355 | Crushing Misogyny and Building an Auto Repair Empire with Jesse Jackson

As CEO of Mango Automotive, Jesse’s vision is not just to lead but to revolutionize the automotive repair industry. They are ambitiously scaling towards a $100 million empire in the EV repair and maintenance domain, balancing this with their expertise in traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. This journey is fueled by a commitment to sustainable business practices and creating an inclusive environment for their workforce and clientele. Jesse likes to say they are not just fixing cars; they are setting new standards for service excellence, environmental responsibility, and workplace equality in the automotive industry.

This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Interview with the CEO of Mango Automotive: Transcript with Jesse Jackson

NOTE: While it’s not perfect, we offer this transcript and the below summaries by Castmagic for those who are hearing impaired or who don’t find listening to a podcast enjoyable or possible.

You can read the full transcript of this episode here

Key Topics in Interview with Jesse Jackson, CEO of Mango Automotive

Comprehensive Sequence of Topics Covered

Industry Context

  • Aging business owners in trades

  • Focus on improving experiences for women customers and workers in auto repair

Research Approach

  • Leveraging background in the automotive software industry

  • Conducting market research through real-life conversations in Albuquerque

Business Launch and Growth

  • Launch of Mango Automotive on December 27, 2021

  • 300% growth in the first year

  • Doubling monthly revenue from Oct 2023 to Oct 2024

Expansion Strategy

  • Opening five auto repair shops by November 2023

  • Plans to expand to ten shops in the next 12 to 18 months through acquisitions

Educational Experience

  • Taking a course on business acquisitions by Roland Frasier

  • Learning to acquire businesses without out-of-pocket expenses

  • Now coaching for Frasier’s program

Acquisition Strategy

  • Emphasizing acquiring profitable businesses for growth

  • Growing individual locations vs. acquisitions to accelerate growth

  • Crucial steps: deciding to pursue acquisitions and determining business types to acquire

  • Finding off-market deals and consistent outreach to business owners

Personal Note

  • Balancing business growth with being a mother of seven children

Aligning Teams and Mission

  • Ensuring teams align with the company mission

  • Enhancing customer and employee loyalty through shared goals

Inclusive Service Experience

  • Story of a queer man of color praising Mango Automotive

  • Making small positive differences through numerous interactions

  • Encouraging underrepresented individuals to pursue business ownership and leadership

  • Addressing challenges faced by women in automotive

Support for Women

  • Support for women interested in business acquisitions or finance

  • Transforming the automotive repair space to be more inclusive and equitable

  • Highlighting gender bias in the industry through personal stories

Educational Programs

  • Connection to the SBA Thrive Accelerator program

  • Support from the SBA for a free, six-month intensive training program

Impact on Women

  • Making the auto repair industry female-friendly

  • Ensuring equality, fairness, and a positive work culture for women

Mango Automotive Culture

  • Promoting a culture of respect and fun

  • Accepting financial sacrifices to maintain gender equality

Electric Vehicle Opportunity

  • Seeing EV transition as an opportunity

  • Inspiration from the tech sector to avoid becoming obsolete

Customer Experience

  • Creating welcoming, non-intimidating environments for women

  • Initiatives like the "pink wall effect" in lobbies

Positive Reviews

  • Feedback highlighting a safe and transparent environment for customers

Forward Thinking

  • Incorporating advancements like EV and hydrogen vehicles into services

Physical Spaces and Workplace Culture

  • Impact of changing physical spaces on employee comfort

  • Reference to a "car spa" owned by a woman

VIP Program

  • Offering VIP services for busy professionals

Industry Trends

  • Shift in young people's career interests towards trades and hands-on jobs

  • Personal note about Jesse's daughter working at their shop

Value of Trades Education

  • Trades as profitable and fulfilling career paths

  • Increasing interest among young people with bachelor's degrees

Educational Value

  • Importance of critical thinking and education beyond direct career application

Opportunities in New Mexico

  • Training opportunities for trades like wind energy jobs

Growth Ambitions

  • Goal to reach $100 million in the future

  • Managing five shops and more in development

Business Growth Strategy

  • Expanding by opening 10 shops per year

  • Strategic hires and updating SOPs for scalability

Hiring Strategy

  • "Hiring themselves out" for specific roles

  • Advising to hire for weak skill areas first

Shifting Roles

  • Transitioning from hands-on to CEO role

  • Necessity of this shift for effective business growth

Impact and Purpose

  • Reducing gender bias in the automotive industry

  • Empowering women and making a positive social impact

Industry Observations

  • Trades industries’ potential for significant impact due to less change compared to tech

Cultural Shift

  • Altering customer perceptions and expectations about gender roles in the industry through positive interactions and competence.

Paul Zelizer