Meet Our Diamond Certified Expert Contributor

Nick Granato: In the Garage

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

FOSTER CITY — When Nick Granato set out to find a new business opportunity, the last place he expected to end up was in the garage. “I’m a former Chief Operations Officer for COIT, a company that specializes in carpet and upholstery cleaning,” he recaps. “While working there, I became friends with Benny and John, who also worked for the company. Over time, we grew tired of working for a big corporation and wanted to do our own thing, so we began looking for opportunities in the home services industry. Along the way, we discovered PremierGarage and were impressed with their products, services, and marketing philosophy. The custom garage business seemed like an up-and-coming industry, so we decided to give it a shot. In 2006, we opened the Bay Area franchise of PremierGarage and we’re still going strong today.”

Today, Nick says his favorite part of his job is being out and about. “I enjoy getting out and meeting new people. My main role at the company is doing in-person consultations, so I spend most of my day visiting customers’ homes and assessing their garage storage needs. Of course, I also enjoy the before-and-after effect of revamping a customer’s garage.”

Originally from Toronto, Canada, Nick resides today in Burlingame, where he’s lived for more than 20 years. Outside of work, his favorite activity is spending time with his family. “I have three kids and three grandkids, and I love spending as much time as I can with them. We all live within 10 or 15 minutes of each other, so I get to attend my grandkids’ sports events and other family activities.”

In his life and career, Nick espouses the importance of putting forth your best effort. “Do the best you can, every single day,” he advises. “I always tell my kids and my grandkids, ‘Whatever you’re doing, if you can walk away knowing you did your best, you’ll never have regrets. Things won’t always go your way and you won’t always win—the only thing you can control is how you deal with it. As long as you give 100 percent, you can be proud and satisfied in the end.’”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: What’s your favorite movie?
A: I have a few, including “The Godfather,” “Bullet,” “Dirty Harry” and “Top Gun.”

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: Either France or Spain.

Q: Music or talk radio?
A: Music.

Q: What kind of music do you like?
A: I enjoy a wide range of music, from R&B to rock to classical.

Q: What’s your favorite snack?
A: Any kind of fruit.