Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Louis Lee. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Louis, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Resilience is an age old challenge for the business minded in general. Persistence and Resilience are inter changable. The desire to finish what one started. I continue to drive with the single minded purpose of succeeding in my career choice. It’s so convenient to change the flavor of the week with a different objective when the going gets tough. If your able to over come this obstacle and not give up the rewards will be at hand.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Our hobby shop is operating in it’s 24th. year. Located in downtown San Pedro, Calif. at just under 10,000 sq.ft. of retail space. We are recognized as one of the largest independently owned Hobby shops in the United States.
It is a throwback to where one can actually touch and feel the collectable at hand, and not just stare at a computer screen. There is no denying the Internet has dominated the hobby industry, however people need to engage, reliving your childhood, there is no price tag on that!
After 15 years of development we have just launched a “Kickstarter campaign” to film “A Model Life”, a reality made for T.V. series, the concept is simple: ” The story of man and machine”. We connect people who were instrumental in the development of a car/plane/rocket etc. and build the model version of it. We visit museums, airports and show the audience the actual piece of machinery whenever possible. Our talented crew of craftsmen build a scaled down version of the machine in question. Celebrities are also slated to participate in the on going series.
To participate please log onto: “A MODEL LIFE KICKSTARTER’
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Awareness of the market conditions: When covid struck, we were all impacted by the severity of the disease as it spread worldwide. With plunging sales and foot traffic we needed to quickly pivot and address the situation.
One of the way in which we accomplished this was introducing the world of “3-D Printing”. Our two expert craftsmen are able to repair or create objects that simply was not possible one generation ago. 4 years later with (6) 3-D printers they run practically 24/7.
2. Customer needs: Identify what people desire. We feature both plastic and die-cast cars, sci-fi collectibles,
sport memorabilia, music dept. 8,000 book library upstairs. And a ton of vintage plastic model kits through out the shop. We travel extensively when time allows, we enjoy finding the hidden gems through out the country that we display at our shop.
3. Craftmanship: We at J.D. Hobby Center take great pride in creating objects that most hobby shops do not bother with. Example: One day the L.A.F.D. approached us and asked if we could replicate a 1920s “Fireboat” that was used to put out fires at sea. They had no blueprints and with some old black and white pics. our talented crew was able to re-create a 4′ Fire Boat utilizing the 3-D printers, and old school air brushing techniques. This took over 1 year to accomplish. It is now proudly displayed in the L.A. Fire Museum in downtown L.A.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My father without question influenced me in my career. My father started a “Wig” business, both toupees and womens wigs. One day the movie studio approached my father and asked if he would create the facial hairs for a new T.V. series called “The Planet of the Apes”. He hired a chemist and proceeded to create all the facial hairs of the ape creatures. He then went on to create the outer hair for Dino DeLaurentis re-make of “King Kong”
That creative spark he possessed was shared in our DNA. I enjoy that creative challenge to make things better and to see the results of your efforts.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdhobbies/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064800573809&locale=et_EE&paipv=0&eav=AfaquVTJ14Z8NDCdfZL-Vjvkrr0XPPZ6r5hCKM_WJ4fTeDzRdRjsB1UdbtbYpnXTA5g&_rdr
- Other: n/a
Image Credits
Louis Lee – JD Hobbies
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
