Today we’d like to introduce you to Austin Pruett.
Hi Austin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2015, I married my high school sweetheart and moved halfway across the country – from Atlanta to Fort Worth, Texas, to attend seminary. We were young, broke, and didn’t know anyone in Texas, yet we were incredibly excited about the new opportunities ahead.
Four years later, I graduated with 3 master’s degrees and was excited to start my career. Enter 2020. I had verbal offers for teaching jobs, but they all failed to materialize. Because of the pandemic, I was unable to find a position, and I was unfortunately laid off by the marketing company I worked for at the time.
2020 was a tough year for everyone, no doubt, including our family, but there was a lot of good that came from it, too. In May of 2020, my wife and I welcomed the birth of our first child – a baby girl named Sophia.
I knew I had to provide for my family, but I did not know where to turn.
Growing up, I drove beater cars. They were great and got me from point A to point B, but after many hot Texas summers with no AC, my wife and I decided it was time to upgrade. We purchased a 2018 Mazda CX-5 GT with working doors, AC, and heated leather seats. I was ecstatic.
Then I realized, “This is one of the biggest purchases of my life. I have to protect it and take care of it, but how do I do that?” That’s when I discovered the wonderful world of car detailing.
When I first heard of auto detailing, I thought it was a rather pretentious name for a car wash. I soon realized there is a lot of skill and technique involved in properly caring for a vehicle. I became obsessed – reading every article, watching every YouTube video, any piece of information I could get my hands on.
From there, I began taking care of my car, then my wife’s car, then friends’ vehicles, then families, and on and on the list went. I saw more and more that I could really provide value for people. I fell in love with auto detailing. That’s when Fort Worth Auto Detail began.
Before using our auto detailing service, most clients don’t understand the work that goes about in detail, but they are fully convinced of its value after seeing their vehicle shine and the dedication and labor that goes into their car detail.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has absolutely not been a smooth road. In the beginning, it was just myself going to client’s homes and detailing in the Texas heat for 8 hours a day on one vehicle. It was physically and mentally exhausting. Then I dealt with a lot of anxiety so much so that I ended up in the ER 4 times the first year of business. We still have a long way to go and a lot of obstacles to overcome.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I run Fort Worth Auto Detail. We are a high-end automotive detail shop specializing in paint correction and ceramic coatings. Basically, we are not the car wash people, we are the experts of automotive paint protection. I think what’s special about our business and about our service is we take a client’s vehicle and transform it into something they did not even know was possible. For most people, the best looking they will ever see their vehicle is when it is brand new, but we can push it so much farther than that. We understand not everyone cares about their car. One of our main core values here is respect and I would like to think that translates over to our clients and service. So, if you are the type of person who respects their car and wants to take care of it, bring it to us, and we show you and your vehicle the respect deserved.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The industry has advanced rapidly over the previous decade, and I believe it will continue to push the envelope over the next decade. We are seeing rapid advancements in ceramic coating technology. Right now, there is a big push to explore adding diamonds to ceramic coatings. We will have to see if it truly makes a difference in performance or if it is just marketing hype.
Also, paint protection film (PPF) is exploding right now, and I expect that trend to continue. PPF is a clear film that goes over your vehicle to protect it. The main benefit of such a service is that it protects from rock chips. However, it is very expensive and requires a high degree of skill to be installed properly. Demand is going up, and because it is such a technical skill, there are not many people who can truly do it well.
Dry Ice is another technology that is on the cutting edge that I think we will see more of. Again, it is incredibly expensive right now, but its cleaning capabilities are unmatched.
Pricing:
- Interior Detail – $199
- Exterior Detail – $199
- Level 1 Ceramic Coating Package $999
- Level 2 Ceramic Coating Package $1299
- Level 3 Ceramic Coating Package $1999
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fortworthautodetail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fortworthautodetail/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fortworthautodetail
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7rnqzCvdqVeFOLJq7rxZQA
Image Credits
Madison Truscan
SanJuan LaBord II
