Tylor Solis’ phone was buzzing nonstop at Edge’s 2025 Dealer Conference in Atlanta, Ga.—long before he was named one of three Edge Dealer of the Year award winners.
“My wife kept texting, ‘Did you win? Did you win?’” Tylor shares. “When I won the award, she was the first person I sent a photo to. We were both so happy—because I love tinting, and the recognition means a lot.”
From Odd Jobs to Opportunity
Just seven years ago, 25-year-old Tylor’s path was hazy, his resume a patchwork of odd jobs that failed to spark any real passion.
“I never saw a clear career path for myself,” Tylor says. “I bounced between call centers, drove for Uber, and worked as a cart attendant at Target—always moving, never settling. I thought about college but had no idea what I wanted to study. I figured I’d be one of those guys who jumped from job to job every few years.”
Then, window tinting changed everything
“I fell into it by accident,” Tylor says. “My friend and roommate was a paint protection film (PPF) installer at a shop that needed a porter—someone to shuttle cars back and forth from local dealerships.”
As the shop grew, so did its need for more hands. Just three months in, the owner offered Tylor a new opportunity: tinting.
“It took me forever to get,” he admits. “I thought it was the hardest thing in the world. I had never done anything like that before. I remember studying how to tint every night at my apartment, watching YouTube videos.”
Learning the Craft
In his first week, Tylor learned how to use plotters and handle automotive film. By week two, he was tinting quarter windows and applying sun strips.
“Those projects gave me an understanding of how film works and interacts with glass,” shares Tylor, who helped his dad with wedding audio tech on weekends—hauling speakers and setting up equipment.
By week three, he tackled his first full window.
“I was heavy-handed, creasing the film constantly,” Tylor laughs.
What started as an opportunity soon became a passion—and, eventually, a career that would earn him one of the highest honors in the industry.
“Once I learned how to tint, I fell in love with it,” Tylor shares. “I knew that I didn’t want to do anything else.”
A Sturdy Future and Foundation
As Tylor built his future in tinting, he found something even more meaningful—his strongest pillar, his wife, Kayleigh.
“We met at a Starbucks in Target,” he remembers. “It was December, and they had the Chestnut Praline Latte. They only have it during the winter. She was getting the same thing. I told her, ‘Same drink, huh? I love that drink—it only comes out around the holidays.’ We started talking at a table, I asked her on a date, and the rest is history.”
The two started dating just as Tylor was learning to sling film.
“She saw me start—she saw me struggle,” he shares. “I always talked with her about how frustrating training was. I’ll never take her support for granted.”
After five years of tinting in Utah, Tennessee native Kayleigh encouraged her new husband to take a leap of faith—starting a new life and business out East.
Hazy Tinting – Established February 2023
In February 2023, Tylor launched Hazy Tinting in Knoxville, Tenn., offering mobile window tinting services to The Volunteer State.
“At that point, I had the skills,” Tylor says. “I was confident enough to take the leap and start my own thing. It was scary, but my wife believed that I could learn the business side of things.”
His first job as a business owner? Tinting an early 2000s Buick Regal for his father-in-law’s co-worker.
“The customer wanted all the old, bubbling film removed,” Tylor says. “It took me all day—7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. I was at my in-laws’ house, scraping tint all day. The old tint came off in flakes. I remember thinking, ‘What did I get myself into?’”
Tylor shares that it was the kind of nightmare installation every tinter dreads.
“In the beginning, I said yes to everything,” he remembers. “No one knew who I was. My son was born around the same time, and I knew failure wasn’t an option—quitting wasn’t an option.”
One Car at a Time
One car at a time, Tylor built his reputation—first on the road, then from his garage.
“Year one was tough because everything was mobile,” Tylor shares. “I was always working outside—I had a heat stroke that first summer. But I met a lot of great people. Car enthusiasts will spread the word if you do quality work and stand by your word. That first year was all about building connections with the community.”
In year two, Tylor started running ads and creating content for Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
“When I learned how to edit videos and market my work, everything started connecting and paying off,” Tylor says. “My first post on TikTok brought me three new customers. People will inquire about my services because of videos that do really well. Social media is like a big billboard.”
At Window Film Revolution’s 2024 Family Reunion in Chattanooga, Tenn., Tylor had the chance to meet some of the content creators who had influenced his journey, including ByeongYeol Park, Owner of Korea-Tinter in Gwangju, South Korea; Eliu Albelo, Owner of Best Deal Window Tint in Orlando, Fla.; Alexis Figueroa (‘El Magic’), Owner of Magic Shade Window Tinting and Detailing in Fort Worth, Texas; and Mike Norng, Co-Founder of Houston’s Automotive Film Specialists, and Auto Film Mastery.
“The social media side of window tinting is my favorite part,” Tylor says.
Honing the Haze
Tylor’s business name is a nod to Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, where fog drapes the peaks and valleys in a soft haze. In many ways, that haze mirrors his journey—the twists, turns, and uncertainties he’s navigated while building his career.
“When I first started, I was fully mobile,” Tylor says. “Two years in, I converted my garage into an installation space. One of my mentors, Victor Sanchez, Owner of Exclusive Quality Tint in Caldwell, Idaho, started in his garage and now owns a shop. That’s the path I’m following. Right now, I’m focused on leveling up this garage. The goal? A brick-and-mortar shop.”