08/27/2024
It's a bittersweet day, as the WTF? Mobile has been officially retired after 15.5 years of dedicated service, the past 10 whilst decked out in the corporate colors. Knowing this was coming, we made sure to take it out last weekend for one last ride to see the Driftless Area and Mississippi River.
It may seem silly to mourn a vehicle, but this one has seen and been through a lot over the years. It was a big purchase at a time when we didn't have a lot of money, so we needed it to last and be dependable. And it was, although I never expected its lifespan to coincide with approximately 33% of mine, and about 50% of the time since I first got a driver's license.
It was put into service about 30 days after President Obama took office; sat untouched for three months in 2012 as I recovered from a broken femur; saw the life and death of one dog and brought home a second this past January; watched me start this business in 2013 and took me to hundreds, if not thousands, of client meetings; made countless round-trips to the Kohl Center, Camp Randall, and Miller Park; helped Katie and me discover our blufftop property in Southwest Wisconsin; and delivered my passengers and me safe and sound to our destinations 100% of the time.
The decision in August 2014 to wrap it with the WTF logo and color scheme was not taken lightly, as the cost of doing so was by far the largest business expense I had made at the time. While I cannot directly attribute any sales or clients to the wrap, it most definitely caught eyeballs and attention wherever we traveled. I loved parking it in high-visibility areas when attending networking events or meetings, as it announced my presence better than I ever could. And, my initial fears of hearing complaints from those who didn't like the logo (or my driving) never came to fruition.
Vehicles were not made to last forever, so this day does not come as a surprise. While it never needed many repairs beyond basic preventative maintenance, it recently passed 150,000 miles and there have been growing signs of distress. The last thing I ever want is to get stranded on the side of the road, no matter if I am one mile or 1,000 from home. It was just time to let it live out its last days on a farm upstate, rolling and frolicking over the hills and prairies. (Just kidding; it's going to auction or perhaps the crusher. But in my mind it remains as free as a bird.)
After some deliberation, there will not be a WTF? Mobile No. 2. While it's been fun getting smiles and thumbs-ups all across the Midwest, it will be nice to be a bit more inconspicuous when out and about. With 11 years of this business under my belt, I am confident my skill set and customer service will sustain my brand and help reel in new clients better than a wrapped vehicle ever could.
So long, old friend. I'll think of you and hear your engine "whine" in my mind everytime I drive up and down the hills of a deep river valley.