The Escalade EXT and Learning to Finance Bigger

This was the moment I started understanding that growing the business required more than just hard work. It required risk, pressure, and belief.

After building the early part of the business through hard work and long hours, the next phase started to reveal itself. Growth required capital. And capital required understanding how to take risks.

That’s when I had the opportunity to purchase a Cadillac Escalade EXT limousine.

This time, instead of going through a traditional bank, I worked with an outside financing company for the first time. The company was Cinema Car Leasing out of New Jersey.

The interest rates were high. But I understood why. I was still building, still proving myself, and it was a risk for them just like it was a risk for me.

What I remember the most about that moment wasn’t just the financing. It was the pressure.

Operationally, we had credit. But cash wise, we were tight. Very tight.

I remember driving home from Ohio after purchasing the Escalade, and we could barely afford to buy McDonald’s on the way back because we needed to make sure we had enough money to cover fuel.

But I believed in what I was building.

And I said… we’re going to put it out there, market it, and we’re going to be just fine.

That first week, it went out six times.

And then it kept going. Trip after trip. It generated revenue immediately and rebuilt our capital.

It was a huge risk. But it paid off. And it changed how I thought about growth from that point forward.