Meet Justin Stricklin | Auto Hail Repair & Collision Repair Shop Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Justin Stricklin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Justin, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
I have found over the years I have to ask myself this question, What is your Why? By knowing your Why will give you the answer of giving up or push harder. A Why isn’t just anything, its big, something that is bigger than you and carries alot of weight. For some it could be achieving financial freedom, getting that dream home, living longer and healthier, saving a relationship, or even their children. When I face adversity, I have to sit back and determine the answer for myself, and then take action. I dont like to give up without a fight, so I always come back stronger even if I took many punches. This past year has been the slowest season for us, but I have my Why set for my children, to become bigger to be able to be the father they deserve and give the life they dream about. We have faced times of nearly going out of business this year but during those times I had to sit back and make adjustments to my business strategy, some failed some worked. But thats what its about, keep trying and find the ones that work, be consistent in that.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
In 2013 I connected with some successful friends from high school, in asking what they credit their success to, they said auto hail repair. I wanted in, so in 2015 I started working with them, also set a 5year plan to having my own company. I took many notes on the positive and negative things in the industry and how companies operated. I quickly went independent working for many companies over 30 states in a couple years still taking notes. In in 2017 I made some bad decisions and lost everything becoming homeless. With mentorships and friends i was able to pick myself up in 2019 with a new game plan and hunger to succeed. In November 2019 I opened my first shop, After The Storm Hail Repair in Grand Prairie, making it in time to stay on track with my 5yr plan. When I started, I wanted to give back to the community, so we do events here and there. We have done college game nights, family game nights, and various charities at our shop. Most notable is our annual Letters To Santa, Santa Paws, and Easter Paws event for the children and pets of families in DFW metro. Also, we set a family atmosphere including our Delilah, the shop bordoodle dog that greets everybody, and want all customers and potential customers to feel welcomed and like family.

This culture has brought success and the ability to expand services and company. We now not only do hail and dent repair, but also mobile detailing, ceramic coatings, car rental services, and collision work. Most recently we launch our second physical location in Arlington, After The Storm AutoworX, a full service collision shop.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One thing that saved me was dancing when I moved here. Im from Arkansas, bible belt where dancing is viewed as bad for many, so I never experienced it til I moved to Texas. My favorite spots in DFW would be Guitars & Cadillacs in Fort Worth and Cowboys Red River in Dallas. Ive made many friends and the music and dancing is so much fun there.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Over the last few years I have endured many struggles and heart breaks. Most would have just given up completely, but I found many mentors and friends here in the DFW metroplex to help keep me going and give me hope. They taught me that anything is possible and that its all here I just have to get up dust my boots off and do something. One of the ones I credit the most to is Hilary, she is my closest friend, through everything she has encouraged me with honesty and love. Sometimes I didnt want to hear what she had to say about things and other times I begged to hear what she had to say about them, but I appreciate everything good or bad. She is always brutally honest with me. Her insight is valued, her intuition is always spot on too. She works very hard with her own company as well. Without our friendship, I dont know where Id be today.

Website: www.afterthestormhailrepair.com

Instagram: atshailrepair

Facebook: @atshailrepair

Other: www.afterthestormautoworx.com
IG: atsautoworx
FB: After The Storm AutoworX

Image Credits
In the photos we have my lead technicians Mark Sinnott, and Keith Lessing pushing dents and I estimating a vehicle.