Where It Started: Alice the Jeep

I was nine years old the first time I got paid to detail a vehicle.

It was a red 1993 Jeep YJ on my grandparents' farm outside Red Deer. The Jeep wasn't a show vehicle. She was a workhorse - feeding livestock, fixing fences, hauling equipment across fields. She got dirty. Really dirty.

Cleaning her was my chore to earn money. A hose, some soap, a cloth, and the genius design feature of floor plugs that let water drain straight out of the footwells. I'd spend hours making that Jeep shine, learning early that transformation work is satisfying work.

That Jeep now sits in my shop with just over 9,500 original kilometers on her. I named her Alice when she came into my possession - after Project Alice from Resident Evil. She's the Jeep in my logo. She's where this all began.

The Legacy I Come From

Entrepreneurship and genuine care for people run deep in my family.

My Opa, Gustav Pieters, founded Peter's Drive-In in Calgary in 1962. If you've ever lined up for one of their legendary milkshakes, you know what he built - a place that's lasted over sixty years because quality and consistency matter. People don't line up for mediocre burgers. They line up for something done right, every single time.

My Opa sold Peter's Drive-In in 2008, but the business he built was so solid that the new owners successfully franchised it. There are now three locations - Calgary, Edmonton, and right here in Red Deer. That's what happens when you build something on a foundation of quality that lasts.

My mom was a hairstylist who ran her own business for years. But her clients didn't come just for haircuts. They came because she created space where people felt heard, respected, and genuinely cared about. A haircut wasn't rushed. It was almost therapeutic. She gave people her full attention in a world that rarely slows down.

That's the foundation I was raised on. Do the work right. Care about people. Build something that lasts and can grow beyond you.

I'm a Red Seal Journeyman Pipefitter by trade. I spent thirteen years in the Alberta oilfield working on pipelines, plants, and industrial facilities across the province.

I met incredible people - some of the hardest workers and most fun crews you could ask for. But I also worked alongside people who were miserable. People who hated their jobs but needed the paycheck. People chasing promises that never materialized and putting in effort that went unrecognized.

I realized I didn't want that life. I didn't want to spend decades working for someone else's vision, on someone else's timeline, wondering if the next project would actually happen or if I'd be laid off again.

In November 2023, I made a decision: If I didn't have to go back to the oilfield, I wouldn't.

My mom was on a waiting list for heart surgery. I didn't want to start a new job knowing she could be called in at any moment, so I stayed home. I helped her around the house, ran errands with her, and spent genuine time together.

In January 2024, she went in for surgery. She spent four months in ICU recovering. A week after she was transferred out of intensive care, she passed away.

Losing her changed everything.

I had time - more time than I'd had in years - and I needed to figure out what came next. I didn't want to go back to the oilfield. I wanted to build something I was proud of. Something close to home. Something that let me enjoy life while I worked.

During those months, I'd been watching detailing videos obsessively. Learning techniques, studying products, investing in better equipment. Detailing had always been something I enjoyed, but now it was becoming something more.

Then it clicked: This is what I want to do.

In late August 2024, I attended my first in-person detailing training with Yvan Lacroix, co-founder of DIY Detail. That course was a turning point. The people I met, the techniques I learned, the level of craftsmanship I saw - I left that training knowing this was exactly what I wanted to do professionally.

I talked to my accountant. I already had my own business set up from subcontracting pipefitting work. Switching to detailing? Simple. Just switch.

In November 2024, I went to SEMA in Las Vegas - something I'd dreamed about as a kid. Walking those floors, meeting industry leaders, seeing the latest products and techniques - it was surreal. The fact that my career could now involve annual trips to SEMA for business felt almost too good to be true.

In January 2025, I attended Mobile Tech Expo. Smaller than SEMA but incredibly educational. I met so many people in the car care community that it genuinely felt like home. I knew then that I'd be attending every single event I could for years to come.

Building the Shop: Gasoline Alley

I found a shop space in Gasoline Alley, Red Deer in December 2024. It was still under construction, but it was perfect. I took possession in January 2025.

Alberta winters last about six months, so mobile-only detailing wasn't realistic year-round. A shop gave me the controlled environment I needed to do the work right regardless of weather, with the option to offer mobile services during warmer months.

I spent the next few months building my website, dialing in my processes, and investing in the right equipment. Not the cheapest options - the RIGHT options.

I installed a Kränzle pressure washer because it delivers consistent performance with virtually no maintenance. I use a Ridgid vacuum because it's trusted across construction industries for reliability and suction power. I equipped the shop with Flexzilla retractable hose reels for both air and water, plus an electrical retractable reel, because quality tools and efficient workflow matter when you're doing precision work.

Quality over quantity. Every single time.

I've always believed that if you're going to do something, do it right. The brands you choose and the standards you set determine whether you build something that lasts or something that falls apart under pressure.

In April 2025, I officially opened Primitive Notions.