When people ask how I built DRIVELA from the ground up, the first thing I say is this: it started with a passion. Not a business plan, not a market analysis — just a lifelong love of cars and the kind of experiences they create. I’ve always been obsessed with high-performance machines — whether in the air, on two wheels, or behind the wheel of a great car. That obsession became the foundation of what DRIVELA is today: a curated luxury car experience brand built for people who share the same pulse-raising passion.

But building a niche luxury brand isn’t just about having a cool idea. It’s about turning that idea into something real, sustainable, and scalable — something that can survive the early chaos and grow into something that stands out. It took years of grit, trial-and-error, and constantly learning how to adapt in a space that doesn’t play by traditional business rules.

Here’s what I’ve learned along the way.

Start with Passion, But Don’t Stop There

Anyone can have an idea. The key is turning that idea into a brand — one that people trust, talk about, and want to be a part of. For DRIVELA, that meant more than just offering luxury vehicles. It meant crafting an experience that made people feel something — excitement, pride, freedom. We weren’t just renting out supercars. We were giving people a taste of a lifestyle they dreamed about.

Passion is fuel. But if you want to build a real brand, you have to translate that passion into structure — systems, customer service, branding, logistics. I learned quickly that loving cars wasn’t enough. I had to learn how to lead a team, manage cash flow, negotiate partnerships, and deliver consistency every single time.

Find the Right People — and Trust Them

I came from a background in private security, where trust and reliability are everything. I carried that into DRIVELA. I knew I couldn’t scale anything if I didn’t have people around me who believed in the vision and could execute with precision. That meant building a team that wasn’t just skilled, but aligned with the brand’s identity.

In the early days, I wore a lot of hats. But as things grew, I had to get out of my own way. I had to delegate and allow others to do what they do best — whether that was in operations, marketing, or customer care. Scaling means letting go of control in the right places, and it’s one of the hardest things any entrepreneur has to learn.

Create an Experience, Not Just a Service

One of the biggest lessons I learned is that when you’re in the luxury space, people aren’t just paying for a product — they’re paying for how it makes them feel. From the first time someone lands on your website, to the second they turn the key in a Lamborghini or McLaren, every moment has to feel intentional. That’s what makes people come back. That’s what turns customers into brand advocates.

We focused heavily on the little things: how the cars are delivered, how we talk to our clients, how our content looks online. Everything matters. In the luxury space, details separate the average from the exceptional. You can’t cut corners. Every touchpoint has to feel elevated.

Grow Smart, Not Fast

It’s tempting to chase rapid growth, especially when things start to catch fire. But in niche markets, growing too fast without the infrastructure to support it can destroy everything you’ve built. We made a conscious choice to grow in phases. We focused on quality over quantity. We made sure every car we added to the fleet met our standards, and that every customer interaction reflected our brand.

That kind of discipline allowed us to protect our reputation. And in the luxury space, reputation is everything. One bad experience can ripple across your entire customer base. We didn’t want to be the biggest — we wanted to be the best. And in our world, that distinction is what makes people choose DRIVELA over anyone else.

Reinvention Is Part of the Game

Markets change. Customers change. The economy changes. One thing I’ve learned as a serial entrepreneur is that staying still is the fastest path to irrelevance. Even in luxury, you have to keep evolving.

We’ve made big pivots — adding new car models, updating the way we market, exploring new tech. We’re always looking at what’s next, not just what’s working now. That mindset keeps us competitive and helps us stay connected to a younger, digitally-savvy generation that still values luxury but engages with it differently.

Being open to change isn’t a weakness — it’s a necessity. Reinvention is how you stay ahead.

Building DRIVELA has been one of the most challenging and rewarding journeys of my life. It combined everything I love — adrenaline, design, leadership, and business — into something I’m deeply proud of. But it wasn’t easy. It still isn’t.

If you’re thinking about starting a niche luxury brand, remember: passion is where you start, but execution is what takes you across the finish line. Surround yourself with the right people, obsess over the customer experience, grow at a pace that makes sense, and stay open to what the world throws at you.

It’s not a straight road — but it’s one hell of a drive.