The Jaguar, the Tow Truck, and the Case of Coors Light
A Deal That Seemed Too Good to Be True
Just a week ago, I came across an offer that looked almost unreal: a 2003 Jaguar XK8 convertible with less than 22,000 miles. I spent the day calling mechanics, asking what I should be worried about and whether I needed a PPI, Pre-Purchased Inspection.
One mechanic even said, “It’s under 30,000 miles,I wouldn’t even bother with a PPI.” Still, I wanted peace of mind. But instead of taking it to a Jaguar expert, I went somewhere better: a trusted local shop.
The Expert Who Wasn’t a Jaguar Expert
That’s how I ended up at Duyck’s Garage, a family-run mechanic shop known for honest, fair work. The funny part? Jeff Duyck, the owner, had never worked on a Jaguar before.
Still, in just a few minutes, he put everything aside, looked under the hood, ran a quick diagnostic, put the vehicle up on the hydraulic lift, checked for leaks, etc. And, then he told me what I needed to hear: “Carl, if I was you. I’d buy that Jaguar.”
That was it. Exactly the reassurance I needed. The next day, I made a counteroffer, signed the agreement, and the deal was done.
Jeff charged me just $35 for his time, while others quoted me $150 to $450. Expertise in Jaguars wasn’t what mattered. Expertise in vehicles, and trust was.
The Emergency Brake Disaster
Fast forward a week. After taking the car out on country roads to watch my daughter coach a varsity high school volleyball game, we faced a new challenge. Late at night, I couldn’t disengage the emergency brake.
I am not a mechanical genius, certainly not a Jaguar mechanic. We tried YouTube videos, read the procedures and applied them, even called my brother-in-law. Nothing worked.
At 9:30 PM, frozen with frustration, my wife finally called a tow truck. For the next hour and a half, waiting for the tow truck, I kept trying, probably 150 times—hoping to fix it before the truck arrived. No luck. The tow operator just loaded the car and dropped the car back to Duyck’s garage. Now, it was 1:30 AM.
This wasn’t a Jaguar story anymore. This was a story about expertise, opportunity, and customer service.
Seven Seconds of Genius
The next morning, Jeff called me before I even reached his shop. He walked over, glanced at the car, and within seven seconds released the brake.
How did I pay him? With a 30-pack of Coors Light. Possibly the most profitable—and rewarding—seven seconds of his career.
For me, it was priceless and a huge sense of relief. I was way past the point of embarrassment.
Why Trust Matters More Than Expertise
Jeff showed why his shop has been successful for decades. He demonstrated expertise, flexibility, and above all, trust. Customers know he’ll do right by them, which is why there’s always a line of cars outside his shop.
That 30-pack of Coors Light? Best purchase I ever made.
Thank you, Jeff, for being fair, trustworthy, and a great friend to our family.
Roll Tide! (Glencoe)
As we are currently down in LA, to watch our daughter Abby play Rutgers women soccer play at UCLA and USC. It's also been a fun weekend for our older kids. Quick shout-out to our varsity coaching kids. Glencoe Crimson Tide volleyball coach Ashley Cox is currently in line to earn a spot in the playoffs. The varsity Glencoe football team, with assistant coach Zach Cox, is 4-0, and ranked 3rd in the state.
Hard to believe, but we are less than 40 days from the 40 Strategy Growth Workshop in Phoenix, on November 3rd and 4th. We are nearly out of our discounted blocked rooms (which we expanded twice), if you are thinking of attending this event, please reach out to us by October 5th, to book a room. The countdown is on!
Just reply to this email or contact tonya.smith@40strategy.com.
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One of the best money strategies is PASSIVE INCOME. As you know means– “income you receive automatically, with minimal labor to earn or maintain it.” There are many ways that you can create PASSIVE INCOME, yet the one you’re going to learn about today is one you most likely don’t know that much about. It’s simply buying RAW LAND. Yes, buying dirt!
As a matter of fact, that’s the title of Mark Podolsky‘s book “Dirt Rich”, the ultimate guide to helping you build passive income.
When you have sufficient passive you can work when you want, where you want, and with whom you want. Total freedom. If you want to grow your net worth, increase your cash flow, and not have to work at doing it, this podcast interview is going to be helpful for you.
Mark’s current focus is solving his customer’s money AND time problems.
His mission is simple – to help his clients achieve their greatest financial and life goals by teaching the most effective and efficient land investing practices.
One of the key driving factors behind this mission is Mark’s passion for helping others break out of what he calls “Solo Economic Dependency.”
One of the best money strategies is PASSIVE INCOME. As you know means– “income you receive automatically, with minimal labor to earn or maintain it.” There are many ways that you can create PASSIVE INCOME, yet the one you’re going to learn about today is one you most likely don’t know that much about. It’s simply buying RAW LAND. Yes, buying dirt!
As a matter of fact, that’s the title of Mark Podolsky‘s book “Dirt Rich”, the ultimate guide to helping you build passive income.
When you have sufficient passive you can work when you want, where you want, and with whom you want. Total freedom. If you want to grow your net worth, increase your cash flow, and not have to work at doing it, this podcast interview is going to be helpful for you.
Mark’s current focus is solving his customer’s money AND time problems.
His mission is simple – to help his clients achieve their greatest financial and life goals by teaching the most effective and efficient land investing practices.
One of the key driving factors behind this mission is Mark’s passion for helping others break out of what he calls “Solo Economic Dependency.”
Solo Economic Dependency is most simply explained like this: If you’re not working, you not making money. High-paid professionals, doctors, dentists, surgeons, freelance consultants, lawyers, accountants……people from all types of backgrounds find themselves in this predicament.
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