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Meet Shahe Koulloukian of Mazvo Car Care Center in Central Phoenix

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Shahe Koulloukian.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Shahe. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My story is embraced around connecting with all kinds of people from around the world and it is a long one indeed. I have been very fortunate to have lived in over 9 countries and blessed to speak 6 languages fluently. I was born in Beirut Lebanon and I am Armenian by nationality. My family left the war in Lebanon in the early 70’s and we began our journey by living in Lyon France, Damascus Syria, Madab Jordan, Tel Aviv Israel, Hannover Germany, Milan Italy, Kano Nigeria, Toronto Canada and finally landing in Philadelphia Pa.

My travels are due to my fathers business. He was a cobbler by trade and opened up shoe factories all over the world and then would sell it as a turn key and move on to the next. I was privately tutored until I arrived to Philadelphia and began attending normal schools.

My work experience began at the age of 7 years old. My father had me working in a French bistro at 7 cleaning green beans and shallots. Next thing you know, I’m embraced in the culinary world. From that moment, I continued to work with every opportunity in the culinary world until I arrived in Philadelphia. My father believed that I should embrace every trade possible to see what touched my heart the most. So, after the food experiences in Europe, the US experience began at my uncle’s mechanic shop.

The moment of clarity for my mechanic experience was when my uncle gave me the keys to his tow truck and had me drive to visit a stranded customer on the side of the road; mind you I was barely 14 years old, never driven a car in my life!

So, 2 phone books on the seat and away I went. When I arrived, the gentleman was shivering on the side of the road as it was February and snowing heavy. I asked him, what’s wrong and he said it won’t start. I excused my self and walked across the street to a pay phone and called my uncle, what do I do?? He tells me there is a can of CRC spray in the back of the truck, open the air filter lid and spray it while you count to 10, wait 5 minutes, push the pedal the floor and keep cranking the car until it starts!! OK, I said and got the vehicle started.

The look on this guys face to see a 14 yr old start his car was priceless!! He gave me a $20.00 tip and man did I feel so proud of myself!! At that very moment, I knew that whatever I did, I wanted to experience that same gratifying feeling!!

After that, I worked with a family friend who owned a jewelry store and was learning how to size rings, set diamonds and wax casting of rings. Then, off to a famous cinnamon roll café making pecan cinnamon rolls and pizza shop and dry cleaning store, not to mention my father’s shoe repair store to learn how to cobble and repair shoes.

This went on until we moved to Phoenix Arizona. I was again introduced to an Armenian family friend who was a manager at a Volvo Dealership. He took me on as an apprentice to learn the auto mechanic trade. I began going to school to get certified and worked my way through the dealership to become a service manager. At the same time as working at the dealership, I was working at line cook at a Creole restaurant. I would go to the dealership at 6:30 am until 4:00 pm, change clothes and clock in at the restaurant until 9:30 pm.

This continued for several years until one day I was given the opportunity to work as a Sous Chef at Hilton resort in Phoenix. At that point, I had left the auto industry to pursue the culinary trade full time for the following 2 years.

One day, I was approached by a coworker and was complimented on how I made our work environment fun. This only because I always joked and used funny accents and characters I made up –(influenced by people I met throughout my travels). He insisted that I go to an open mic night at a local comedy club and so I did! Now, I began doing stand up comedy to the point that I would travel and perform in Vegas, NY and Canada. Well, after several years working as a chef and comedy, I met my wife to be and decided that I needed more of a stable work schedule to start my family.

So, I walked away from Hilton and the comedy world and went back to working as a service manager at a local dealership and after many years of dealership life, I had enough of the BS of allowing the dealership to cheat consumers by lying and overselling.

So, I decided to open my own repair shop and use my passion to empower consumers to understand the fundamentals of auto repair and take away the fear of the unknown. In 1996, I open Mazvo Car Care Center and began my new journey. 22 years later, 85% of my clients are women; I offer 2 free car care classes a year to women, men and young drivers on the basic understandings of automobile ownership. They learn how to jump-start a car, how to change a spare tire, how to check their oil and fluids, how to check tire pressure and air filter and most importantly, how to not be afraid to ask questions and be in control of make sensible decisions when it comes to what repairs are needed and what can wait.

While happily and passionately running mazvo, one day in 2008 an old comedian friend of mine called me from LA and asked if I would be interested to revive one of my comedy skit characters for a movie he as directing. After about an hour of convincing, I decided to take him up on his offer and flew out to LA and shot this wonderful movie called Ashley’s Ashes with Daniel Baldwin. Next thing you know, 12 years later I’m blessed with doing over 12 film and TV projects with an IMDB profile.

My father had many old schools saying, one of which was “BE A CONSUMER OF LIFE” “SHAKE EVERY HAND YOU CAN AND LISTEN TO EVERY VOICE THAT IS WITHIN YOUR HEARING”

Well, I guess that enveloped my personality and I just never seem to stop wanting to do new things and I had always wanted to open a restaurant but knew that my love for empowering all my Automotive customers wouldn’t allow me to walk away from 22 years of owning my auto repair shop. After a bottle of very good Cabernet, one day I decided that if I cannot have a restaurant, the next best thing would be a food truck. This would allow me to run my auto repair shop Monday through Friday and my food truck on the weekends to pursue my passion for cooking that had me inspired back in Lyon France when I was 7.

In 2014 I purchased my food truck THE FLING PIGEON and began working it on weekends only and we serve global cuisine inspired by all my travels and experiences. Here I am now in Phoenix doing what I love to do and happily married for 24 years, with 2 wonderful boys 22 and 19. I live to inspire and empower! My auto repair shop allows me to educate my community. My food truck allows me to introduce my world travels through my customer’s palates and my family allows me to be the consumer of life I started out to be.

This is my brief story so far, time will only tell what new ventures I jump into….

Has it been a smooth road?
Sure, every business has struggles and challenges. I was never greedy to take more from my business. What I mean by that is that I never went into it based on money. I went into it with a commitment that I would educate and empower every person that came in my path and The strength of my business has always been to expose the truth. My goal is and will always be to solve your needs, not sell you problems!

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Mazvo Car Care Center – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My company’s core clients are women, 85% to be exact. I spend more time on the phone empowering and educating more then I do working on cars.

I have people that call me from other states asking me about advise, what do say, what do I look for, what’s my next step because they feel like they may be being taken advantage of by whomever is currently working on their vehicle.

They do this because they were referred by a friend or family member that is a current customer of mine locally and that is the core my business, to educate, educate, educate!! It’s only dangerous if you don’t know!!

I teach 2 free car care classes a year. Designed to empower women to get over their fears of the unknown. This class is designed for women, however its also open to men and teenage drivers as well. I have a female police officer that also is on site to educate the public about the do’s and don’ts of safety when it comes to being stuck on the side of the road or being approached by strangers that want to assist you.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Our city/my city is such an open canvas for greatness!! We have an amazing economy, we always have!! Our city has an amazing blend of people from all over and the opportunity for growth is open to anyone that is willing to give a try!

Our food scene has blown up and it is a very exciting time right now! Like any city i have lived in, you have to take the good with the bad. It boils down to understand why you are here? People move for climate, people move for money, people move for family, but you you have no clue of what makes you happy, then it doesn’t matter what city you live it.

I believe our city brings us people in search of themselves, our city for some reason has a way to bring out the best in people. At least, that’s how i see it.

The challenges that i see at the moment is the pace of growth. We growing fast, but i don’t think we are ready for it. Our city streets/highways and traffic is going to be our down fall if we do not implement better public transportation and renovation and expansion of highways and streets.

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