Hey, I'm a Celeb!!

I started my Pinstriping career in the 70’s and had no expectations of the long and winding roads this unique and obscure trade would take me on. Since the beginning, my business has not been without struggle. It has been difficult to earn a living, support a family and do 99% of it alone. I’ve endured many rough patches to reach success.

I had no idea what my future would be but I worked until I figure it all out. Well, not all of it but you have to fake it as you go. I learned what it took to succeed in this unusual business and through the years it has taught me many things about life, business, people and culture.

My first car show was in 1981. I tried to be a professional pinstriper for a few years now but wasn’t making headway when it came to getting loyal customers. Sure, there was the occasional $20 dollar job that took me an hour or more to do but serious money wasn’t happening.

Each day I would get in my junker, which I mostly ran on fumes, and go to body shops, race tracks, car dealers and other places trying to get business. I was desperate to establish a clientele. I never realized I was looking down the wrong alley.

I didn’t have a customer base, or anything else for that matter, to help me build a reputation other than what I did around town. Still I kept up the pace day in and day out not really understanding what would happen or if I would make this thing work.

I had no idea what I was supposed to do to make a business work much less something very specialized as this. You know how the pros tell you to keep banging away and sooner or later you’ll hit a target? Well something did happen for that very reason.

One day I was in the auto parts store and saw this flyer on the bulletin board for local car show. It got me to thinking about a guy who was a professional Pinstriper in Houston. I remember he made big money at the Autorama.

As a kid, I watched him stripe cars and get paid a lot of money to paint lines. That amazed me since my Dad did some striping but never really made any money with it. Dad had told me how this guy made millions striping. I remember seeing VW’s all over Houston with his handiwork. That was a good canvas for striping.

I had known this man since I was a child. He and my Dad go way back to the late 50’s when they had a custom shop together which I don’t think had any success. He knew me too. I figured if he can do stripe at car shows, I can too.

So I grabbed that flyer and I called the show promoter using my in-laws’ phone since we could not afford one. He told me they never had a Pinstriper but why not. He said to come early Saturday morning and they would get me set up.

I had no idea what was going to happen. I just knew that we were about to get kicked out of the roach infested apartment we lived in. Not only that the wife was carrying our first child. And of course there wasn’t much in the way food either.

So Saturday came and I got my stuff ready and went to the show with the wife in tow. They gave me a spot between two other vendors. It was tight but was accessible to get vehicles in for striping. I set up my gear which wasn’t much but a sign, a few pictures of my striping and business cards. Oh. I had one other thing going; hope.

I sat there for a while doing nothing. I thought this may be a bad idea but I was there for the duration. So I waited until a brave person with a black’57 Chevy asked me how much to stripe his car. “$20 bucks” I said. A normal stripe job back then was around $100 from the more experienced professionals.

I charged a low price because I remember the advice that professional striper gave me about getting business at car shows. He said that if you want to get attention to what you’re doing, stripe a few free or cheap. He always had a couple of demo vehicles at the shows to get attention.

So I did that ‘57 Chevy and it looked good. He was happy and I made sure to tell the owner that he got the introductory price. Tell your friends that I charge $50 if they ask.

So I stayed busy through the weekend and by Sunday afternoon I had made $340 bucks.

That car show was the first of over one thousand I’ve done throughout the U.S since. I’ve done shows with as many as 15,000 cars and others with only 5. There were a few where no cars showed up at all due to bad weather. There were some real disappointments too. Imagine driving for 10 hours and it rains or snows or freezes the whole time you there.

I remember doing a show in Ruidoso N.M. in 2000. This was always a very good one day show where I stayed real busy and had fun too. The weather was nice on Friday but the day of the show on Saturday, the temp went down to 36.

Paint does funny things in the cold. The wifey stayed in the Truck with heat. It was uncomfortable but I still made $900 bucks freezing my buns off and laughing with everyone else about it all. I couldn’t count all the hot cocoa cups sitting on my table when I packed up. Events like that have happened more than once.

I’ve done huge shows but some of the smaller 100 car shows made more than the biggies. Not sure why but it happens. Maybe there wasn’t so much confusion and all eyes were on me.

Car shows have been good to us financially, for building a clientele and the experiences were wonderful and at the same time frustrating. Each show is different with a variety of people, and the worst part is the promoter’s attitude can suck.

I’ve had promoter try to tell me how I should do things. My first few years it was okay because I didn’t know any better but after several years of knowing what works and what doesn’t, I learned how to position myself and where I should be set up for the most attention, I felt that I knew better. Most of the time that worked out okay.

Normal vendors can set up anywhere because all they deal with is foot traffic. Pinstriping is different. I must make sure the cars can get to me, there’s enough room for an audience and I get the most exposure. I knew how to work it. It was a marketing strategy too.

About 75% of the car shows I did made money. Some made nothing. Regardless of what happened, good or bad, I never quit. I wanted to quit believe me. After several years of dealing with idiots and egotistical Gearheads you get burned out. I never quit. I just went on to the next show. I kept going because I knew that you cannot give up because you get beat down.

Car shows have taught me some valuable lessons about life and business.

They taught me this; you can never tell what people’s attitude and moods will be. Each car show has its own atmosphere and type of car owner. I learned too that people are fickle. One person promises he will come back and let you stripe his car but you never see him a gain.

And then you have the guy who tells you about his six-figure vehicle and you’re thinking, “yeah, right?” You doubt him because he’s wearing a wrinkled white button down, black double-knit pants and white socks. “Yeah, sure, buddy.”

Then you look up and he drives up in a $400,000 Monarch Coach gets out and tells you to make it look good. On top of that he pays you $400 in $1 dollar bills! This particular customer owned 5 car washes. The DARE cops were parked right there. Real cool seeing their puzzled faces when I exited that motor home with all those $1 dollar bills in hand.

I became a celebrity

When I do a show there’s a large audience watching me apply my art to cool rides. People love to watch something they don’t see often. That’s what I do. I have an ego, yes! Not as big as it once was, but I haven’t forgot how to get one.

During my first ten years or so of car shows I practically puked my guts out for all the nervousness and stress. Will I make money? Will there be enough cars? Will people like what I do? I worried plenty. Lost lot’s of sleep days before. It took years before the worry went away. I got to the point financially where I did not care what happened. I was there to enjoy the show, the cars and make new friends.

Normally when I do a show, after the first or second car, my confidence level raises. My mental attitude played a big part in that confidence. Eventually I got the mindset that I’m the only one here with this God-given talent so why worry about it. People love me and it’s a cool job with many perks. I get to draw designs and lines all over people’s high dollar passion and they give me money in return.

Through the past 30+ years of doing car shows, I’ve learned a valuable lesson in psychology while dealing with tens of thousands of humans; their attitude changes fast. They idolize me at one show and the next they don’t even acknowledge I’m there. That bothered me for years but got over it with time.

Persistence and determination, when understood how they work, have more positive benefits than not. Just because I went to a show, spent money on rooming, fuel, food, materials, etc., that didn’t mean I would come out ahead financially. It took serious determination before I knew the game and how to play it.

A few years into the car show scene, I figured out there would be times when I would NOT make money, or at least cover my expenses. I had to accept the fact that it happens. So I made my mind up before every show that I would only make a few bucks, break even, maybe, and settle for that. That has happened many times.

Those experiences gave me the power to live through being broke, stressed and frustrated. I did not know back then that these were lessons every business owner, every human on earth has to endure to live the life they want. It takes time and total belief in you.

Reality of Going Big

My biggest show was in 1989 at the Street Rod Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. This was for pre-1948 vehicles only. Hot rods, street rods and cool rides all in one place. Talk about heaven. The first big show we went to as family was 1988 in Louisville, Ky. We had fun, made a few bucks and traveled for a week after. Good family time.

For the show in Columbus, I sent in the $350 entry fee months earlier so I was committed. I left home in central Texas on a Monday, got there on Tuesday evening and went to work on Wednesday hustlin’ stripes. The opening for the main gig wasn’t until Thursday but I was there on Wednesday morning setting up my booth and checking out the situation.

To my surprise there were no less than 10 other stripers from all over the USA. We were all lined-up against the fence next to the main road. Man, I never knew there would be so many stripers, not counting the guys who roam around looking for work. That did not matter to me because I was ready to lay down lines on hot rods.

I knew that in order to get one step ahead of everyone else my survival instinct needed to kick in. I wasn’t waiting till the gates opened Thursday morning to start making money. I got to hustle some outside biz.

I had been visiting with the other pinstripers sorta getting the feel for what they were doing and how much they were charging when I spotted a couple of cool later model rides cruising the road next to where I was set up. I strolled out to where they were, waved ‘em down and hustled ‘em. I have no fear when it comes to making money.

I learned that little trick in Houston back in the day when I did billboards for Hi-Lo auto parts. I’d be slingin’ sign paint on a sign and when I saw a cool ride driving into the parking lot, I would shout down at them, “hey, you want some bad ass lines on that car” or something close. If they had a spark of interest, I would climb down and play the game. In many cases I had them, their family, friends and enemies lining up for stripes.

I pulled the same stunt in Ohio and it worked. The first car I did was a classic Olds convertible for $60. I think it was a 1966 model. I laid down some custom lines and they told friends. Before the day was over I had made gas money, hotel rent and some extra. The other stripers were freaking.

I made money that week but not enough to justify being away from home that long. I think I did about $2000. Good money back then but not good enough for such a long drive and the mental and physical beating. Still, a good experience.

Since then I’ve worked a few other biggies mainly in and around Texas. Got to the point where I hated large venues because too much was going on and mass confusion. I had a clientele at home so why go through all the hell of big shows if nothing else but an ego trip.

During some shows I wondered if I was there just as a celebrity or a recording device listening to all the long boring stories about a car and what they did to get it on the road. That got old but I know how they have invested many hours, lots of money and all their heart into these beautiful rides and if I at least sympathize with them, I’ll benefit. I have and I’m very fortunate to serve my fellow car guys.

I’ve been put on a pedestal at many shows. When I’m there performing my Pinstriping, many onlookers gather to get a closer look at what I’m doing. People are amazed at that I can take a tiny brush and paint lines and they pay me well too. I’ve learned how to put on a show in front an audience and that has been a great life experience.

Going to car shows has had a huge impact on how I do business and the way I deal with customers. I’m nice but I never believe anyone until they pull that car into my booth and hand me money. Same goes for my coaching and consulting biz. If you want to play on my emotions, you’re barking up the wrong tree.

The car show routine benefitted me in other ways. The money has been good. Some shows I’ve done over $2k in one day working alone or with a helper. Other shows I’ve averaged just a few hundred but the after effects made up for any losses.

Passing out business cards has its benefits. You may have 1000 cards and by the time the weekend is over they are gone. That does not mean 1000 people will call me. I learned that soon enough. I might get 5 or 10 with a few turning into dollars.

I might do a few cars at a show and then next week or even a year later someone calls telling me they got my card at a show and want to get some stripes. Persistence pays even if nothing is moving at the moment.

After I set up my website in 2005, my business took off. Not so much for striping but the views. I would attend a show and the next week my website eyeball rate would go crazy. I made enough money to pay for the website for ten years on the first job the website got me. And it has been number one on Google and Yahoo many times.

What I learned doing Car Shows

Here’s where my life of learning at car shows has helped…you gotta grab the tiger before he runs away. They taught me how to work and that you have to keep on going if you want success. Cannot let the BS inhibit your goals.

Your chances for success improve drastically just by showing up and doing something, anything. There were many 4am mornings when I got up to drive 175 miles one way down to Houston to stripe cars all day in the heat. I did that for 20 years. I could have stayed home when the weather was nasty or I knew we were going to have another 110 degree Texas summer day burning my fingers to the bone. I wanted to stay in bed all cozy with the wife but I got out there and hustled my game. There were lots of trips when I had to turn right around and go back home because of the weather. I persisted

Same with the car shows. I always showed up for my next gig and put up with all the crap that goes with traveling for business. I did what mattered and it made me what I am.

As I stated in earlier postings, I had to learn at a young age how to hustle for what I needed and wanted. That characteristic spilled over into my adult life. It was a valuable tool that got me through many rough times in life and business.

Life lesson; No matter what you do in life, take the significant lessons and experiences and put them to work for you. They will provide knowledge w=for decision making and teach you how to get through hard times without quitting like 99% of the normals do. Learn to make failure work in your favor. There will be mind numbing stress when you want to quit but if you take my story and think about what I say you’ll tell yourself that no matter what a crappy life deals I’m going to make it come out like a rose in a weed patch. You can endure what lies ahead. -Mikey

Cars are emotional and psychological experiences

Love for everything about cars begins at an early age. I started the minute I sucked in oxygen. My Dad lived cars. Two weeks before he died we were talking about hot rods and looking over the latest rod magazine.  My kids are car crazy too.

 As a car-worshipping society, we find ways to buy into that lifestyle. For the automotive company looking to increase business that lifestyle is your road to success.

Car Therapy Starts Early

What Cars Say About You

Cars are telltale signs of human personalities. Making a good impression in a world that judges you by the car you drive is a way to build an image. A certain style of luxury vehicle, for example will deliver you to a different “mental destiny” than a plain Jane compact.

It’s all about the mind, psychology stuff and why we love our cars. People are drawn to cars that are a reflection of who they are. They drive vehicles with individual styling that creates a desirable self-image in the eyes of others. Questioning valid reasons why a person chooses one car over another could reveal more about that person than spending time with a psychoanalyst.

We often diagnose our peers by the type of vehicle they surround themselves with. The automotive industry knows we are obsessed with image. That is precisely why they design and build cars that are supposed to be mirror images of who we might be in terms of our individual state of mind.

Cool Cars – The Ultimate Lifestyle Vehicle

Turn the key and the engine roars to life. Thrust the gear shift into drive and speed away! As you cruise in your tricked out, souped-up, customized cool ride, onlookers stare in admiration and envy. Traffic stopping glances are the result of paramount design, luscious styling proportions and personalized detail combined with well-engineered performance, ingenuity and stand-out from the crowd looks.

Whatever type of vehicle you drive be it a sweet ’32 Ford Coupe, Tail Dragging Custom, Classic Chevy, Bad Boy Street Rod, Big Horsepower Muscle Car, Huge Rimmed SUV, high RPM Import or a super fast and sleek Exotic, you can always expect to receive the same reaction from admirers…

“WOW, Cool Car!”

What’s cooler than driving a car that’s, well, cool! Cars connect with passion and emotion. A car tells people who you are and what you’re about. In the golden age of automobiles, car selection revealed as much about the driver as the clothes they wore and the food they ate. During the 20^th century automobiles became a part of our daily lives and an extension of our personal lives. No matter what role we play in life, the car is a part of our identity.

Most of the cars I’ve owned were not for simply getting me around. That was true in my early years when whatever I drove barely made it a few blocks. Still then, it was eye appeal to some degree. I buy with appeal in mind and of course style. I’m stuck on certain colors too. I love  black  even  though it s a pain in the ass to keep clean. I like white for it’s simplicity and hiding crap. I love purple but the market for that color is skinny. Blue ranks up there because it is a color that you like na matter how many people you killed. Silver is safe. I can live with yellow and orange.  I hate red and there’s no such thing as “resale” brown. Not much for green although my latest ride is that, but not for long.

The automotive industry spends untold millions on the study of proper color use, its psychological meaning and how it affects people s emotional reaction to a particular vehicle. It really isn’t that hard….white, silver, red, blue, gray, black, tan and polka dots.  

As a person who has made a decent living from answering the emotional connection people have with their cars, I’m pretty sure that I could be considered an authority in this arena.  I have listened to people talk about their favorite cars, what they have done to their cars, how many times they had sex in them, how their first kid was conceived or born in one  and I even had one guy describe how he and some friends robbed a gas station with one.

It is a lifestyle. A life that we must live with even if we hated cars. They are our servants and if we want them to remain in our lives, then we must treat them with love and understanding. Now, I go smoke some tires. -Mikey  www.carisms.com

Wrap your MIND around this

I definitely have an emotional connection with cars that is satisfying to my mental condition. I confess…I’m carsick. I have a disease that will never go away. I love it!

If you are into cars, you know what I mean. And a lot of us make our livings with this crazy hunk of earth shattering image. We love the car and somewhere in time figured why not use that passion to earn a living, start a business doing what we love. It can be fun and exciting and profitable. And frustrating. Like life.

Some of you reading this may own an automotive business catering to the elite of car owners – enthusiasts, real car lovers. You deal with people on a more emotional level than say a hardware store or a service type biz. Your business answers the call of “automotive dysfunctions”.

Serving people who love cars can be a gratifying experience for you and the customer. Why? Because if you own a vehicle that is cool, fast, classic, custom or hot rod, you know what an exhilarating experience it can be to drive that thing down the road. It is therapy like none other. Not only the driving part, but what all enthusiasts do, and that is – getting involved in actually working on vehicles.

If you want to forget what is going on at the office, store, shop, Washington DC and world problems, get yourself a vehicle you can throw your body and spirit into and crawl under and over it for a while. Turn some wrenches, learn how to do body and paint, wire it yourself, buff and wax it , get greasy and I promise your mentally will change for the better.

I’ve bought, sold, fixed, customized and restored lots of cars. Many of them were junk that any sane person would throw away. I’ve had my share of busted knuckles on junk yard queens. Some were cosmetic jobs-easy fixes and others were nightmares.

Sure there are challenges that at times can turn the noblest person into a raving lunatic. But the fact remains – even through all the busted buckles and cussing, I enjoyed what I was doing and it was good for my well-being…as well as my ego!

What kind of car do you dream of fixing up? It doesn’t have to be an oldie needing lots of work in order for you to benefit from automotive therapy. Any style of vehicle that looks like it could stand a bit of enhancement will do. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as you understand that you have to be the one polishing, hammering, wrenching and getting imaginative. You gotta do something to it that gives you feeling of pride and accomplishment.

The car hobby is a popular past time especially the collectibles, classics and muscle cars. Even turning late models into one-of-a-kind personality statements has become a multi-billion dollar a year industry that will never go away. Look at all the attention paid to classic car auctions, personalizing and individualizing vehicles of all models.  New cars are being built with cool styling. It’s crazy and that’s why we gearhead weirdos like it.

Why are these vehicles so popular? Because they have the power to give you good feelings inside, self-esteem and pride of accomplishment. The right ride tells the world who you are and what you stand for.

I’ve had my share of very nice classics, customs and hot rods and I can testify to this; they can extinguish that burned out mind of yours. Get in, sit down, shut up and hang on!

Life is good when you love your car but the thoughts of Cruising Main street forever should not become your eternal flame. There are other factors in your life that should never be ignored that are as vital to your carlove interests. Just because your vehicle is way cool and the envy of the road doesn’t mean you’ll never have another situation to deal with. I’m not saying that. Here’s what I mean – owning a vehicle that makes you feel good about yourself has its good points which can benefit your life to a degree. Just don’t forget about the family and obligations. Family involvement increases my car life tenfold. All my kids love cool cars. They have owned nice rides and I have seen the joy they receive in return. Makes me proud.

Automotive therapy is good for the soul and a valuable life lesson. It’s easy to fall in love with chrome, paint, and mellow sounds emitting from that hunk of metal. It feels like a living thing when you think about it. I suppose us car guys have a few “lose nuts” when it comes to our cars. This is a serious mental automotive dysfunction. For me, that’s all I need to live a good life. Now go hug your car today. -Mikey   www.carisms.com

My '55 Buick

Do you remember your favorite car? What about your first one? What car did you take on your first date? Got backseat memories?

As a baby boomer, I have thoughts about the future and what it holds for me and my family in this chaotic world. When I think of the way things could turn out in ten or twenty years, I resort to nostalgia. You know, the good ol’ days.

My most vivid memories are from the 1960’s and 70’s. Some of you remember the better good ol’ days of the 1950’s. I came to power in the late 60’s when my conscience woke up to my surroundings. As the 70’s emerged I discovered the world and its devices.

Some things about the 70’s I want to put out of my memory. For instance, designer color choices for everything from carpeting to furniture, clothing and cars all done in green, gold and brown. YUK! Mid 1970’s was all about disco. Then around ’78 we all went urban cowboy. What a flip.

I got married in ’76 to Rachel and we are still here together. Most of our friends from back then are not. Another one of my most vivid memories is when I started working for myself. Little did I know that would be my future of happiness and misery.

In today’s multi-faceted media, people are talking about nostalgia and how to market to us boomers. The argument is about us wanting to relive the past and how we want to live it. I love nostalgia but I’ve been focusing on what the future holds. My opinion is this; we want both. But what do we expect?

The future holds surprises both good and bad. We know that as long as there are forces who wish us to be in subjection we will indefinitely be in debt, worry about the earth, healthcare and fear for our children and grand children’s future. Some we can’t control but we can relive our past to an extent.

We can control some of our future; work at staying healthy, wise financial decisions and where we want to retire. So it ain’t all bad.

Now for the icing on the cake. The past is where you and I want to be. For the most part, what do our minds revert to? Cars. No matter what we survived from the past we all love to think about that old car we had and many of us want to own that particular vehicle or look at pictures of it.

My first car, which I still have, was a 1954 Ford. Before I turned 16 I had already owned four cars with many more since then. Although that old Ford is in pretty bad shape, I love to remember how I earned the money to buy it and how I got it home, all the fun I had working on it although frustrating. There’s a story in there.

I’m sure many of you have fond memories about your first car or any one of them from your past.  I do and even though I wish I had most of them back I know deep down inside that won’t happen.

Marketers have been trying to understand us boomers and what we want out of our lives so they can sell us something. Just ask and we will tell.

Our ride is important. We buy more new vehicles than Gen Y or X and even Z. We spend more money on specialty aftermarket parts to enhance the appearance of our vehicles.  We come from an era when your car meant something, of automotive coolness and even though we may be driving a Toyota or Cadillac now, we still have the need to know that car is all ours.

One area of growing interest is the classic and collector car market. We boomers come from the 50’s and 60’s and70’s. Most of us drove some kind of cool ride in school. I had several ranging from my ‘54 Ford to a bad ass 1955 Chevy 2 door hardtop tire scorcher. Yep, I was king of the back road drag strip back then.

When I think about all the fun I had with my cars from the past I get a sudden thrust of happiness in my heart. For some of you the thought of drag racing on a public road is a bad thing but back then we did not have all the media attention about the danger. Yes it was dangerous but in my hundred or so races no one ever got hurt or killed. We were fearless and confident.

Baby boomers, man or woman, love to think of the day they saw their first Mustang back in 64. You might remember when the new style Chevy Chevelle 454 SS came out in 1970 and how fast it was. The SS came out before then, but this one was deadly. That car was king of the street. Remember the “Little Deuce” coupe song? Lot’s of guys I know had one just like it.

Many of the car guys I do business with love talking about school days and the cool customs or hot rods they owned. These memories make them feel good. They yearn for the days of miss-spent youth, backseat memories and greasy hands. Turning wrenches in the middle of the night even if the next day you had a big test in school. That didn’t worry you. You were more interested in how your car sounded.

We loved our cars back then. They had style and meaning. We love them now but the difference in between the two is this; back then cars were part of our makeup, they were driven with earth shattering skill and fearlessness and what we did to our cars taught us about life.

Now days you buy a new car and add a few stick-on trinkets to make it feel like home. Back in the good old days we rustled around junk yards for pieces that would enhance to power and looks of our creation.

Baby boomers today are in tune with what’s going on in the world. We are tech savvy, own businesses, some are financially secure and for the most part we are doing pretty well. But we still want something from our youth. It all seems unattainable.

Our passion for classic cars, collectible muscle cars, cool customs and hot rods are a strong indicator that we know what we want. Although most of us older guys don’t wear the greasy jeans and sporting ducktails, there is a movement that has been going for years with the younger set. They have stepped back with cool traditional looking rides.

Many of our younger car guys and gals are doing the ‘50’s thing. Big time. From traditional style hot rods and lead sled kustoms complete with tattered greasy jeans and whitewalls. These kids are reliving what looks to be an authentic recreation of our past. Some of it works. Mostly it just looks that way.

Whether or not they are doing the real thing from the past or not, I think it is good for the old car industry in general. We are witnessing a resurgence of what the past meant to us older car guys and that is to keep life simple but remember this is a crazy world we live in now.

In today’s frustrated world, politicians see dollar signs in everything we love. That is the burning bridge to what we hold dear. If we as baby boomers want to live the past, we better get on with it before some idiot in Washington decides how bad it is for us and reduces it down to recycled garbage. – Mikey  www.carisms.com

I went through suicidal depression for 25 years. It was tough on my professional/personal life but I slowly crawled out of that dark deep hole when I woke up and looked at myself objectively and realized that I’m responsible for going through this battle and I must fix the problem if I want to live a better life. I owe most of my survival to my wife who always stood by my side, otherwise I’d be dead.

How did I beat depression? By getting out of the “dead bed” and into an enjoyable but challenging hobby (restoring classic cars) and sacrificing my time for others. That helped me see that I was not the only person on earth with issues.

Writing contributed to the cure. When I started writing about my abused childhood, teenage years and problems in adult life, the dirt flowed out of my head through my hands onto the paper or computer screen. Reading your problems through words does amazing things to your decision to change for the good.

You can do it too if you just find something, anything, that will draw out the source of your depression. If your mindset refuses to get off the grid, it will be difficult to get away from this life numbing illness.

Life is worth living now that I have no depression at least 99% of the time. All I have to deal with now is Diabetes, which is a whole other story.

I’ve had readers email and ask about my professional and personal life and how I can help them. Well, for all you who are interested here’s a few details.  Don’t yawn.

The story of my life isn’t something for the bestseller list. Although I have been told I’ve led an interesting life I feel yours is better than mine

Some of it is funny, unbelievable, most is boring. Being an eccentric mentally dysfunctional person isn’t really that exciting.

My story isn’t that different from anyone else’s. Or yours. The only difference may be in how I’ve learned how to use its craziness to enhance my existence, survive all the crap life and still be able to live most days with a reasonably positive outlook. The negatives? Oh yes, many but I’ve figured out the negatives and how they are compatible with positives. And teach you a thing or two about caution, people and life’s realities. Why fool myself into thinking it’s all good, all the time?

Everyone has a story to tell. Lots of people have lives that would make mine look like a party in dullsville. I’d say the only difference between you and me is this; I have taken my weaknesses, what I know, what I’ve learned and what I hope to contribute to humanity or maybe bore them to death, and tell it through my writing.

Institution…Life

I cannot speak for you or anyone else, all I can do is relate in words what I’ve done to survive this institution we call life. We are all similar in wants and needs – to be liked, loved, appreciated, achieve success and live a long and happy life the way we want. So if it doesn’t kill you first, let’s go on a wild ride through my sanitarium.

What my life has done for me I hope will do for those of you who aren’t necessarily looking for kick in the ass, just a bit of mental enhancement to give you the will to get up tomorrow and say to yourself, “Ah hell, why not?”

As for my secular and personal life, a large part of it revolves around cars. I’ve made my living restoring, hot rodding customizing, buying, selling, trading, dreaming and basically just fooling around with cars all my life.

And even though you may find this quite juvenile, rebellious in fact, (I like rebel) building a high-performance hot rod, massaging a junk vehicle into a cool custom or spending an unreasonable amount of time and money restoring a classic vehicle will teach you plenty about succeeding and failing in life and business. It’s challenging and satisfying with life enhancing qualities.

Remember this about life – never take this crap too seriously. The hard stuff is just therapy for when you cannot get out of bed.

Now don’t get me wrong, I do have a life besides cars. I’m family first. I  have the same sweetie wife since 1976 and 3 grown children who have given us a life of joy. So it ain’t all about the wheels.

Here’s a summary of me:

~Born in Houston, January 1957

~The oldest of 9 siblings, 2 steps, and one half older brother (12 in all that I know about),

~Born of a 6’- 3” Dad who was a trend setting “rebel” with long hair past his shoulders, wore earrings, tattooed pro-wrestler in the 1950’s and ‘60’s. He was a unique person and had a very vivid imagination of life (he was on LSD from a head injury in 1966 so you know where I can go with this conversation). Dad had a way of surviving by never working from 1965 on. What would you expect from a Louisiana coon-ass? (I guess it’s true what they say about French people)

~Mom dished out 9 of those kids and she is still healthy, physically anyway.

~Quit school at 14 to help support the family (And you thought depression era kids did that)

~Currently live in the beautiful hill country between San Antonio & Austin

~Married to Rachel since 1976

~3 grown children

~Managed to live without a job since 1978 (Not like my Dad, I work, sometimes)

~I wake up in the morning without an alarm clock. Some days I’ll even go back to bed after a cup of coffee…just because.

~I never ask for money from the stuffy fat asses at the bank

~Live and grew up in Texas but have been all over this great country doing business with a mix of awesome and some really “ignor-anus” people

~I’m still working on life

~I come and go as I please and pretty much do what I want, when I want.

~I’m type 2 Diabetic on insulin. I have severe Diabetic neuropathy in my lower extremities and eye retinopathy as well. I am limited mobility wise which has changed my life professionally and personally. Even though most of my life I ate right and exercised, no smoking, hardly any alcohol and never did drugs, I still got this crap. It isn’t fun. But I think it was natures way of telling me I need to focus on my writing and helping others.

Although I live the life of a creative bum I’m not wealthy if you’re talking about money. That’s not the reason I’m able to live my lifestyle. I live this way because that is the way I choose to live. Come hell or high water, I have to survive just like the rest of you.

Through all the BS, hard times, going broke many times, losing it all, I still maintain a trait I secured since childhood that I still use even now; I’ve never forgot how to hustle.

I survived life because, even in childhood, I had to get through the day by hustling. Life is about the hustle. Because I never knew what my Dad had in store for us when we came home from school, I had to think quick and learn how to tell him what he did notwant to hear. By that I mean when we did something wrong he would grill us (torture) into telling him what he already knew and that was the worst part.

Life was on a regualr basis pure hell with Dad. He had a very sneaky habit; he asked questions so we would say what it was he wanted to hear. He was big into psychological games with us kids. I had to figure out how to say things to him in way that would turn the situation around in my favor. Sometimes it worked and other times, well, you know the outcome.

As with most things in life, you have to come up with ingenious ways to get through the muck. I don’t mean doing something underhanded, although sometimes you gotta fake it ‘till ya’ make it.

The hustle I’m talking about is getting out there with all your hang-ups and mental challenges and keep it going no matter what is throw in your face or who stabs you in the back.  You just keep driving down that treacherous and sometimes lonely road of life.

So you may be asking “How can a schlep like this live the life of a dysfunctional loafer without at least have a million or two sitting in the bank drawing interest so he can live like a prince?” Well, it all comes back to knowing how to survive and thrive with what you got and who you are and how you do it without compromising your self-worth.

Exactly how do I afford the alarm clockless fabulous life of the “wish rich and kinda famous?” Well here ya go…

MY BIZ

My main business since 1978 has been master of the brush. Actually it took years before “master of the brush” came along. I certainly did my time working long days without seeing much money. But I toiled.

I do what is called “Custom Hand Painted Pinstriping.” I do that on all types of vehicles and just about anything that will sit still long enough for me to lay my artistic touch to.

The pay is good when I’m busy. Some weeks are better than others. I have no rules, no time schedules, and my customers have no problems with that.

When business was good in the 1980’and ‘90’s, $5000 – $10,000 per week was not uncommon working 3-4 days per week. Even fewer days in some cases. That much money was not every week. When it was good it was good. When it was bad it was worse. The money went as fast as I made it.

I striped at car shows, had customers all over the USA and basically lived on the ‘glamorous’ road. But I was free and the work I did was the envy of all who watched me. It really wasn’t work. The hardest part was all the driving. I always drove custom vehicles wherever I went. That gave me an edge while cruising down the road. Unlike most, my career has been one of more personal fulfillment than monetary satisfaction.

Of course it did not start out that way. We starved a few years, got kicked out of our homes (several), lived in the car a few times, drove junk vehicles that broke down in the middle of nowhere, (I used to lift license plates and inspection stickers way back in the early years because I had no money) but I always figured out how to manage without a job.

I remember many times taking my last two or three bucks, putting a few gallons of gas in my green beat-up ’64 Chevy pick-up and driving behind the refineries in Houston looking for signs at businesses that needed redone. I chose sign repainting because I figured although I looked like I knew what I was doing to the customer, I really didn’t. Repainting them was easy for a guy who never actually laid out a sign from scratch..

I even painted billboards for an auto parts chain. Now this is where my determination and somewhat naivety play’s a big role in survival. These signs were 60-80 feet in the air, made of wood with a narrow catwalk and me…well I’ve always been fearful of heights. But I was hungry and had wife at home who was hungrier and although it was very, very hard to climb a shaky ladder all the way up to the cat walk, I did it.

The climb was the easy part. Once up there, the wood was rotten and I had to work around that. I had to take my ladder and climb to the highest point on the sign and paint the backboard and do the lettering, which was damn scary. Not only that frightening chore, I had to learn how to lay out six-foot tall letters when in fact I had never done such a thing.

Nevertheless, I made it work and at times I hired my in-laws to help rebuild many of those signs. So I made money from the rebuild and the painting. Hard work but we made it.

I remember one job north of Houston. It was a $2400 dollar job (back in 1980 that was all the money in the world to me) and all we had was money for a motel, which I think was $20 bucks. We, the wife and I, brought our own sandwiches and water. She did not help with the sign just support. Anyway, I got it done in two days and was paid my money. We were happy but had to get all the way back to south of Houston before the bank closed so we could have money.

There we were heading down I-45 south in a beat up ’71 Pontiac Catalina, no a/c, with a 20 ft. ladder on top (it stretch to 40’) and man we were running on fumes. I had about 75 cents in my pocket. We barely made the bank in time to deposit the check, get some money and celebrated by going to Red Lobster. (It was the new thing back then)

That is only one of a hundred stories that helped me build my business, build my character and through it all gave me the power to deal with and benefit from my mental challenges.

It has been a long haul mainly due to the fact that I’ve always been somewhat of a loner. After I got rid of the 3 body shops I owned in the 1980’s (that’s another story) I pretty much did everything workwise by myself. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to. I had help at some of the big car shows but for the most part I’ve always been the lone wolf in business.

The life was long and arduous – building a business, providing for the family and doing it all by myself without employees and people to ask for help.

Of course having a business that requires certain talents has it’s drawbacks. You just cannot ask for help and expect to get it because the work I do is very obscure and there are no people looking to be hired for such a thing.  I’m proud to say through it all I made it and raised those 3 kids on what I made.

I’ve slowed down now due to health probs and limited mobility. Of course the money doesn’t come as often but my life is much less stressful than before. (I still have no problem stressing myself out though)

See, when I was at my peek I traveled all over Texas and beyond chasing the dollar. That took a toll on my mental and physical well-being. I did that for 24 years and most of it riding the roads alone.

In my profession there is a bit of celebrity associated with it. You are looked on as a gifted “arteest” and own a talent not many people can do. I’m paid great money to paint lines on vehicles that some people have invested $100,000 dollars into. If you go to www.mikeyspinstriping.com you’ll see firsthand what I do.

All that fame and fortune is nice but over the years I’ve come back down to earth and discovered the hard way…it goes faster than it comes.

In the middle all the excitement, I still had the taste for business and did get involved in several ventures that, to say the least, were educational. Some good and others not so great.

I’ve had the big shops, big jobs, big time customers and big dreams and bigger failures like everyone else, but as time went by I found out something about myself – as long as I can get up in the morning, six feet above ground and know that this day is the first and best day of the rest of my life, well it ain’t all that bad.

In my personal quest for sustenance, wealth, happiness, self-observation, motivation, direction, and the will to just get out of bed in the morning, success and all its virtues has been elusive to say the least. I think many of you will agree it is a tough road to ride and it is getting even more difficult to not only achieve a measure of professional and personal success, but to keep it locked up in your life forever.

The unique characteristics I describe here have indeed been my inner demons when it came to achieving wealth, happiness, sanity and understanding the curse of emotional distress. Although you may have experience similar or worse - the stuff you have within yourself – those are the important qualities – the attributes you already possess necessary to enhance total existence.

This is a small part of what has gone on in my life. Yes, it’s hard for any mortal to put up with all the dark days but like I said before, your spouse, friends and family can help you see what you are made of. But only you can open the door and find the answers. It is there.

Now go out and do something crazy. – Mikey  www.carisms.com

This discussion may not be for you or anyone else. It is something I feel needs to be told. I have met so many people in my life who undergo personality dysfunctions and have no way or understanding of how to get out of the hole. Well I’ve been there and know what they go through. So here’s just a small part of how I dealt and deal with it and how proper understanding of your dysfunctions can do for you ina good way. 

You know what it is. Most people running a business or managing life all have the same characteristics. The body takes a beating. The mind begins to wander off towards the cuckoo’s nest. Soon you’re ready to jump off a cliff or go on some wild and nutso spree.

I’ve learned to respect all the mental lunacy and self-imposed dysfunctional madness I own and accept the fact that what I am is not the envy of everyone on this earth. If I have but one thing to say about living in the asylum it is this…

At least I know where I’ve been, where I’m at and where I’m going. Most days. Do You?

In this voyage we call life, I see so many people out there trying to be something they are not when the only absolute we have in life in to be you. Some peoples’ version of living a happy life is to imitate others or become something they;re not meant be or at least should not be. That life is an emotional high for them. Why be like the hottest celeb at the moment when in fact their life is probably so upside down that they’re likely to shatter self-image before realizing they don’t have much to offer.

Understand that no matter who or what you are now, attempting the lifestyle of another is utterly foolish. They are no better than you. Maybe in money or prestige, but that’s not necessarily the best life to chase after. Just because someone is higher on the totem pole of life does not make him or her better or more credible. Why spend all your time chasing the current fashion when it’s better go after something you can call your own.

Be yourself. Who cares what others think. I don’t and it has made my life much more bearable. If you want people to recognize you for you, become what they are not. Unique always stands out and above those running after the same old color. Being different and not afraid of the outcome (legal of course) has its own virtues that you must live by. At times you are called on to prove your point even if the opposition doesn’t know it.

Case in point…Recently, I was asked by an “authority of the court” during jury duty (what a waste of time) if I would trust a politician or law enforcement person over an ordinary civilian when it comes to credibility on the witness stand. What the F…!?

My first response was, “What makes us, the civilians, untrusting ordinary people and the politician and the law special? They are humans, not God.”  I’m sure that was not what he was expecting.He just stared at me.

So I elaborated a bit while he just stood there all dumb looking…“Let’s take the civilian, the politician and the law person and sit them on the toilet, let them do their business and then we’ll see who is higher up.” Agin he was dumbfounded. Well, he asked! 

My point is this; I don’t believe in giving even the higher-ups the benefit of the doubt if they think they are better than you or me. Sure, I know my limits – when to show respect and when to keep my mouth shut, but when asked I’ll cut like a knife if I have to. Why? Here’s why…

When I was growing up there was no such thing as “domestic violence” It was more “Violence for Survival.”

Hey when you are the oldest of 12 (9 when I was at home) you tend to defend yourself when shoved ina corner. We had to fight over one chicken at dinner and had to get out and hustle for anything that was a luxury back then. Dad wasn’t the type to give his kids anything but below the basic necessitities. That way of living taught me how to survive and thrive with what I got. 

As I grew older and was pretty much on my own since 14 I learned hard lessons that there are forces constantly working against you and if you have no way out you either break out the weapons (mental and physical) or you run like a kitty being chased by a pack of blood thirsty dogs.

My expereinces has brought me good fortune and bad. I have no grudges just respect for life and for what it gives if you are willing to work your way into the front door.

Because I reside in my own little asylum I know what to expect from my self-inflicted wounds. If you don’t have your own corner, your own space, your own mind, you’ll never have control over your measly life. In this club you gotta find your corner because if you don’t you’ll never survive.

As a child and well into my teens, I was traumatized by my own indifference towards my Father, my Mother, my brothers, sisters, relatives and most people in general. I was and still am to a degree the misanthrope. Don’t get me wrong, I get along with others it just that I don’t play well them.

Just about everyone I came in contact with who knew of my family and what they were about had to tread lightly. Even if they didn’t know about my family and the way they were, my personality always threw up a red flag warning. I was embarrassed when the family name was mentioned during a conversation with others. If you know the reasons why then you’d understand. Let just say that some of the things they’ve done would make the Jerry Springer show look like a day at Disney.

Although certain members of my family have done every conceivable wrong to humanity, themselves and other family members, I’ve learned to make it work to my advantage. How? It is not easy to accomplish. Learning all I could about Personal Enhancement has helped but I had to figure out how to do that. 

What is it, that if harnessed correctly, will give you the strength to understand and deal with guilt, depression, suicidal tendencies, mental breakdowns, violence, aggression, self-doubt, self-esteem, self-destruction, poverty, health problems, people paranoia, compulsions, failures, successes, personal and profession situations?

It’s grappling with the fact that you must understand you inner workings and know how to enhance your existence by way of driving yourself to the bitter end. Once you are there you have to go back to the start and do it all over again. That’s the only way you ver figure life out and how to handle all its diversions.

Throughout the trip you’ll suffer mental crippling diseases and emotional trauma if you don reach down deep inside, pull out your problems and deal with them with a firm hand. Because if you know and have experienced at least one of those life restricting emotional diseases mentioned above and cannot figure out how to get them off your back or at least deal with them, then you’ll never conquer your inner self.

For nearly 25 years I went through suicidal depression. During that ride I endured mental torture not know or even caring why. I thank my wife for sticking with me throughout my rough times. Without her I would not be here.

When I was at my lowest she listened and waited patiently for me to come out. I’m sure there were many times, in her mind, that I would never pull through. But I did. Although I give her credit for my recovery, she tells me that it was my strong mind that did all the work. I still go through some tiny emotional drifting but not as much.

But I often wonder about that strong mentality she talks about. Of course she does not admit that it the reason I wanted to be alive was her. My wife is my life. We’ve been married since 1976 and through all the BS she has stood by my side. I’m one of the fortunate few…I got the right one.

Getting back to that strong mental attitude, I have one because I endured life’s struggles and uphill drives. What I endured and went through in my youth was pretty tough for any kid. Once I deciphered my depression and found out why I had it, then the I was able to question the reasons and come up with answers.

Your life too may be upside down. Doesn’t matter what we go through it always helps to have someone on your side so that you will get to a day where answers come. They are there you just have to pull them out of that deep dark recess of your inner mind and slam them against the wall.  

Throughout my adult life there have been so many downsides I lost count. but you know what? I would not rade them for a life full of easy living and no worry. Why? Because when you go through the bad and you live to tell about it, the good stuff is the payday. 

When you undergo life that is not fair, it builds character that teaches you how to endure even worse times and gives you the internal power to drive your life to the place you and your sweetie want to be. Now go burn rubber! -Mikey www.carisms.com

Car life starts early on. For me, my life with cars began the minute I was born and I’ve maintained the problem through that life. I’m sure it will go forward unless the Feds or some other enitity destroys it all. 

As with my food, I like all styles of cars but some people prefer a certain style but with added flavors.

Different styles, sizes, designs, accessories, trinkets and colors attract a wide variety of car lovers. Some people prefer timeless designs, while others want more aggressive futuristic looks and others want more room, more performance with better gas mileage, and there are those who just want to be noticed with something nobody else drives.

Cars stir up certain emotions in people which is a factor in how they use them and why one brand is chosen over another. Cars are little worlds where it’s just you and your ride. Your car becomes part of you and it shows in the way you live.

That’s the key; that car you drive reflects what you are and how you want to be perceived.

It’s all about them - people and their vehicles. If you are in an automotive business understandin how they feel about that car and what it represents is a key selling ppoint on your end. How can you do that?

Listen to the way people describe their lifestyles, their homes, possessions and the values they embrace. Most of them just want to be comfortable and enjoy life. Some are more practical than others and most are genuine in their choices – not trendy or artificial. That’s where the car lifestyle is target.

Car obsession runs deep. Human desire for a car is really an absurd, materialistic thought process. Cars are basically a means to an end, not something to be worshipped. Of course we know that isn’t true otherwise all cars would be basic white, with the same motors, staid interiors and look like a basket of fresh chicken eggs.

Like human personalities, the “sameness” concept doesn’t work in a society obsessed with “what’s in it for me”. Cars have personalities and are viewed as objects of beauty and desire. It has become a living thing that is a part of our lives just as pets, clothing and food choices.

As an automotive driven society we are fixated on telling the rest of the world I’m cool, I have money, I like red, I like sporty, I want a big truck, I like to burn rubber, I’m polluting the earth. 

If you are a marketer of the automobile then you need to ignore those deep psychological enigmas and try to figure out why this obsession grabs us by the neck and strangles us with lusty shapes, heart pounding sounds and high speeds all the while costing us more money than we should ever spend on obnoxious behavior.

We all have an irrational desire for this product. it make us feel good about ourselves. Some people use muscles as their alter ego. for some of us we like to think our cars will enhance our personalities and the world needs to know.

People with the automotive lifestyle disorder aren’t in it for just basic transportation. They are focused on a particular lifestyle and what it means to be wrapped tightly in colorful metal all the while acting like a kid high on sugar. Whether it’s racing, mountain biking, skiing, shopping or just cruising main street, it’s all about what we want in our lives.

Marketing plays a big role in how we perceive cars so much so that it inclines us to spend hardearned money just to drive them. Maybe it’s a spiritual thing. Could be a coincidence too.

It’s all about passion. Passion for the cars. It has to be a part of everything in our lives. If the auto industry wants to survive and profit, they need to pay attention to the passion part of the marketing strategy.

Incentives and sales are okay, but in the end, the customer wants to feel they purchased more than a quickie deal. When the passion factor is missing all you have is price. That can be compared to selling basic necessities. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Whatever it is you design, make and sell, the passion quotient must be inclusive, it must ignite the buyers’ emotions and tug at the heart. This is what you call getting into the minds and hearts of car owners. The business that fully understands their customers’ craving for automotive passion will be at the forefront of the automotive driven life.

Cars are meant to move people – literally as well as figuratively. I see a person gawking at a new vehicle or someone drooling over a super fast exotic I know what they are thinking. I know how they are drawn in by the nuances, sensory details and sensuality. The emotional attachment that develops between human and car is a bond that is strong.

But emotional attachment is not without purpose. It’s about the love of metallic styling and sounds emitting from a powerful machine only car crazy humans can appreciate.

People look at their cars as a piece of clothing or jewelry, something they put on before they go out for the evening. It’s the lifestyle they want. That sort of lifestyle shows just how people feel about their cars.

Some people prefer timeless design, while others want more aggressive futuristic looks and yet the need for more room, high performance with better gas mileage, and then there are those who just want to be noticed with a car nobody else drives.

In these crazy times people simply want to be comfortable, happy and enjoy life. The right vehicle is but one way for them to live the life they desire. When they are cruising along, the sounds are streaming, the engine is purring and the country side rolls by that encasement of personal freedom and self-expression, well, that’s a happy car life. -Mikey.  www.carisms.com

My life, from birth well into adulthood, was and still is cars. Although I am slowing down with the buying, selling, building stuff I still got the fever. And that’s what has brought me to this time period in my life.

I’m curently working on a book about cars, life, business, everything. Not sure what I’ll call it. I’m currently doing the copy and once that is done I will title it.

A book about cars in one’s life and say it is worthy of a title seems to be a misnomer for what life is physically and emotionally about. Most people cannot comprehend comparing cars to life and everything else that surrounds us.
But in my mind and a quite possibly a few others still on this planet, cars have the power to improve ones lot on life. Of course some of you will ask a few open-ended questions like: Can they improve your ability to think, love, make money and even criminalize the world? Are they the scourge of the earth and I’m just in denial?

Those are questions we can all answer in secret because when you get down to it a car is just a hunk of metal without any feelings toward humans. Or do they?
I get a kick out of people who think of cars are basic transportation. A bland contraption used solely for the mind numbing movement of humanity and things. Of course that isn’t true. Cars are more than just basic necessities.

If you don’t think so try this…watch a person after they get out of the car and walk away. Interesting fact…

Most people exit the vehicle, walk a few feet away then quickly turn around and check it out. Is it the stance? The color? The styling? The “is it safe in that parking spot” factor? Or is it just love? We are all guilty.

So you might be asking what is Mikey’s book about? Here ya go….
This book has been a work in progress for what seems an eternity. I started typing and doing it by longhand writing about cars nearly 30 years ago. Longer if you count all the automotive manufacturer logos I scribbled on my notebook covers in school.

Most of my so called professional writing has been for myself pecking away leaving tidbits of my automotive enthusiasm and passion on sheets of paper and notebooks lost in my file cabinets.

At first I wrote my thoughts on the business side of things in the auto industry. Tried my hand at telling people how to start their own automotive business. My little 40 page booklet became a 210 page 8×11 book full of how to’s and thoughts on that topic. I even sold quite a few through the mail.
As the years went by I kept myself busy researching and writing about cars often comparing them with life, business and everything else. I figured it might be an important labor of love someday but wasn’t quite sure where it all end up.

My parents have said that I talked cars since the day I could speak. Automobiles have inspired and guided me through everything I’ve done in life.

My wife has told me more than once how I use cars as the foundation of a topic when talking about life and events in our past. She says I tend to over use automotive analogies in what could be or might have been or what may happen. If there’s a situation, or topic we were discussing I would come off with something like this; “Well honey, ya know, it’s like a car…” It is a strange of illustrating life but that’s how I think.

As time went on I kept pecking the keyboard all the while, but with some apprehension, that an idea will come about. It took about 30 years to materialize but I finally had a reasonably good idea about where I can take my love for cars and they relate to life for the masses.
So I thought about it for about two years and said what the hell go do it. What prompted the motion to go forward was when I realized that no matter what I wrote I always referenced the cars.

As I concocted ideas I realized there has to be a genuine marketable idea in there. Somewhere.
Through the years, a lot of my research and writings were about business and life and how the two are seriously intermingled with each other. As I thought about and wrote my idealisms, I had no idea where I was heading with the crazy thinking of cars being the catalyst for success and failure in life.
I knew somewhere in the deep dark crevices of my mind there had to be more and I must pursue. One thing I did not want to do and that was copycat books already on the market covering life, self-improvement and business. Most are crossovers of a previous idea. Being the rebellious type I had to do what wasn’t already done.

So as I stressed out over the idea by getting depressed, losing sleep, jumping from one idea to another and then one day meditating on something else totally unrelated, I hand an epiphany! Here it is this grand idea…

Of course my mind aways has cars in the shadows no matter what is happening in there so it had to come about sooner or later.  So here was my idea….

“CARISMS…It’s Like a Car…Life, Business, Everything”

As with most good ideas laying and waiting patiently for the right moment to present itself, it just slammed me one day. Now it’s a huge part of my life and yours too.

But I still had a few doubts. I knew that I was on to something but there was some doubt if this would be acceptable to the average person. So I had to ask questions that would stand up to scrutiny:
• Would it be too difficult to comprehend?
• Is it too out-of-bounds?
• Can they use the idea to better their life, business, everything?
• Why cars?
• Would they wonder if I’ve lost my mind?
• Will they buy the idea?
• Will they want to read this?
• Is it relevant to today’s wired, social population?
• Does it make any sense?

And most important, Can I build it into something the world can use?

All good questions, however, even at this point I’m not too sure if you or anyone else would even care that my idea of life is like a car would be relevant to your existence.

In my mind it is an honest and doable idea based on my vision. A mindset of what was, what is and what can be done based on my experience with cars and the real world.

My profession has taken me all over the USA. I’ve learned what why people their vehicles and their dislikes. I’ve done artwork on every type of car known and then some. Because of my closeness with not only the cars but the people, I’ve parked deep inside myself those experiences. I gathered lots of information when it comes to automotive psychology and how its impact on life.

I hope you get something out of my way of thinking. I know it isn’t mainstream but who wants to be in that line anyway. Not me. I have to be on the outside of everything. I think most people want to be a part of something but still an acceptable outcast.

When I started this project I wanted a website, wrote down hundreds of names, ideas and phrases but nothing seemed to ne what I stood for when it came to cars and life. So one day I was just sitting in my chair and skreech! There it was…CARISMS.
I finally came up with a good name that fits within the philosophy of cars and life.

 I wasn’t trying to invent something new but I needed a catch phrase that stood for what I like to do. And since my middle name begins with the word “Car” which I’m always philosophizing about, I ended it with “isms” and that’s how the word came to be.

“CARISMS…It’s like a Car, Life Business, Everything” www.carisms.com

Like I said before, I had hundreds of pages of automotive writings, notes, “isms” and other mindsets that I’ve conjured up over the years so I thought this is the right time to intro to the world.

I feel the timing is right to write this book since so many of you have heard the same old clichés on positive thinking, how to market your business, how to get rich, the big secret to getting what you want, and ten million ways to have great sex. So being the rebel that I was born to be, I wanted to do humanity justice and look a things from a unique perspective and objective.

What I have here won’t be the cure-all for the your problems. I want it make you laugh, scratch your head, keep you wondering, piss you off and maybe even help you do that thing you always wanted to do. Whatever that may be.
I won’t be able to cure what ails you physically or mentally. But what I will do is provide you some though provoking ideas about cars, and how they affect our lives good and bad.

A large part of it will be about business. Yes, cars have a huge impact on business. It isn’t all about the metal. Life is full of surprises so you’ll get that.

Our car psyche is one of misspent youth and dreams. Nightmares too. All that stuff comes out in this publication.

What I want to convey here, is that you, me and everyone else on this planet has a love affair with our vehicles. Doesn’t matter whether it is a clunker or a half a million dollar Rolls. We all love something about our cars. Why? Because they are a living thing that provides us a life enhancing service and we respect that.

This will help you see what you’ve either been missing or what you already know and that is; we cannot sustain life without our machines.

VROOM! – Mikey   www.carisms.com