Our Team
Real Operators. Real Experience.
Real Results.
Every partnership with Lotus starts the same way. We work directly with people who have built, run, and scaled real businesses.
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Before strategies, systems, or capital are discussed, we start with operators. People who have lived through the pressure of ownership, made decisions when the stakes were real, and stayed accountable when the outcome mattered.
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At the core of Lotus are James Stephenson and Nicole Stephenson.
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James is a Master Automotive Technician, multi shop owner, and operator who understands the realities of running an auto repair business because he has carried them himself. Technician shortages. Owner dependence. Time pressure. Car count volatility. The responsibility of leading teams and protecting a family owned business while it grows.
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Nicole is a CPA and senior financial executive who brings structure, clarity, and discipline to the financial side of the business. She ensures decisions are grounded in reality, backed by clean data, and built for long term value, not short term optics.
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Together, they lead a team of experienced operators, business coaches, and strategic leaders who know this industry because they have lived inside it.
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Our experience spans shop operations, leadership development, sales and marketing execution, financial performance, and technician recruiting, training, and retention systems. That is why we do not advise from the outside. We work inside the business, alongside owners and their teams, strengthening what already works and fixing what quietly holds the business back.
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We partner with established auto repair shop owners to build clear leadership structure, operational discipline, and sustainable growth without stripping away the culture that made the business successful. Our work is focused on helping shops operate independently of the owner and positioning the business for future succession on the owners terms.
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Protecting the legacy. Building value that lasts.
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The Rest of the Team
(In Plain Terms)
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Behind Lotus is our quiet bench of operating companies that support and strengthen the businesses we work with.
Our portfolio includes:
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Our coaching partners are former founders who have already exited at 7 and 8 figure levels. They bring operating experience, deal history, and the relationships needed to make the next phase faster and safer.
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A full marketing arm (CMO, commercial signs, uniforms, promotional materials, wraps, print, media, digital)
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An Accounting group for bookkeeping, accounting, and cashflow management
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CFO oversight, tax strategy, and investment planning
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Full service Recruiting
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Merchant Processing
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A service division that maintains fleets and operational equipment
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These companies already exist inside our portfolio and are incorporated into your business allowing for better access, quality, and price.
That means faster improvements, fewer outside vendors, better control, and higher profit margins without adding payroll.
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You get the benefit, and
the results stay inside the business.