Greg Gonville, 45, is
the regional developer for Honest-1 Auto Care in Philadelphia. Greg received
his B.A. in business management and entrepreneurship from Northeastern
University. He also has his MBA in
technology and e-commerce from West Chester University. As an undergraduate, Greg
put his entrepreneurial curriculum into practice and successfully started two
businesses: a t-shirt production and design company and a seal coating company
for homes and commercial buildings.
In 2000, Gonville went
to work for Sara Lee Household and Body care where he was in charge of $135
million division of the corporation which included brands such as Kiwi, Kiwi Select,
Ty-D-Bol, and Liquifresh. After five years at Sara Lea, Govnille went to work
for SCA Personal Care in Philadelphia, P.A.
But, after years of
corporate management, Greg was ready for a change. After doing his research on
various franchises, Greg discovered that Honest-1 Auto Care would be his next
step.
How did you learn
about the brand?
When I left the corporate world, the personal care
company I was working for was being restructured. I got a severance package and
during that time I was thinking through my career and what I’ve done and what I
wanted to do. I wanted to run my own business and I had always had a knack for
automotive repair. I got together with a broker and they showed me a bunch of
different companies, but I didn’t see anything that interested me. When a local
auto shop came up for sale, I went to visit it. While visiting, I just thought
about all the things I would change. It was dingy and old and dirty and I
wanted to change that. I went to a discovery day for another franchise. While I
was there, I was talking to other prospective franchisees and they told me
about Honest-1, and it was exactly what I was looking for. I saw that they were
looking for a regional developer and that fit my personality, so I shifted from
being an owner to being a regional developer.
What challenges
have you overcome to get where you are now?
One challenge I’ve faced is discipline. When you are an
employee, you get up and go to work. But when you own a business, you have to
have both drive and discipline. Learning to be flexible was also a challenge; when
things change, you have to be able roll with that. Patience is also key in any
business ownership. You have to be patient.
What is your end
goal with Honest-1?
My end goal is to have 15–20 shops in my territory. I
have some great employees helping me and the owners realize their goals. Currently,
I have no shops open, but we will have one open in the second week of September
in Malvern.
What are some of
the publications you read? Local? National? What is your goal publication with
your business?
The Inquirer
Do you have any
interesting hobbies or passions?
I stay active by playing ice hockey and baseball. I am
also married with two children—my son is 12 and my daughter is 15.
Honest-1 Auto Care was recently featured in 1851project.com. The article features A.J. Velazquez, Honest-1 Regional Developer from South Florida. The article goes in depth about Velazquez's life and his travels through his life including his time serving for the Air Force.
