PUTTING THE MUSCLE INTO CARS

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SEVEN YEARS AGO,

Long before becoming a CARSTAR MSO, Wong had what it takes—innate talent and ability—that could be channeled into business success in the collision repair industry. But it took some time for him to develop his strengths to their fullest.

“I have two older sisters … I’m the youngest,” he says of his background growing up in San Francisco. While his sisters went to Ivy League schools, formal education didn’t really jive with their little brother.

“I’m a naturally lazy person, but Dad said either go to school or go to work,” Wong says, smiling. “I worked at a restaurant, and they promoted me to dishwasher, so I left.”

To add another dent in his selfesteem, the young man’s car kept breaking down.

“The shop was charging me hundreds and hundreds of dollars,” he reminisces. “And I said, ‘Hey, are you guys hiring? Can I just work here? I’ll work for free as long as I can fix my car here.’”

To his good fortune, Wong secured an invaluable crash course. “So I worked at a mechanical shop washing and detailing cars for free,” he states.

Then, after a few months, the shop’s owners noticed something especially admirable about their young newcomer: he was a natural with customers.

“They put me into a service role because they said I’m good with people,” Wong notes. “Then they put me in the body shop, where I did the books, old-school.”

Eventually, the owners sold the shop—to Wong.

“I spent 19 or 20 years running the shop,” he shares. “Now I’m 49 and I’ve been in the business for close to 30 years.”