I'm not that smart. Luckily I have learned from some of the best in this industry and retain knowledge fairly well.
A long time ago (2005ish) I had bought Menzerna from the previous owners of BLACKFIRE. In the box came a BLACKFIRE pamphlet. I thought the product looked cool but at the time I was using Menzerna polishes and Zaino sealants, so I threw the pamphlet away, but it kind of stuck with me.
Around 2008, I was looking for a new sealant to use, and had remembered that old BLACKFIRE phamplet. By this point in my detailing career, I had been lucky enough to have a thirty for knowledge and had started to build a good amount of contacts for information in the industry. I tried BLACKFIRE, and loved how easy to wiped on and wiped away, which was HUGE. At the end of a 20 hour polishing session, the last thing I wanted to fight was streaks, smears, and difficult removal.
I contacted CMA, the makers of BLACKFIRE, and after several long conversations with the owner, Jack, he mentioned that he wanted to start a forum. I agreed to help out with the forum (which is archived here as TID) which lead to a full time position. When CMA closed I had a ton of experience with BLACKFIRE and also had learned a lot of knowledge about detailing chemicals from some of the best in the industry.
Max, the CEO of PBMG, asked me to oversee the transition of BLACKFIRE (which he acquired) to PBMG, as well as accept the positions of Direct of Development for BLACKFIRE, Autopia-CarCare, and AutopiaForums. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to increase my knowledge and continue my journey and I accepted.