Meet Edwin

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Edwin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Edwin below.

Edwin, 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?

My resilience comes from the responsibility I have to my family and from the strategic mindset I developed through chess. Chess taught me three things I use every day as an entrepreneur: anticipate problems before they arrive, make clear decisions under pressure, and understand that you don’t quit a difficult game — you find a way to turn it around. That’s how I see my work: it’s not luck, it’s patience, discipline, and always being ready for the next move.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m the Founder & CEO of Reliable Executive Services DMV (RES-DMV), a luxury ground transportation and private tour company serving Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. We provide executive black car service, airport transfers, corporate transportation, and customized private city tours of Washington, D.C. We also support special events and VIP travel, with a fleet that includes Cadillac Escalade SUVs, Suburban/GMC SUVs, executive sedans, Mercedes Sprinter vans, and minibuses for larger groups.

What makes our service special is that we combine transportation with hospitality. We don’t just “pick up and drop off.” Our clients get a professional driver, but also a local insider who knows the city, understands timing, security, discretion, and comfort. For visitors, especially international travelers, we offer private, bilingual tours where we customize the experience around what they want to see — monuments, history, politics, culture, even food stops. For corporate clients, we focus on reliability, presentation, and trust. Many of our clients are executives who need on-time service and confidentiality, and we take that responsibility seriously.

This business started very small: just me and one SUV. I built it step by step, ride by ride, relationship by relationship. I’m an immigrant, and when you arrive in a new country you learn resilience fast — you learn to solve problems, you learn to be calm under pressure, and you learn to deliver excellent service every single time because your name and your reputation are the business. That mindset is still the core of our brand today.

Right now we’re growing in two main directions. First, we’re expanding our private tour experiences, including winery tours in Virginia and custom city tours of Washington, D.C., for families, small groups, and VIP travelers who want a more personal experience than a large bus tour. Second, we’re building partnerships with international travel agencies and concierge services so that clients coming from Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East can pre-book reliable executive service before they even land in the U.S.

Something I’m very proud of is that we’re not just a “car with a driver.” We’re building a standard. Clean vehicles, professional appearance, safety, respect, and a calm, human touch. I believe luxury is not only the car — luxury is how you are treated.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1.- Resilience
I started from zero in a new country, so quitting was never an option. You have to keep going even on the hard days.
Advice: Build discipline. Show up every day, even when you don’t feel like it. Consistency beats talent.

2.- Service mindset
In my business, you’re not just driving someone. You’re protecting their time, comfort, and peace of mind. That’s what creates loyalty.
Advice: Treat every client like they’re your most important client. Be early, be respectful, communicate clearly.

3.- Strategic thinking
I’m a chess player, and chess taught me to think ahead and stay calm under pressure. Business is the same: you always need a next move.
Advice: Don’t only worry about today. Ask yourself where you want to be in 12 months and start building that now.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for me was teach me responsibility and faith. In my house, nothing was “given” — you earned it. They taught me that your name, your word, and your relationship with God matter more than anything you own. If you say you’re going to do something, you do it, even when it’s hard, even when you’re tired. That mindset — discipline, integrity, and gratitude to God — is the foundation of how I live and how I run my company today. I’m grateful for that every day.

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Edwin Colmenarez

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