“Polishing” My Way To Success Like The Karate Kid

A few years ago, a movie came out which I’m sure many of you have seen…. “Karate Kid”.

Well, there was a part in that film, that nearly made me fall off my chair when I saw it…. Remember the part, when the kid wanted to learn the martial art from the wise old master?….

Remember his first lesson?

The boy was perplexed and confused when the Karate master took him out back and told him to polish his car!

First a swirling motion with the left hand then again with the right, for hours until his arms were ready to fall off and the master’s car was gleaming with wax!

The poor kid thought the master was using and taking advantage of him instead of teaching him to know the “way of the dragon”.

It was only until much later in the movie, that the Karate Kid realized that he had infact learned a lot about Karate from the master’s unconventional teachings.

So why did I nearly fall off my chair when I saw this scene….

Well, you see I like cars, and one of my favorite past times is believe it or not…. Waxing and polishing them. Now, for many people, this is a real chore, after all to do the job properly, it’s actually a lot of hard work. ( I own 3 cars, so believe me it's a labor of love).

You see, I believe in doing it the old fashioned way, a three step process, involving the good old Meguirs paint cleaner, followed by polish and finally a top coat of the finest wax. None of this modern lazy man’s way to a shine using supermarket spray on-wipe off liquid waxes-done-in-15-minutes thing.

Waxing my cars over the years has taught me a lot about life and business….

It’s taught me some very important lessons…. In fact, I am going to share with you some of the business analogies that can be found in waxing a car.

You know why some businesses fail…. And why sometimes you wax the car and it just doesn’t seem to have that “showroom shine” like in the motor magazines.

Stay with me here…. If you do, you’ll have a business that won’t fail and a car with better than that new car shine!

Okay… Secret Number #1….THE PREPARATION

“It’s got nothing to do with the wax, or the polish you use.
It’s all in the PREPARATION, just like having a good BUSINESS PLAN and good preparation before you open the doors to your business”.

Don’t even think about putting a drop of polish or wax (Yes the two are not the same!) on your just washed clean car!

First run your fingers over the paint work after you’ve washed and dried it . If you feel the slightest bit of friction, or it doesn’t feel silky smooth like a polished mirror…. Then you need to use a wet detailers “clay block” (Yep! … looks like potters clay) followed by a quality “Paint cleaner” to remove oxidation, industrial fallout, swirl marks, and minor blemishes that car shampoo won’t remove. Your car might look clean after washing to the eye…. But believe me….It’s not!

This is PREPARATION…. Like planning is the foundation of a new business venture or project. Without a strong, perfect base, you’re wasting your time building anything on top.

Secret Number #2 ….. The Killer shine

Next you apply the “Polish”. Contrary to popular belief, wax is for protection, not shine…. That’s the job of the polish.

The polish is what we do in our business….. The image we create.
The impression we leave, that extra sparkle, that gives us an advantage over our competitors. The branding that makes our customers take another look, the “whow factor” and makes us stand out from the crowd.

Secret Number #3…. PROTECTION

Now that you’ve worked so hard to get that killer showroom shine and your customers taking notice of your business, it’s time to make sure we keep that shine for as long as possible and protect the paintwork.
A liberal coat of wax, the insurance policy on our business, a contingency plan to protect ourselves from the storm, the harsh cruel world of business.

Secret Number #4 …. TIME

If you’ve done the job properly; washed, clay blocked, paint cleaner, polish and wax…. The average car done by hand will take you at least 6 to 8 hours at the minimum!

This period of blood sweat and blisters on both hands will teach you that nothing comes easy. To build a successful business can take time and hard work, often years. Only then, can you sit back and admire the shine, the glitter, and the gold.

Remember, the time and pride your father or grand father took to polish his leather shoes…. The spit and polish stories, or those of you who served in the armed forces…. The polished brass buckles and gleaming boots on parade or tooth brush cleaning of floors as punishment. These are all meant to teach us about pride, self discipline, self worth and values we can apply to other areas of life and business.

Secret Number #5 …. The TRUE REFLECTION

Once you’ve attained that deep gloss shine, when you see your own reflection and the reflection of the world around you in the paint work,
You will see a whole new you, and the world from a new perspective.
Take a few moments to admire your toil, in mind, spirit and character for you will have learnt and your rewards in life and business will flow.

My neighbours think I’m mad when they see me waxing my cars every few months…. But little do they know the lessons the yellow Carnauba wax have taught me as I drive my dazzling wet-look show car pride and joys …. Laughing all the way to the bank!

The Killer shine Recipe just in case you want to philosophize while waxing your car…..

I must of spent hundreds over the years on every brand of car wax and polish on the market…. TESTING, TESTING, and TESTING like we all should do in marketing our businesses online…. And you know, I always come back to these 3 products for that enhanced gloss like no other….

1. Meguiar’s (since 1901) Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner
2. Meguiar’s Professional Showcar Glaze Pure Polish No.7
3. Meguiar’s Professional Hi-Tech Yellow Wax.

Warmest regards

Ricky “Wax crazy” Higgs




Shine Online In 2001