>> When they tell you it doesn’t exist, can’t be bought, and isn’t possible. <<
Hi loves.
As you may know, two years ago I drove off the Mercedes dealership lot in Tulsa, Oklahoma in my white C 43 AMG Convertible and drove straight to Santa Barbara, California.
I have never regretted this decision for one single moment of my life.
Last week (two days before my lease was up) I headed to the Mercedes Benz in Santa Monica with my bff Stephen in the car.
Back story: I had been having a very difficult time finding the cars I wanted. The sales associate I had previously worked with in Oklahoma was telling me that both of the cars I don’t exist. He was unsuccessful at finding me any suitable alternative vehicle solutions.
The person at the first dealership we went to yesterday was also very non-helpful, uncertain and not getting much done.
Second back story: When I leased my last car two years ago they gave me a very hard time about being an entrepreneur. They did not care that I had good credit, that my income was high or that I had money in the bank. They told me no to my dream car. And I ended up paying for the full lease up front of the car I ended up getting. This was so frustrating as someone who had just made half a million dollars the year before. (This was the very beginning of 2017.)
Back to present day: Stephen and I roll up to Mercedes.
He reminds me, “Amanda you are going to get what you want. No matter who you have to talk to or where you have to go, you are going to get the cars you want. Hopefully we can find a sales person who understands this.”
There was a man standing near the door shaking hands with another man as we pull up. I roll down my window.
“Hello,” I say to the man. “My lease is up on Friday. I would like to find a new car. I’m Amanda Frances… Am I allowed to park in here?”
“No.” he said. “But park there anyway. I am going to take care of you.”
He brings me to the desk of a sales person. I tell him the kind of car I want. I am very specific. (I wanted a 2019. I wanted a very certain model that they don’t make many of. I wanted the sports edition of that model. I wanted a convertible. There was only one exterior color and two interior colors I was interested in. I was unavailable for most everything… like very unavailable.)
“That car doesn’t exist.”
“Please check.”
We go back and forth for maybe 3 minutes while he looks through inventories in his computer.
“Holy Shit. I found your car,” he says.
He begins to describe a car to me that is BETTER than the car I was looking for.
“How do you feel about flat white paint?” he says.
“Mercedes doesn’t make flat white paint,” I reply.
“How do you feel about black with white interior?” he asks.
“I want nothing more in life than white interior,” I say.
I begin to geek out.
“Holy Shit. This car will be fast,” he says.
“I like fast,” I reply.
“You are going to have to put $20k down for me to be able to get you this,” he says.
He explains why he thinks this is true.
I let him that I don’t want to put that down. I show him my credit report, my mobile banking app, and remind him that I am loyal to Mercedes. I even offer to show him my tax returns. lol
THEN the finance guy comes over. Apparently he was the guy that I met in the driveway of the dealership.
The sales guys tells the finance my feelings.
“I’ll get her whatever she wants,” he says. And then he calls the bank.
The sales guy says, “Okay. I’ll get the car here tomorrow morning.”
“Are you sure? That is in less than 12 hours,” I say.
Then he says, “You heard him. We are going to get you whatever you want.“
I then make my very small down payment.
I then put down a deposit for my DREAM CAR. (Yes, a second car.) That should be in less than 3 weeks.
And that is my story of how I got everything I wanted…
… including the things that they swore didn’t exists, couldn’t be made, and weren’t possible.
If you think the above sounds a little bratty, high maintenance, or ridiculous… You’re welcome.
Chances are you could use a little unapologetic certainty and desire in your life as well.
This isn’t about a car.
This is about defying the odds, showing up for yourself, and not taking ‘no’ for an answer.
This is about trusting that what you want is always possible.
This is about saying no to what you don’t want and yes to what you do and hell yes to something even better.
This is about what you believe you are worthy of.
This is about standards.
This is about progress, opportunity, certainty and confidence.
This is about you having it all.
Even when — especially when — it looks impossible.
I love you always.
