Pursuing My Passions: Building Cars and Building Exenta

One of my all-time passions has always been cars – or, more specifically, building and designing custom cars.

Much like my love of the martial arts discipline of Muay Thai, designing and building custom cars has had a real and lasting impact on many aspects of both my personal and my professional life. Most importantly, however, is the impact it has had on my role as CEO of Exenta.

To successfully design and build cars, you have to be fully engaged. There are no short cuts and it requires an immense amount of focus. Before I even get started I first have to carefully think about each and every aspect of the car—how big should it be, how fast should it go, how should it look, what materials should I use? It’s a process that involves considering every feature and detail, and thinking about how they relate to one another.

Before making decisions concerning the growth and development of Exenta, I have to review all analytics, make a judgement, and then act.

Running a business requires a leader to keep track of multiple metrics and make decisions based on both experience and skill. There’s a certain harmony that comes from being completely engaged in a project, whether it is building a car or building a company. I love that total involvement. If done well, complex problems are turned into artful and creative solutions.

My passion has one other significant benefit—one that everyone in business can understand—the ability to de-stress. Everyone needs a healthy outlet and hobby that allows disengagement from the stressors of daily life. For me, building cars relaxes and refreshes me. This, in turn, allows me to make better business decisions and become a far better communicator with my employees and my clients. In short, it keeps me sane.

My love of cars and car building has enriched my life beyond measure. It has also given me the tools that I need to succeed as CEO here at Exenta.

Whatever it is, I wholeheartedly recommend that everyone find their passion. Make it a real part of your life. I promise you, you’ll be a better person and a better manager as a result.