Alex Isherwood is a 23 year old businessman with a passion for cars. He runs his own car detailing business called Attention To Detail which specialises in making damaged or old cars as good as new again. This successful young entrepreneur took some time out of his busy schedule to speak to Men’s Stuff Approved and give us a sneaky peek into the world of car detailing. Men’s Stuff Approved took a visit to Attention To Detail and the brand is second to none. The premises are pristine, Alex’s attention to detail is extremely thorough and his work and business ethics are highly commendable. We were extremely impressed and if you are looking for a car detailer we highly recommend Alex, he is superb at what he does.
If you have ever wondered how a detailer can restore your car to it’s former glory, read on to find out exactly what happens.
Hi Alex, It’s great to speak to you. So you are just 23 years old and run your own highly lucrative car detailing business. Can you tell us how you got into your profession?
I got into detailing when I left school. I went into an apprenticeship painting cars, however the boss’s son didn’t like me and didn’t want me to learn painting so he set me on with every car that needed polishing. From there I was polishing, wet sanding, blading imperfections out of paintwork before I could legally drive.
That’s really inspiring how you managed to turn a negative into a positive and have made a successful business from it. What are the highs and lows of the job?
The highs are working on beautiful, prestigious cars or getting a car in that’s completely ruined but you know you can rectify it when other people have doubts. The lows, I don’t have any lows personally however there are lows about the profession. As there’s a lot of people out there who claim to be detailers who aren’t insured, not trained and they’re going out charging a lot less and putting people’s cars at risk. It’s these kind of people that ruin the industry but this just makes me want to work harder and save people from poor workmanship and poor paintwork.
Can you tell us what your average day entails? What different kind of things do you do?
An average day for me is texting my girlfriend first thing, commuting to work, having a brew, answering messages from the previous night if there are any then I work on whatever job is in that day. It could be prepping a car for detailing which involves cleaning the detailing booth as well as tools and polishing heads then a safe wash would be completed to the vehicle before it enters the detailing booth. (I answer the phone quite a lot as people are either wanting quotes or advice or I’m ordering products). Being a Yorkshire man I drink a lot of tea, an average day consist of 10-11 hours a day. When I’m extremely busy I love doing an all-nighter, people think I’m crazy for doing it but I feel so much more energetic. The thought of people being fast asleep and I could be wet sanding a scratch someone said couldn’t be removed or applying ceramic sealant to get myself ahead of the game for the next day, it’s exhilarating.
It sounds like detailing is your true calling and you are obviously very passionate about your work. What would you say is is your speciality?
My speciality I would probably say is wet sanding, being a fully trained painter by trade I understand all the science and how paint works and how much you can push it. There’s nothing I love more than going all out, wet sanding a vast area and spending a few hours correcting it. Once you wipe that final bit of polish off to see a blemish free surface you know you’re doing your job right. Just a shame when I get a reflection of my face lol! Also especially when the customer/s are kept informed, they have a bit of scare factor as most don’t understand and worry, but when they see the finished piece all the doubt they had disappears and they’re filled with joy, as I’ve saved them going to a body shop to have it painted.
It’s clear that you take great pride in what you do – how would you describe your attitude towards your business as a whole?
My work and business is everything, I give every ounce of love, blood, sweat and tears into every car I work on. However as a business man, there’s still a lot for me to learn, I mean I’m only 23, nearly 24. There aren’t that many 23/24 year olds dealing with 100’s of thousands of pounds worth of vehicles on their own, let alone running a business day in day out on their own. I get extremely paranoid about insurance, looking professional and trying to be the best! Sometimes I forget I just need to be myself more often and everything will just flow and follow in situ. I really struggle to sit down and do the books and the business side as all I want to do is get back in the detailing booth and make cars new again.
We think you are doing an absolutely awesome job Alex! What would be your ultimate dream?
My ultimate dream would be to settle down and get married, have kids and have an empire of detailing businesses – that’s like a family of its own. I don’t want customers, I want people to be a customer of our services, but also I want them to sit down and have a laugh with myself and the staff. People and businesses these days get caught up too much in making the most amount of money possible, but I find if you’re yourself those customers understand your vibe, they get to know you on a personal level and then they turn into friends of the business and myself – not just another ‘punter’ walking through the door to pay wages.
It sounds like a great business model. No one has any time for anyone these days and it’s very refreshing to hear such a warm approach to business. Have you ever had anything funny or strange happen at work?
I once detailed a friend’s car and told them it had got badly scratched whilst moving it around. What I actually did was get some gaffa tape, pulled the sticky string off the side and placed it down the side of the car to make it look like a scratch. As he was a really good friend he saw the funny side.
You little tinker Alex! We would have loved to see his reaction! Which celebrity’s car would you most like to detail and why?
If he was still with us Paul Walker. The guy was and still is a legend, he’s one of the reasons I love cars as much as I do. His car collection is truly fascinating and I would give anything to work on something he has owned.
He was indeed a very skilled actor and great role model. If you could go absolutely anywhere in the world with Men’s Stuff Approved where would you choose and what car would you want to drive in?
I would be torn between New Zealand or the Italian mountains, but it would have to be the Mclaren P1!
Awesome choice! If we can make this happen one day we will – you never know when you need a skilled detailer! Thanks Alex it’s been an absolute pleasure interviewing you.
Author & Writer for Mens Stuff Approved: Kaz B
If our readers are wondering how to book their car in with Alex, you can contact him…….. @
Unit Y7, Elvington Industrial Estate,
