Ep 490 - Young & Driven: Max Tebbs’ Journey to Launching Clean Car Collective

This is a podcast Luke recorded for Keep The Change. If you haven't listened to it yet we believe this will inspire you and be insightful to learn about how a young person built a business from nothing.

At just 13, Max Tebbs started cleaning cars to fundraise for refugees. Today, the 18year old runs Clean Car Collective, Wellington’s leading car detailing business with a full studio, mobile fleet, and over 125 five-star reviews.

In this episode, Max shares how he turned a side hustle into a thriving company (including signing a lease at 17) and how he’s balancing business growth with his personal journey toward financial independence. Max’s story is a great reminder that you don’t need to wait for permission to build something meaningful and that smart financial thinking can start at any age…even at 13!

We cover:

• Scaling from solo operator to team leader
• Smart money moves for young entrepreneurs
• Marketing lessons (and early mistakes)
• Wild stories from working on high-end cars
• How young people are thinking differently about money today
• Why “burnout” needs to be explored not just accepted

If you're building your own thing, thinking about your future finances, or just love a good underdog story, this one’s for you.

Max business: https://cleancarcollective.co.nz
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-tebbs-011468253/