Richard Rawlings, Star of Fast N Loud, Gives His Best Entrepreneurial Tips to PEOPLE

The Discovery Channel star — and business mogul — talks business with PEOPLE

It’s easy to underestimate Richard Ray Rawlings. As the star of the Discovery Channel’s Fast N Loud, he searches for dilapidated cars and restores them for profit with the help of the Gas Monkey Garage crew. It’s decidedly blue collar — and his matter-of-fact way of speaking belies his extraordinary success.

But Rawlings, 48, is a more than a mechanic, and he has the resume to prove it. He’s a former firefighter, paramedic, and law enforcement officer. In addition to his reality shows, he owns several businesses, including a garage, a live music venue, and several restaurants. His net worth is somewhere in the eight-figure range, and he’s constantly looking for new opportunities.

In anticipation for the season finale of Fast N Loud, airing Monday night, Rawlings talks to PEOPLE about his keys to success. (And check out a sneak peek at the episode, above!)

richard-ray-rawlins-1
Discovery Channel

1. Lay the Groundwork for Success

“I had a plan for a TV show back in 2004 or so,” he tells PEOPLE. “I wanted to have the no. 1 show on the Discovery channel. I went for it for a very long time, and I was knocking on every door in L.A. that would answer, and sleeping in front of Discovery’s office, probably. It wasn’t working, so I decided to regroup and take a break from knocking on doors.”

“I wouldn’t say that I gave up,” he continues, “but it wasn’t happening and I had other businesses to worry about, so I just took a break. And that’s when I got the call. The hard work had paid off; it just took some time for it to work.”

2. If You’re In, Be All In

“When I got the call for the TV show, I had some other things going on,” he says. “So I almost turned it down, because it felt like a ‘too little, too late’ type of thing. But my wife goes, ‘If you don’t do it, you’ll never know.’ ”

The pep talk worked.

“I decided that if I did it, I was going all in,” he says. “Every freaking penny I had. My time and effort. I was going to dive back in full force. And my wife was on board with that. We were only offered six episodes, but I dove in and gave it everything I had. I begged, borrowed and stole to make it happen. I was committed.”

Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel

3. Be Open to Change and Diversification

“I used to have a five-year plan when I was younger,” he says. “But that’s changed. Technology is changing every day. So you have to live in the day. You have to see what the opportunities are, and go for them.”

“My father-in-law passed away a few years ago,” he says. “His feeling was, ‘You work at a company for a long time and you get your gold watch.’ And he died with a considerable sum of money in the bank, but he died without really living, because he was living on this regimen that was taught when he was younger. So I think you want to keep a keen eye on things. Grab it and go. Sure, you check your financials, but don’t be afraid to take a jump. Learn the trends.”

4. Love What You Do — and Give Back

Rawlings says that he wakes up ready to work most days, because he finds fulfillment in his career.

“I am very lucky and blessed to do what I do,” he says. “I’m so happy with everything.”

“I’m going to South Korea for Thanksgiving,” he says. “I’m going to see the troops and do some USO work. I’ll have Thanksgiving dinner with the soldiers. These guys and gals allow us to do what we do, and they’re on the front line, so they deserve all our respect, prayers and good wishes.”

“To get to go over there and do that is so freaking cool,” he adds. “It’s awesome. And that’s part of doing what I love. I’m very blessed.”

The season finale of Fast N Loud airs Monday at 9 p.m. ET on the Discovery Channel.

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