Daily Inspiration: Meet Christen Gowder

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christen Gowder.

Hi Christen, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up in an entrepreneurial, patriotic, hardworking family. My mother was (and still is) a very successful Registered Nurse. My dad followed dreams of working for himself and built the first full service laundromat the year before I was born. My dad’s grandfather built the first self service laundromat in 1973 when their rural town got city water. He and his dad expanded with another store nearby, then my dad branched out on his own. As a child, I was taught to be obedient, respectful, hardworking, and kind. Customer service skills were experienced at a young age through my time spent growing up in laundromats. My dad’s mother was the primary babysitter for my older brother and me while working at the laundromat with us in tow. The old Army cot, my dad brought home from his time in the service, was my napping quarters in the backroom. We were an active family that loved sports (GO BRAVES–we’ve been to ALL the stadiums), travelling, going water/snow skiing, and just having LOTS of fun together. Our daily chores at home included cleaning that original small self-service laundromat and car wash, at the end of our driveway, that my great-grandpa built. I had to clean the machines and my brother had to clean the floors and car wash. Most every day I swore I was NEVER going to clean another washing machine again when I moved out!

Throughout high school I worked in a daycare as a lifeguard because my swim team coach was the director there. I LOVED working with children and was always quite gifted at connecting with them. My goal was to go to college to earn both business and education degrees. I dreamed of owning my own early childhood development center after I graduated with my business degree. However, my dad advised that I try running one “on someone else’s dime.” Luckily he had a friend who owned one and I became the director for her. Although I was extremely successful, and grew the center to capacity with waiting lists, I quickly realized I did NOT want to work twelve hours a day, year round. So I went back to college to earn my Master’s in Early Childhood Education. This path led me to teaching public school until my husband and I had children of our own.

My dad was looking towards downsizing from his multiple store laundry business and asked if my husband, Drew, would be interested in learning the mechanical side. Drew began tagging along to Loganville each week and grew to love the laundromat and car wash. As a new mother I quickly realized I did not have enough to simultaneously give my students in a classroom and my own two boys at home. So back to the laundromats I went too! Drew and I purchased the Gainesville store first, then Loganville. And that’s where I am now. Raising two boys and running laundromats… instilling a LOT of the same lessons and values in them that I was taught at their age.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Having to eat a big piece of humble pie and go back to the laundromat was somewhat interesting. My family is very blunt and loving though. We have tackled everything head on, as a team, and as we will continue to do so. Anytime obstacles are presented we address it, put our heads together, and collectively hash it out. There’s the lifetime experience my dad brings, plus the new ideas that we do too! That’s the treasure of having the support and unconditional love of your family. My husband Drew also has worked for his dad’s companies concurrently throughout our adult lives. We are blessed beyond measure by the foundation and fallback both sides of our families are for us. Drew and I met the year I moved to college. We dated for four years, then we were married for five years before we decided to have children. We have two boys now, fourteen and twelve years old. Our youngest son lost his muscles inexplicably in preschool, and that is really the major struggle of our life. He’s cognitively well, but is wheelchair bound. The boys are active, learning, and growing though… meeting and exceeding our own academic achievements already. Raising my own children is by far the most challenging feat I will ever face I believe.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
It is surprising that after a life spent in early childhood development, and two degrees in the field (I went on to earn my Specialist of Curriculum & Instruction as well) that I came back to the laundromats. Due to my teaching skills, I have been able to look at things from a very different angle than most. As a preschool-1st grade teacher, I care about things being visually appealing and creative. Anything we do in our stores has to look good and be welcoming/inviting. My grandmother taught me that if I feel dirty in the store that the customers do too! Therefore, our stores are incredibly clean, and we put a significant amount of resources into maintaining them.

Our branding is absolutely straightforward American! Red, white, and blue is our color scheme for everything and we are proud to purchase American made equipment. The freedoms that the United States has afforded our family will not be forgotten. My granddad was awarded a purple heart for his service in WWII, and all his brothers served alongside him–one was even a POW. My dad served in the Army and so did my husband’s granddad. When you come to a Fastlane Laundromat (and Car Wash in Loganville), you know we are the family friendly, customer service oriented, amazingly clean, hometown laundromat that you will feel safe and comfortable in. Whether you do your own laundry, drop it off with us, or we pick it up and do it for you… you can immediately see the difference with Fastlane.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Hard work, honesty, and care are essential to success. Nothing is going to instantly come easy; if it does it probably is not real or is not going to last. So do hard things! Work harder, learn and get smarter, and put forth the effort that makes you feel tired at night. My mother is probably 2-3 times the age of most nursing techs on the floor when she works, and she runs circles around them. Drew and I get our work ethics from long lines of hard workers. I sleep amazingly well every night because I am exhausted. My life is on overload, but it is not chaotic. It is calm because I am calm. My faith in Jesus, marriage to Drew, strong family foundation, and love for life, keep me tethered and grounded. The blunt family that I mentioned earlier has kept me honest. There is absolutely no reason to lie. Sometimes I may not say everything I am thinking, but I do not glaze over things with lies. No one will trust you or want to do business with you if they catch you in a lie. Honesty is always the best policy.

And lastly, but most importantly, is caring about others. Having empathy or compassion, putting others first, looking at things through their eyes, and not being selfish is the right way to succeed. One of my favorite high school assistant principals became my boss when I grew up and was teaching in public school. At faculty meetings he always said, “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” That statement is so true! We live in a world where social media and ‘self’ reigns… but the country as a whole is about as happy as they were during the Great Depression. The golden rule is still golden: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” So you will see me greeting people, being kind, and caring about others even when people are avoiding interactions. I have found that nearly all people light up and become happy too when I smile and speak to them first. Try it for yourself!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.fastlanelaundry.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fastlaneloganville
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fastlanelaundromat.carwash