'Change Your Oil, Change a Life'

Oct. 1, 2019

"It’s hard to say that the labels of our roles truly explain the purpose we find in them."

Sometimes, I find it very difficult to explain my job to people—at least in the sense of describing what it is about my work that makes it fulfilling to me. And I think most people who are passionate about their work will relate to this.

What do we do each day?

There are simple answers. You may say that you run a quick lube business. I’d say I’m an editor of a magazine. But that’s where the simple explanations feel like they fall flat, right? Journalist, entrepreneur, technician, shop manager—it’s hard to say that the labels of our roles truly explain the purpose we find in them.

The headline for this letter was swiped directly from our profile feature this month on Ranch Quick Lube in Morgantown, W.V. That’s their slogan; “Change your oil, change a life.” Read the feature to get the full story (“From the Mountain to the Lower Bay,” p. 22), but here’s the gist of it: Stephen Finn and Kevin Bode designed their quick lube business to provide financial support to nearby Chestnut Mountain Ranch, a “school and home for boys in crisis and in need of hope and healing,” according to its website. There are reminders of this throughout their facility, in their marketing, and on their website. It’s prevalent everywhere that the Ranch Quick Lube brand appears. It’s just as obvious to every technician working in a bay as it is to the customer that pulls in her vehicle. This operation’s purpose is clear. 

For the rest of us, it’s not always that simple—or at least, it’s not as overt. But for anyone who’s passionate about his or her work, it comes down to the purpose behind the work, the “why” we do what we do. 

Our goal is to make NOLN an indispensable resource to you in operating your business. We only succeed in our work if we help you become more successful. That’s our purpose, and that’s what we work toward every day. Hopefully, you see it in the pages of the magazine each month, just as your customers and teams can feel the impact of your work each day. If you operate and lead with purpose, it’s apparent to others. It doesn’t need much explanation.