What a 3 months it’s been. As evidenced by my lack of blogging, one could have easily concluded that too many medium-rare steaks had finally caused my demise, or, as it turns out, that I have been overwhelmed.
It all started back in early May, when a pretty good guy who happens to be in charge on the two CBS owned television stations in Sacramento offered me what can only be described as a fantasy for a working class kid who was raised by a single mom in a not-so- great neighborhood of New York.
“So, you want to do a TV show?” Kevin asked bluntly.
“Umm, yes. Please?” I whispered back. I’m sure I stammered.
Thus began the last 100 day journey that culminated this Sunday with the 3rd LIVE episode of The Car Czar Show with Cal Worthington sitting next to me on my very own set. (A pretty cool guy, by the way!)
I came home after the show yesterday with my head spinning. I cuddled with my kids on the couch. I felt numb. Unworthy. And I felt eternally grateful.
Grateful surely to station management for the incredible faith and confidence they have offered. Grateful to our staff and crew for their hard work, and certainly grateful to my family for putting up with me during the last several months of endless meetings and as many late nights in front of my laptop creating yet another test script.
But mostly, I am grateful to you. The viewer. You are my friends. You are my customers. You are the ABSOLUTE REASON I DO THIS.
I will let you in on a dirty little secret. I really don’t like being on TV. I am well aware that I’m too old, too ugly, too fat, and too void of any traditional talent to have any business being in—well—this business!
But the reason I do this now and will continue to do this until I drop is I because I serve you.
Completely, absolutely, and unconditionally. I answer to no one. No automaker, no parts supplier. I answer only to you.
I am keenly aware there are a lot of bad guys out there posing as mechanics. I’m equally cognizant that as an industry, we mechanics have benefitted for generations by keeping you, the paying public, as much in the dark as possible. And here’s a reality check: our collective and cultural ambiguity served us well. We fixed your cars. We took your money. And often we, as an industry, misled you.
Well that all changed more than 15 years ago when KMAX asked me to join their team in order to shed some light on the business of cars. A guy named Brent was my boss then. And remains so to this day. This guy deserves a free oil change for putting up with me, for sure.
So, here we all are. A new decade. A new show. But I arrive here with the same old mission: and that is to inform, to empower, and to educate. To dispel the myths, to challenge the status quo, to HELP YOU.
So as we move forward, towards what we pray to the Almighty will be a long run of Car Czar Shows, I am more committed than ever to YOU. Always know that. Always believe that. And always remember that after I kiss the foreheads of the sweetest kids in the world on any given night, that my thoughts inevitably turn to all of you. The viewer. For you all are my boss. But better yet, you are all my friends. I will never, ever, forget that.
Doug Brauner is the OWNER/OPERATOR of The Car Czar Auto Repair in Sacramento and Citrus Heights, CA., as well as the Host of THE CAR CZAR TELEVISION SHOW. Coupons for FREE auto repair can be found at www.thecarczar.com and www.facebook.com/thecarczar.
