Milo Zaharias graduated from La Jolla High School on May 29. But mere hours before he received his diploma and turned his tassel, he was hard at work on a car detailing assignment in Bird Rock.
He worked a little faster and checked the time more often than usual (while not sacrificing the quality of service, he added), but still, the graduation day festivities didn’t stop him from chipping away on commissions for his personal business.
That continued on the five days after his commencement, as he fulfilled one service request per day.
“At night I got to celebrate,” he said. “But during the day I was working.”
At 18, Zaharias is a budding businessman offering curb address painting, window cleaning, power washing and, most recently, car detailing in and beyond La Jolla. This summer, his entrepreneurial endeavors have a direct goal: helping to pay for college.
Zaharias is soon to attend IE University in Madrid, Spain. Before he moved to La Jolla, he spent three years in France and was taken by Madrid when he visited there. He also chose it because of its relative affordability.
Before he moves to Spain for his higher education, Zaharias hopes his services — car detailing in particular — can match or exceed his current pace of 20-25 commissions per month.
Zaharias’ makeshift business traces back to his freshman year at La Jolla High, when he began offering curb address painting to better identify locations for delivery services such as DoorDash and Amazon and to ensure that first responders could find homes in case of an emergency.
That endeavor, while successful, wasn’t very profitable. After cleaning windows with one of his friends and a two-year stint working at Jeffs’ Beach Burgers in La Jolla Shores, Zaharias decided to become his own boss again and focus on car detailing, or cleaning, polishing and restoration.
Detailing each car lasts about four hours, he says. Though he could add to his current workload, he places a strong emphasis on quality.
“Since I started car detailing, I’ve become a perfectionist,” he said. “So whenever I’m, let’s say, vacuuming the car, I try to get every single spot, and if there’s one little thing, I’ll take however long it takes to fix it.”
Starting his business wasn’t as much of a challenge as marketing it and establishing a consistent customer base, Zaharias said. But a combination of in-person and online outreach led to a marked increase in commissions.
“It’s pretty hard because you keep going door to door and people keep telling you ‘No’ or … ‘Oh sorry, we can’t,’” Zaharias said. “It tires you down in a way, but it also teaches you that each door is another opportunity to get another customer.”
But it was Nextdoor, not door to door, that ultimately led to his rise in commissions. In particular, one post in May on the social media platform opened up a larger customer base.
The post was simple: “College is expensive and I’m doing everything I can to pay my own way. I’m 18, starting school soon and willing to work hard for anyone who needs help.”
Zaharias says he’s not looking for handouts but rather for opportunities to work and earn.
“There’s a financial target, but also throughout high school [and] throughout my life, I’ve been focused on my big goal, and that’s becoming successful with being able to maybe live in La Jolla and have a family,” he said. “And I think being able to run my own businesses and learning how to do that could really help me further on in life.”
For now, Zaharias said, his next four years are marked by some uncertainty. What he does know is that he’s dedicated to learning as much as he can about launching businesses and that he will keep his eyes open for more opportunities along the way.
“I will definitely start some sort of business, because that’s just how I’ve always been,” he said. “I can’t really go on throughout the years without starting another business.”
To contact Zaharias about his services, call 858-333-9323 or email milozaharias485@gmail.com. ♦
