Today we’d like to introduce you to Ian Mitchell.
Hi Ian, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I arrived in the U.S, in 1981 before I was 21 so I qualified for a green card,through my father .I started in Scottsdale but I was only there a couple weeks,then with $50.00 and a bag full of clothes came to Santa Monica with a girl I met in Scottsdale.I had no job,no money but persevered,1st working as a door man at the English pub on Santa Monica pier,then while wa lking up Wilshire I saw a British car dealership on 16th st.My interview lasted 15 minutes and I started working there 2 days later.I worked with British cars in my home town in England when I left school at 16 with no qualifications as I was a trouble maker in school,and back in the 70″s no one knew what A.D.D. was back then.
I worked there for 10 years,then moved to Rolls Royce of Beverly Hills for a few years then back to the Jaguar dealer for another 10 years.
Ieft that dealer and went to a Jaguar Independent and taught myself how to run a shop,I then decided to try my hand at opening my own shop,which I have now had and have been running successfully for 21 years.
There were times in the early days I struggled to adjust to American way of life but settled in eventually,it wasn’t an easy start but with hard work and a lot of worry I managed to prove my father wrong as he said when I was leaving Scottsdale “You’ll be back”……I never went back….
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
At first,I stayed in the Pacific Sands motel and made just enough money to pay the room rate,while working at the pub.
I ate once a day.I had to call my father to send me more money so I could eat,very stressful. situation,I was on the brink of going back to Scottsale but just managed to make enough to live…..
in between working at the dealerships,I worked at an Italian restaurant,dug ditches for an irrigation company just to survive
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I opened in 2004,I found shop I could rent refurbishd it ,I am now the #1 Jaguar repair shop in Los Angeles.
I specialize in Jaguar and Land Rover repair…this is all I know and dedicated my life to these brands.
My service is less expensive by far than the dealer,and I often fix cars they cannot fix and other repairs shops often come to me for advice and direction on how to fix British cars..I have the ability to do anything to these cars,from mechanical repair,to painting and upholstery I have sublet repair shops all over town that can handle it .
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
word of mouth seems to be the best w ay right now,people who have actually been here.Of course you can’t make everyone happy no matter what you do ,but we try
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