Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Popovich.
Hi Michael, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
This story started late at night. I was a store manager in the retail world. Home after a long night of setting the new sales, I was winding down and a commercial for UTI came on. From a young age I loved taking things apart and putting them back together (my dad swears just taking things apart). I didn’t know much about how cars worked except they needed gas and oil, lol That commercial is the spark of it all. It got the ideas and thoughts rolling. I loved working on stuff, the puzzle of disassembly and reassembly but needed more. I needed to learn how it worked. Decided that UTI was my track to ultimately open my own shop. While attending UTI I also worked at a couple different shops. This was the first job experience I had that actually challenged me. IT wasn’t something that I was just good at in a couple weeks. To be honest, the first few years of being a mechanic kicked my butt. Had me question if this was the right decision. I lost sleep, lost confidence, it was a hard reality check. I brought my focus back to the goal, decided to leave the independent mechanic shop world and started with the dealerships. Once there, my focus was learning everything I could. Fast tracked my way through dealer level training and ultimately became both an ASE master tech as well as Nissan Master tech in just a couple years of being at the dealer. It was now time to begin putting the work in for the ground floor of opening my own shop. During the day I worked at the dealer and nights and weekends I began working at cars at home. This is the birth of Pop’s Automotive. During that time I became involved in the Houston Jeep scene which helped build business and my mechanic reputation. In 2020 I was presented with an opportunity to purchase a shop from a retiring mechanic. A mutual friend introduced us and we made a deal. He retired in December of 2020, and Pop’s Automotive was officially in its own shop January 2021. Currently a one man show, I do it all. I’m the face that greets you, the guy who repairs your vehicle, and everything in between. Without the support from my wife and kids, I would probably still be making excuses why it’s not the right time to open my own shop and I need to wait. They drive me to be and do better everyday. My kids need to know and learn that anything is possible, you just have to go after it and do it. Now, with the shop, it has given me the time during nights and weekends to spend with my family.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I don’t believe there is such a thing as a smooth road when starting your own business. If you aren’t putting yourself in uncomfortable situations then you can’t grow and learn. There have been times that I thought I picked the wrong industry to do this in. That I wouldn’t be good enough. I have given this a go once before and could never build enough business so had to go back to working for somebody. It failed. I learned, and adapted. One of my favorite sayings is “You don’t know what you don’t know”. Everyday I learn something new. All the fees and licenses and blah blah blah. lol
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an automotive mechanic. I graduated from UTI in 2008 to begin my career in automotive mechanics. I am an ASE master tech and Nissan master tech. Depending on who you ask, I specialize in a number of things when it comes the automotive repair, including but not limited to, all things Jeep and Nissan. I am known for being a straight shooter and not trying to sell the customer what they don’t need. Understanding everybody is on a budget nowadays and focusing on making sure people are as safe as possibly while on the road. I am most proud of Pop’s Automotive. It was a dream of mine to start it up and now it’s here. Kinda surreal. My slogan is “We treat you like family” and that’s what sets me apart from others. I don’t just see people that trust me with their vehicles as customers but as my family. In my world family is everything, whether its blood or the people I surround myself with, they are family to me.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
To me success is defined what people say about you when you are not around. Being able to be a positive influence on people that have them rooting for you when you aren’t around.
Pricing:
- 19.99 conventional oil change with mention of this article (6qts, non diesel)
- 39.99 synthetic oil change with mention of this article (6qts, non diesel)
- 199.99 brake job with mention of this article (most vehicles, per axle)
Contact Info:
- Email: pop@popsautotx.com popsautoservice@gmail.com
- Website: popsautotx.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/popsautomaintenance/
