Rodney Godwin calls himself a man of God first, a businessman second, and a builder of young men always. An HPH Red Raider turned entrepreneur, he grew up wrestling with ADHD and a school system that didn’t fit how his brain worked, until shop class put tools in his hands.
Rodney’s story begun when a local mechanic took him in, let him sweep floors, and mentored him. By 19, Rodney opened his first shop. When a tragic car accident took his business partner, he regrouped, took over a larger Florence shop with employees, and doubled down on a simple promise: run a company that makes life better for customers and the people who work there.
He didn’t guess his way through it. He hunted mentors, devoured books, and borrowed the six minutes that matter from every hour-long meeting. The result was a string of wins in auto repair, multiple shops, real estate, and a definition of success that moved beyond money to impact. He calls his philosophy “I-O-1K”: invest in your own self. Read, practice, build skills, take responsibility for your trajectory. It’s the message he now pours into the next generation.
An empty nester with two grown daughters, Rodney spends his off-hours meeting boys where they are, often under a truck. He supports their first love (the vehicle) to reach their deeper needs (identity, discipline, belonging). Squatted trucks? He doesn’t want one. But he’ll teach the project planning, legal limits, safety, craftsmanship, and follow-through those builds require. Because projects are just pathways: the same mindset that lowers a Chevy the right way can lift a life the right way. In a world that cheers quarterbacks, he’s building a sideline for skilled, blue-collar kids who rarely get a coach.
Rodney’s shop time is mentorship in plain clothes. He talks prefrontal cortex and adult thinking, helps young men trade impulse for intention, and refuses to shame them for liking what they like. Acceptance first. Standards next. Responsibility always. Business remains his proving ground, he still believes owners should create value that outlives them, but his scoreboard is different now: the apprentices who find purpose, the customers who feel cared for, the employees who go home proud.
Asked which fictional character fits him best, he laughs and says, “Mr. Miyagi.” Wax on, wax off. Teach the craft, shape the character. Love the kid in front of you, and trust that the back of the truck, and the man, will come up in time.
