I have decided to tell you a bit about my background story over the next few editions here, and tell you about some of the experiences and lessons I learned from my days with the limousine service business. The reason is simply because there are so many lessons and key insights to be gained from that episode that I wish to convey to you in pursuit of you finding some of the insights helpful and valuable.
When I was hired as CEO of the fourth-largest car rental company in Denmark, it was both a massive responsibility and an incredible opportunity. The company had national reach, a big workforce (some 200 employees), and a Board of Directors that expected results.
My mandate was clear: Grow the company, expand its footprint, and increase its profitability. The latter certainly came with challenges as the industry was heavily burdened by special taxation and heavy legislation, high investment costs, and very tough competition, and being itself a business that comes with huge operational challenges.
To boot, we were also in the middle of 3 major changes, a generational change (the entire bookkeeping staff of 6 employees all had reached an age of retirement, and seeing that we also were changing the IT system, this staff really didn’t wish to learn a new system, and also probably was weary of having to report to a young kid (I was just 25 years old at the time), now the new CEO of the business.
So, we had a change of leadership and a generational changes, a change of IT systems, and finally we bought the fifth largest car rental business in Denmark and were merging this with our exiating business, and taking over the representation of Budget Rent a Car for the territory of Denmark, which included expanding with several additional airport locations. So lots of additional challenges all at the same time. Eventually, I also had to prepare it for a strategic sale of the business, which actually ended up being for a story of its own, but entailed splitting the activities in three and selling each to three other market operators. But this was several years later.
It was the type of role that demanded everything from me, long hours, high-level strategy, and the ability to steer an organization that was already a household name in its market, but now also needed to merge two wildly different personnel cultures into one seamless organization.
But even as I carried that responsibility, I had the entrepreneurial itch. I didn’t just want to lead someone else’s business. I wanted something that was mine, something where the risks and rewards would fall squarely on my shoulders, but also one, where I felt I could call all the shots and only have to answer to myself.
That’s when the opportunity came to acquire Copenhagen Limousine Service.
I still remember the discussions with the Board of the car rental company. They gave me permission to purchase and run the limousine company, but they made one thing absolutely clear – both explicitly and implicitly. Any and all dealings with the limousine service had to be on my own dime and my own time. In other words, the car rental company came first, and not one ounce of its resources or energy could ever be directed toward my side venture.
On the surface, that may sound like a restriction, but in hindsight, it was one of the greatest gifts I was ever given. Because it forced me to structure the limousine business differently from day one. I couldn’t be in the office every morning, making sure the phones were answered. I couldn’t be the one dispatching drivers, polishing cars, or handling every client request. Instead, I had to build the business to function without me.
That meant finding and empowering the right people to handle daily operations. It meant designing systems so things ran smoothly even when I wasn’t there. And it meant learning how to lead and grow a business from a distance – what I often call “running a business by remote control.”
The results were nothing short of extraordinary. In the first year alone, profits exploded by 3,200%. The company grew into the largest limousine and corporate vehicle service in Denmark. Our cars and chauffeurs served some of the most prestigious clients in the world: U.S. presidents, international royalty, Fortune 500 executives, and dignitaries who expected nothing short of excellence. Copenhagen Limousine Service became a powerhouse brand in its niche.
But here’s the real lesson: I didn’t create that success by working harder. I didn’t create it by doing everything myself. I created it because I couldn’t do everything myself. From the very beginning, I had no choice but to delegate, systemize, and lead at a higher level.
That experience taught me one of the most valuable truths about business: If your business requires you to be there 24/7 to survive, you don’t own a business – you own a job with overhead. A real business is one that can operate, grow, and even thrive without your constant involvement.
Running the limousine service while serving as CEO of a major car rental company was one of the toughest balancing acts of my life. But it forced me to learn the kind of leadership and business-building skills that now form the foundation of what I teach others. It’s not about grinding longer hours, but about building something bigger than yourself. Something that works whether you’re there or not.
I will tell you in greater details what I did, how I did it and what results we achieved. I will relay more of the lessons and insights I gained from my limousine service days, and I will add later on, more insights on all the improvements and better methods, systems and tools, I later acquired and I am showing my private clients that I help gain Ultimate Business Freedom, and superior results, including large growth in their net profits.
Currently, I also have a free little assessment tool, if you would like to check it out. The assessment is on how far along you are in your entrepreneurial journey and as a business owner. Are you a true business owner, or does the business really own you, and you just have bought yourself a job in which you get to work 80 hours a week with little profits to show for?
You can access the tool here: The Freedom Index – Assessment
Although it is free, the tool actually represents the action steps that I use with my clients, who are paying a pretty investment with me, when I help them create greater net profits, while freeing up more time, and working less.
Again, get the tool here: The Freedom Index – Assessment
I hope you will check it out and enjoy it.
And should you have any questions, please feel free to shoot me an email to mp@theautomatedmillionaire.com
