In 2021, I read “Will,” the autobiography of entertainer Will Smith. The book chronicled his life from “West Philadelphia born and raised” to his rap career which he kicked off as a teenager to becoming Hollywood’s $20-million-a-film man.
I recall Will through every stage of his career, and in reading his book, what stands out most is his tenacity. He worked hard to emerge from the Philadelphia music scene. When he transitioned into acting, he cut his teeth on television before taking on movie roles. In everything he put his hands to, he spent the necessary time studying the craft and investing to improve himself to be ready when opportunities presented. And with each new version of himself, he had to change how he presented publicly, putting away the jeans and sneakers for suits and tuxedos.
Will Smith is an interesting case study in commitment and determination as well as repositioning, which brings us to this month’s feature story, “The 5 Habits of Highly Efficient Technicians."
Ratchet+Wrench talked with two award-winning technicians: Meg Lewis (2022 NAPA Technician of the Year) and Brandon Sadler (2022 AAPEX Technician of the Year). The pair outlined what it takes to be a top-flight technician. Much like Will Smith detailed, a lot of the work to become the best happens when no one is looking.
And along the lines of changing as you grow, we talked to Wiygul Automotive about their shop rebranding. Similar to how Will Smith became more polished the further he advanced his career, Wiygul Automotive felt the look and feel of their shop wasn’t in line with their brand story—so they refaced it all. In “Creating a Lasting Impression", you’ll read about and see the entire process.
As you know, becoming the best isn’t a one-time event, it’s an every day thing. You have to keep building. As Will Smith said in his bestseller, “... the secret to my success is as boring as it is unsurprising: You show up and you lay another brick. Pissed off? Lay another brick. Bad opening weekend? Lay another brick. Album sales dropping? Get up and lay another brick. Marriage failing? Lay another brick.”
