“My three kids motivate me to do more everyday,” shares Lance Monday, Owner/Operator of Tint-Tastic in Louisville, Ky. “I’m a single father to three teenagers. If I don’t get up and work for them, who will?”
Hitting the Road
A former machinist of 12 years, 39-year-old Monday opened a fully-mobile window tinting business in August 2023.
“You make something out of nothing as a machinist,” Monday says. “Window tinting is similar. You upgrade a car with a plain appearance. I take a lot of pride in my work.”
Monday applies tint to an average of two cars per day, navigating the expansive cityscape of Louisville. Since transitioning to full-time status in August 2023, he has traveled more than 6,000 miles behind the wheel of his trustyworthy 2010 Dodge Ram 1500.
“My favorite part of mobile tinting is getting to see different areas and meeting new people,” Monday says. “It’s nice not to be stuck in an office. I get to be outside.”
Monday provides tinting services to customers located within a 25-mile radius of Louisville. He charges based on the type of installation service rather than the distance traveled.
“I meet customers wherever they’re at—their house, place of work, and even at their doctors appointments,” Monday shares. “Last weekend, I tinted the van of an HVAC technician during his downtime between jobs.”
With a smile, Monday shares that his tinting projects often draw an occasional audience.
“I remember this one time,” he laughs, “when I was tinting a Ford Bronco in a garage. There were eight guys sitting in lawn chairs, observing the job. They were all excited to watch me tint their friend’s car. Let me tell you, the pressure was on during that installation.”
Supporting Each other
Monday observed a noticeable lack of support in the manufacturing and machining sectors.
“Not many people want to help you get better,” Monday says. “If you know it, you know it. If you don’t, you don’t. They’ll just move onto the next person.”
Transitioning into the window film industry, Monday anticipated encountering similar attitudes among colleagues.
“I wasn’t expecting anyone to embrace me,” shares Monday, an Edge dealer. “But I was welcomed with open arms. It has inspired me to help others, too. Someone might be struggling with a window, about to give up on this whole thing. I want to make sure newcomers have the same support that I’ve had. I could have easily given up a long time ago.”
Picking up New Techniques in Houston
Monday recently participated in an Automotive Window Film training class held at the Autobahn, Huper Optik, and Edge headquarters in Houston, Texas, spanning from February 21 to 23, 2024. Hosted by Training Coordinator George ‘El Chingon’ Nevarez, the session saw Monday pick up a new installation technique.
“Before the training, I was done with the two-staging method,” Monday shares. “I would have never attempted it again if I didn’t go to that training. After the training, I successfully two-staged a 2021 Chevrolet Express Cargo Van.”
Refining his skill set and embracing new opportunities, Monday is poised to propel himself even further.
“My current goal is to capitalize on the momentum my business has,” Monday says. “I want to carry that into a potential brick and mortar location someday, offering mobile services as a secondary option.”
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Lance Monday, Owner/Operator of Tint-Tastic in Louisville, Ky., is a valued member of Edge’s growing dealer network.
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