My Journey
I’ll never forget it. To my 10-year-old brain, no one in the world was cooler than Will Smith. Star of the best-selling rap album of its year (Big Willie Style, 1997), back-to-back #1 box office hits (Independence Day in 1996 and Men in Black in 1997), and, as I discovered over the next hour and 59 minutes, the baddest cop to ever hit the silver screen: Mike Lowrey.
Mike Lowrey was the definition of manliness and charisma to my impressionable young mind. Watching Bad Boys on VHS for the first time in 1998, I was captivated. More than Lowrey’s confidence. More than his attitude. More even than his girlfriend—who I instantly developed a crush on—the thing that conveyed his coolness was the car.
What was that thing that had no cupholders and was screaming across the MacArthur Causeway in the opening scene? “It happens to be one of the fastest production cars on the planet. 0-60 in 4 seconds, sweetie. It’s a limited edition.” said Lowrey in that first scene. The writer's must have known that this was must have information for I and every other red blooded boy who watched.
That was my introduction to the Porsche 964 Turbo, which remains, in my opinion, the greatest generation of 911s ever made. I was smitten. That day, my love of cars was born.
Fast forward, and it's exactly 1 year and 8 months after my 16th birthday. This is the earliest possible day I could ditch my learner's permit for a full license, and of course I do. About a year later, I get my second car. It wasn't a hand me down like my first one (a 1992 Suzuki Swift). This one was all mine- a snow White, 5-speed 1992 Honda Accord EX-R. Lowered? Yes. Exhaust? It was 2006, what do you think? Tinted windows, a sound system that made every song a live performance, and most of all, freedom.
The world was my oyster and my car was the 4 wheel shucking knife. Apart from double clutching and hearing my exhaust screen, there was only one thing that enhanced my experience of my trusty chariot. Only one thing I enjoyed more than cruising the open roads with my windows down: detailing.
I discovered detailing in high school, years before I had a car of my own, when a friend of my older sibling offered to pay me $50 to detail his Chrysler 300. I had no products and no clue what I was doing. So I went to Wal-Mart and spent more on products than I was paid for my service. It was a poor business decision, but the experience was rich. The feeling I had when I stood back after half a days work to look at the fruit of my labour was worth more than the money. I took a car and turned it into a rolling gem. I fell in love with that process.
I was so obsessed with it, that during the Summer break from school I would detail my Honda Accord EVERY. SINGLE. MORNING. It was just as much a part of my daily routine as brushing my teeth and taking a shower.Clean cars not only look better, they drive better. They feel better.
That passion eventually led to me getting my first official job in detailing at the local Suzuki dealership- kind of poetic given my first car.
While pursuing my undergraduate degree in Education, I worked at luxury car dealership, where I often found myself frustrated by the low standard of quality in the work presented to customers. The target was "good enough" and I believed our clients deserved better. This eventually inspired me to start my own mobile detailing business, DOXA Detailing.
By God’s grace, I built meaningful connections with incredible clients, each with unique story and a special relationship with their car. Discovering those stories was half the joy.
As my appreciation for fine automobiles—the kind worthy of an art gallery—grew, so did the trajectory of my career. This passion led me to professional opportunities across the country and, ultimately, to a role as the curator and head detailer for one of Canada’s most exquisite private collections. A poetic highlight of my career was discovering that this collection housed a 1 of 17 964 Porsche 911 Turbo S. Working on that car for the first time was a full-circle moment, bringing me back to the childhood memory that ignited my love for cars.
In the latter years of my detailing career, I've had the privilege of mentoring others. Training eager detailers and passing on what I’ve learned to enthusiasts has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my journey.
Today, as I lead detailing masterclasses, I find immense joy in meeting new aficionados. Hearing about their journey into the world of cars and helping them become worthy caretakers of their beloved machines—whether it’s a humble 1992 Suzuki Swift or a meticulously kept Lamborghini Countach—is a privilege I treasure.
