OWNER OF QUALITY FROM COLORADO
“I’ve found my purpose in life, and I know that’s not possible for everyone. Especially when you can’t see your worth and don’t have someone to help you see it.”
Danny Ballesteros started Quality From Colorado, an auto repair shop specializing in alignment, in 2012. He was a talented technician and had a solid starting customer base, but he didn’t think the business would survive. As Danny describes it, he felt like he was always in a rut and just kept digging himself in deeper as he moved in and out of the justice system.
Danny had a relationship with the founders of Second Chance Center, our program partner in Aurora, and he graduated from our second Aurora cohort of Business Launch Boot Camp in 2019. He credits Quality From Colorado’s stability to the support from RMMFI and SCC, but he gained a lot more than business skills in boot camp. Danny now feels like he has freedom and control as a business owner. That’s been particularly important this past year, as he’s been able to manage the stress of COVID without feeling overwhelmed or falling back into a rut.
After Danny graduated from boot camp, people said they could see a difference in him. He thinks what they saw was him starting to believe in his own worth. Danny admits that’s hard for him to do, but he’s now able to see his value through a community that supports him and through customers that come from as far away as Colorado Springs and Silverthorne just to work with him.
RMMFI exists because we know there are people like Danny in every community – full of potential but not always able to see it. We don’t ignore the realities of life’s challenges, but we create the space for individuals to see what’s possible beyond them.
Danny feels optimistic about the future of Quality From Colorado, but he believes it’s important for entrepreneurs to be honest about the ongoing struggles and challenges that come with being a business owner. For him, the key is knowing that he doesn’t have to do it alone. “Entrepreneurs have to have the right team. You can’t know everything or be an expert in all parts of the business. And sometimes you get so deep in the work, you need help taking a step back to look at the whole picture.”
Danny is still in contact with his RMMFI mentors, leaning on them for ongoing learning and encouragement when things get stressful. He’s using the slower pace of business during COVID to build on his foundations for future growth; as Danny says, “Sometimes when we do less, we do more.” Loyalty and service are core values for Danny, and he’s working on an employee handbook and sales script so that he can hire staff that embody those values.
More than 8 years into owning Quality From Colorado, Danny is proud to know that he can not only sustain a business but also support others and be a positive presence in his community. Check out his shop at 9300 E. Colfax Avenue in Aurora the next time your car needs a repair.
