Red Journey 2017

Great job Adams Polishes, I keep using the hand sanitizer when I'm on the construction sites.
 

Friends, thank you.  Thank you for caring enough to post your thoughts, and taking time from your life to do so.  Thank you for making your feelings known,  and I can appreciate that you feel we have drifted from our core.  Thank you for continuing to care about our company and brand, even though it's not the company and brand that you supported initially. 
 
The reality:  I understand your point.  We have become a much larger enterprise. At the same time, our customer base has changed as well. Over 60% of our customers are under 30 today!  We have a fantastic marketing department that turns out limited edition promotional products and Adam's branded apparel. While I certainly appreciate the sales, it's not something I had in mind when we started. Nor would I ever have thought old or limited edition products would sell for hundreds of dollars on eBay. Never in a million years, and our marketing team has created tremendous brand equity, and demand.
 
I started this business to offer great detailing chemicals, matched with premium application and removal tools, and easy to understand instructions.  (Eventually, videos, to help the DIY enthusiast achieve incredible results at home, with ease.)  Above all, I want our customers to be impressed with the quality, ease of use, and results achieved with everything that comes from Adam's.  
 
The reality:  The promotional stuff sells, and the new majority of our customers are young.   I now have partners, a bank expecting us to meet goals, etc.  It's not just me and my small team, boot strapping to make payroll, and kick out a few new products each year.  Adam's Polishes has grown exponentially, and as a result, it has changed.  While the changes at Adam's are good for some, they are not appreciated by all. Especially the original customers, those who remember us small, with nearly all American made products.  Those who have supported our brand for a decade or even two. 
 
As some of you are aware, our ownership group acquired our chemical manufacturer last year, and now have access to truly amazing chemistry.  We have invested heavily in the business, updated the lab, and are now making products that are more advanced than the big players in our industry.  Crazy enough, we now have 150 employees, plus another 25 part time show champions.  While I'm humbled that we have established a much larger company, and are roughly 10X the size we were just a few years ago, I also miss the old days.  I miss the days of taking our entire staff out to lunch daily.  Miss indoor parking and a cross-fit gym at the HQ.  I even miss the days of whacking payroll on a credit card, and living in my first warehouse.  While those days were tough, doing whatever it took to survive was invigorating, exciting!  It's hard to do things like that as a large company.
 
You asked about DVK?  Dylan VonKleist is incredible at identifying and developing new products.  He knows detailing as well or possibly better than I do, and has his thumb on the pulse of the detailing community.  He was instrumental in starting this very forum!   I also miss Ashley Wilson.  She worked with us since high school, with her fantastic dad, Mike, one of our original team members.   Ashley was amazing with our resellers, and everyone she came in contact with.  When we moved the business to Colorado, she was unable to move with us, understood.  We had an outstanding controller, Patti.  She started with us in 2009, and helped us get through many, many hurdles.  Her positivity and influence on both me, and the staff was awesome!  She eventually moved on to work with a non-profit, which helps children.  Understood, and she is missed by all of our employees that knew her, and was replaced by a super capable CFO and eventually, an accounting team of five that are much needed to keep this enterprise afloat.  Great people, certainly needed, but a big company team is different feel than a small few person team.  Realize, those people who are gone have moved up, and as our business grew, we had to make changes.  We are friendly with each person that moved on, no bridges were burned in the making of Adam's Polishes!
 
I introduced Dylan to Cody, then the owner of Cyclo Tools, and he was hired there.  Then, Cyclo was acquired by Rupes, which is how Dylan landed there.  It was a good fit for him, the right move at the time.  Truth:  Dylan is one of the smartest, most OCD, focused detailers I've ever known.  His focus on detailing products made our line better, and makes Rupes a better company today.  We never replaced Dylan, and are still looking today. (If you know someone, please shoot me an email with a resume: Adam@AdamsPolishes.com.)  

Today:  Our customer service team is awesome.  Our marketing team, led by Matt Butcher, is amazing.  Our chemicals are outstanding, and our ceramic program is world class.  Our towels and accessories are very good as well.   As I always say, "VOTE WITH YOUR DOLLARS!"   We are one of the only companies on earth that honors a 110% Satisfaction guarantee.  Pleas, return any product you are dissatisfied with.  Whining about products online doesn't solve a problem.  Remember, you get 110% refund on products you are unimpressed with. Please, no whining, just contact us so we can make it right!
 
I gave 200% to Adam's Polishes for decades. (Gave 200% to detailing for the previous two decades as well. Been detailing for nearly 40 years now!)  Today, I've shifted priorities, to a family man, and business man.  In that order.  I used to come home after work and get on AdamsForums, and on other social media platforms.  Today, when I'm home, I'm a Dad, and husband. Today, I don't always get to the HQ, rather, I travel all over for business.  I'm on a plane at least 4X a week, and while my United Airlines status is rocking, my absence is noted at home.
 
God has been incredibly good to me, and our business.  I'm so blessed to have had the opportunity to start and grow this business from zero. Blessed with an incredible and dedicated team.  Blessed to have met my wife, and blessed with our three healthy children.  Blessed to live and work in Colorado.  Blessed to have incredible customers who care enough to report your feelings on our direction!  
 
Finally, I encourage everyone to VOTE WITH YOUR DOLLARS!  Focus on the high quality products that keep your car shining, and your shine therapy soothing.  I'm still detailing something every week, sometimes daily.  It's my therapy.  It's always been my therapy.  Detailing is how I unwind and find clarity in this complicated world.  
 
I'm here as the Chief Detailer, and Founder of Adam's Polishes.  I'm not the CEO, not the marketing director, just the Chief Detailer.  If you don't like a product, please, contact our customer service team, and we will make it right.  (orders@adamspolishes.com, or 866-965-0400.)  When I tune in to listen to people complain about our business, it certainly hits a nerve.  If you have a product that has not impressed you, please contact us!  Vote with your dollars, and you will see more products that you love from Adam's Polishes.
 
Thank you very, very much for your loyalty, and for your business.
 
Humbly,
Adam

I really like the spray coating and would like another bottle.

I really like the spray coating and would like another bottle.

Friends:  We started this shine-therapy forum over a decade ago!  Time sure does fly....doesn't it?
 
Thank you for being here, and participating in this shine-crazy community.  Thank you for your business, and for voting for products you like and don't like with your dollars.  Thank you for helping us create better solutions.  Thank you for calling attention to areas or products we can improve.  Thank you for helping us grow this business exponentially, I'm humbled beyond words!
 
Please, SMILE while you type....
 
Thank you for not using this forum as a place to air negativity.  Thank you for always being respectful of other members, and our employees.  Thank you for  using detailing, your therapist, or exercise, or meditation to work through your issues, when you feel like life is tough.  Thank you for making AdamsForums a positive and pleasant place to hang out!
 
In 2008, when we started this forum, we had 6 employees, and a few thousand customers.  Today, we have 125 employees, and over 300,000 customers.  One thing we have learned, for absolute certain:  WE ARE NOT PERFECT!  There was exactly one person who ever walked earth, who was perfect.  We are not Him.  We are not even close.  
 
If you are feeling perfect, like your finish is 100% swirl free, and never needs cleaning or polishing, if you feel like your poop doesn't stink, like you walk on water, and are comfortable coming here to blast members or the company who pays to maintain this community, please, don't.    Need to get some negativity off your chest?  Find a dirty or swirled up car to detail.  Find a therapist, let out a primal scream, go for a run or hike, a mountain bike ride, go ski or snowboard if that's your winter kick, like it is mine! 
 
There are many ways people like to get negative energy out. Blasting other members, or this enthusiast forum sponsor probably won't help you turn your frown upside down.  Please come, hang out, be kind, give and get detailing help, and understand:  We want to earn your business, but more importantly, we want your kindness. 
 
Vote for the products you like with your dollars.  Don't buy stuff you don't like, but please, don't bash them.  If you cannot understand the marketing team's decision to bring on a particular product, you are probably not the target customer!   I have never watched TV, don't buy soda or potato chips, and don't follow sports.  Do I hang out bashing Coke, Ruffles, or slamming the Super Bowl?  Absolutely not, it's just not worth the negative energy!  (Plus, my kids, wife, and employees need me to be a positive influence.)
 
 
So friends, I've instructed our incredible  Forum Leadership Team to permanently remove AF members who regularly post negativity.  Threads that are overrun with negativity are also going to be deleted, unless they offer detailing solutions or help to members searching.
 
As the only AdamsForums sponsor, we want people to feel great about being here.  
 
Thanks for your business, and your smile, and here is my Primal Scream, after getting this off my chest!
 
 
 

Couple pictures from Saturday 

Couple pictures from Saturday 

I agree it was a great time. My son is standing behind Eddy in the picture above and and that's my red shoe in the picture. 

Couple pictures from Saturday