Driven by faith

Barry Meguiar is a “car guy” driven by his faith. His cleaners, polishes and waxes are favored by car manufacturers, car dealers, detailers, body shops, car museums, car restorers and serious car enthusiasts the world over. He is the host of Car Crazy Radio, which airs in 85 markets across the United States, and Car Crazy Television, which airs every Thursday night on SPEED Channel. He sponsors the Meguiar’s Award at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, which honors the Person of the Year for the Car Hobby, which has 30 million active participants. Throughout the years, the driving force behind his company’s extraordinary growth has been the platform his company provides him to share his faith. Meguiar spoke recently with Associate Editor Kirk Noonan.

PE: How did Meguiar’s become the top-selling brand of car wax in America and one of the largest in the world?

MEGUIAR: By surrounding myself with very talented people who are passionate about cars and the creation of products that can make cars look their ultimate best … but, who are even more excited about doing that within a Christian environment that strives to honor God in everything we do. All of our vice presidents are Christians. We recognize how dependent we are on God and marvel at how He does exceedingly abundantly more than we could ever ask for or even imagine.

PE: What was the inspiration for your Car Crazy radio and television programs?

MEGUIAR: Many of the most famous people in the car hobby, like Carroll Shelby, are personal friends with amazing stories about why they are so car crazy. It occurred to me that millions of car guys would love to hear their stories and millions more might decide to join the car hobby after listening or watching this kind of a show.

PE: Why have your programs been so successful?

MEGUIAR: Car guys — and gals — love to listen to other car guys tell their car guy stories. It makes us feel normal when we hear other people talking about their emotional relationship with these mechanical objects.

PE: Why are people so passionate about their cars?

MEGUIAR: There are a multitude of things that drive the passion — from the sheer beauty and design of certain cars, to the brute force of enormous horsepower, to the deep throaty sound of a hot rod, to the historical significance of the car, to the joy of feeling 16 years old all over again driving a car from that era of your life.

PE: Why are you so committed to growing the car hobby?

MEGUIAR: I love the car hobby because I love cars and I have great appreciation for the roles they have played in society over the last 100 years. The car hobby is playing a powerful role today in breaking down ethnic, social and economic barriers. Working on cars keeps kids away from the negative influences of life and, when their dads are involved, it builds unbelievable bonds between kids and their parents.

PE: Do you share your faith on the programs?

MEGUIAR: Every chance I get — but I do it subtly. I often refer to God or a passage of Scripture in the conversations I have with my guests. When I interview a believer on the show, I make sure that what they say about their faith does not end up on the cutting room floor.

PE: When did you accept Christ as Savior?

MEGUIAR: When I was 12, an evangelist came to our church and I went down to the altar and gave my life to the Lord. But I really came alive in my faith when we started attending Santa Ana First Assembly in California, which is now called Orange County Worship Center. It was there, 35 years ago, that God used a pastor named Sevelle Phillips to revolutionize our lives. He introduced my wife, Karen, and me to the wonders of the Spirit-filled life and ministering to others.

PE: What principles have made your company so well-respected?

MEGUIAR: We’re far from perfect, but we try to honor God in everything we do from the way we conduct our personal lives and treat our people to the integrity of our products and our product claims. We are consistently the top-rated car wax for brand loyalty because the performance of our products almost always exceeds the expectations of our customers.

Everyone who knows me knows that I live by Proverbs 3, which tells us that by trusting the Lord with all our hearts, instead of depending on our own talents and wisdom, and by honoring Him in all our ways, He will direct our paths. The management of our company stands as a living testimony to the truth of this promise.

PE: How do you cope with the stress of running an international company?

MEGUIAR: I don’t really have stress. We’ve had our moments when we thought we might lose the company because we were growing too fast, but those experiences accelerated our spiritual growth. Our confidence is in God, not our company. I tell our people that when we fret, we are telling God that we don’t trust Him. If the business should ever go away, it will only be because He has a better idea for how we should be spending our lives and our resources.

PE: Talk about the one time in particular that your business struggles taught you a spiritual lesson.

MEGUIAR: My biggest trial was a year-and-a-half struggle when I was making panic calls to find bridge financing to keep us afloat. I was praying more than ever with nothing happening. Most of my calls were not returned and those that were said “No.”

I literally shook my fist at God saying, “I have served You all of my life and I don’t deserve this.” I guess I thought I was someone special. Then one day I heard a radio preacher say, “Whatever fills your prayers is your God.” That hit me right in the forehead because all of my prayers had become focused on my business. I fell on my knees and said, “God, I’m sorry and I release this business to You.” By simply allowing God to take control, and trusting Him completely, I immediately experienced the peace that passes understanding and my faith allowed God to put my life back together again in short order.

PE: Besides God and cars, what else are you passionate about?

MEGUIAR: Almost 30 years ago, I prayed a fervent prayer asking God if I should leave my business and go into “full-time” ministry. Fifteen minutes later, a Christian brother named Dave McNutt walked into my office and told me that my business was my pulpit, and that my business gave me the opportunity to minister to people that pastors could never reach. God allowed me to see that we are all in full-time ministry. From then until now, my passion for winning others to the Lord has been my top priority.

PE: Your goals for the next five years?

MEGUIAR: We are witnessing the results of the church losing its saltiness and being trampled under the feet of man. Most Christians feel if they attend, serve and give to their churches, they are doing all that God requires of them … while they are surrounded every day by people who are lost and heading for destruction. For the next five years, my goal is to build a ministry that reminds laypeople that we are the church outside its walls, and that the responsibility for where we will be as a nation in the years ahead rests squarely on our shoulders.

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