Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Nguyen.
Christine, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Rolando Balmaceda, founder and co-owner of ReveMoto, originally got into the automotive business by buying a used car from a mechanic and trying to sell parts off of the car for extra income. When he told me the profits he received from selling that single vehicle, we started brainstorming ways to purchase more vehicles and have him focus on this full-time. One day, while driving home from dinner, he pointed out the affordable price listed on a sign for a commercial center that was still under construction. We decided to take a shot and call the leaser, and we’d used my salary to provide proof of income and pay rent.
At the end of 2009, we opened our doors for ReveMoto, our first business selling used parts in a 1500 sq. ft. facility.
Rolando would buy one car at a time, scrap the car, then sell the parts online, usually through eBay or Craigslist. Business was going well until one day, eBay decided to wrongfully ban the account due to customer complaints and negative feedback. Rolando tried to dispute the case, providing proper paperwork of delivered goods and product descriptions, but failed to get reinstated by eBay.
Relying solely on local sales through Craigslist, ReveMoto was sinking. After a couple of months struggling to pick the company back up, Rolando finally found a family member’s eBay account to use and sales were rising again. However, the shocking loss in sales due to an uncontrollable mishap made Rolando and I realize that we had all our eggs in one basket – one that could make or break the company.
Thinking of ways to diversify the business, Rolando recognized the need for painted car parts from customers. They had an obvious pain point, the convenience of a painted car part they could put on their vehicles themselves, whether the parts were used junk yard parts or brand new auto body parts.
In the quest to fulfill this need, Rolando searched for paint suppliers, aftermarket vendors, and a larger building that would fit a paint booth. As everything came together towards the end of 2011, Rolando focused ReveMoto’s efforts on painted auto body parts at our new location, a 5000 sq. ft. warehouse on 6450 Skyview Drive, Houston, TX 77041.
Since the inception of ReveMoto, I financially backed the company through my personal credit cards and salary from my Marketing Manager position at a startup. As the company began to become self-sustainable, I quit my full-time job in 2012 and worked part-time, spending half of my time at another startup and the other half with ReveMoto.
At the end of 2014, I quit my part-time job to give ReveMoto my undivided attention. I focused on growing our online presence and increasing sales from the online store. With prior experience in growing small businesses and startups, I focused on the growth and vision of the company, including heading the marketing, sales, business development, and customer service division at ReveMoto.
ReveMoto’s painted auto body parts has been growing exponentially since 2014, and I believe we’ve created a brand that stands for everything we believe in – integrity, hard-work, and fun.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Going into and growing a business with your significant other or husband can be quite a challenge. We have disagreed on about every aspect of the business you can imagine, from vendors to employees to feng shui. We bring work home with us. We live, breath, eat and sleep ReveMoto. Disagreements at work are not left at work, and we take on the debates during car rides, at dinner, before bed – just about any time we can squeeze in communication.
More recently, we got married. The stress of growing a business along with planning a wedding can really test your relationship. However, every conflict we overcome has helped us grow and mature as individuals and as business owners. By learning to listen, communicate, and be more patient with each other, I believe it has also made us stronger leaders for our company.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the ReveMoto story. Tell us more about the business.
ReveMoto is a painted auto body parts e-commerce store with a vision to revolutionize the auto body parts industry. By shipping painted bumpers, fenders, hoods, side view mirrors and tailgates right to consumer doors, ReveMoto offers a convenient solution for the do-it-yourself customer who wants to minimize the down time they spend without their vehicles. Businesses such as mechanic shops, fleets and dealerships can also get their vehicles looking new again without sacrificing quality or time.
Focused on superior products and exceptional customer service, ReveMoto uses high-quality paint to ensure paint matching and offer customers a lifetime paint warranty from any paint peeling, fading or cracking. With dedicated representatives to address customer needs, ReveMoto aims to create an unforgettable customer experience with every customer encounter.
We truly strive to provide customers with the products we’re proud to produce. Each member of our team is very dedicated to their work and field of expertise, and I feel this really carries over into the products we create.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I have been very lucky. I’m a huge believer in the “Everything happens for a reason” mantra, and I think everything really has worked out for us thus far.
When I originally wanted to quit my job to help grow ReveMoto, I couldn’t take the plunge. It felt very irresponsible to have both of us have no steady income, and start something from scratch. However, out of the blue, I received a call from a startup company, who had found my resume from an application I sent to a completely different company (one that the owner’s brother started). He wanted to hire me, but couldn’t meet my salary request. I counter offered with working only part-time and making an amount he was comfortable paying; it was a win-win for the both of us.
With my spare time, I would go into ReveMoto to help with operations, sales and marketing. Eventually, Rolando and I were able to grow the company at a comfortable rate for me to completely quit and focus my efforts at ReveMoto full-time.
There have been other breaks we’ve received, including getting our first location with no experience or proof we’d be able to pay (with the economy probably having something to do with this), but our ducks have definitely lined up for us.
Pricing:
- Painted Side View Mirrors (including paint & shipping): $180+
- Painted Fenders (including paint & shipping): $320+
- Painted Bumpers (including paint & shipping): $450+
- Painted Hoods (including paint & shipping): $450+
- Painted Tailgates (including paint & shipping): $500+
Contact Info:
- Address: 6450 Skyview Drive
Houston, TX 77041 - Website: revemoto.com
- Phone: 281-561-5300
- Email: sales@revemoto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revemoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReveMoto
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/revemoto
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/revemoto-houston-2
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