EP 14... Leigh McCrabb & Ken Attard - Neutral Service Bike Shop

Leigh McCrabb & Ken Attard are the dynamic founders of upstart Bike Shop, Neutral Service based in Melbourne's inner north west. They both have very different and diverse backgrounds... Leigh the country boy from Shepparton, did a multitude of different work over the years, eventually starting and successfully running the very popular Brother Nancy cafe in West Footscray. Ken the city boy from Keilor Downs, always knew he wanted to be a car designer... studying the topic in university & eventually landing his dream job with Ford.

The boys' mutual passion for cycling brought them together and today they are creating waves in the bike game after they noticed a gap in the market. Creating a point of difference in the marketplace, they are building phenomenal client experiences through their brilliant industry knowledge, genuine client care, compassion & human connectivity. A very candid discussion covering a raft of various topics... please enjoy! 

Topics covered:
* Their passion for bikes... what do they feel when they jump on a bike?
* The reason Ken started to ride!
* Leigh's formative years & diverse employment background
* Ken's early years, his immediate love of car design & dealing with the loss of his father @ 21 years of age
* Leigh's fork in the road after starting Brother Nancy cafe in West Footscray
* How Ken's self proclaimed impatience & immaturity led to a career blunder as car designer @ Ford & subsequently Toyota
* How the guys met & where the idea for Neutral Service came about
* Fit first, bike second... finding the gap in the market
* Neutral Service, the name - and it's Tour De France origins
* The various bike shop business models that exist across Melbourne
* The prevailing elitist mentality that persists in many cycling shops & the steps the boys are taking to break the mould
* Overcoming challenges with particular large suppliers not supporting them
* Tapping into innate childhood memories of owning our first bike & learning to ride it
* The biggest success they've achieved so far & what they've learned from it
* Importance of embedding themselves in the local community on Union Road
* The biggest challenge they've faced to date & the key takeaways
* Advice for those working for someone else & looking to start their own venture
* Fulfilment, passion, happiness & believing in what you do
* Key influences & mentors, underrated life advice received over the journey
* Acknowledgment of their support networks

Masters of the Game is brought to you by Pressie.
Pressie is a fun & youthful business to business (B2B) gifting service that offers a seamless & frictionless client experience. They can customise to your companies requirements & create your own secure portal from which you can order directly & efficiently. It couldn’t be simpler. Clients include luxury property developers, real estate agents and also the Essendon Football Club in the AFL.
Reach out to the team @ Pressie today - https://www.pressie.com.au

Neutral Service
* Instagram - @neutral.service
* Website - https://neutralservicebikeshop.com.au
* Email - info@neutralservice.com.au  
* Address - 119 Union Road, Ascot Vale VIC 3032

Branko Lemaic
Instagram - @branko_lemaic
Instagram - @masters_of_the_game_
https://www.realestate.com.au/agent/branko-lemaic-224821

Masters of the Game is created & produced by Branko Lemaic
Enquiries: blemaic@gmail.com