TRANSCRIPTION
What are your earliest childhood memories?
"I remember buying my mother her first washer and dryer in 1967."
How has San Antonio Texas changed in your lifetime?
"There are more cities and people, and I remember everything being a lot cheaper."
Did you ever imagine yourself opening up your own muffler shop?
"No not at all, and after all the hard work and struggle it did pay off."
![Joe and Julia Llanes at Joe Julian Muffler Center in Poteet Texas, April 7, 1996](mufflershop.jpg)
Tell me the story about the muffler shop?
"It was to help me provide for myself and family."
Was opening the muffler shop both you and your wife's idea?
"Yes indeed, this was the beginning of a great start."
What was business like for the muffler shop when it had first opened?
"I have to say that customers from all over like San Antonio Texas, Floresville Texas, and Houston Texas would come for our service." "It was incredible to feel needed from people all over."
Are fixing cars at your shop your passion?
"I would have to say of course, because I have been doing this for my whole adult life."
Do you feel that you get more out of working at your business then just having customers?
"I do feel that I receive a whole lot more than just the customers." "I do get in mail thank you cards from the customers that come to the Muffler Shop that are pleased with the service they get."
What do you get out of working in this type of business?
"I feel that I do and help others in my town when at the same time they are helping me support my family."
Do you want to carry this type of business within your family?
"Yes, I diffidently see this job being carried on in the future."
Why do you want to keep this business going in the family?
"I feel that the person that has the most inspiration for this job shall continue my work, and hopefully move it even further."
Do you enjoy fishing?
"Yes I do very much." It is a great way to relax from a day of hard work."
![Joe, Sarah, Joe Jr. Fishing, Corpus Christi, June 1997](fishing.jpg)
Is fishing your way of getting away from the business stress?
"It really is, because it is away from everything. "It is peaceful and I enjoy the time with my wife and family."
Were you able to go fishing as a child to get away from the hard times?
No I wasn't able to, because my responsibility was to try and keep the family together financially."
When you first had started on the process to building your business, where there any other shops around at that time?
" No there were none but one shop in town named De la Fuente, But J&J Muffler shop was the first shop to open in Poteet Texas on Highway 16."
![J&J Muffler Shop in Poteet Texas, April 1994](Louisiana.jpg)
What this process very difficult in the beginning?
"It was in the beginning, because people needed to get to know my wife and me and gain that trust." "We were new in town and you need a whole lot of trust to have a stranger work on your car."
Did this make business better?
"It really did, because then our business's name was in the town and that is when the customers came asking."
Do you ever think about expanding the business into further locations?
"No not right now, but that is a great idea for the future to keep in mind."
Do you have any regrets about the business?
"No, I believe I did the best I could."
![J&J Muffler Shop In Poteet Texas April 1995](Van.jpg)
Would you go back in time if you could, and change the difficulties that you had in your lifetime?
"I would not change a thing, because I learned responsibility, and that is what I have taught to you."
Have you taught your work to others?
"Yes, I have to my older son Raul Lozano and to my Son in law Michael Tijerina and to my Daughter Sarah Tijerina." "I also get my grand kids into the dirty work too." "This will show them great values."
Do the employees you teach your work to, do they realize the passion that you have for this type of business too?
"I feel that the one's I have taught my work to have the passion, But I do expect a whole lot more of my daughter." "I say that, because she is attending college and I do not want her to struggle the way I did."
Did you have to sruggle a whole lot before getting where you are today?
"Every bit of my life was a struggle, but this is what made the struggle worth it." "Having my family taken care of."
Is there anything else you would like to add to this interview?
?"I enjoyed the interview very much and I would do it again if I could."