Introduce yourself; what is your background?
My background is in the luxury car rental and concierge business. It was from that business that I pivoted by listening to our customers and creating a concept that specializes in what they were asking for, automotive entertainment experiences. I realized early on that that’s what most people desire. Have a great time, but don’t worry about the headaches and cost of ownership.
Q. When did you first become interested in cars?
When did we all first become interested in cars? As kids! For me, it was when I was in the back seat of my parents’ car watching all of the other cars zoom by, admiring and trying to name them all. After that, I remember my dad taking me to the Chicago Auto Show as a little kid and it kind of started from there.
What is Xtreme Xperience?
Xtreme Xperience is the world’s largest provider of supercar, driving, racing and lifestyle experiences.
And related to the above question, how do you take a singular vision and turn it into a national business?
The real answer is that I (accidentally) started a supercar driving company in Chicago where you sure can’t drive and race supercars year-round. So, we had to find a way to modify the business plan and operate year-round. Just like that our national brand began.
In practicality, though, we listened to our customers. We heard people all over the country say that this is a great idea, and we listened. It was important to us that we create these memories and experiences for everyone. From day one we promised to be safe, affordable and accessible. We love bringing the experience to you.
Tell us about your new Open Road travel experience?
Open Road stemmed from two concepts.
First, we wanted to create more experiences for our customers. Everyone who drove our cars on the racetrack asked for more time in the cars. That can be a difficult thing to give them on the track, so we started looking for a new way to say yes. The Open Road provides routes and locations where our customers can spend more time with the cars.
Second, it became obvious to us that more people drive on the road than on racetracks in everyday life. By only offering a track experience we had limited ourselves in a way. Asking someone to drive on a racetrack was a hurdle, whereas driving on the road is a much more relatable concept. We wanted to create an experience going all the way back to that little kid in their parents’ car.
What are your top three favorite drives in the U.S?
I’m a street driving guy. I’m a lifestyle guy. I was the kid in the back of my dad’s car.
When we created Open Road, we wanted to capture those experiences. Because of that, many of my favorite drives in the U.S. are actually available for our customers.
I love all of our Open Road drives, but my favorites are:
• Denver – Our full day drive offers a blend of winding roads and smooth stretches, all surrounded by breathtaking Estes Park scenery. The drive itself is fun because of the challenging elevation changes, sharp bends, and straight shots of scenic byways. We also stop for lunch at the iconic “The Stanley” hotel from “The Shining.”
• Sonoma – This one is a fun mix of stunning landscapes! The drive goes from peaceful farmlands to redwood forests, and ends with a drive along the wine country coast.
• Georgia – The Blue Ridge Mountains daytrip is perfect for anyone who loves twists and turns. One of the reasons I love this drive is that it really showcases what these exotic cars can do as we listen to their powerful engines ascend the mountain.
Can you share with us one of your most memorable Xtreme Experiences?
Some of my most memorable experiences are when we can make dreams come true. We’ve seen proposals on the track, kids experiencing the thrill of seeing their favorite cars for the first time, and people finally crossing “drive a supercar” off their bucket list. One of my favorite examples of this was when a man with a terminal diagnosis came out to the track to finally realize his dream of driving a racecar.
Our team went above and beyond to make sure he had a great time, and we later received a note from his wife that said “we did not even imagine how special all of you would make our experience. He felt very taken care of making his bucket list entry beyond his hopes.”
This is why we do what we do, and these are the types of memories that will stick with me.
Please share some advice for someone interested in starting their own business.
My favorite piece of advice is to jump first and then build your wings. In other words, don’t wait too long to figure it out. You will figure it out while you learn how to fly (or drive…).
Another thing I’ll share with anyone interested in starting their own business is to move fast and (try) not to break things, but know that you’re going to.
What is the best part of what you do?
The best part of what I do is that I get to come up with an idea, or listen to a customer’s idea, and do it. Same day. No red tape. I get to make real stuff happen every single day, because we built this. We can get an idea and change a life all in the same day.
—
Those interested in booking the Xtreme Experience can do so here: www.thextremexperience.com and can follow along on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube.
Photos above courtesy of The Xtreme Experience.
Leave a Reply