Today we’d like to introduce you to Wes Webb.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Odego got started when I pulled into my driveway one day after class. I am currently a second year MBA student at MIT Sloan, have 3 kids, am married, and have a full course load; one resource I do not have is time. I noticed that my oil change sticker was overdue by several thousand miles and I didn’t have the time to take my car in for service. I thought to myself, “We can order almost anything online and have delivered to our door, why can’t I get my car serviced?” So Odego was born, and I developed the idea with my team during an entrepreneurship class at MIT. I launched the business over the summer of 2016, and Elliot and I have grown it throughout the Greater Boston area.
More about Wes (if this is relevant): Before coming to MIT, I graduated from the University of Notre Dame and spent over 10 years on active duty in the military. I had the privilege to serve as an US Army Special Forces and Infantry Officer in 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Fort Campbell, KY and the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, NC. I left the Army in 2013 and became a consultant at McKinsey & Company in New York before coming to MIT Sloan.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Building Odego from scratch been an incredibly rewarding but also challenging road. I am a first time entrepreneur so I am constantly learning along the way. We’re constantly refining our technology, hiring processes, operations, and marketing strategies. We obviously make a lot of mistakes, but the point is how you learn from these mistakes and refine your processes along the way.
By far the biggest struggle I have had is balancing Odego with other aspects of my personal life including being a parent of three young kids, husband, and full time student. This has been the number one challenge. I don’t have a lot of free time to say the least.
For example, a few days after launching our first corporate program, my wife unexpectedly went to the hospital with pregnancy complications. It was quite a scare for a couple of days, but after things calmed down, we had to stay in the hospital until she gave birth. When my wife was able to sleep, I remember communicating back and forth with one of our new drivers on staff. Definitely not ideal, but part of the game of juggling a startup with my personal life.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are a technology company that makes taking care of your car easy and convenient. In fact, we completely eliminate the need to ever have to visit the auto shop or dealership ever again. Taking care of your car is a necessary but oftentimes annoying and frustrating task. Most of our customers don’t have time to take their car in for service themselves, and oftentimes delay getting maintenance much longer than they should. For many customers, even if they do go to the shop or dealership, many lack the information and perspective to make educated decisions about their vehicles.
We specialize in and are known for offering a shocking level of convenience for our customers. Customers book online, we send a personal valet driver to pick up their vehicle, take to the shop/dealership, then return. A process that might have taken a customer several hours now takes less than 10 seconds.
Aside from the convenience we offer, what sets us apart from others is that we offer the full spectrum of services at a wide array of vendors. For instance, we can take care of car washes, oil changes, detailing, brakes, MA State Inspections, diagnostics/repairs, even such services as electronic key replacement and repair and windshield replacement,…hence the phrase “Anything for your car.” Our partner vendors range from independent auto shops, regionally owned auto shops, and dealerships to detailing and specialty repair locations. If your car needs it, we can find it.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in Paducah, KY and have been active for as long as I can remember. My parents always stressed keeping busy and getting involved, so between school, sports, and hanging out with my friends, I’ve always been active for as long as I can remember. I was on the wrestling team and soccer team in high school, and have always been into fitness, I even built a makeshift CrossFit style gym in my garage complete with a wooden squat rack and a full set of weights (although parenthood has limited the amount of time I’ve been able to work out). I also played the drum set a lot growing up. In fact, I frequently sat in as the house drummer in a Blues Bar owned by my former biology teacher in high school.
Pricing:
- Use the promo code: BostonVoyager2017 – first time customers get $20 off their first order
Contact Info:
- Website: www.OdegoUSA.com
- Email: admin@odegousa.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OdegoUSA/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/OdegoUSA
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/odego-newton
Image Credit:
Lindsay Duncan
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
