Shawn Hopkins (00:02):
I'm Shawn Hopkins, owner of Gulf Coast Dealer Services. We specialize in process improvement and inventory management in the automotive industry. And this is Robert Hines. He is my mentor with JP Morgan Chase, and has been integral in helping me establish my business. He can't get rid of me, he's tried.
Robert Hines (00:22):
It's not Elmer's glue. It's not Elmer's glue.
Shawn Hopkins (00:23):
This is my story. And this is how I Chase. Now, I'm nervous.
Shawn Hopkins (00:33):
We are a Consultative IT company, that go into dealerships and help them improve their processes and also help manage their inventory. And the goal is to continue to increase size and scale my business, to be able to expand into the entire Gulf Coast region from here all the way to Florida.
Robert Hines (00:54):
Initially, we met at a fundraiser. Six to eight months later, she walked into a Chase location. We immediately recognized each other from the event, scheduled an appointment to sit down and kind of talk through the nuts and bolts of her business. And we've been going strong now for gosh, a year and a half?
Shawn Hopkins (01:13):
Yeah.
Robert Hines (01:18):
So, it's been some time. She's like a little sister to me. What can I say?
Shawn Hopkins (01:24):
Starting a business is very scary, quite frankly. You might be the subject matter expert in what you're doing, but you may not know how to run a business.
Robert Hines (01:33):
Part of what we do as business bankers here at Chase, is we get a real understanding of our clients' businesses. Once we get an understanding of it, we then get an appreciation for where they want to go and how they want to grow.
Shawn Hopkins (01:47):
But having someone like Robert, he made me feel comfortable to ask the question. And then the thing that made me stick to him like glue, was that I could trust the answer. Robert is really good at helping me pace, at helping me understand that everything doesn't require...
Robert Hines (02:04):
A hammer.
Shawn Hopkins (02:05):
... a hammer.
Robert Hines (02:05):
A hammer. Yeah.
Shawn Hopkins (02:06):
Yes, yes. Some things require finesse, and sometimes I don't agree with that, but 95% of the time I listen. I may not agree with him, but I do listen. And about 40% of the time he's right.
Robert Hines (02:23):
The one thing you didn't mention, is I'm free.
Shawn Hopkins (02:26):
Oh, and he's free.
Robert Hines (02:26):
Yeah.
Shawn Hopkins (02:27):
Yes.
Robert Hines (02:27):
I mean, I don't cost anything.
Shawn Hopkins (02:27):
Right. And he's free, so that was kind of a big deal too.
Shawn Hopkins (02:34):
Robert and I have a special relationship, and he understands that as a first generation minority business owner in my family, that it is a critical to me to be able to take what you've learned and apply it back to your community.
Shawn Hopkins (02:51):
It was a shocker, because I didn't anticipate that it would be anything more than transaction based.
Robert Hines (02:58):
When you have a mentor assigned to you that has an appreciation for what you're trying to accomplish, that's worth its weight in gold. I mean, the fact that we're sitting in Shawn's world right now, having a discussion about her business, her operations and things that need to happen, gives me a better perspective. And I also think it's what makes it unique and different from what some other institutions out there might be providing.
Shawn Hopkins (03:28):
It was more than, "Hey, let's talk about your business and see how or if we can get you money." It was, "Let's see what we can do with that money." And then, oh, wow. I'm pregnant, I'm about to baby. Oh, and so how do you protect your child and how do you prepare for his future?
Shawn Hopkins (03:44):
So as a business owner, he has created a 360 degree view for me, not just with respect to my business, but also with respect to my legacy.
Robert Hines (03:55):
Proper preparation. That's it.
Shawn Hopkins (03:58):
Preparation is the key to success, I think you told me that.
Robert Hines (04:01):
Maybe once or twice. I didn't make it up. And it was free.
Shawn Hopkins (04:03):
And it was free.
Robert Hines (04:04):
It was free.
Shawn Hopkins (04:07):
I'm Shawn Hopkins. How do you Chase?
