From VW Vans to Rock Bands: Marcel's Unique Volkswagen Journey Ep24

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Music.

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All right, welcome back to Dub Life Diaries. Today's guest grew up in a VW caravel,

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surrounded by guitars, drumsticks, and a beat that never stopped.

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From rhythm to restoration, this guy's lived a life full of passion,

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both on stage and under the hood.

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Marcel Smit, welcome to Dub Life Diaries. Thank you so much.

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So a couple things. Number one, the Volkswagen caravel, for those that don't

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know, in case, cause I have a lot of air cooled, you know, folks,

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it's the passenger van that was based on the transporter chassis.

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I believe it may have been, it was based on the transporter for,

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for what I saw and what I remember.

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And I got a cool story for us because of how we met.

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So when I started this podcast, I started looking all over the world for Volkswagen enthusiasts.

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And in South Africa, I was fortunate enough to run across a company by the name

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of Afrobeetle. and I reached out to them and I started having dialogue with Marcel here.

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Marcel is the marketing manager for Afrobeatle. So we connected and we hit it off.

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And then I had a podcast interview already with the owner of Afrobeatle.

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And then Marcel and I stayed in touch. So that's kind of how this happened and how we connected.

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And again, before we dive into the podcast today, I do want to thank my two

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sponsors, Volksmania Magazine. I feel the flyest VW magazine on the face of the planet.

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Www.volksmania.com. Check those guys out. If you subscribe in the U.S.,

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I don't have any other discount codes yet outside the U.S., but U.S.

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Subscribers, Dublife10, D-U-B-L-I-F-E-1-0. That'll give you 10% off your subscription.

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Check them out. Also, Salty Dub, all things VW Coast-related,

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Salty Dub. We're on Facebook under Salty Dubbers.

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Also, the website, www.saltydub.com. All things merch and apparel for VW enthusiasts.

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Check those guys out as well. Mr. Marcel, back to you, sir.

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Paint the picture of your childhood for me because reading through your stuff,

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I know you're a musical family.

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You're packed into this VW Caraval tell me what the energy was like for you

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as a child coming up in an environment like this oh thanks man,

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To me, everything was normal.

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You know what I mean? Having a combi or a microbus and my dad being in bands

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and music and stuff like that, that was a day-to-day thing.

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It was never a strange thing. It was always normalized for me.

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So I only realized that it was a bit of an out-there way to grow up when I got older.

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Because since I can't remember, I used to wake up Saturday mornings,

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get into the caraval and go with my dad to go and pick up all the music equipment

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from the venue we played at the previous night.

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And we had to pack that microbus full, that caraval full, and I'm like six, seven years old.

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Yeah so that Caraval was it was very much for me it was a big connection between

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me and my dad I think it started there because my dad also always in music,

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like my dad he bought his first his the first combi he bought was the T2 for

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500 grand back in the day which is probably like $15 or something.

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And like he told me there was a big rust

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hole in the roof and he fixed that

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and restored that combi from the bottom up so

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that was always inspiring for me to have that combi

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and freedom sort of feel and vibe together

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like i grew up in music with my dad playing in bands

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as your dad is your dad basically your your introduction to music is that because

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your dad was in the music scene yes yeah yeah he was the leader of his band

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so and he had the combi and that's where all the gear goes and that's where

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all the band members go and go on tour,

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so it felt like a home you know what I mean a travelling home.

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Without being a caravan. Yeah, that's pretty awesome.

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How long did your family own that caravan? 15 years. 15 years.

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Wow. Got some good years out of it. That was a 2.7i fuel injection.

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Very, very heavy on fuel.

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Yeah, it did well for you, though. It stuck around for a long time.

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Is the family a Volkswagen family? Did they get something else that was a VW

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after the caravan? Yeah, my dad also, he loved the Opel, the Opel GSI,

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the Super Master's 2-liter 16 valves.

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But we always seem to get back to pace, and that is the classic VW way to go.

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Growing up in an environment like that, music, Volkswagen, how did it shape

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who you are today? today because now you have the professional side,

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your marketing, et cetera, but it's all centered around a classic Volkswagen.

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So there must've been some type of, or some level of influence there,

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right? To make you want to do that. But how did it shape who you are today?

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Well, from a music side, obviously, I grew up with the music.

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I would wake up on Saturday mornings and my dad would be blasting live DVDs

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from Toto to Van Halen and stuff like that.

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But the VW was always there to take you where

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you wanted to go you know when it comes to road trips and the

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music on the road trips and on 11 12

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i was in charge of burning the mixed cds not making the mixtapes but burning

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the cds so i would spend hours and hours gosh learning the best 12 songs start big.

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Go a bit soft, and then build up again.

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So a journey upon a journey, it doesn't sound too.

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That's funny, though. I remember I remember doing that, too.

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I remember one thing that used to lug around with you, you know,

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in the in the late 90s, early 2000s was your book of CDs.

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Yeah. You wanted to have good tunes, man. You had to bring it all.

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You had to bring a few genres. You had to.

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So, you know, I remember at times in my childhood, you know,

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one of those books would get stolen out of my car or, you know,

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or something or I leave one at a buddy's house. And it's like the way you feel

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now about your cell phone, like you can't leave home without it.

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You know, my CDs used to be like that. You know, I couldn't leave home without my CDs.

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So when we got into copying and then burning songs and burning CDs,

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I totally vibed with that. I remember that. That's funny.

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It's totally different to now. There was a lot more, I'm going to say,

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gravity put onto this song or this album was amazing.

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And you had to work to get that type of music.

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Like you got your music or new bands from

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friends which you would share and then become a

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fan like that now it's just you have easy access to everything in it that sort

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of lost the value or the importance of how much effort actually goes into being

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a good music that's that's pretty good point though and you write you write

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your own music and you're you play instruments too right,

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yeah i was always like a lead guitar.

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Oh man. Yeah. That's, that's special. So, and you write songs too, right?

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Yeah, like my solo stuff is all instrumental stuff, so it's like a hard rock with a lot of soloing.

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Yeah, where I would write all the drums, bass, keyboards, and all those type

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of things, and then record, mix, and master.

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So I'm used to attacking a lot of different roles.

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Yeah, in music, and it's cool to talk about that because a lot of folks might

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not really know what all goes into a song.

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You know if you're not

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into music and you're not inclined in that in that

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aspect you can't you can't expect them to but my

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brother did uh sound production as a as a computer engineer when when i was

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younger and i used to see people go to his house and record so i would know

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like how many Times they had to go through one You know 16 bar,

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You know before a chorus And then how many times

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they would have to Revisit it and edit ad lib And just

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you know it's like wow so you're Right a lot of effort goes In there do you

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write lyrics Too that is a bit of A strange thing because even though I'm a

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writer I don't I don't like writing lyrics Or poems okay That's fair but I wanted

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to ask That because I thought.

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You have this creative outlet through Afribeetle to do the marketing and the branding for them.

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And I mean, it's so effective that you found me in the US and Tampa and St. Pete, Florida.

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So that's kind of cool. I was very lucky that way to get in with Afribeetle

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because I studied copywriting at AAA School of Advertising in Cape Town.

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And one of my hero copywriters was is Bill Birnbach from America, Jewish American.

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And when the VW Beetle came out.

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He got the account for VW. He wrote VW Lemon that all of us know.

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So, and where do you get to work on and be creative on a Beetle in 2025,

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bringing back that passion and feel and sort of different perspective,

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different perspectives of calling your new released vehicle a Lemon.

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It's a nice kind of voice to play with and work with

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and there is for me there's a

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there's a wide range of people and the community varies

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but we all are fixed or have

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this one thing in common that brings us together i want to talk about the the

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scene because that that that happens for us right like doesn't matter what your

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background is or what you do for for work professionally the VW community in this area,

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it brings a lot of people together, a lot of people together.

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And I think in, you know, inside of, of, of kind of the direction where you're going.

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I want to touch on that, but I got a couple more questions I want to touch on

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as South Africa as a whole, where you're at, you know, the cultural landscape,

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how it's influenced you,

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you know, there, but I also wanted to talk about the connection between doing

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what you do professionally right now, and then utilizing what you did prior, right?

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Like music, writing music, how does it correlate?

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You know, you got to love what you do, right? If you don't love what you do, you don't do it for long.

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You know, you find something else. And I feel like you found something,

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you found a good outlet that allows you to be artistic and creative,

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and it's around things that you like or that you even love potentially.

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So how does the connection between your past mix with what you do now for work

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and kind of talk to me about music the passion and then the passion that goes

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into restoring cars so yeah,

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If we start with the music, when I got my first instrument, I was 13 and when

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I got my first guitar after struggling with my dad to actually get me an instrument,

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which was very weird that he was such a full-time musician,

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but I finally got my guitar and there was no stopping me.

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I knew I was going to make it in some way, you know what I mean?

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I would wake up early before school, practice for two hours,

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then go to school, do all my homework at school so that I can practice music

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all the time in the afternoons.

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And I like to get lost in passions that they don't have a final goal.

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It's always something you have to work on and grow. And so after joining a band,

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when I was 19, then I started playing professionally.

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I played overseas. All over South

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Africa, we toured. We went to play those contracts in Dubai and India.

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But then it became a bit of an office job because we would play cover music six nights a week.

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And I was looking for new creative outlets. And I found that in copywriting.

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And writing in different tones of voices and, like I say, storytelling that connects with people.

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People don't remember just features of something. They remember how it makes you feel. Oh, yeah.

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And I think that is why Volkswagen has such an emotional connection with people. Yeah.

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Or it sticks with people because there is that emotional connection.

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To the memories and what those vehicles brought more than just being a Chevrolet Sport.

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And we see that, you know, constantly in, if you're in a Volkswagen,

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if you're driving in one or, you know, you always have the people that stop

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and that smile and that tell the stories and that, you know,

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it's, it really is what you said.

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It's a, it's a celebrated past and everybody has something they can attach to

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a way that it made them feel. And that's what they always describe.

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You know, they don't talk a lot about a situation. They talk about a time that

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they felt a certain way, right?

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They compare, oh, that was the first kiss I ever had was in a,

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was in a orange beetle or something like that, you know?

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And it's like, you know, because they felt that, you know, that,

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but yeah, yeah. I bought that.

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In my mind, it's almost what humanity should be, that we connect and can speak,

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meet strangers and be friendly and understand each other immediately. Yeah.

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Love that. Yeah. Without any political or religious or differences, no type of thing.

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Yeah. Because those all come, those all come, beliefs are shaped from how people get raised.

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You know what what their influence is not

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necessarily truly what they're inspired

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by but typically we we are taught

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behaviors in an election right when

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we're young and it helps shape who we become i

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like being able to be around other people

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other cultures other religions other and even

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though i have an opinion it's supposed

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to stay with me right like you're supposed to have thick skin

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and be able to take shit on the chin and you're supposed to

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be able to be to exist in the world and not

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be like somebody that constantly cuts against the grain yeah it's exhausting

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to be like that yeah for what was eye-opening to me was like i thought i was

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open minded back in the day but when i i went overseas we went to the uae for the first,

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overseas contract I played, and then we went to India.

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And it opens your eyes to such wide variety and different cultures.

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And you have to get to know the people, who they actually are.

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It opens your mind to understanding,

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The wider world, if I can, if that sounds correct.

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Some people are very small minded. And yeah, when you have that expansion and

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the opportunity to have that expansion in your life, and that's really truly what it is.

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It's an opportunity to be able to see past the confined walls of what you're taught.

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You know, God, there's so much more to life.

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There really is. so you know your childhood

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shaped who you are you're doing what you love now you're

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you're obviously you're good at it tell me the story on

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how you got into afro beetle you know and and kind of what brought you to to

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now well i was in this restaurant having a beer on my own and i heard this guy

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talking this older guy but he sounded like he really knows his shit you know

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what i And he was talking about the Beatles.

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You could feel this magnetism of his passion and the insight he has about the

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VWs, the Beatle, the Combi, and the Beach Buggies.

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Sort of the same way, I think, we were meant to meet.

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It was sort of that meet cute with Mr. Chris, Chris Beatle.

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Because it is such an interesting and enlightening place to be with a guy that

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has so much experience and passion.

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For something that you have a big interest in. Sure.

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So a lot of the times I would just take in information as much as I can.

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It's not that I'm going to learn, what, 44 years of knowledge and insight in half a year, but I try.

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You know what I mean? I want to become an expert on everything.

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How long have you been there?

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I've been here about a year now. Okay. And what's happened in that year through

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your marketing approach?

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It's like anything, right? It grows.

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It grows. Your insight grows. Your knowledge grows.

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And especially now, this while I've really, I think I've gotten to know our

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target market very well.

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Because obviously, like we said, the stories that they share.

00:19:27.595 --> 00:19:35.075
We always try to invite our clients to come and visit us here on the Afribeetle headquarters.

00:19:36.175 --> 00:19:40.015
And we would sit and speak for hours about our passions and our stories.

00:19:40.435 --> 00:19:45.675
And it's a great place to be. It's an inspiring place, I think.

00:19:46.115 --> 00:19:55.095
And that helpfulness, I think that's what brings it back to The mutual love for the iconic beetle.

00:19:56.894 --> 00:20:03.014
Tell me more about the digital side of this, because it's a very unique perspective,

00:20:03.194 --> 00:20:05.194
especially for a car guy.

00:20:05.414 --> 00:20:09.414
I'm not a marketing person, right? You get the privilege of being both.

00:20:09.414 --> 00:20:13.274
You're a car person, a Volkswagen person, and you're a marketing person.

00:20:13.594 --> 00:20:21.054
Tell me what role does storytelling kind of take in the digital marketing space

00:20:21.054 --> 00:20:24.234
or even in the VW culture today?

00:20:24.234 --> 00:20:33.534
So when I started at Afribeetle, because I looked up to Mr.

00:20:35.394 --> 00:20:39.474
Chris Beetle, and I still do. And I'm learning and I'm growing.

00:20:40.754 --> 00:20:47.074
And I want to, because Afribeetle has a unique feel and how it offers and works with clients.

00:20:47.494 --> 00:20:52.354
But it was all in the real world. But special and amazing.

00:20:52.354 --> 00:20:55.754
But I wanted to bring that uniqueness and

00:20:55.754 --> 00:20:58.894
unique insight and expertise

00:20:58.894 --> 00:21:02.154
onto the digital side so I

00:21:02.154 --> 00:21:05.414
think about myself as the digital side of

00:21:05.414 --> 00:21:11.414
Afribeetle because I think you need both you need both you need the in the real

00:21:11.414 --> 00:21:19.054
world solid advice and guidance and then yes I wanted to bring that feel and

00:21:19.054 --> 00:21:23.154
way of thinking to our digital side That was my goal.

00:21:23.614 --> 00:21:25.754
I think it's working. Like you said, it's growing.

00:21:26.254 --> 00:21:30.314
And you have, I guess, a clear line in the sand for results.

00:21:30.654 --> 00:21:34.674
You're getting them. So that's awesome. I don't think any, you know,

00:21:34.774 --> 00:21:37.214
they say Rome wasn't built, you know, in a day.

00:21:37.614 --> 00:21:40.854
So, you know, stay after it.

00:21:41.074 --> 00:21:47.054
Right now in the shop, you know, I don't know what a day's work looks like for Afro Beetle.

00:21:47.254 --> 00:21:51.274
I remember last time, the first time we connected and I chatted with Chris.

00:21:52.314 --> 00:21:57.454
You guys have You do restoration but you also have a rental Side right where

00:21:57.454 --> 00:22:03.254
you rent beetles Not at the moment but we all We all building up to that Okay Yeah.

00:22:04.551 --> 00:22:09.411
So right now you're restoring, do you take a classic Beetle,

00:22:09.631 --> 00:22:11.071
restore it, and then sell it?

00:22:11.171 --> 00:22:17.731
Or does a customer come to you and say, hey, here's my car, I want to have this car restored?

00:22:18.031 --> 00:22:23.731
How does your workflow take place there at Afro Beetle? It does vary.

00:22:25.291 --> 00:22:29.771
Sometimes clients would come in and they wanted to restore it from the bottom up.

00:22:29.771 --> 00:22:32.551
That speaks to the

00:22:32.551 --> 00:22:35.511
floor pan building an all new floor pan

00:22:35.511 --> 00:22:39.191
welding a new plate a new upholstery

00:22:39.191 --> 00:22:47.131
interior lining total respray a reconditioned engine but then again we one of

00:22:47.131 --> 00:22:56.211
my favorite cars we brought in from a client recently was from Clerksdorp he has a 1959,

00:22:57.111 --> 00:23:02.551
Beetle in pristine condition but we are just working on the mechanical side

00:23:02.551 --> 00:23:07.791
of it okay that's a it's a 1100 six volt.

00:23:09.070 --> 00:23:14.250
Wow. And not the 12 volts. It's a totally different way of looking at it and

00:23:14.250 --> 00:23:19.810
making everything work with a six volt system, which it always stays interesting.

00:23:20.010 --> 00:23:21.690
And that is why I love music too.

00:23:21.910 --> 00:23:26.370
It is never, I know everything now. Yeah, I like that.

00:23:26.910 --> 00:23:30.450
I like that you tied that together. That's kind of what I was trying to say

00:23:30.450 --> 00:23:35.170
earlier was, where's that marriage, you know, in the passion?

00:23:35.170 --> 00:23:39.390
Do you guys have any builds or anything in the shop now that stand out?

00:23:40.030 --> 00:23:42.990
Like I said, there's 1959. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:23:43.930 --> 00:23:47.690
It's a lovely thing. I have a question I want to ask about.

00:23:47.810 --> 00:23:51.470
I don't know how much experience you have with this, but Chris blew me out of

00:23:51.470 --> 00:23:58.170
my chair in our first conversation when he said he has a private collection.

00:23:59.390 --> 00:24:03.470
And the private collection was, you know, I was thinking, you know,

00:24:03.550 --> 00:24:08.130
10, 15, 20 cars. He's saying, no, no, no, no, no, no. It's a lot more than that.

00:24:08.630 --> 00:24:11.090
So, you know, for anybody that's

00:24:11.090 --> 00:24:15.570
listening, this private collection of old classic VWs, have you seen it?

00:24:16.390 --> 00:24:18.650
I've never heard about it. I don't know what you're talking about.

00:24:18.970 --> 00:24:20.570
So we're going to do it like that.

00:24:21.790 --> 00:24:28.190
I was actually the only one of two people outside Mr.

00:24:28.350 --> 00:24:32.030
Chris's family that has been that way off.

00:24:32.030 --> 00:24:36.850
And something else he said that blew me away even more was that oh i don't just

00:24:36.850 --> 00:24:43.830
have the cars i've got every model some of them times two he said i'm like dude

00:24:43.830 --> 00:24:49.770
that that is absolutely awesome what an awesome thing to to dream about you

00:24:49.770 --> 00:24:51.990
know those cars becoming available one day,

00:24:52.650 --> 00:24:58.250
yeah it is that this just a certain energy around that whole collection now

00:24:58.250 --> 00:25:04.150
because you can feel the thought that was put into caring for the,

00:25:05.191 --> 00:25:12.131
Tearing for those cars and selecting them and putting them together and taking care of time and crew.

00:25:12.471 --> 00:25:19.611
He was saying he had the 60s models all the way through into the 70s, all times two.

00:25:21.311 --> 00:25:26.851
Buses, Ghia's, Beetles. I'm like, dude, man, wow. All the common Ghia's.

00:25:27.571 --> 00:25:31.091
Yeah, amazing, actually. You know, really, truly.

00:25:31.391 --> 00:25:34.051
One day we'll hear about it. we'll hear about you know

00:25:34.051 --> 00:25:36.991
maybe somebody seeing it or getting it on camera or or

00:25:36.991 --> 00:25:39.731
something like that but that's that's cool i i

00:25:39.731 --> 00:25:42.631
don't i don't want to talk too much more about it because chris said

00:25:42.631 --> 00:25:47.471
let's keep it quiet so i respect that i just wanted to ask if you had ever seen

00:25:47.471 --> 00:25:53.371
it with your own eyes so cool cool thing i'll take you one day yes yes that'd

00:25:53.371 --> 00:25:58.351
be so cool man in the shop you know do you work with customers too yeah yeah

00:25:58.351 --> 00:26:02.511
so my side of things is i like to.

00:26:03.851 --> 00:26:11.071
Build that trust with because it takes a lot for a new website to come up and

00:26:11.071 --> 00:26:16.091
then people to trust it to actually send over their money and use it and you

00:26:16.091 --> 00:26:20.991
send them both and especially in south Africa, there are so many scams.

00:26:21.571 --> 00:26:30.371
And my job is to build that line of communication that they understand and feel comfortable with.

00:26:30.991 --> 00:26:34.351
So I would build up my campaigns and

00:26:34.351 --> 00:26:37.051
share my insights or try to

00:26:37.051 --> 00:26:40.091
build on insights that I learned from clients

00:26:40.091 --> 00:26:44.151
from the bottom up in person and

00:26:44.151 --> 00:26:50.891
then sort of not it's not the hard sell you don't want to sell it hey buy buy

00:26:50.891 --> 00:26:58.651
this buy that it is all about giving advice guidance helping assisting helping

00:26:58.651 --> 00:27:03.071
people get to their goal of having their.

00:27:04.039 --> 00:27:07.219
Dream beetle or beach buggy come

00:27:07.219 --> 00:27:10.039
alive they what they want out of

00:27:10.039 --> 00:27:17.159
the iconic or classic vehicle and and and like like we said when when you drive

00:27:17.159 --> 00:27:22.899
around in your beetle people connect with you instantly easily it's an unspoken

00:27:22.899 --> 00:27:28.079
connection you don't even have to talk about it especially somebody that has experience there,

00:27:28.439 --> 00:27:33.699
but interestingly talking about people and, you know,

00:27:34.399 --> 00:27:38.139
making their dreams come alive through the restoration of their vehicles,

00:27:38.139 --> 00:27:46.539
you have an opportunity to see a part of somebody's life that many people don't get to see.

00:27:46.539 --> 00:27:49.979
And that would be, you know, the potential day of the reveal,

00:27:50.139 --> 00:27:54.599
you know, when, when, when you work on somebody's car for several months and

00:27:54.599 --> 00:27:57.179
then kind of re-reveal it to them.

00:27:58.079 --> 00:28:01.719
I imagine that's got to be kind of an awesome day.

00:28:02.099 --> 00:28:05.659
Do you guys have that opportunity? Do you have that opportunity with people?

00:28:06.139 --> 00:28:13.659
Yeah, because I do love working with clients and sharing my passion with them.

00:28:13.899 --> 00:28:18.999
It is such a special thing to speak to them and work with them because it doesn't

00:28:18.999 --> 00:28:25.619
take three days to totally restore a car or one day like my ride. Right, right.

00:28:26.359 --> 00:28:30.539
No, that was a TV show. It even took those guys a lot longer than that.

00:28:31.259 --> 00:28:35.419
But funny though, hit my ride. Yeah, we know all about that. Yeah.

00:28:36.239 --> 00:28:44.179
And especially with older models, it takes longer to the parts are getting scarcer and scarcer.

00:28:44.879 --> 00:28:53.319
What is the global VW community mean to you in a short description?

00:28:53.919 --> 00:29:00.139
It's a way of reaching, understanding and a mutual respect and love for each other, I think.

00:29:00.659 --> 00:29:06.779
If you can think about, I think in Mexico, the Beatles called the Fushka from

00:29:06.779 --> 00:29:08.999
Brazil to America to Britain.

00:29:10.099 --> 00:29:16.519
There is just an impact and a shared love that brings everything together.

00:29:16.519 --> 00:29:21.919
I feel if it's going to be a thing that crosses borders, it's something like

00:29:21.919 --> 00:29:25.619
that that everyone can find passion over.

00:29:25.939 --> 00:29:30.919
And again, that's kind of why I started this podcast. I feel like,

00:29:31.928 --> 00:29:37.708
With my openness and my ability to connect with people and communicate and my

00:29:37.708 --> 00:29:41.128
lack of opinion, lack of opinion.

00:29:42.588 --> 00:29:46.168
Now, I might have one, but I'm smart enough and I've been around sales and I've

00:29:46.168 --> 00:29:53.088
been around people and business long enough to know that your opinion does not belong in business.

00:29:54.428 --> 00:29:57.968
There's the good, there's the bad, and then there's your opinion.

00:29:58.148 --> 00:30:01.588
And it doesn't matter what your opinion is.

00:30:01.928 --> 00:30:06.728
For you, when you go home and you go lay down on your pillow at night and,

00:30:06.728 --> 00:30:09.448
you know, that's where it counts and where it matters.

00:30:10.208 --> 00:30:13.688
In business, it's important to you.

00:30:14.668 --> 00:30:19.068
Correct. But if you're going to be the type of person that's so opinionated

00:30:19.068 --> 00:30:23.108
that it affects your business life, it affects your paycheck,

00:30:23.108 --> 00:30:27.348
it affects your ability to connect with people because people are like, oh, no,

00:30:27.488 --> 00:30:30.368
I don't like that guy because he's this way or that way.

00:30:30.368 --> 00:30:34.148
I have a problem with that If that's what happens, right?

00:30:34.348 --> 00:30:38.768
Because I don't feel that anybody should be like that I just don't I feel like

00:30:38.768 --> 00:30:43.288
you should be open And respectful And you should be able to do things like this

00:30:43.288 --> 00:30:46.748
I should be able to meet with you in South Africa And even though you have different

00:30:46.748 --> 00:30:51.068
views And different everything We should be able to have a good conversation

00:30:51.068 --> 00:30:52.928
And smile and laugh together,

00:30:53.788 --> 00:31:01.168
And yeah And laugh at each other's quickiness Differences Yes. Yeah.

00:31:01.548 --> 00:31:04.408
Yeah. It's like, ah, I can't believe. Why do you believe that?

00:31:04.888 --> 00:31:07.088
I was like, I don't know, because like, okay.

00:31:07.808 --> 00:31:10.708
Yeah, dude, exactly. Yeah. Good stuff.

00:31:10.928 --> 00:31:16.408
What do you envision for Afro Beetle? You know, you're kind of walking in your passion a bit.

00:31:16.768 --> 00:31:19.008
You know, you're getting some traction.

00:31:20.248 --> 00:31:23.408
What's the future for Afro Beetle and your own creative path?

00:31:23.588 --> 00:31:25.508
I just want to give you a bit of background there.

00:31:25.688 --> 00:31:32.948
I like making my own way. Like after high school, my mother wanted me to go

00:31:32.948 --> 00:31:38.608
to university and study accounting at the University of Stellenbosch.

00:31:38.728 --> 00:31:42.908
She wanted me to do that, but all that was on my mind was music.

00:31:44.888 --> 00:31:49.128
And I made my way to a professional band.

00:31:49.448 --> 00:31:53.708
And then I made my way and I planned my own band to go overseas.

00:31:54.368 --> 00:31:59.908
I didn't have any money to go back to college. study copywriting, but I found a way.

00:32:00.848 --> 00:32:07.408
I like taking on challenges and taking things on in a big way that can make a big difference.

00:32:07.668 --> 00:32:12.368
Taking on big challenges and making something big. I wouldn't want to just open

00:32:12.368 --> 00:32:14.968
a small store that sells vegetables.

00:32:15.748 --> 00:32:19.928
My ideas are I want to sell vegetables to everyone in the world.

00:32:20.828 --> 00:32:27.328
So Afro Beetle, you're trying to find a way to make Afrobeetle worldwide yeah,

00:32:28.552 --> 00:32:33.012
but in a way that connects with everyone. My vision is, because we have certain

00:32:33.012 --> 00:32:35.972
ways of doing our engines and restorations and things like that,

00:32:36.632 --> 00:32:44.672
and there's things I wanna work on to bring out our signature Afribeetle reconditioned engines.

00:32:44.872 --> 00:32:49.592
Because what we share on Developments of Africa, I wanna share that feeling

00:32:49.592 --> 00:32:53.152
I have every day when I wake up here and come to work.

00:32:53.372 --> 00:32:58.552
I wanna share that passion on a day-to-day with other people.

00:32:59.892 --> 00:33:04.292
That's why I like sci-fi, I guess. Like Star Trek and The Orville.

00:33:05.232 --> 00:33:11.052
This futuristic world where you don't get judged on how much money you make,

00:33:11.772 --> 00:33:17.532
but you get judged on how good you are at what you are interested in.

00:33:17.872 --> 00:33:28.332
And whatever your value is rated by how much you help humanity as a whole what you can contribute.

00:33:28.752 --> 00:33:34.392
So that has sort of been my driving force. I could never work for just a big

00:33:34.392 --> 00:33:41.332
salary and just be a robot and work in an accountant's office for 40 years.

00:33:41.532 --> 00:33:47.892
That was never me. And I think it takes it back to our family Caravelle in the beginning.

00:33:48.612 --> 00:33:54.312
We wanna explore, we wanna experience new things, and we wanna connect.

00:33:54.712 --> 00:33:56.412
And that's one thing I found.

00:33:57.594 --> 00:34:03.214
Across all the different cultures is that the one thing that everyone wants is to connect.

00:34:03.434 --> 00:34:07.014
They wanna connect with someone else and share a story. And it's such a simple

00:34:07.014 --> 00:34:09.314
thing, right? Don't we all just wanna connect?

00:34:09.654 --> 00:34:11.234
In one way, shape or form.

00:34:12.274 --> 00:34:18.694
That's what the human element desires. It desires that connection.

00:34:19.794 --> 00:34:26.874
Some people you feel, some people you don't, right? You're like, yeah, not for me.

00:34:27.594 --> 00:34:30.234
No, you can't be everyone's best friend. That's right. Yeah,

00:34:30.474 --> 00:34:32.714
exactly. But it doesn't mean you have to be disrespectful.

00:34:33.334 --> 00:34:37.614
No, no. All right, I got some rapid fire questions for you. So these are going

00:34:37.614 --> 00:34:41.074
to be off the cuff, fast answer.

00:34:41.554 --> 00:34:48.554
All right, rapid fire. First VW you ever drove? My grandma's blue City Golf.

00:34:49.054 --> 00:34:53.594
The one with the blue and then the white stripe at the bottom that says City. 1500.

00:34:54.694 --> 00:34:58.734
If you had to pick one, Comby or Beetle? I'm sticking with the Beetle.

00:34:59.034 --> 00:35:04.314
Yeah, sticking with the Beetle. Do you have a favorite year or favorite range of years?

00:35:04.994 --> 00:35:08.754
I like to, I still stick to the 50s. Yeah. Okay.

00:35:09.234 --> 00:35:15.254
So the early 1950s with the split window and then the mid 1950s with the oval

00:35:15.254 --> 00:35:21.894
and then the 58 and 59 were the first years of the larger back window.

00:35:21.894 --> 00:35:28.094
And then 60 started the new changes, the marker lights on the top of the fenders, etc.

00:35:28.494 --> 00:35:30.634
So, yes, good stuff, man.

00:35:31.094 --> 00:35:36.454
50s are great. I like the 50s just because they are so rare.

00:35:36.594 --> 00:35:40.714
And the chance that you would actually get one is so rare.

00:35:40.894 --> 00:35:43.954
Like, that has always been my taste without me knowing it.

00:35:44.892 --> 00:35:50.472
Is that I sort of find myself that I like the things that are the most scarce

00:35:50.472 --> 00:35:53.032
or that are a challenge to find.

00:35:53.272 --> 00:35:56.192
And that's why it's such a nice place here at Afro Beetle.

00:35:56.272 --> 00:36:04.412
I get to experience so many variations of years and models and clients and what

00:36:04.412 --> 00:36:09.312
they think is great and what is important to them compared to someone else.

00:36:09.872 --> 00:36:11.532
It's an amazing place to be.

00:36:12.452 --> 00:36:16.692
I bet, man. You're fortunate. And you seem to really like what you do And that's

00:36:16.692 --> 00:36:24.032
a plot Alright If you had to pick a song One song that you have to play on a

00:36:24.032 --> 00:36:26.152
VW road trip What's that song gonna be?

00:36:27.272 --> 00:36:30.952
Toto Africa Hey.

00:36:32.512 --> 00:36:40.712
Great song Alright cool man I got a question Off the cuff again But I think

00:36:40.712 --> 00:36:46.232
we're gonna get a lot more than a quick answer Let's do it What fuels Marcel?

00:36:46.672 --> 00:36:47.932
I think it's the curiosity.

00:36:48.932 --> 00:36:50.212
Oh, good answer.

00:36:51.532 --> 00:36:52.412
I know, right?

00:36:54.212 --> 00:36:58.172
Good answer, dude. Curiosity. Elaborate.

00:36:59.772 --> 00:37:04.892
So, my dad always used to retell the story about, it doesn't matter what toy

00:37:04.892 --> 00:37:09.012
I get, I would play with it for five minutes, and then I would take the whole

00:37:09.012 --> 00:37:10.992
thing apart to see what's going on inside.

00:37:11.932 --> 00:37:17.932
And about 83.5% of the time, I would be able to put it back together and it was still working.

00:37:19.128 --> 00:37:22.248
And sometimes it didn't work, but I needed to know.

00:37:22.808 --> 00:37:26.928
And that curiosity mixed with empathy,

00:37:27.768 --> 00:37:32.428
putting yourself in someone else's shoes and understand how their perspective

00:37:32.428 --> 00:37:37.828
is different from yours, but you have a shared, a commonality between you of

00:37:37.828 --> 00:37:40.488
understanding and vibe. Next question.

00:37:42.328 --> 00:37:47.268
No, I think that was good. You know, certainly an artistic type,

00:37:47.488 --> 00:37:53.228
you know, we don't always get, you know, the level of art, art,

00:37:53.868 --> 00:38:00.328
artistic approach, artistic view, or less, not as mechanical.

00:38:00.648 --> 00:38:05.588
Sometimes I have guys on the podcast that are super mechanical, right?

00:38:05.588 --> 00:38:08.768
And they can talk about all the compression and all the, the,

00:38:08.828 --> 00:38:10.328
the different mechanical aspects.

00:38:10.328 --> 00:38:13.848
And then you have sometimes you know a writer a

00:38:13.848 --> 00:38:17.788
storyteller now i have a writer a musician and

00:38:17.788 --> 00:38:23.968
a marketing guy so yeah man awesome perspective and i i value the perspective

00:38:23.968 --> 00:38:31.688
well and that's what i i love about getting into every beetle because i'm this

00:38:31.688 --> 00:38:36.948
creative guy with these hardcore mechanical guys in the trade.

00:38:38.168 --> 00:38:45.468
It is a different role you have to play from being in a woke advertising agency

00:38:45.468 --> 00:38:48.588
to working with people that are in the trade. You know what I mean?

00:38:48.788 --> 00:38:52.148
The hard mechanical engineers.

00:38:52.448 --> 00:38:59.948
And I love that idea that I can fit into and understand this side of the business.

00:39:00.835 --> 00:39:06.435
And give a voice that connects and that perspective. I can connect those two worlds.

00:39:06.855 --> 00:39:10.195
I like living in the Venn diagram of that.

00:39:10.615 --> 00:39:17.775
It's really interesting to be in that space, almost like an observer.

00:39:17.775 --> 00:39:23.875
It's almost like if you can envision an outsider looking in to a certain situation.

00:39:24.255 --> 00:39:27.855
And it doesn't mean that you're an outsider, but I can relate to it and I'll

00:39:27.855 --> 00:39:33.435
tell you how. I got into the HVAC business around 2011 trades.

00:39:33.715 --> 00:39:37.275
And that's what I've done professionally on my professional side.

00:39:37.475 --> 00:39:41.775
I was a technician first, and then I got into sales, and then I became a sales

00:39:41.775 --> 00:39:45.275
trainer and an instructor and then a business coach and then an owner.

00:39:46.275 --> 00:39:53.035
But one thing I have in common with you in that thought is I was an outsider

00:39:53.035 --> 00:39:58.615
in the beginning. When I first chose HVAC as a trade to go learn it.

00:39:58.755 --> 00:40:01.295
I went to school, I learned it, and then I had to start, right?

00:40:01.375 --> 00:40:03.395
I became a maintenance technician or whatever.

00:40:03.595 --> 00:40:07.975
And then you start running calls and you start, you know, entering the customer's home.

00:40:08.255 --> 00:40:12.635
And this is where I just went, you know, light years ahead of my,

00:40:12.895 --> 00:40:19.075
you know, other technicians because of my past experiences and my business ventures

00:40:19.075 --> 00:40:22.855
and just the way that I've been in my life and conducted myself,

00:40:23.175 --> 00:40:25.735
I did very well, very fast.

00:40:25.995 --> 00:40:32.595
Right. So it was like the mixture of the marrying of the many aspects of things

00:40:32.595 --> 00:40:37.655
I've done in my life kind of showing up in this one thing that I do now.

00:40:37.695 --> 00:40:39.935
And it made me very good at it.

00:40:40.175 --> 00:40:45.415
So I would anticipate maybe the storytelling, the culture, the VW passion,

00:40:45.415 --> 00:40:47.855
maybe it all kind of ties together.

00:40:47.855 --> 00:40:55.755
And it's like this harmonious, you know, adaptation to what you do as a professional. But man, I dig it.

00:40:56.035 --> 00:40:58.215
And I think that's why we get along.

00:40:59.135 --> 00:41:01.355
Yeah, definitely, man. Yeah. Yeah.

00:41:02.474 --> 00:41:08.014
The same with me and Mr. Chris. We are also sort of opposites in a way.

00:41:08.534 --> 00:41:11.154
Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's good, though. That's good. Contrast.

00:41:12.374 --> 00:41:16.154
Because the main thing is he hates technology. Computerized car.

00:41:16.394 --> 00:41:22.994
And I also don't like computerized, over-computerized cars with iPads as your

00:41:22.994 --> 00:41:25.654
speedometer and all those other things.

00:41:26.034 --> 00:41:31.374
I'll tell you when I bought out. I was bought in. I love technology.

00:41:31.374 --> 00:41:33.734
I'm not afraid of change. I'm not afraid to fail.

00:41:34.334 --> 00:41:40.034
But when Tesla started locking people in their cars and they couldn't get out

00:41:40.034 --> 00:41:43.134
unless they broke a window or something, dude, I was like, hold on.

00:41:43.714 --> 00:41:50.174
I'm out. I'm not getting locked in my car with no way to get out. No, not me. Nope.

00:41:53.094 --> 00:41:57.454
It's already bad enough when you carry your phone around with you everywhere

00:41:57.454 --> 00:42:00.174
and you're always being tracked or listened to.

00:42:00.514 --> 00:42:02.574
That's right. They're probably listening now.

00:42:04.534 --> 00:42:08.354
If we mention something now, it'll show up on our Facebook feed later.

00:42:09.674 --> 00:42:13.774
That target, that's scary. But tell me this.

00:42:13.914 --> 00:42:18.294
Tell me where people can find you, where they can find AfroBeatle online.

00:42:19.114 --> 00:42:26.234
Maybe even find some of your music. Give me some Instagram handles or some Facebook handles.

00:42:27.234 --> 00:42:30.954
No, AfroBeatle. You can visit our website, afrobeatle.com.

00:42:31.414 --> 00:42:36.494
We have a few parts today. We have explanations of our engines and how we take it on.

00:42:37.034 --> 00:42:41.434
And then we have our Facebook pages at Afri Beetle.

00:42:42.474 --> 00:42:47.054
And then on Instagram, afri.beetle. That's where I found you.

00:42:47.234 --> 00:42:48.934
I found you on Instagram. And

00:42:48.934 --> 00:42:51.834
I don't know. I don't think it was an ad or anything. I think I searched.

00:42:52.334 --> 00:42:58.334
I had made my way over to Africa. And then I typed in South Africa Volkswagen

00:42:58.334 --> 00:43:01.874
Beetle. and I was just going to see what Google showed me.

00:43:02.354 --> 00:43:08.374
And Google showed me that Instagram page almost with the logo that's behind me in my background.

00:43:08.914 --> 00:43:11.874
I think it was a similar, but there was a slogan.

00:43:12.714 --> 00:43:16.194
What was the slogan? Tell me the slogan again. Did you come up with this slogan?

00:43:16.994 --> 00:43:21.054
It's all the same slogan and I'm very proud of it. What is it?

00:43:21.134 --> 00:43:24.054
Tell me again. Power in the back, smiles in the front.

00:43:25.634 --> 00:43:28.554
That's it. Say it one more time. Power in the back.

00:43:30.754 --> 00:43:37.374
Power in the back, smiles in the front Awesome You know, that's like the old

00:43:37.374 --> 00:43:42.154
mullet haircut Remember they used to say Business in the front and party in the rear,

00:43:43.894 --> 00:43:49.274
Yeah, buddy Yeah, that's awesome, man Okay, any other shoutouts Or any other

00:43:49.274 --> 00:43:52.014
handles Or anything that you want to give?

00:43:52.994 --> 00:43:56.614
I would just like to say Big shoutout to the team here at F.E.

00:43:56.714 --> 00:43:59.394
Beetle All our guys in the workshop,

00:44:00.521 --> 00:44:05.881
In the paddle building workshop, in the office, I think we all shine in our

00:44:05.881 --> 00:44:08.641
own ways because we can be ourselves.

00:44:09.981 --> 00:44:11.741
There's magic, what you said.

00:44:13.421 --> 00:44:18.061
That's a beautiful thing. You know, a lot of people leave jobs because that's

00:44:18.061 --> 00:44:19.821
exactly what it is. It's a job.

00:44:19.941 --> 00:44:23.201
They don't feel that connection that we've been talking about.

00:44:23.401 --> 00:44:27.701
And then there are some people that end up at a work where they get to do what

00:44:27.701 --> 00:44:31.881
they love and they get to be heard. and they get to be valued.

00:44:32.201 --> 00:44:37.801
And that creates a force that really, there is no competitor.

00:44:38.161 --> 00:44:44.541
There is no shop that does it better when that recipe has evolved.

00:44:44.801 --> 00:44:49.561
When everybody's, it's like this book, Traction. I think I might have it up here still.

00:44:50.561 --> 00:44:55.581
Gina Wickman, the book is called Traction. And what it talks about is a lot

00:44:55.581 --> 00:44:56.681
of leadership qualities,

00:44:56.861 --> 00:45:00.721
but it talks a lot about leadership and making sure that the right,

00:45:00.901 --> 00:45:07.921
that you're putting the right person, they call it the right butt in the right seat and how, you know,

00:45:08.141 --> 00:45:13.441
you can, people can burn out because a lot of times we ask people to do things

00:45:13.441 --> 00:45:19.281
that they shouldn't be doing just because they can, doesn't mean they should.

00:45:19.461 --> 00:45:22.761
And that's really what, what that book, you know, talks a lot about,

00:45:22.841 --> 00:45:27.201
but man, I respect that and certainly shout out to everybody at Afro Beetle,

00:45:27.381 --> 00:45:28.881
everybody in the shop, Chris too.

00:45:29.381 --> 00:45:32.021
Chris, one day I'm coming and I'm going to see your collection,

00:45:32.221 --> 00:45:35.921
man. One day, one day before I'm gone. All right.

00:45:36.341 --> 00:45:41.781
All right, Marcel, let me give you this final message to fellow VW lovers around

00:45:41.781 --> 00:45:47.061
the world, South Africa meeting with Central Florida right now.

00:45:47.061 --> 00:45:53.281
If you had to give a message or a statement or, you know, a final takeaway to

00:45:53.281 --> 00:45:56.241
VW lovers around the world, what would that message be?

00:45:56.341 --> 00:45:59.261
What advice would you give? Enjoy the ride.

00:46:01.430 --> 00:46:06.410
Life is not a destination. It's the fun of the journey. And what's more fun

00:46:06.410 --> 00:46:11.450
than a 4-to-1 exhaust on a 1600 turn port?

00:46:14.910 --> 00:46:21.870
Making too much noise for Tesla. So enjoy the journey.

00:46:22.070 --> 00:46:25.230
And that's a wrap for this episode of Dub Life Diaries.

00:46:25.510 --> 00:46:29.270
Thanks for riding along with us and diving into these incredible stories of

00:46:29.270 --> 00:46:31.350
the people in the Dove that drive their dreams.

00:46:31.550 --> 00:46:36.170
If you loved today's episode, don't forget to subscribe or hit that follow button

00:46:36.170 --> 00:46:37.490
so you never miss an adventure.

00:46:37.910 --> 00:46:42.430
Do you have a story to tell or know somebody else who's living the Dove life? Awesome.

00:46:42.870 --> 00:46:47.790
Reach out to us. You can find us on all socials at Dove Life Diaries or shoot

00:46:47.790 --> 00:46:49.550
me an email. I'm not hard to find.

00:46:50.390 --> 00:46:55.470
DoveLifeDiaries at gmail.com Until next time, keep the engines humming and the

00:46:55.470 --> 00:46:58.730
wheels turning and always follow the road that inspires you.

00:46:59.050 --> 00:47:02.610
This is Joe Person. I'm signing off. I'll catch you on the next.

00:47:02.640 --> 00:48:00.061
Music.