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The Journey

Im often asked how I became so successful at such a young age but I believe success isn’t measured by materialistic items. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for great family and friends. When I was younger I learned the value of hard work, there wasn’t always time for TV or playing around. My parents both worked very hard to make ends meet, my dad has always been the Jack of all trades there’s not much I’ve ever seen that he couldn’t fix. It may not have been the best looking but it always got the job done. My mom it’s just as hard a worker as my dad is they have both sacrificed so much so me and my brother and sister could live our dreams. Mom can cook just about anything there is me and my brother would always bring her some kind of wild game when we were younger and even though she wasn’t always into it she’d always make us something tasty with it. Mom and Dad have the type of marriage that I can only dream of having. The support that they’ve given us kids is a huge factor in each one of our success. I spend a lot of time in my dad’s garage stealing all his expensive tools that never made it back to his tool box. I was always trying to be like him always trying to work on something even though at that age I was doing more harm than good. When I was six with the help of my dad I built my very first racing engine it was a 5 horsepower Briggs & Stratton Flathead it was really just a bunch of pieces thrown together from stuff that he wouldn’t put in a customer’s engine. I don’t think anyone expected it to actually run but after cutting my the tip of my finger off on the flywheel that night when I got back from the hospital we gave it a try and it fired right up. I’m not sure where that engine is at right now but I’ll never forget the memories I made with my dad those few days. There isn’t much us kids wanted to do that our parents didn’t make happen they both have sacrificed so much for us kids to be happy. For as much as my parents have done for me they have never asked for anything in return. Between spending time with my parents if I wasn’t with them I was with my grandpaents between my mom and dad and my gram And pap those four individuals prepared me for life. Without their motivation and pushing me to work harder I wouldn’t be nowhere near where I am today. I’m glad to see my parents are living there dream on a boat and finally have such rewarding jobs. I never really applied myself in high school instead I put my brain to work at Vo-Tech in the HVAC classroom. After graduating high school I got a job in the HVAC field I worked at two different jobs within the HVAC industry for 3 years before setting out on my own and starting Bear Mechanical at first my Dad thought I was making a mistake and looking back I don’t blame him.. I was a 20 year old kid making $35 an hour with union benefits. It definitely wasn’t easy to leave my previous company, I started working out of the back of my mom’s SUV until I could afford a service truck. There were a lot of sleepless nights wondering if I would have enough work for that week then there were the sleepless nights from working 20 hours 7 days a week with one of my best friends. Starting Bear Mechanical was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done most people look at it and it doesn’t seem like much but it’s something im damn proud of. Deciding to go out of my own has easily been one of the best decisions on my life I met so many great customers quite a few that have became friends for life. With the help of my family and friends I was able to build my first home when I was just 21 years old it isn’t much but it’s home. I’ve put my heart and soul into making this company what it is today, From working out of the back of my mom’s SUV with $40 to my name, to having millions in assets. The road to get here wasn’t easy but it was worth it. Aside from work, Dirt late model racing has always been an escape route for me. Probably the biggest waste of money there is honestly.. Two years ago with the help of my best friend I met the love of my life, ironically at the racetrack.. It’s no secret that without Aspen I would not be where I am today, She has taught me the things that no parent can teach. She has pushed me through the hardest times of my life even when she didn’t know it. There’s only one reason that Bear Mechanical is still here today and that’s because of her. Aspen shares the same love for dirt late models as I do and luckily for me her dad is one of the best to ever strap in. Tim Krape has done more with less than anyone I’ve ever known in my life. He’s a hard guy not to like… especially when your dating his daughter. He reminds me a lot of my dad they have huge hearts but rarely show it… there isn’t much they won’t try to fix even if it is over their heads.. it’s been an honor to turn wrenches on the 07 and watch him rip quarterpanels off just about every race.. I’m sure by now your wondering why im writing this.. I keep my personal life personal and it’s going to stay that way.. Change is never easy and can be good or bad. I believe everything happens for a reason the good and the bad. One thing I do know is that Time stops for no one.. Believe me it’s tattooed on my arm. Time is the one thing that cannot be made or replayed. If you waste today, Youll think you have tommorow and that maybe true but you may not have tommorow. Nothing and I mean nothing in life is guaranteed. If your dreams in life come true whatever it might be don’t stop, help someone else achieve there dreams. It maybe the little bit that they need to get there. There is no greater gift in life then giving someone your time. My dreams are far from complete but sometimes you have to sit those dreams aside to help someone else complete theirs and that became my new dream in life. Sometimes life is unfair and unpredictable but you don’t stop just because of that, you have to keep going. Not everything that’s going to happen in your life it’s going to be good, sometimes you need a little bad to make you realize how good you actually have it. I more than most have taken the most important things in life for granted one of them being my time and the other being someone else’s time. Honestly you just never know when it could all be over and when that time comes if you had the chance to look back over your life are you satisfied with it? What would you have done different? What can you do different today to change tommorow? And for me there isn’t much I would have done different maybe I should have put my phone down more often and looked at what was going on in life I’m definitely guilty of being in my phone to much.. I’ve learned You can’t live on the mountain forever, at some point you have to come down but only you can decide if you walk down or fall down. One of the most important things I’ve came to realize is to never end a conversation with an argument, always tell someone how you feel. No matter if it’s your parents, A brother or sister, A friend, Or the love of your life. Never end a conversation on bad terms it could be the last time you ever speak to someone. Would you be okay with how you ended your last conversation with a loved one? I know I’m not. It’s just one of the many things in life we all take for granted.. We always expect to see that person again but God may have a different plan for them. You will never regret telling someone how you feel no matter how they react. You will never regret checking up on someone just to see how they are doing. I’ve been blessed in life to have such loving family and friends. If you read this far do me one more favor, Take the next 2:44 seconds and watch the video below on my Facebook page about your life explained with jellybean’s. It may change your life or the life of someone close to you. You may not get a second chance at life so don’t waste this one. Thank you…