EP #80 How A Family-Owned Detailing Shop Keeps Car Care Affordable And Honest

Small business stories often sound glamorous from the outside, but the truth is built from grit, late nights, and a stubborn belief that service matters. We sit down with Jessica “Jessi” Ferguson of Less Messy with Jessi Detailing to explore how a woman-owned, family-run operation grew from one set of tools into a trusted mobile and garage-based service across Fredericksburg and surrounding counties. You’ll hear how she learned the craft, took the leap from a nine-to-five, and set prices to keep professional auto detailing within reach for real families.

We dig into what “maintenance, not miracle” looks like for your car. Jessi lays out a clear 3–6 month schedule that keeps interiors from becoming crumb city and protects exteriors from brake dust, hard water, and bird droppings that can etch paint and corrode finishes. She explains why regular decontamination and protection can extend your vehicle’s life, safeguard resale value, and make every commute feel better. If you’ve wondered whether detailing is a luxury or a necessity, this conversation gives you a practical framework to decide—and a plan to stick with.

Beyond polishing paint, this is a Fredericksburg story. Jessi shares what it means to build a local brand with real roots: a legitimate website and phone line, a family shop you can visit, and community partnerships like the Green Thread project. Her advice for new founders is simple and sharp—ignore the noise, do the work, and keep your head down until the results speak. If you’re looking for honest car care and a reminder that small businesses thrive when neighbors show up, you’re in the right place.

Subscribe for more local founder stories, share this with a friend who loves their car, and leave a review to help other neighbors find the show.

Jessica Ferguson

Less Messy with Jessi Detailing

lessmessywithjessi.com

[e-mail]

[phone]

Episode Transcript

Speaker (00:01):
This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors
Podcast, the place where localbusinesses and neighbors come
together.
I'm your host, Dori Stewart.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
Welcome back to another episode of the FXBG
Neighbors Podcast, where weshare the stories of our
favorite local brands.
Joining me today, we haveJessica Ferguson.
She is with Less Messy withJessi Detailing.
Jessica, welcome to thepodcast.
Hi, thank you for having me.
I'm excited to dive in andlearn more about you and about

(00:37):
your business.
So let's start there.
Share with us a little bitabout Less Messy with Jessi
Detailing.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Well, Less Messy with Jessi Detailing is a locally
owned company.
It's woman-owned and operated.
It's also family-owned andoperated.
It started back four years ago.
And here we are today.
We're locally owned andoperated with our family members
working with us and sometimesour friends.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
And yeah.
Amazing.
Amazing.
So share with me a little bitabout the operations.
You go out to your customers'homes, or how does that work?

Speaker 2 (01:16):
Yes, ma'am.
So I do mobile detailing aswell as I do garage
appointments.
I have a shop in Fredericksburgthat I use.
It's actually family-owned aswell.
It's my aunt's.
So I work out of there and aswell as doing mobile
appointments.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
I travel all over the Fredericksburg area and
surrounding counties.
Amazing, amazing.
And so you do interior,exterior, the whole works.
Yes, ma'am, the whole works.
Amazing, amazing.
So tell me a little bit aboutyou.
I want to learn more about yourjourney and how you got into
this.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Well, I'm Jessi.
I'm 29.
Um, I've been detailing forabout four years now.
Um, I started detailing aboutfour years ago.
I started in a shop inFredericksburg.
Um, it was known as at the carwash, and today I believe it's
known as Clean Car.
Um, I started under Joel Mann.
He's great, phenomenal,phenomenal person.

(02:11):
Um, he taught me everything Iknow today, as well as his
workers.
Um, and they were great.
I loved working with hisladies.
They taught me so much.
Um, I started as a single mom.
I took everything I had, all ofmy savings, and I just threw it
all into equipment and said,we're doing it.
We're gonna start our owncompany, and this is what I love

(02:33):
to do.
So that's what I did.
Um, I just sunk everything Ihad into it, all of my blood,
sweat, and tears.
Um, and four years later, hereI am today.
I ditched my regular nine tofive, and this is what I do full
time.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
Amazing, amazing.
Grit and determination got youto where you are today.
I can tell you've got grit.
I love it.
I love it.
So clearly, you have workedreally hard over the years, and
it's not easy starting abusiness, and especially when
you are juggling life issues.
So tell me, if someone came toyou and said they had this, you

(03:10):
know, crazy idea and they wantedto start a business, what
advice would you give someone?

Speaker 2 (03:15):
I would tell them don't stop.
Um, don't listen to thenegativity and don't stop.
Um, the only thing that's goingto make this work is you.
Um, and it's just nothing to itbut to do it.
At the end of the day, you justhave to put your nose to the
grindstone.
If this is what you want, uh,this is your dream, you don't
stop running.
Just keep chasing.

Speaker 1 (03:36):
I love that.
Uh put the blinders on, right?
Don't don't look atcompetition, don't listen to any
negativity.
Just I love that you said putyour nose down and just keep
going.
Yes.
I love that.
So important.
So you're obviously very busyin your business.
So tell me when you're notworking hard, what are you doing
for fun?

Speaker 2 (03:56):
When I'm not working, I'm with my family.
Um, I have a two-year-old namedMiles, and I have a
nine-year-old daughter namedAnna.
They keep me fairly busy, um,as well as my husband.
And I also like to do arts andcrafts.
Uh, right now I'm currentlymaking witch brooms, fall
brooms, Christmas brooms withthe little cinnamon brooms, uh,
just something fun.

(04:16):
And it's uh definitely smellingup my house.
So I love it.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
That's that's so much fun.
I love that.
I love that.
It's good to have a hobby andyes, something that uh can
decorate your home and make itsmell good.
It's even better.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
Yeah, get faster.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
Yes.
So you mentioned that you'velived in Fredericksburg for a
while.
So tell me what do you loveabout living in Fredericksburg?

Speaker 2 (04:39):
I love living in Fredericksburg because I've been
here my whole life.
This is where my family is,this is where my friends are.
I know all of these businesses.
Um, I've been in this area forso long.
It's just so nice to be able tosay, man, I get to take my kids
down to the river today.
Oh man, I get to go to Old MillPark today.
Like, it's just so great to beable to be out in the community.
Um, and I love to work witheverybody.

(05:01):
I'm working right now withWhole Greens of Virginia uh with
their green thread project.
So we're doing that withdonations.
We're getting out in thecommunity, you know what I mean?
Um, so yeah, that's what I loveabout Fredericksburg.

Speaker 1 (05:12):
It's all about community here.
I love that.
And I love that you give backas well.
That's so important, isn't it?

Speaker 2 (05:18):
It definitely is.

Speaker 1 (05:21):
So tell me, what is something that you wish the
listeners knew about Less Messywith Jessi detailing?

Speaker 2 (05:30):
I wish that we well the listeners knew that we are a
real company.
Um we're definitely not amobile scam on Facebook.
We have a legitimate website.
Um, I wish that our listenersknew that we're really out here
to serve you guys.
Um, I keep my prices the mostaffordable in town because I
believe that detailing is amaintenance.

(05:50):
Detailing is something thateveryone should be able to
afford to do to maintain theirvehicle.
You don't want your vehicle tobe two, three years with no
maintenance, and then you'regonna bring it to me and then
oh, it's in such poor, sadcondition.
Uh, and I love it anyways.
I love a challenge, I'll bringit back to life for you, no
problem.
But I I just would love for itto be affordable for everybody,

(06:11):
the single moms out there, theelderly, just anyone who needs
it, feel free to call me becauseI'm I'm there to work for you.

Speaker 1 (06:18):
I'm really glad that you mentioned that because it
can get expensive.
So I love that that you saidthat.
And so you mentionedmaintenance.
So how often should someone gettheir what's the what's the
recommendation there?
How how often someone shouldget their vehicle detail?

Speaker 2 (06:37):
Me personally, I would recommend that you have
your detail or your detail doneevery three to six months.
Um, that way it just staysmaintained, especially with the
moms out there with kids.
I've got two in my car all thetime, so I know crumb city and I
know what it looks like.

Speaker 1 (06:54):
I love that.
I love that.
And so uh three to six months,um, interior and exterior.

Speaker 2 (06:59):
Yes, ma'am.
The exterior is extremelyimportant because you don't want
brake dust and stuff buildingup on your wheel wells.
Um, and the exterior is alsoimportant because you get things
like watermarks, you get thingslike the bird uh droppings on
the vehicle.
You don't want things like thatsitting on there baking into
your paint, baking onto yourmetal.
It's just not good for yourcar.

Speaker 1 (07:19):
Clearly, you are the expert and you know your stuff.
So if the listeners want tolearn more from you, if they
want to connect with you, ifthey want to hire you, where can
they find you?

Speaker 2 (07:31):
They can reach me online at my website,
lessmessywithsie.com.
Um, or you guys can reach me onFacebook at Less Messy with
Jessi.
Uh, you can reach me by phone[phone] or email less messy
with Jess at LessMesswithJessat gmail.com.

Speaker 1 (07:49):
Amazing.
Jessica, thank you so much forjoining me on the podcast today
and sharing your business withus.

Speaker 2 (07:56):
Yes, ma'am, thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 1 (07:58):
You're welcome.

Speaker (08:00):
Thank you for listening to the Fredericksburg Neighbors
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to FXBGNeighborsPodcast.com.