Business owner is changing the car detailing industry for women

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    HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (KCAL/KCBS) — A trailblazer in Huntington Beach is changing the way the car detailing business looks one job at a time.

A place which at first glance looks like a normal detailing business, but “normal” in this industry would mean a man would be at the top. At Studio94, the owner is Jessica Tran.

“In the car industry, I think in any branch of cars, typically you would see men, but I just gravitate towards this,” Tran said.

She said her high school basketball coach got her into car washing and detailing back when she was a student.

“He had his own mobile detail business and in summer months after practice he offered all of us, ‘Hey if you want to make $10, $20 come help me wash cars,'” Tran said. “At the root of all of this, I really enjoy cleaning. I have this fixation on things, and I just want to do it right.”

It’s a passion that’s led Tran to become one of very few women in the business.

“I don’t know, it also feels weird to be called a ‘trailblazer,’ now I’m getting all nervous again,” she said.

The numbers show she is a trailblazer. The career platform, Zippia, said only a little more than 10% of all auto detailers in the U.S. are women, while nearly 90% are men.

“I’m surprised at that stat. I thought there were more,” Tran said. “Honestly, maybe because a lot of my mutuals in this industry are women.”

Tran first started out with a mobile detailing business and during the pandemic she decided to post videos of her work on TikTok.

“Literally the next morning I woke up and I had 10,000 views on one of those,” Tran said. “My social media presence still feels like a fever dream, and it definitely has contributed to this a lot.”

One thing led to another and pretty soon Tran had turned her passion for cleaning into a fulfilling reality that’s inspiring change in the business across the nation.

“She has no clue how much of an influence she has,” said Daulton Lantow, head detailer at Studio94.

Lantow has known Tran for more than a decade.

“All these detailers, especially girls now like coming out of the woodworks opening their own shops,” Lantow said. “She doesn’t think she has any part in it and I’m like it’s all here.”

Lantow started working at Tran’s brick and mortar when she opened it nearly three years ago and he’s seen the business grow firsthand.

“I love it here. It’s a dream come true,” Lantow said.

While social media may have broadened Tran’s client base, it’s her unwavering determination that’s turned her mobile business into what it is now.

“I really do appreciate the bigger picture of all of this because this is why my parents came to America,” Tran said. “They are from Vietnam. They come over during the Vietnam War.”

At times, days can get long and exhausting, but Tran said she never gets tired of doing what she loves, breaking barriers and normalizing women at the helm in this industry.

“As far as like finding success, I think if you just believe in yourself, you’ll find your footing,” Tran said.

She is changing the industry one job at a time.

“Put the detail in detailing,” Tran said.

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