Mike Phillips- An inspiration

[LittleKing24]

I want to start this off by thanking Mike Phillips. I won’t go into specific details the story he shared a few years ago when I attended one of the detail classes in Florida, as it isn’t my story to tell, and I find it a bit personal to be honest. Although very interesting.

Unfortunately, detailing has been on the back burner for me lately, and I haven’t read anything on the forums in months. My future wife and I had our second son in March, and I’ve had to focus on a career change. This is where Mike comes in!

When I attended the class in May of 2016, Mike told the class a story that involved him taking an unexpected opportunity. With that opportunity, he was also able to do something he had a strong interest in. He had a very hard choice to make as the company he was with did not want to see him go. However, they weren’t able to offer him just exactly what he was looking for, so he made the leap of faith.

Paraphrasing, Mike told us that while he could have stayed where he was at, he would rather take the chance at doing something he loved and had an interest in, and failing, than not going for the opportunity at all.

That story has stuck with me since then, and while it unfortunately hasn’t taken me in the direction of detailing as I thought it would, it did take me in the direction of something I really enjoy doing in the field of work I’m in. I’ve been working for the same company for 9 years and 11 months. I’m a young 27 so it’s been the only job I’ve known. Now, two weeks before I hit 10 years, I’m leaving to take on an opportunity in another part of the state(Texas is huge BTW). Money is a big factor in my decision, but more importantly, I’ll be doing the one thing I love in the industry of telecommunications, which is fiber optic installation and splicing. In the same way all of us on this forum are particular about how our cars are detailed, there’s an art to dressing in and terminating/splicing fiber that leaves you with a sense of accomplishment while looking at the finished product.

Thank you again Mike! For everyone else, if you are given the opportunity to do what you love then take it. If you fail, then at least you tried. If you succeed, you’ll forever be grateful and will only have to look back on what almost wasn’t instead of what could’ve been...






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[Paul A.]

A great read and life lesson, LittleKing. I think Mike P positively influences others more than he knows.

[TMQ]

A good read---Something we all should to do from time to time.

Stop---reflect---evaluate---decide.

Tom

[Goonie75]

Quit job mental health therapist for 20 years to take this opportunity to polish paint for a while. Carpe Diem. Good luck to you.

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[Bill D]

Quit job mental health therapist

I have a master’s in this area but never really pursued the profession.

[Mike Phillips]

I want to start this off by thanking Mike Phillips.

I won’t go into specific details the story he shared a few years ago when I attended one of the detail classes in Florida, as it isn’t my story to tell, and I find it a bit personal to be honest.

Although very interesting.

I think you're sharing the story about how I went about leaving my job at Meguiar's to accept the job offered to me at Autogeek?

I did it the right way, by asking for Barry Meguiar's blessing and in the process he told me he was SHOCKED I was leaving and then asked me,


Can I have a week to make a counter offer?



To which I said

Sure!



Is that the story?



And for those interested, because I try my hardest to document my classes, here's the link to the class Ryan attended.


Pictures: May 2016 Competition Ready 3-Day Detailing Class with Mike Phillips


Ryan



And like all my classes, there was LOTS of cool real-estate for the class to do hands-on traning....












Always feel bad when I cannot get all the pictures up but it's very time intensive.... The above are just 6 of the car in this class but there were plenty more....

[LittleKing24]

Thanks guys. I’m very excited for the opportunity although it’s gonna be bittersweet leaving the only job I’ve ever had. My personal vehicle is going to become a work vehicle so I’ll always have that to detail when I have time


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[LittleKing24]

I think you're sharing the story about how I went about leaving my job at Meguiar's to accept the job offered to me at Autogeek?

That’s the one! It was a very similar situation for me. The company tried very hard to keep me there, but for the opportunity I was given, if I didn’t take it then I would be kicking myself down the road. I would much rather take the opportunity and it not work out, than not take it at all.







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[FUNX650]

A great read and life lesson, LittleKing.

I think Mike P positively influences
others more than he knows.

^^Truth!




Bob

[Mike Phillips]

I think you're sharing the story about how I went about leaving my job at Meguiar's to accept the job offered to me at Autogeek?

I did it the right way, by asking for Barry Meguiar's blessing and in the process he told me he was SHOCKED I was leaving and then asked me,


Can I have a week to make a counter offer?


To which I said

Sure!



Is that the story?

That’s the one!

It was a very similar situation for me. The company tried very hard to keep me there, but for the opportunity I was given, if I didn’t take it then I would be kicking myself down the road.

I would much rather take the opportunity and it not work out, than not take it at all.

That's what I thought but figured I'd double-check in case I remembered wrong.

The thing about the experience I shared was that after being invited to Autogeek back in 2009 to come to Stuart, Florida and teach the Detailing 101 class at Detail Fest that I was teaching at Meguiar's.

Here's the pictures I posted from this FIRST class I taught at Autogeek.



Pictures and comments from Meguiar's Roadshow Class at Autogeek's Detail Fest 2009

Note the logo at the top of the above thread, it reads,

Meguiar's ROADSHOW




Picture from the class





After the class was over, Bob McKee asked me to come back to his office for a meeting. At that meeting he told me he had been looking for a "guy" like me for his company. He offered me the same job I was doing for Meguiar's PLUS a TV show.

That's the part that interested me. I love teaching classes for a group of people but a TV show would be the opportunity to teach classes for millions of people. Autogeek's first attempt at a TV show was called Autogeek's What's in the Garage




All the videos are on our YouTube channel. We had a lot of TV guests on the show. While the idea was good I think what people really want to see is the stuff I show in my classes. The stuff Ryan was able to do when he attended a class here.

That "stuff" is simply how-to stuff.


But yeah, once Bob McKee offered me the job, the TV show and the chance to escape, (not move but escape), California I took the offer. But I told Bob McKee that I would first have to talk to Barry Meguiar, share the job opportunity I was offered and get his blessing to leave my job at Meguiar's and do so on good terms.

A week later, after Barry and his team had a chance to make the counter offer, I went to a meeting with Barry and all the upper management team at Meguiar's. This was in the Vice President's office, the one with the long, oval glass table sitting on top of race engines with Recaro Car Seats for chairs.

Barry started the meeting by holding up a thick, manila package and stating,

Mike, here's our counter offer and I have to tell you... there's LOTS of good stuff in here. But, there isn't a TV show. IF we ever do any TV (besides Car Crazy), Mike Pennington would be the guy.


(I already knew Mike Pennington would be the guy for any TV work)

I thought about it for a moment because there was a lot of pressure on me to reconsider.

Then Barry said,


If your heart is set on doing the TV show then we don't want to show you what's in the package but you have our blessing to accept this job offer.


I said thank you. And then I said,

I appreciate the counter offer, I'm sure it's as good as you say. But once Bob offered me the TV show I knew I had to go and try because if I don't, I'll always regret it.


That's the story and to this day I'm glad about the decision I made. Meguiar's was a great job, I'm always thankful for my time there and how both Meguiar's and Barry Meguiar have treated me. I'm also happy to see many of the things I started while I worked for Meguiar's continue to this day including, TNOGs, Saturday Detailing 101 classes and the Advanced Wetsanding Classes.

Somewhere I have a "List of Accomplishments" that I typed up and presented to Barry along with my resignation letter, I'm going to see if I can find it because there were some pretty cool things on that list including writing the Zaino Case Study, which led to NXT Tech Wax and actually the NXT line of products.


Coming to Autogeek was the right choice and to come full circle to how Ryan started this post, it's hearing from Ryan in this thread and how I had a positive impact on him that confirms my instincts and my choice back in Bob's office on Saturday, March 21, 2009.


Thank you Ryan for taking the time to share you new adventure! I wish you the best of luck but more important - work your butt off!