Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauralee Schmidt.
Lauralee, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I knew as a little girl growing up in Kentucky that I wanted to chase a bigger life than ones around me. I grew up with such a wonderful supportive family and they gave me strong wings to fly with. So fly I did. Growing up I played with makeup on my barbies, and they were my favorite client. But as life transitioned, I moved on to play makeup on real life humans in New York City. A long career in makeup artistry was born, and a dream was achieved to leave the area I was in and start an adventurous life. Makeup pivoted me in all sorts of directions, leading me into all sorts of fascintating worlds and opportunities. As I slinked in and out of the industry, I would occasionally do something corporate to learn a new skill and build onto my resume, but I knew I would probably end up owning my own business in the end. Multiple states, events, and companies later, I ended up back in the midwest, a place I swore off at age 17. And here I have a husband, kid, some furry dogs and a full life that I got to build my way. On the property we own there is a place I can still offer makeup services and a greenhouse where I grow starter plants for gardens. And back in 2022, my husband asked me to be his partner at his autoshop, so I am a part owner in that venture, and an educator inside the automotive industry on the topics of Business Process and Branding.
It is a full life, but it is mine, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve never once gone to a good destination and not had some rough road to travel along the way there. There is no reward without a little struggle. So to say the roads been smooth is laughable. Instead, I akin it to the mountains and trails my husband manuevers when doing hard enduro rides. I actually can’t think of many times prior to 2020 that were too terrible. I had a great career run and things were really quite easy and building well. I had been very blessed. Then 2020 came, and Covid started the most intense downfall ever in every facet of life.
Covid created a terrible lack, the mass influx, of clients at our business. Since we work on cars, we were essential and stayed open. That cost us enormous money we weren’t making, but we had a team to protect. Luckily, PPP and EIDL loans came thru to assist in the worst time of our professional lives. So we stayed focused, stayed talking honestly on how we felt mentally through it all, and balanced the best we could.
2020 also put us in a terrible car accident that cost me personally 2 years of intense pain and suffering, an eronious and unjust court case, tremendous loss, and extreme stress. It was not a good time.
2022 brought surgery on the spine and neck that should have happened 2 year prior right after the accident. I’m not sure how I made it through those 2 years, but it was unwaivering support of my husband, my family, and 2 team members that gave me the strength and power to get through. I finally had a turn around physically, but things were a mess at the business. Employee issues had ramped up 10 fold since 2020, and we were struggling to find honest and talented humans with the skills we needed. But we pressed on, stayed focus and stayed the course.
Here we are in 2025, and I’m sure the year will have it’s ups and downs. And that’s ok. I know there is no down I can’t get up from as long as I try. And that goes for all of us.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about SCHMIDT AUTO CARE ?
I am so proud to be a part of such an amazing organization as Schmidt Auto Care. When my husband opened the doors in 2009, he wanted to give excellent car care at a great price. And he has more than achieved that. Our award winning shop is a state of the art and filled with up to date technology and best auto techs in the area. We pride ourselves on taking care of all makes and all models, and doing that with integrity, excellence, and superior service.
We are more just than an auto shop. We are a full service facility that offers curbside service for pick ups and drop offs of you or your vehicle, we offer a full digital inspection so there is no confusion on what your car needs, and we have an app we built for our guests to keep them updated on all their car needs and repair histories. We are veteran run, female owned, and community centric.
We are extrmely proud to be a family owned auto shop taking care of Ohio families.
What’s next?
All I have are plans for the future. We will continue to grow and expand our shop. We have very specific 5 and 10 year goals laid out for the shop and we are chipping away at it day by day. Within that industry, I hope to continue and grow my status as an educator. That is a place I feel I can make a difference. I will continue to expand and grow my greenhouse. This hobby has turned into quite a passion and that passion is bringing joy and plants to communities. I look forward to turning my 5 acres into a vegetable plant jungle.
In my cosmetic journey, I will keep that a private studio and only do jobs that I feel moved to do.
But my most important job that I do now, and will continue to do, will be homeschool my daughter. We started that journey this school year, and to say it has been the biggest blessing would be an understatement.
For me, I’ve seen a lot of professional successes. And I’m so proud of them all. But to be honored to be a wife and mom may be my biggest trial and accomplishment yet. What is a life full of business accolades if you have no one to share it with.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.schmidtautocare.com and www.thegreenhousegirlsproject.com
- Instagram: @schmidt.auto.care @the_greenhouse_girls_project
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SCHMIDTAUTOCARE and https://www.facebook.com/thegreenhousegirlsproject
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraleedavis/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@schmidtautocare
