Care. Caring is the new currency. In fact, it’s the currency today and for years to come.
Jason Brough is the owner of Chariot Auto Sales, a used car dealership in Clearfield, Utah. He worked as a car dealer for many years before deciding to start his own car dealership company. In addition to his passion for the automotive industry, Jason worked as a marketer for different agencies, in which he was recognized as one of the top performers. With his marketing and customer service prowess, Jason Brough spearheaded Chariot Autos Sales into becoming one of the most respected car dealerships in Utah.
Where did the idea for Chariot Auto Sales come from?
I’ve spent most of my adult life selling something. When I sell, I am connecting someone’s desires with the solution to fulfill that. It makes me feel that I’m doing something useful for people. Call it passion or calling, whatever. But it’s what I enjoy. I’ve been doing it since college. It’s a feel-good career for me.
So why a car dealership? I love anything about cars. Having worked car dealerships for many years, it was only a matter of time for me to start my own car dealership.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
I’m always my best in the morning. I wake up around 5 AM to get in some quiet “me” time. After a healthy breakfast, I then proceed to the office and continue business.
I jump right into where I left off the day before. The work day varies between researching inventory, responding to emails and voicemails, or updating social media.
Sometimes I deal with people looking for cars, and sometimes I deal with people selling cars, and sometimes it could just both of them vying for my attention. Every day is an adventure and I have an extraordinary team helping the business stay organized.
After a few hours of focused work, I head back home to spend quality time with my family. I maybe workaholic, but my family is still a top priority.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Wherever I go, I always bring a pen and a notebook with me. This notebook is where I write random tidbits that cross my mind. Little did I know how effective this habit would become for me.
For example, when starting a new marketing campaign or a strategy that can propel my business, I re-read ideas that I’ve written down. Most of the time, it gives me an answer. The next step is to call the right people to actualize the plan and map out the new idea. Now I’m unstoppable.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
Car innovations, of course! There are many companies innovating cars these days. And we’re so lucky to experience them first hand. Tesla, for example, produces some of the best car innovations our generation has ever seen. And every year, it gets better.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
Always think about “worst-case” scenarios. That doesn’t mean to be a pessimist. In fact, I always hope for the best things. But I also think about the different possibilities from different point of views. This allows me to be proactive.
What advice would you give your younger self?
“Great things take time. Be patient.” Sometimes, when bringing ideas to life, I look for instant results. But of course, it doesn’t work like that. Patience in my earlier years could have contributed to more strategic decisions.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on?
Money is not the most important thing in the world. Don’t get me wrong; money can relieve some headaches but money is not the solve-all that people think it is.
Money is the lifeblood of society. I get it. Of course we need money to live a convenient life—and I’m an entrepreneur always looking for ways to earn more. My point is that, money isn’t the most important thing. For example, don’t chase money for happiness if hours of work end up doing the opposite and contributing to stress.
What about relationships? Our family? Helping people? What about passions? What about making Earth a better place to live?
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Care. Caring is the new currency. In fact, it’s the currency today and for years to come.
Take care of your employees. Take care of your business partners. Take care of your customers. When you care, it means you value the relationship. And when you care, people will notice. That’s how you gain trust and loyalty.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business? Please explain how.
Be honest in everything you do. There’s no rocket science strategy behind selling or buying used cars. People only want honesty. Honesty always wins.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
If you want it done right, do it yourself. We are all susceptible to trusting the wrong person from time to time. When it comes to business, you’re more susceptible. When it comes to big decisions, don’t leave them in other people’s hands. Make only yourself responsible.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Car modifications. Locations outside of Utah have car modification shops. But Utah’s market is relatively untapped. Granted, we have car stereo shops but I’m talking about performance modifications.
People are crazier than you think when it comes to upgrading their cars. The right rollout of a performance shop in Utah could do very well.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
I recently invested in a pool. While I wish that was only $100, I bought it to make family memories. For that reason, I recently spent about $100 on pool toys, goggles, etc. Memories, here we come!
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Evernote and Dropbox. Evernote makes it possible to save appealing information that I skim though online. Having it in Evernote allows me to thoroughly review later without interrupting my flow of work. Dropbox, on the other hand, allows me to view important files using different devices.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
The 4-Hour Work Week. I know it has nothing to do with cars, but this book is life-changing. And anyone, whatever they do in life, can learn from it. I always get intrigued about people doing a counter-intuitive approach to better their lives.
What is your favorite quote?
A quote from Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations:
“When you need encouragement, think of the qualities the people around you have: this one’s energy, that one’s modesty, another’s generosity, and so on. Nothing is as encouraging as when virtues are visibly
Connect:
Chariot Auto on Facebook:
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.