My path to service began after the long labor and birth of my first child. The moment my wife and I got into our car at the hospital—with a new baby seat and in-laws waiting at home to help—I thought, not everyone has this. Many parents are put in a cab after the most exhausting experience of their lives and sent home to raise a newborn on their own—sometimes with no partner, no parents, no money, or even no car.

That’s when I realized that, as a mechanic, I have a tool to help ease that kind of burden.

When you put that type of energy out there, of service, things just come to you. Not long ago, someone told me about a mother starting over with her five kids. Her car had broken down, and she couldn’t afford to fix it. Without a car, it’s hard to do anything—especially when you have five children.

So I stepped in. Since then, I’ve put a system in place with a county program to help other families in need—providing parts and labor through my shop, and sometimes even buying a used car through pooled community funds.

It’s always a win-win when you use your tools and resources to help someone. Everyone involved gets something out of it—the person receiving help, my shop’s mechanics, and me as a business owner. When you do something good for the right reasons, it touches a really special part of the soul.

Over the years, I’ve learned how alike we all really are. When you see the person you’re helping as your equal, it deepens the meaning of what you give.

I’ve spent a lot of my life being off course. Life’s a romantic adventure, and it becomes even richer when your moral compass leads you to a path of service, in the ways that only you can help, with your unique talents and resources.