How He Turned One Shop Into A $3 Billion Business | Matt Ebert From #480 | The Way I Heard It

I’ve said for years that hard work matters, and I still believe that. But in this clip, I found myself putting a small asterisk next to that idea because work ethic, by itself, isn’t the whole story. Matt Ebert, founder of $3 billion auto body repair company called Crash Champions, figured that out the hard way. He’ll tell you straight up that he couldn’t outthink or out-test anybody, nor did he have an obvious gift that set him apart. What he did have was a simple realization: nobody was coming to save him. So, he leaned into the one thing he could control—effort. From there, Matt’s story takes a few interesting turns. We’re talking about a kid hustling lawn jobs, running a paper route like a miniature businessman, and experimenting with some early (and highly questionable) entrepreneurial ventures that didn’t exactly make the family scrapbook. And then just when the story starts to sound familiar, he takes a turn most people wouldn’t even consider—he borrows $100,000 on credit cards to chase an opportunity that isn’t even working yet. Now, I’m not recommending that strategy, but his reasoning might make you think twice about how you define “risk.” As Matt sees it, the worst-case scenario doesn’t change all that much, so you might as well take a swing. This is a conversation about choices—the ones you control, the ones you don’t, and what happens when you decide to bet on yourself anyway. If you’ve ever wondered whether hard work is enough—or what comes after it—this clip is worth your time. #podcast #cars #entrepreneur What my entire conversation with Matt here: https://bit.ly/TWIHI480MattEbert My foundation is awarding millions of dollars in work ethic scholarships to men and women willing to learn a skilled trade. Apply now at: https://bit.ly/mrwscholarships If you like me, and even if you don't, subscribe to my channels and follow me. Much obliged. https://www.youtube.com/@therealmikerowe https://www.youtube.com/@therealmikeroweshorts https://www.youtube.com/@PYSKshow http://instagram.com/mikerowe http://facebook.com/TheRealMikeRowe https://twitter.com/mikeroweworks 00:00 Matt’s first hustles 06:10 Getting into the auto industry 09:32 The skills gap solution ️ 11:04 Creating Crash Champions 20:25 Taking risks