We’re looking forward to introducing you to Gabriel Campolla. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Gabriel, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about your customers?
Psychology is a funny one in this industry. I’ve learned that customers don’t want great results; they don’t care much about brands, they don’t even seem to care about quality… well, most of them. Most of the customers in my industry are completely attached to names like “ceramic” and “graphene.” The truth is, there is so little of each of those chemicals in a bottle of car-care solution. And, there seems to be “ceramic” everything. Folks ask me if my products are ceramic based, and won’t even give me the time of day to educate them as soon as I say “no, we don’t do anything with ceramic.” Those who know TEYKO, however, know there’s no subtitle for good, ol’ fashioned carnauba. Of course psychology is huge in marketing, but boy… the degree at which “ceramic” has people fooled was definitely not on my bingo card!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Gabriel and I am the founder of TEYKO® Automotive Lifestyle LLC. As the name suggests, TEYKO produces automotive care chemicals and lifestyle products. We do things the old way – carnauba where we can, and honest, powerful products in general. We don’t do gimmicks; we don’t do trends; we don’t have time for any of that. We produce world-class products that truly leave people speechless.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Interestingly, I was a CEO as a child! Well, that’s what I envisioned for myself and pretended, anyway. When I was a tot, I was first a car designer, then I began planning the launch of my own car brand. Think Elon and Tesla, just a wee bit younger. My life suddenly changed in high school and all those aspirations just disappeared – I became the 9-5er that was just making ends meet; hated life; no goals; the whole thing. Then, I got my foot into real estate sales (and lots of sales training, mindset shifting, reading, and learning) and after a few years of that, my entrepreneurial spirit slowly came back. Now, I run an award-winning emerging chemical company that has built a small, but mighty following.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
There was a time, a lot of times, that I was made to feel as though I was responsible for maintaining other people’s happiness, satisfaction, success, and general well-being. That makes for a heavy, heavy existence. We had a saying in the house: “if mamma isn’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” which was said as a kind of joke… but there was a lot of underlying truth. What this did was cause me to alter my opinions, actions, and beliefs to prevent upheaval from my family. It wasn’t thaaaaat dramatic, but I really couldn’t like certain cars like hatchbacks or wagons, brands, or other interests without some sort of unrest.
Thankfully, that has all changed now. As I’ve grown up, I’ve learned that I can have an opinion and speak my mind and that others’ happiness is not my job to take care of. I absolutely want everybody to be joyous and encouraged, but I won’t compromise my positive energy to attempt at reviving or maintaining someone else’s.
As a child, this is particularly difficult to deal with because you are so dependent on your parents, guardians, family, or other significant people in your life. Growing through adulthood, though, brings independence. As your life starts to take shape, it matters less-and-less if those around you are 100% satisfied with what you are doing.
That, of course, is not an invitation to do anything malicious or harmful to yourself or anybody else. For me – I’ve always held high standards for myself. I’ve always cared greatly about my reputation and relationships with others; and I still do. Though I’ve never tried drugs; I don’t do anything unscrupulous, I don’t cost anybody anything, I have really cool goals, I do really cool things, and I have been told that I improve the lives of nearly everybody I come into contact with; some folks still find something to be upset about. Sometimes, it’s that I don’t call or text back with enough urgency; sometimes, it’s that I don’t make enough time for others; sometimes it’s that I don’t listen to unsolicited advice; sometimes it’s even that my goals and ambitions are “too big.” For somebody that doesn’t cause disruptions in the lives of others, I sure do have a whole lot of people that disapprove of what I do. And it hurts. It’s hard to bring so much to the table and have it be met with the disapproval of such superficial things.
I’ve discovered that the folks that chronically have problems with what I am doing don’t actually contribute to the success of my goals. They don’t support my brand, they don’t pay my bills, they don’t motivate me… nothing! So, busting my back to keep them happy is pointless. It’s difficult to distance myself from people I truly love and care for, but it is a requirement for me. I have a rule that I don’t dismiss people from my life. I will not “kick anybody out of my life,” I won’t block you, won’t tell you to leave me alone, nothing. I express my feelings about the situation, and move on about my day. If you want to keep in contact with me, I’d be happy to have you in my life. If not, I’ll see ya ’round. You’d be surprised how many people in my world just assume that I think “I’m too good” for them or that I have some sort of elitist mindset – it couldn’t be further from the truth.
What helps me heal from all of this is keeping focus on the projects I’m working on, and feeling grateful for enjoying time with people while it was enjoyable. So many of these people have taught me so many great things and a lot of what I learn from others gets applied in my projects and day-to-day life.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, the public version of me is indeed the real me, albeit, very much de-contented. I say that I “de-content” myself because there is an enormous amount of happenings in my world that go on behind the scenes that nobody knows about. I tend to be a private person, but I can be an open book when I’m around the right people, so some people are aware of bits and pieces of some of the things I’m doing.
Currently, I have 8 very large initiatives going on, which does get a little stressful at times. Each one of these 8 is enough to fill the plate of the average person, so juggling 8 has made for an interesting year. These initiatives came about in early 2025 when my mindset toward goals shifted from numerical milestones to actionable ones. I used to set goals, usually income goals, which would then allow me to do fun things. Makes sense, right? After 13 years of of that – and failing nearly every year – I removed numerical goals in favor of actionable items. So, now I am working on a few projects that I can do regardless of financial standings and It’s made for a much more enjoyable and exploratory year. TEYKO is one of these 8 initiatives, and you’ll just have to follow me to learn more about the rest as they develop. It’s still too early in their stages to share much.
The short answer, though, is yes; what you see is what you get. The compassion, the empathy, the bright smile, the enthusiasm… all of it is real. I don’t suppress feelings, and there is no guess work. Many find me a comfortable, safe space. I’m easy to talk to and I always listen. Additionally, I don’t pass judgement. As long as what you’re doing is legal, ethical, and safe – I’m truly happy for you and I will do what I can to support it. All of that is real, and those who have spent time with me can attest to it – it’s remarkably uplifting when people can be their true self and it’s equally beneficial to me to be able to allow them to do it.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
If my name, role, and possessions went away, what would remain is the spark of light and hope I have restored in so many people.
I have been referred to as an “undercover angel” more times than I can count. I have a way of relieving stressful situations, building hope, and sparking imagination into many people I encounter. A few examples of this are:
I helped a friend from high school see-and-feel the value within herself, and prevented her from attempting to take her own life.
I guided many people through the largest and most stressful transactions of their lives (real estate), one of which had just lost her husband and didn’t trust literally anybody. She was a tough one to crack – but at the end, she gave me a huge hug and expressed her gratitude for the unique person I am and how much my spirit had helped her through the toughest chapter of her life.
I inspired a young gal to explore her purpose and was a major part in bringing her into her faith and accepting Jesus Christ as her savior which has drastically improved her life.
I have been a valuable resource for a friend in starting his own clothing brand.
I’ve brought many folks into the car-enthusiasm world where they are exploring an amazing hobby that brings them true joy.
I don’t feel like I’m anything special, but the feedback I get would indicate that I’m leaving a pretty good mark on this world and I feel like that will outlive myself and anything I own or create.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.teamteyko.com
- Instagram: @teamteyko
- Twitter: @teamteyko
- Facebook: @teamteyko
- Youtube: @teamteyko
- Other: TikTok: @teamteyko
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
