Nothing is Given
Luck in the traditional sense doesn’t figure into Rodger Lee’s story. As he sees it, luck is something you build yourself. As reflected in his attitude about demolished Lego creations, Rodger got through life by seeing every step backward as an opportunity to take a few forward.
This attitude served him well the day he lost his job as a tractor mechanic — one in a stream of mechanic gigs he had throughout his early career. His departure came a few months after he started renting out a garage with a few friends as a space to work on their cars. Rodger made a deal with the landlord: in exchange for doing some tenant repairs, he would move from the 700-square-foot box he worked in to the 1,800-square-foot space up front. The rent would gradually increase toward the new rate each month, which lit a hot fire under Ironworks Speed & Kustom — Bakersfield, California’s newest fabrication shop.
The fire worked, and so did Rodger. Seven days a week, many hours a day. He lived in that garage until it burst at the seams, and he had to move into a larger space. With 4,000 square feet and a lot more foot traffic downtown, Rodger could hire more hands, service more cars, wow more customers, and, most importantly, try a few things out.
“I'm a gutsy guy. When I opened my shop, I had never built a complete car, and I hadn't done a lot of welding fabrication projects. I just had the ability to try, and if it didn’t turn out, try again. I'm a firm believer that a failure is only a failure if you don't learn something from it.” – Rodger Lee