By Alejandro Krakowszky
The sun shines off the hood of a freshly polished Lamborghini; for James Roberti every detail matters. His passion and care for the cars he details reflects on a lifetime of dedication that has defined his journey. From baseball as a teenager to the proud owner of his thriving business. Discipline and enthusiasm for his dreams are key reasons to why he has had great success.
As a teenager James spent countless hours perfecting his technique with the bat and ball. He loved baseball and saw a potential career out of it.
“I was obsessed,” said Roberti.
“It was lots of fun playing alongside my mates.”
But like many young athletes, his journey wasn’t without its challenges. After 13 years of enjoyment, he started to fall out of love with the game, so as high school ended, so did his baseball aspirations.
Since the age of 17 when he got his provisional license, wanting his own car was high on his priority list. Every day he would talk to his mates about his dream car and how excited he was to go for a drive later that day.
Throughout high school, Roberti got a job at a panel shop and worked there for around 18 months. During his time there, he did all kinds of jobs including polishing cars. Customers were happy with the work he did, and he developed a sense of pride for his hard work.
“I’ve always loved cars and taking care of them. So that’s when I thought, maybe I can turn this into something.”
In 2017 Roberti started his car detailing business JR Auto Care, and for the first two to three years business growth was slow. He relied heavily on letterbox drops and word-of-mouth recommendations to find customers. Business was going well for a while, but in 2020, seeking to take his skills to the next level, Roberti moved into a warehouse shared with another detailer. He became a bit of a mentor and offered invaluable guidance.
“Working alongside him helped me refine my skills and gave me the confidence to push myself further.”
Roberti loves all aspects about car detailing, but specifically loves polishing.
“It’s so time consuming, but that’s what makes it rewarding. You start with something rough and finish with a surface that’s flawless, it’s satisfying every time.”
In 2022, James left the workshop and resumed mobile detailing. Driving his van to customers’ houses and working there. There are pros and cons to working mobile. Both for him and the customer. It gives the customer a chance to stay at home and do what they want to do. After the job is done James leaves and they have their car back.
“There’s something satisfying about showing up at someone’s driveway and leaving them speechless when they see their car,” he said.
When working inside a warehouse the jobs can be a bit different, sometimes the customer may have to leave the car there for a day or two due to an overload in jobs. So, it all varies when you change between the two.
He also spoke about some of the biggest challenges he faced while working mobile. He explained that the water restrictions throughout the drought were severe and was therefore a challenge. Being allowed to only use so much water made it difficult to do his job. However, he worked around these issues and managed to maintain his clients as well as grow the business during the tough period.
“I have to be accountable for everything, how the cars look, how I treat clients, and how I keep the business running.
“There’s no one to fall back on when you’re the owner.”
Over time, his reputation has grown, and customers have begun recommending his services to friends. Now after years working in the industry, referrals have become the backbone of his business.
With social media growing substantially over the years, he has also embraced the power of showcasing his work through Instagram. Creating high-quality videos of his detailing jobs have attracted even more attention as well as creating opportunities for collaboration.
“Social media has been a game changer,” Roberti said.
“It’s not about showing off, but more showing people the level of care and detail I put into my work. When someone sees that, they know I’m serious about what I do.”
James often receives great reviews on google, which highlight his ability to communicate well with clients and produce a top-notch job. However, he says that communication was never one of his strengths, and that his business has played a vital role in developing that skill.
Seeing customers pleased with the work he has done is something that Roberti constantly strives for.
Spending most of his time working and building his business, has also led him to finding a new passion. He started playing golf two years ago, and since has become very good at it.
The parallels to baseball were uncanny. The precision required for a perfect swing, strategy involved in playing his shots as well as the mental focus required.
“Golf became my new passion,” he said.
“It’s a mental game as much as a physical one. Every shot is a challenge, and I love that. I have a great time with mates, and it’s somewhere that I can be free.”
Soon, he was spending hours on the green, constantly improving his skills as well as networking with others.
Golf has given him a way to channel his competitive energy while also having a great time out.
Balancing his passion for golf with the demands of running a business hasn’t always been easy. But whenever it gets chaotic, he has his priorities straight and always puts the business first.
He revealed his future plans saying that his goal is to maintain the mobile set-up but bring on an employee who can handle routine jobs while he focuses on bigger, high-end projects.
“I want to stay hands-on with the work I love, like polishing,” he revealed.
“But I also want to step into more of an owner’s role, managing the business while still delivering that top-tier service.”
Golf has started to take an unexpected role in his success, as networking on the course has opened the door to new clients.
“Golf is a great way to connect with people.
“You spend hours with someone on the course, and by the end, you’ve built a relationship.”
Speaking to one of James’s newest clients, he explained why he keeps going back and getting his car detailed there.
“It’s difficult to find a business that provides a great service, while also communicating well with their clients,” Gary said.
“Many times in the past when I’ve taken my car in to be cleaned I’ve had issues with the employee.
“They’re either rude or just want to get the job done as quick as possible.
“But I’ve never felt that way with James. He explains the process to me and is honest about what he can fix and what’s not possible.
“Whenever he’s finished with my car, I always find myself impressed with the job.”
Reflecting on his journey, James says there’s not a lot he would do differently. He enjoys his job and created his own business, saying he’s proud of what he’s achieved but is still hungry to do so much more.
Featured image: James Roberti standing next to his van. Photo: Supplied
