Quality, not Quantity

I am not in the business of volume.

I am in the business of craftsmanship.

Anyone who appreciates articles of true quality knows most of the time, the difference in quality lies more in the quality of the craftsmanship than the materials needed to produce it. The best kitchen cabinets in the world cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, but are still made out of the same wood and cut with the same saws as cabinets costing a tenth of the price. A Rolls Royce is made out of the same metals and leathers and magical materials as other high-end luxury vehicles, but the sum of the parts definitely doesn’t equal the same whole. The craftsmanship makes the difference.

My likes and interests tell the story. I like books, which take not only time to write but to read. I like wine and whiskey, drinks literally heralded for their years to produce. I like fountain pens, a simple writing instrument which takes time to produce, is comically uncommon, and rewards care, practice, and patience.

There is only one of me. I only have one dry ice blasting machine. Even if I had more employees the results would be dependent on my eye, my attention to detail, my time. I’ve structured my business this way, because I have structured my whole life this way. I like quality, not quantity.

It isn’t the smartest business decision either, and I know it. I have enough customer interest to hire people and get more machines and up the number of cars that come in and out of my shop. I could clean more cars, and make more money. But that isn’t what seems right to me; it’s not what I really want.

Don’t get me wrong, I want more money, but I’m only going to be happy earning it my way. If I upped the volume, I don’t think the quality would be the same, and that’s not OK. The finished product of every single car I do is how customers judge me, so it’s how I judge myself. I’m not OK with anything other than the best. Anything other than my best. I may not always believe in myself, but I definitely believe in my work.

Maybe that’s hubris, or selfishness, or me thinking too highly of myself. Believe me, nobody is harder on my decision making than me. So to compensate for that doubt and uncertainty, I push myself as hard as I can on every car to do more, to be better.