drain pan on the other side of the shot when I gotta go pull in the next car to do an oil change. So I'm gonna leave it there. Alright, so it's so difficult to manage that because you're trying not to micromanage and like, hey, put that oil pan back, hey, put the rack arms back, hey, the the adapters they go, there's a little spot on the side of the of the of the lift there, they go back there. That's, you know, and so I just found myself just as I walk around, I just start putting stuff back where it needs to go. And I don't know, I don't know how else to manage that situation. You really pull the pull the tag, like, hey, just so you know, these little rack adapters, you know, the little the little extenders that go on the under the pads, you know, I'm talking about they go back and there's a little since you that nice right there, click, they go right there was not in that cool. So now so now when I walked by, I don't kick them. And they don't go wrong across the frickin shop. I just put it back because like, I just gonna put it back, you know, like, and I feel like the more times they see it in the spot, maybe it'll be like, Oh, that's where they go, you know, but

Lalo Castro 53:58
no, I did that for a while. And I got to the point where I said, You know what, no, I can't continue doing this. I can't they got to. I mean, yeah, I mean, I get it. I mean, we're a busy shop. So there's hardly any time for any downtime to you know, okay, let me just put this away. So yeah, they get the tendency of leaving things just there. And then I'll get to later on when I'm done doing what I'm doing, then. That never happens. Yeah. So I mean, like, I'm trying to understand that but I try to look back to when I was wrenching. I mean, I was told that I myself wasn't the cleanest guy, cleanest person, but I know but again,

Jimmy Purdy 54:37
that gave you something to fight though. Right? But I know what you're like I'm gonna be clean. Exactly. Like yeah, maybe I'm maybe I'm

Lalo Castro 54:44
gonna prove me wrong. Yeah. But no, I mean, but I know that I would put things away. You know, tools, especially tools as soon as I was done with the job, I just put tools away in especially sharp tools. I start putting it back. And I had my system I had, you know, I had tools where I know that we're going Every time I needed it, I know it was there. Now, good luck trying to find something, you know, my box that they also work that off is just can't even explain it. I can't, I don't. So I don't have any tools anymore because who knows where they're at? And, and that's I think that's where it crossed the line right there. So you know, what, if you guys can't respect other people's property, I mean, yeah, I mean, what makes you think is in respect to sharp I mean, as far as cleaning that up and whatnot, so. So we, it's a constant battle, like, we have the same talk over and over it, you know, we have weekly shop meeting that we have, and that's one of the things that we constantly beat

Jimmy Purdy 55:41
it up all the time. Like, that's the only way I like anybody listening right now, if you're not doing shop meetings, and you're having the same issues, that's, it doesn't obviously fix the problem, but at least it like this is out there, it's out there, and it starts pushing back a little bit to because in the same sense, when you when you start the shop, unless you're a business, business management, you know, and you have a degree in it, or you've owned a shop before, or you've seen how well rent ran shop needs to operate, you really have no idea. And so that's what happens is like, Oh, my toolboxes here if you guys need anything, because you're just trying to be Mr. Happy helper person, right? Whatever, whatever. Hey, I put some yogurts in the fridge for you guys or sodas in the fridge. And hey, there's a six pack of beer. And there are two of you guys on Friday night is like freaking Wednesday afternoon. They're cracking beers are like, Dude, what are you doing, man? That's not what it like. And so it's like, you're trying to find that line of like, being a nice guy and making making everybody happy. But it doesn't it doesn't work.

Lalo Castro 56:41
And then that's what I'm also talking about. That's where I learned my lesson there too. You know, that it started getting to the point where Yeah, I mean, you had no control. I had no control what work was on the shelf sometimes. You know, they felt like, oh, yeah, four o'clock is cracking beers is like, what do you guys doing? That even five o'clock if you still turn business hours? Oh, just you know, just just having one just, you know,

Jimmy Purdy 57:05
we're done all the cars and pull day or whatever? It's like, no, no, we're just gonna, we're just gonna sit down here early. Guys are gonna show you guys

Lalo Castro 57:11
exactly. So I got a swagger that I think that I think overall, that was my breaking point, right there is that you know what, this, if I don't have control myself, then I'm not going to be able to have control the shop. I'm losing it. I'm losing everybody. So from that point on, I just say, Nope, you know, I gotta change my ways. I could be firm like or be strict. But I could also be nice. Be

Jimmy Purdy 57:34
down, you know, now looking back, you're in that situation right now. We're talking to somebody that's in that situation? I mean, where do you even start? How do you even like, how do you like, what you just come in screaming and yelling? You just take all the you just take everything? Throw it away? Like how how do you even like start to re course that that ship? And some some guys say it? It's like, it's like, do you take a ship? Like, like the Titanic and you try to crank it real hard to the right. And everybody on the on the on the deck goes flying off? Or do you take the ship and you start pulling the sails slightly and kind of like before you know it, we're headed in a different direction. And no one's even realized you turned it? You know, like, does that make sense?

Lalo Castro 58:12
Like yeah, I guess. I mean, I'm still trying to figure that out myself. Now. I mean, because all this just started happening recently. You know, and, you know, I know, I just came back from my trip. And, you know, a lot of a lot of things went down when I was away on my trip. And that thing, that's what triggered it. That strip came in the opportunity to kind of think things through with everything, it's all gonna happen in the shop. And so it gave me seven days just to think about it, keep on thinking about it and say, I gotta do something, this this, this ain't working. This ain't working. So finally, you know, once I got back, as you know, I got to implement this. And this is what I got to do. Is that the easiest, but I had to really, really work hard and change the way I conducted my day to day business and stick to it. And the problem is, I think the problem is a lot of it is all the guys that I have. I see them as friends. Really good friends. I mean, one of my guys I've known him from since middle school. So we have that relationship as being longtime friends. And although he says he gets it, I mean for metal five, which is toll business, and you know, from after five o'clock, you know, we're friends. Right? I mean, that's, that's kind of good way of looking at it. Yeah. But even my guy, the guy that just left and the same thing and kind of saw him as a friend. We saw each other as a friend. So there wasn't that respect, I guess you could say, as far as a you know what, I'm the boss. You're the employee beside each other's friends,

Jimmy Purdy 59:53
but I mean, there's a really need to be that line, though. shouldn't know they shouldn't. And that's tough, too, because that's the mentality. You kind of have to Hey, I'm you know, I write your check, you do what I say. And it's like, that's just just disgusting. Filthy. Is that mindset down?

Lalo Castro 1:00:08
And that's the thing. And you know what instance ever since you know, I took over the shop. I kept on having tell the guys to us like, you know what? I don't feel the left and I feel weird when they call me boss. Somebody called the boss because I don't feel it. I don't I don't

Jimmy Purdy 1:00:27
I think they call it a word for that the imposter syndrome. I think it's called impostor syndrome. Yeah.

Lalo Castro 1:00:36
That sounds insulting. But that's not until

Jimmy Purdy 1:00:39
you're an imposter. Imposter, like, you're not supposed to be there, you know? Like, I still don't feel like I own a shop.

Lalo Castro 1:00:49
And that's yeah,

Jimmy Purdy 1:00:52
I read it. I read write, read and check. I've been doing it in this new location now for almost two years. And it's like, even if it is like, I felt like maybe it's just because I was at the preview the old shop. And it's like, I just kind of took over the lease. And it was like, Oh, I'm just writing the check for him. I'm just like, doing everything for him. And it's like, now that we're in a new location, I thought that would change my mindset, but it's still just still feels like I'm like, It's not mine. Like, this is not not like it's not real. But it's like, this is not like, Yeah, this is not my life. Like, I'm not like, I don't own a shop, I don't like it. You just have this weird feeling all the time of like, I'm just doing, I'm just going through the motions, and it hasn't, like settled in, and maybe you're a little scared of it actually settling in because you're like, maybe maybe if I make it real, I'm gonna fail. You know, maybe if I just continue doing like what I'm think I'm supposed to be doing, then it'll just keep going forward.

Lalo Castro 1:01:46
As exactly right. And I think I just started, I started wrong from the get go. And, you know, by saying or thinking, You know what, I'm just like, you guys. I mean, I'm just done. Your equal, um, you know, I'm here also to work and, and but we're not and they don't look. Exactly. We're not. And then I think they don't they don't we're not and

Jimmy Purdy 1:02:05
not. And you know what I think I think the stigma around it is like you're not equal because you're better. I think that's, that's what you don't want to you don't want to say, Well, I'm not equal to you, because I'm better. But it's not as that's not exactly. That's not what it is at all. It's just, it's just not equal. Because we're different. It's like saying you're better than your wife. Right? Or she's better than you. Right? And it was, I mean, yeah, you could probably she's

Lalo Castro 1:02:23
better than me. She's, she's, again, I can I can't deny that. I

Jimmy Purdy 1:02:26
mean, no, no, you're absolutely right. About so just like,

Lalo Castro 1:02:29
Leanne is,

Jimmy Purdy 1:02:31
she's, she's obviously a lot better than me. And you know, we get it, we get it. Okay. So we're equals or not equals, or are we equal? Are we not? I don't know what the rules are anyway. The stigma be behind being the owner, you know, and the word owner and it portrays this negativity towards anybody that's underneath you. And that's what the problem is, is trying to say, I'm better than you, because I'm the owner, but you don't know what you're doing. Right. So you're like, I don't even I don't want that label, because I don't think I am better. But it's like that you're not better because you're the owner. You just have different responsibilities.

Lalo Castro 1:03:11
Right? What are you worried? Yeah, we're, I mean, like it or not, we're in a different level. You know, yeah. I gotta step it up. And I gotta show some days. It's up some days. I'm down. Yeah. So I think from the get go, I mean, that's how we started viewing me is like, oh, you know what, it's just him. I mean, we known each other for a long time, and she's a buddy of mine, whatever. And that's what it is, is they treat you as a buddy. But, yeah, you're right. I mean, they shouldn't be that way. I mean, there's everybody's got to know the boundaries. I'm just just like, No, just like I hadn't, I knew the boundaries, were not across, you know, and I respected that. You know, and, you know, even though you know, it could be a buddy or not, it doesn't matter, but, you know, businesses business and, and they got to know how to respect that. And I think from the get go, I never really established that. Because of that. I just never, I didn't want to. Yeah, I didn't want to feel like I was better than them. I didn't like to. I don't I didn't like the title. I feel like I was titled and, you know, I, I don't I think my my mind I'm picturing is dictator that I'm cracking the whip. And, you know, I said, No, no, I want to be right. You know, and from that point on, I mean, that's when they just started going to hell,

Jimmy Purdy 1:04:24
like it's like working for a corporation and working with a good friend of yours. And then he gets promoted to manager and you're still Yeah, the box boy in, like, Hey, I'm like your boss now. So you got to do what I say. Yeah.

Lalo Castro 1:04:35
It's weird. He's thinking about that as like, Dude, I know. You may use the same loser that, you know,

Jimmy Purdy 1:04:43
we're this say,

Lalo Castro 1:04:46
you're my boss. And

Jimmy Purdy 1:04:48
he took he took the initiative and the motivation to get to that promotion. And so he should be he should earn that respect. And I think that's another thing too, is as you did the same thing, and I did The same thing is doing what we needed to do to, to put ourselves in the position to be owners, and all of a sudden, we feel we deserve this respect, that's just not right handed out, right. And this is a small part. It's not it's not like everything, but there's definitely a little bit of like, hey, like, respect me, like, I hired you come in here, give me some respect. And on the other side of it, you got these texts come in, and they're, they deserve respect as well. And it's like this weird street of like, okay, so

Jimmy Purdy 1:05:28
who's better here? You know, Dick measuring competition? Like, no, that's not what it needs to be.

Lalo Castro 1:05:33
No. And honestly, and I think that's kind of the reason why kind of excited about that, to where that's why I kind of took on my wife to come in thinking, okay, you know, what, you could take on that role. I think they'll respect more of a woman, and anything, I mean, you do have the authority figure. I mean, I mean, you do what you do at home? Or do whatever you say, at home. So if you could give me you know, you could do this, I listened to you, the guy will listen, exactly. You know. So it's like, you know, you have your way of, you know, talking to people and nephew way of making people understand things, maybe they'll listen to you, and I could just hide behind your shadow, you know, and not have to worry, yeah, wouldn't that be nice? That'd be nice. But obviously, there's

Jimmy Purdy 1:06:18
a good shot, and then we're gonna let it work. And then we're gonna, so

Lalo Castro 1:06:22
now that's when I had to change my ways. It's like a dam, then I got to step it up, and I got to be that person.

Jimmy Purdy 1:06:27
Yeah. Trying to just trying to find help, you know, trying to resist taking a position in the shop away from your shoulders, what you're trying to do, that's, you want one less responsibility. Yeah. And I think you look at that situation, you're like, cool. Now I don't have to worry about anything like no, just just one less thing, just one less thing to worry about. And you can focus more on your, whatever your impact is going to be. And that's the hardest thing for me to I don't quite understand what I'm supposed to be doing day to day, you know, whether I'm looking over the shoulders of my guys are doing QC, or, you know, it's like, what's my role, you know, because for the longest time, I've been on the floor, and I still am lead tech, you know, making sure that Diags are correct, making sure the headaches are taken care of on the trans builder. So I go back and build transmissions or build rear ends. And it's like, and as slowly as I bring on better techs, it's like, I'm not losing, but I don't have to worry about those repair procedures anymore. It's like so now what do I do? What do I need to take?

Lalo Castro 1:07:31
Right, and that's one of my searches that I've been searching for quite a while now, for somebody to be able to take on that role to make like a shop foreman, you know, you handle the shop, and then hopefully, to allow me to be able to handle the day to day stuff in the business. And that's where the tough part is, is to have fun and help.

Jimmy Purdy 1:07:56
Right? But then even if you've brought him on and take what exactly or her What exactly are the responsibilities that are going to be on their shoulders is like, and trying to find a role for each spot in the shop. I mean, obviously, we haven't been in this that long, and we don't have all that experience. And there's other guys that are listening that have, you know, four or five shops, and they got it pretty well figured out. As far as the positions that everyone should be in. That's difficult. It's like there's no, when you're in a small shop, you don't need a foreman for to tax.

Lalo Castro 1:08:27
No, you know, I guess I'm just trying to find that secret. Yeah, being able to

Jimmy Purdy 1:08:34
what's the silver bullet? Yeah, they'll

Lalo Castro 1:08:35
be able to, you know, what is it that I need to do to be able to work on the business? And then in the business? Yeah, you know, and that's a lot of that, that's where I'm lacking. There's just a lot of the business side of it, I just haven't been able to take on because I don't have the time. You're

Jimmy Purdy 1:08:51
too busy in the business. I'm too busy. And everybody tells you to take all these seminars, we've done a few we've done them when Waterhouse was in a big one, but we did that one together down in LA but yeah, it's like you're looking for the secret formula, secret recipe, what is it? And it's like, you start realizing it's just like one golden nugget at a time until you can build one brick gold bar, and then you realize you need like about 100,000 of these gold bars before you even start realizing what exactly you're supposed to be doing. And it's like you're constantly like, and like you said, it's like, I haven't even had a chance to know what I need to be doing. Because I've been too busy in the business. And it's like, oh, everyone tells you Oh, you need to focus on working on the business instead of in the business like well, I don't have anybody else to work in the business. To do that, show me how to do it, but it's like no, like that was like I don't have anybody to do the stuff in the shop. So I can work on the shop. So it's like I have to work in the shop and they're like, what's more important should I collect money on a car that's not fixed? Why can't you you can't you can't do that you doesn't work that way. So it's like you know, there's so there's so many out there that are telling you like oh just you know don't just work on the business, just hire guys and work on the business instead of working. And it's like, what are you talking about? Like, do you realize I have like 10 to 15 cars on site every day that need to be repaired, and usually one tech calling in sick, like, constantly.

Lalo Castro 1:10:16
That's what sucks when everything relies on you. I mean,

Jimmy Purdy 1:10:19
like, you don't have a choice, you know, you have, you have to stop answering the phones, and you have to go out there on the floor, and at least the bare minimum, put an assessment on all the cars, so then you can at least get the job sold, and then get parts come in. And then in the meantime, you've just missed opportunities, who knows how many calls that you've missed, and now you don't have a schedule lined up for tomorrow. So even if you were to hire a guy today, you don't have the work tomorrow, because you're too busy working on the work you have today to make the appointments for tomorrow. And it's like this constant sigh. Like, how do I get out of this perpetual freakin cycle of like, craziness. And it's like, it's just data. It's just one tiny, tiny golden nugget at a time. And then all of a sudden, you start realizing you're like, wow, and then you look back seven, eight years later, and you're like, all right, like, I'm definitely not doing what I was doing 678 years ago, you know, like, it's definitely, definitely made a small amount of progress. And I think that in itself is a motivator to keep showing up the next day.

Lalo Castro 1:11:24
No, yeah. And I look back and you're right. Things are not the same as it were seven years ago.

Jimmy Purdy 1:11:29
Yeah. But you look at the end of the year, and you're like, nothing's changed.

Lalo Castro 1:11:33
I'm still in the same spot.

Jimmy Purdy 1:11:35
I feel like I'm in the same damn spot. Yeah, after like six months to a year, like what the hell, I haven't done anything. Somebody helped me. Nobody's gonna help you.

Lalo Castro 1:11:45
Everything is just as continuous circle, just vicious circle that just you got to just continue on? Swimming? Yeah. No matter how tired you get, you got to keep on keep on going. Eventually, things will get better. Yeah, I think so I that's what I keep on telling myself. Things will get

Jimmy Purdy 1:12:01
better. I've gotten on, they've gotten a lot

Lalo Castro 1:12:04
better, I can't complain, they have gone a lot better. You know, and hopefully, more better this year, and also on and so on. But it's just a constant fight. And

Jimmy Purdy 1:12:16
I think surrounding yourself around people that have the same mindset to write good point. I mean, you have to have, you can't get better if you're constantly involved in other and other people's shop lives, if you would, or something where they're not doing well. Like you're not going to learn anything from them. You're not going to push yourself, you're not going to say you know, how's everything going there? And so you'd have you need the motivation of being around other good shops, and they're doing the same

Lalo Castro 1:12:41
thing. That's the reason why I like hanging out with you. Oh, well. I mean, you're my you're my mentor.

Jimmy Purdy 1:12:48
Don't don't ever put that. Don't ever put that on me. Don't you put that evil? No way, man.

Lalo Castro 1:12:55
No, you know, it's like, honestly, I was a big, big podcast person until you started. Little by little just,

Jimmy Purdy 1:13:04
yeah, it took me about a year to get here. I mean, I haven't been doing this for a year. But finally sit you down and actually talk about this for you know, and I don't know, you know

Lalo Castro 1:13:14
what, I don't know, what possessed me to do it. Actually. The what? I don't know what possessed me to do it?

Jimmy Purdy 1:13:18
Yeah, I don't know. It's good. It's good to get it out.

Lalo Castro 1:13:22
I think it's, uh, you know, what,

Jimmy Purdy 1:13:24
it's not the end all be all, but it's good. It's good to recap the last couple years, kind of we're in a situation where we kind of reflect do a little bit of self.

Lalo Castro 1:13:33
This is no different than the conversations we have on daily basis. You know, what,

Jimmy Purdy 1:13:36
why don't we had a lot of good conversations, you know, a lot of stuff that opens your eyes a little bit and makes you realize, like, Hey, we're on, we're in different paths, but we're dealing with the same

Lalo Castro 1:13:47
issue. Right. And, and this is, this is what I enjoy about this, or conversations is that, you know, I think, I think in a lot you say, and I learn from him. I mean, I take a little bit of what you're doing, as okay, you know what, he's got some valid points, or let me try to work on that over there. And yeah, it goes back and forth, back and forth. So it's, I think, if a lot of shops would want to do that, things will be way different.

Jimmy Purdy 1:14:13
Yeah, they don't need to be a part of like, you know, group 10 meetings, even though they're fantastic. It's, you know, just have just going down the street going down to your neighbor shop and just say, Hey, man, what's up and, you know, there's there's a lot of guys out there that have an attitude, and they don't want to give up their secret sauce, or whatever it is, but I guarantee you the best shops will have no problem sitting down and talking to you about it. You know, there's no competition.

Lalo Castro 1:14:36
There's one thing I can kind of hate when people say, hey, will your competitor over there say this is like I don't have competitors? I have a competition. Competition, no matter how come I don't have competitors. You know, he's my he's my business partner. We're all we're all in this together. And we're always together. I mean, there's yeah, there's plenty of work to go around for everybody is there's no need to be fighting over.

Jimmy Purdy 1:14:56
There's definitely no reason to like start price gouging. No, I mean, it's you Did you start? I mean, I liked the competition, because it allows you to take other people's perspectives, we have a conversation, hey, I'm doing this, it's working really well. Oh, I'm not doing that. And there's that competitive edge of like, oh, maybe I should try that. So then I can be doing well in that aspect, right. But I think overall, looking at it as a competition is where you start getting desperate, and then you start price gouging, and you're just looking to just beat the number oh, he's got, he's got 100 car count. I'm gonna, I'm gonna do 110 is like, this is what what are you doing? That's not That's not helping anybody do anything, you know, it's like, I like the the competition like, Hey, I'm doing digital vehicle inspections is like, oh, that's your head, I want to offer that service to my clients as well. And I hope the next guy down the street is also going to do that. So what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna go over there. And without looking like I'm bragging, I'm gonna say, hey, check out this really cool thing we're doing now. And then everybody stepped up their game, and everybody's doing it, and it brings a whole industry up and everyone's like, well, that's really rad, like, auto technicians really take care of my car, not grease monkeys.

Lalo Castro 1:15:59
You know, that's the biggest point of my tears, finding techs. You know, and then yeah, and, you know, there's no, if everybody you know, if everybody everybody was on the same page, there will be no need for, you know, clients customers be jumping from, oh, well, I'm gonna go over here, because because it's cheaper. Right. Now, if we're on the same page, I mean, it'll be you know,

Jimmy Purdy 1:16:21
I'll be a service aspect. Exactly. So I gotta go to I gotta Lalo because I like Lalo. Bottom line? Where it? You know, really? Well, I mean, I mean, I would, of course, I wouldn't, but I'm just saying like, in general, like, maybe one of the clients, clients would be based on the shops that they that they lie, and it wouldn't be because they're $10 cheaper. It's like, I just liked the way he operates. I like dresses, I like the way he smells, I like his wife and kids or whatever, you know, like, then it would just be more of a personal like, hey, you know, here's, here's the service I'm offering. Oh, I like you, I like the way you operate. So I'm gonna continue my business with you. And I'm gonna, here's, here's, you know,

Lalo Castro 1:17:00
I think a lot of that's what it is the biggest sellers, that is just the way you handle or conduct business or the way you present yourself,

Jimmy Purdy 1:17:07
right. But on the point you were bringing up is like, everyone was on the same page like that, that would be the way clients would find shops and not like, oh, they do, we can an AC service for 140 95 they do a transmission flush for 179 95 is like, but from from, from a client aspect. You can't help but like price shop a little bit. This whole world is based on having things brought to you and being on Amazon and looking for whatever you're looking for on Amazon being $2 cheaper, just right at Amazon. Right? Right. Like, you're just scrolling through and you're like, Oh, it's $2 cheaper, I'm gonna buy that way. And it's like, you can't help but translate that over into to to a service industry, because that's just how you how their brains are wired, how all our brains are getting wired. And, and so it's really difficult when when you have a shop that's doing price gouging like that, because it's just such a primitive part of their brain that they're tapping into, like, Oh, we're the cheapest is like, Oh, I'm gonna go there. Yeah, it's the same. It's the same exact service, but it's $100 Less, it's like, but it's not

Lalo Castro 1:18:11
ours to daughter, Liz is like, what the like, she's a small, he's like, I'm just gonna go next door because it's $2 cheaper, really? For $2 you can just go right over there for $2 I mean, you're already here was two was $2. But to the Arctic is it's a big difference. Yeah, you know, and it's just amazing people's mentality here we just

Jimmy Purdy 1:18:34
are the ones that get the free the free diagnose, I'm gonna go there because they're gonna look at it for free. It's not free, it ain't gonna be free. Like it's, I guarantee their service work at the end of the day is gonna be more than what my repair is gonna be. But as soon as someone says I'm going to look at it for free it's like instant trust and nothing for nothing instantly trusting you know, it's like oh, they're going to do for free that means that they're good guys. What? How's that even what free they won your trust over saying Free instead of all the information I just gave you in all the transparency that I've just spent 10 minutes on the phone talking about cool. Go get your Go get your ankle it's free work done you know like it's blows me away the price the price and it's such an easy thing to fall into easy trap. Especially when if your shop starting out and you don't have any clients is like, first thing you do. Be the cheapest guy in town. Yeah, that will flood your doors, you know, but then all of a sudden you realize I'm not making any damn money. And I got 80 cars coming in every month. Where's all my damn money?

Lalo Castro 1:19:40
No, yeah, you attract the just the wrong clientele with you know, being the cheapest and

Jimmy Purdy 1:19:45
yeah, the hardest, and they're the hardest ones to fire.

Lalo Castro 1:19:49
Exactly right. And I've learned that too. I mean, I learned that the hard way. And finally I say no, no more than just comes to an end now. Yeah, you know, and now I'm my mom. grateful and happy for The clientele that I have are easygoing, and whatever you recommend for the most part yet, get it done. Yep. So there's

Jimmy Purdy 1:20:07
supposed to be during during normal operating hours. Nobody showing up at 637 o'clock. Oh, never. Hey, since you're closed now, can you take a quick look at this? You

Lalo Castro 1:20:17
know what I don't even understand. I haven't doors closed. And yet he's had the audacity to knock on the door and open the door. And it's like, Hey, I got this card outside that was doing this incident.

Jimmy Purdy 1:20:27
Since you're closed. You might take a quick look

Lalo Castro 1:20:30
like, whoa, what? Yeah, like, the doors are closed out. I mean, doesn't that give you a clue that we're closed? We're done here. We're done. Look at look up a Yelp and their hours on them. And 805 It's 630. So weird. Wow. Okay. It is weird.

Jimmy Purdy 1:20:53
It's a strange mentality. With people out there. Well, on that note, to circle back, so starting starting a shop for anybody out there looking to start a shop and wants to move forward, you have great recommendations as far as making that transition possible. Definitely get creative with it, right. Don't just use the first guy, you guys did a lot of research before you decided to actually move forward with the purchase. Right? So for me to said I was gonna mention this later in the show. So I had a handshake deal with my original boss, Mike, we did a handshake deal. I did a tool and asset purchase, I basically bought all the tools and equipment in the shop. And then I gave him put them on salary until the tool purchase was made. At that point, I took over the lease, and then he was pretty much out of the picture, it was pretty cut and dry. That was pretty much the easiest way we didn't have any key in we didn't have any key employees I took over. In fact, everybody was there pretty much quit once he was out of the picture. So I kind of was you know, started from from from from zero is like anybody that was there during that process was soon as he walked out, they all kind of left with him. Mainly because of some budget cuts that were taking place. Also some, you know, we need everybody here at eight o'clock, okay, 1015 doesn't work any more people. So anyway, they all left. And that was kind of how I did I just did a tool and equipment purchase everything was kind of a handshake deal as far as what was worth what. And then we were I wrote it down, I gave him a check every month and then pay them a salary. So that took care of him. He got paid. Well, while he was there, and then also got all his equipment back. There was no procedures or practices. But if you're looking at this kind of situation, there's a lot there's a lot of different indicators you need to put into into play. And for you using the company you did they kind of did all that for you. Yeah, this is pay put about Yeah, I put they put a monetary value on everything. Yeah, the Yeah.

Lalo Castro 1:22:56
I mean, from the equipment to you know,

Jimmy Purdy 1:23:01
the shop least then you have the goodwill of the of the of the owner. So you got a little goodwill. Yeah. And

Lalo Castro 1:23:08
then, you know, from evaluating the, he had a way to evaluate the employees and see what, you know, what those employees that I had at that time, what the shop was worth, so they put all that together and came up with the value for the shop. So yeah, for me, it was like it was a lot easier. Yeah, because everything was yeah, it was everything was done for us. So you know, he did his job and got everything on paper and looked it over and everything looks good. And I mean, I agree at this price and and so as of this year I'll be majority owner, so I was pretty much buying

Jimmy Purdy 1:23:56
chairs, shares zero and owning more

Lalo Castro 1:23:59
every year, I was going to shares for the business little by little until now that I'm I'll be majority owner. So at this point, our roles are going to flip. So now I pretty much take on his position. That's a cool way of doing it. And then now he's kind of where I'm at now. And so the remainder balance that I still would it be just monthly payments of whatever amount that is and and then he you know, like I still keep them on because I have him as kind of a bookkeeper right now. So I could still continue keeping them on as a bookkeeper. And mom, I know bookkeeping, I know, invoices, stuff like that are

Jimmy Purdy 1:24:37
so for a last note on this thing, looking back, whatever the set value to be a million dollars that they put the value on this right? You had a million dollars in your back pocket. Right? Would you have given him that million dollars to make him go away and you take over 100% Or would you have gone back and do the exact same path that you're on all over again.

Lalo Castro 1:25:03
And that is a good question from honestly. As much knowing what you know now, yeah, as much as I would like to say, I'd rather given a million bucks and go away. I don't think I would have had some of the knowledge I have now if it wasn't if it wasn't for him being on board still, even though you know, let's say, even though we, you know, didn't agree on a lot of stuff, but I can imagine, yeah, but, you know, he's still was there to guide me. I mean, I still had questions. Hey, you know, how did you do this? Or how did you know? So he still was there was a big help. But now where I'm at this point where I can't I'm not saying that I know a lot now I'm wiser than him. But I'm at the point where now it's okay. I think was a good rider ready? Let's just try to cut ties now. I'm at a point where I could handle here

Jimmy Purdy 1:26:00
your wings have sprouted and you're ready to take care of us like I'm

Lalo Castro 1:26:03
a peacock fly.

Jimmy Purdy 1:26:08
make that leap out of that nest. Yeah, yeah. Peacock colors ready. Looking at.

Lalo Castro 1:26:14
So you know, so yeah, I'm at the point where I think I'm ready to go. And you know what, I got? ideas I want to do now. And so, you know,

Jimmy Purdy 1:26:23
the numbers are looking good. And it's actually starting to kind of fall into place. Yeah, given that there's still you know, where to put your energy now. Yeah. Yeah. And

Lalo Castro 1:26:33
then, you know, I'm not saying that every day is you know, walk in the park. I'm, I still got issues that I still gotta resolve certain areas. And

Jimmy Purdy 1:26:41
as long as you realize the issues is what Yeah, so but for the most part, yeah,

Lalo Castro 1:26:45
I'm, I'm, I'm ready to kind of take these ideas and run with them. And now and now, not having somebody say, No, I don't think that's a good idea. You shouldn't do it. I said, well, I need to just say, like this whole experience been about learning about your mistakes. Same thing, I gotta learn from our mistakes. So even even though maybe this idea isn't the greatest, so I got a girlfriend trying to see what happens if it doesn't work out. Okay, it doesn't work out. Now, I know it doesn't work out. Right. So at least now I could. They told me I made a decision. They didn't work, versus Well, no, I gotta consult with them. See what he said, Well, no, it's not gonna work out. So we're not going to go for it. So that's what I'm kind of looking forward to just being able to make your own mistakes, mistakes. I like it. Well, this has been fun. Oh, it has been fun. That's good. This is a good one. So how do I had my reservations? But you know what? Yeah, I figured as much. I set out there in the parking lot for a while. You probably didn't notice that was there for an hour just like she'll go in. Or maybe, maybe I should just call him say I'm sick. Yeah, so Froggy. But now I'm glad. I'm glad we did this. I mean, so now it's I'm looking forward to the next ones to come. Yeah. Next month.

Jimmy Purdy 1:28:07
Well, thanks, everyone for listening. This has been the gearbox. Till next time.