A Garage is a Garage is a Garage?

When I was just a little guy, growing up in a small town in Iowa, my dad used to take the family car to Kale’s Garage. It was just a little cinder block building on the highway. Nothing special. Just a one bay, one mechanic business. Now, we’re talking the late 50’s and early 60’s here, no computers, no blinking lights. So what made it such a treat when Dad let me tag along? The people. Leo Kale always had a way of making you feel welcome. The scene was always the same. Leo working on the car and a bunch of guys standing around on a Saturday morning, watching him work, drinking coffee. I always had a Grape Nehi.

There was no pretention. Leo was a great mechanic, people trusted him and they liked him. That was it. Funny thing is, I remember thinking that if ever I had a business, this was how I wanted it to be. Pop in the fridge, people welcome to drop in. You’re not in the way, you’re a friend. I think maybe that’s part of the reason I named an audio studio “Radio Garage”. That and the fact that my first studio was literally in my garage.

Today, we’re all about branding, worrying about how we’ll appear to our customers. It is, in fact, more a slogan than a belief. More a business plan than any sort of personal commitment. So, fellow entrepreneurs, take a look back at what motivated you to start your business to begin with. Maybe it will help you in your “branding” campaign.