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“I kind of have a problem.  I’m one of those guys that is always trying to do the next thing, but I’m happy with what I do.”

At 20 years old, Ivy Tech Fort Wayne student Heath Tackett wears a lot of different hats. He’s an entrepreneur, car detailer, and mechanic. Now, he’s adding “instructor” to the mix.

Here’s the thing—he didn’t plan for any of it.

“I stumbled into everything, like my whole life story,” the automotive technology student says. “I’ve got to be really thankful for everything.”

Heath will tell you he’s come into every role he’s held by accident, each new position spawned from a domino effect of scenarios. The Wabash native hadn’t considered starting a business or going to college—let alone teaching. But every new idea comes with a different adventure, and Heath is always ready for a challenge.

Down to business

“Detailing is one of those things that you either make a hobby or go all out. Making a career out of it is a big jump.”

What became started as a determination to detail his own car. Heath learned the basics and bought equipment to get the job done. Word spread among family, friends, and neighbors who offered to pay to get their cars detailed, leading him to begin his business while still in high school.

“I’ve been doing this six years now because I started young. I stopped playing sports. Teachers told me I’d regret that.”

But Heath has no regrets.

Since his business began, he jokes that he’s detailed cars for all of Wabash. Tackett Auto Detailing has certainly seen a lot of customers, including five car dealerships and a trucking company.

“We try to fix people's problems where they can't get the same results, or they don't have the time.”

Think of that new car smell, not a speck of dust on the dash. Floors clear of dirt and debris. That level of cleanliness isn’t easy to come by, especially when you try to do it yourself.

Tackett Auto Detailing exists to help you save time. Depending on the service, it only takes Heath and his crew about an hour or two to spruce up a vehicle. Getting to that point took time, patience, and even a few mistakes.

“We can make [a car] look better, make it look nice, but if it still has all these problems, we can't just make those go away.”

One facet of car detailing not everyone realizes is some cars just can’t look brand new. Heath says he’ll get cars in his shop that have DIY detailing jobs to cover up bigger problems that were made worse. He recommends going to a professional before trying to fix something yourself causing a more expensive problem.

Since it’s inception, Tackett Auto Detailing now goes beyond detailing. It offers mechanical services done by Heath himself through skills he’s learned at school.

Changing plans

Auto repair was always the end goal. Heath just didn’t know how deep he’d get into it.

“I’ve been at Ivy Tech for over two years, which I never would have guessed I would have done, and I fell in love with it.”

Starting as a sophomore in high school, Heath began going half days to taking auto body classes. Since his business was already beginning to take off, he already had felt mechanically inclined, but there was still much to learn.

“I got two years free to Ivy Tech when I won the business competition in Wabash. So, I basically got paid to go to college.”

 And so, Heath began classes at Ivy Tech Kokomo before switching over to Fort Wayne’s campus to take classes the former wasn’t offering. That’s where he met Automotive Technology Program Chair Bob Huffman and Assistant Program Chair Dr. Nick Goodnight.

“Ivy Tech is different. You’re gonna get that student, teacher relationship.”

Despite never planning to go to college, Heath has been happy with his decision. He’s found a sense of community and support through his courses and instructors. When Huffman first began hinting at Heath teaching a class, he thought it was a joke.

“I just remember one day in automotive, Bob was like ‘it’d be really cool to do an auto detailing class’, and I’m still shocked they want me to teach.”

His new class has garnered lots of attention, even securing him a TV interview on FOX 55. The whole experience has felt surreal, but he’s starting the semester

A new type of skill

Heath’s the kind of person to leave his home prepared to help anyone pulled over the side of the road with a broken-down car. He’s a motivator who strives to be altruistic, ready to help people in any way he can. That’s the mentality he’s keeping with him as an instructor.

“I want to remind people it’s not about results. It’s about the process.”

This is the first semester for Automotive Detailing to be offered. For eight weeks, students will meet on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. and learn the basics of detailing and ceramic coating mostly using their own vehicles. Results will depend on the students’ efforts, but Heath plans to encourage them no matter what path they’re planning to take.  

“I hope people are able to get something from me. I mean, yeah, detailing is great and all. I think the bottom line of life is to find a greater meaning or purpose.”

Heath thinks back to everyone who has played a role in his life and inspired him to take new leaps. One of those people was his entrepreneurship instructor, Brian Evans, at Heartland Career Center.

“He’s one of those guys that helps students figure out a track for their life. He’s really, really, really good at that.”

That’s the kind of message Heath wants to give off to students.

“When you don’t have that [support] maybe you don’t get on that track you want. Hopefully at Ivy Tech I’ll be that.”

The grind never stops

Classes begin on August 19, and Heath is preparing for a busy semester.

Besides teaching and running his business, he’s also maxed out his class schedule. And he’s introducing a new subject into it, one that might be surprising: psychology.

“I've always kind of been intrigued by psychology, but never truly pursued it. And so, I was curious. It sounds kind of crazy because it's like the polar opposite from the automotive field.”

Through marketing and advertising his own business, Heath has a newfound fascination in the way the mind works. He’s going to take what he’s learned so far about psychology and apply it to how he handles students in his class. He hopes it will be beneficial to how he encourages and motivates.

No matter what Heath stumbles into next, you can trust that he’s going to take the opportunity in stride and make the most out of it.