Owner

Porsche / audi / BMW Fresno

What we do: Car sales, repair, service and exotic car brokerage

Education: Loyola Marymount University

Age: 37 

Family: Wife (Lisalla), two daughters: Valentina and Katarina

Tell us a little about your career to your current position.

I’ve owned dealerships for a few years and have been a racer for a decade or so. This has been like getting thrown into the deep end of the pool, but I like the music here, so we have fun.

What brought you to the Central Valley? 

Porsche, Audi and BMW are dream brands, and I’m now on the ground helping manage the stores daily.

How have you been received by members of the community? 

I think a lot of the community is excited by the vibrant approach we are taking — better inventory, more selection, much more transparent process. 

You were a Major League pitcher for the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels from 2011 to 2015, and appeared in two World Series. How has baseball played a role in your approach to business?

A good business is a good team — you need to be aware of all the various facets of what makes it work or not work, and hone the best sides to shine.

What about racing intrigues you, and is that what got you into luxury car sales?

Racing is the best sport for pushing you past your comfort limit. You literally have to take on an edge to your mind whereby you attempt things that you always thought were too scary or dangerous to survive — and repeat it 1,000 times in a row without making a mistake. It’s the ultimate challenge because the car or the motorcycle can go further than your physical body can, and you will be elevated to a completely new level of consciousness. Endurance racing is the crucible that every brand uses to prove what is truly the best-built machine in the world.

What potential do you see in the Porsche, Audi and BMW brands?

All these brands are enthusiast-driven, and have incredibly high ceilings due to their technological approach to the future including fully electric vehicles and hybrids —which, with the amount of sunlight we get in the Valley, should be a big change for our air quality in the next decade.

How has business been since you took ownership of your dealership?  

I would say our volume has improved a ton, our reviews are probably better, but for me, we still have a long way to go and I am always working to improve.  Just like baseball, we could have a good month or a good year but then you cannot just get lazy. In this business, the customers are more demanding than any other business.

What future plans do you have for your business? 

We are going to be improving every process on the service side including expanding our amount of Audi and Porsche technicians when we build a new Porsche facility in the next year or two.

Is there a business mentor in your life you rely on?  

Not really, I just try to rely on doing the right thing and being more creative than the average competitor.  My inner attitude is to win, and everyone that shops here has a chance to join my team.  We rely on the local customers and provide what I think is a world-class service to go along with world-class product.  I have read a lot of books over the years in preparation but nothing teaches like experience. 

What was your very first job and what did you learn from it?   

My first job was data entry and I learned right away that a good work environment is crucial. 

What do you do in your spare time? 

Car dealerships in three states, a race team, two young kids — what’s spare time?