Nicole Pitell brings her own brand of hype to every conversation, she shares the inside scoop of Total Chaos to the podcast. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.
SHOW NOTES
6:12 – at the end of the day, it’s what makes each of us individually happy is what’s going to elevate you and take you to the next level
12:05 – I want noted for the record, I suck in driving in mud
19:47 – our product line comes from having to build better parts for our friends who were pitting for us
25:44 – I think you need good competition to elevate your innovation and your passion
32:50 – they just let me go full stupid down south of the border
41:33 – An all women’s? That sounds horrible was the first thing I said to her.
46:03 – I really like to have fun in life, no bad days
55:12 – I don’t hang around with people that aren’t motivated, inspired, and driven every day
Special thanks to 4low Magazine and Maxxis Tires for support and sponsorship of this podcast.
TRANSCRIPT
00:01:40.290] – Big Rich Klein
On today’s episode of Conversations, I have the pleasure to interview a woman whose company’s name is the most fitting description of all time. She is fast-paced, has a larger-than-life personality, very intense, but at the same time, kind, smart, and definitely fun. Total Chaos Fabrications owner, Nicole Pitell. Thanks for coming on today.
[00:02:03.580] – Nicole Pitell
Thanks for having me, Rich.
[00:02:05.420] – Big Rich Klein
It’s so good to talk to you. We talked a little bit on the phone a couple of weeks ago, and just shortly after the Rebelle, but how were your holidays?
[00:02:19.190] – Nicole Pitell
Our holidays were mellow. We shut down the company for two weeks every year. The team works really hard. We grind long days. We work four-tens here at Total Chaos. So Every Christmas, I shut the company down for two weeks. Matt and I had a staycation. We stayed home and did some local riding, and Matt hunted. But a lot of the crew traveled and saw family. One gentleman went to Costa Rica. So, yeah, good stuff. Just something that I find I want to do total chaos a little different than everybody else in this industry. And I think locking the doors and letting everybody turn it off for a couple of weeks is something that’s super healthy for mind, body, and spirit.
[00:03:05.170] – Big Rich Klein
Right. That makes total sense. It really does. And being that you’re the owner with your husband, Matt, that you can do that.
[00:03:14.800] – Nicole Pitell
Yeah, it’s our corporate America, like we like to say around here.
[00:03:19.940] – Big Rich Klein
Perfect. So let’s start at the very beginning. And where were you born and raised?
[00:03:26.800] – Nicole Pitell
I am born and raised in Southern California birth certificate names, Westminster. But I grew up in a small town called Lake Elsinore, California. It’s bred a lot of high profile fabricators and moto riders in the ’80s in the ’90s, for sure. And I moved to Corona right out of high school, and I’ve been planted in Corona, California ever since.
[00:03:53.660] – Big Rich Klein
Okay. Our daughter, Halley, went to school there for performing arts in Corona.
[00:04:01.940] – Nicole Pitell
Anyway. Yeah, they’ve got a big performing arts school.
[00:04:04.290] – Big Rich Klein
Yeah, they do. What were those early years like for you, family-wise? I mean, did you guys do a lot of outdoor stuff, or what was the family into?
[00:04:16.590] – Nicole Pitell
You know, a lot of people don’t actually know this about me, but I have never met my dad. So I was raised by my grandma and my grandpa, and my mom and I rented a room from them. So I was taken care of by a deaf great grandma and my grandma and my grandpa, and they bought five acres in Lake Elsinore. In order to keep me busy and out of the house, I remember I was in elementary school and my mom bought me an ATC, which then led to a CR 65 and then a Honda 85. I remember growing up on two wheels. They really pushed me. I raced BMX as a kid, so My first passion and love is two wheel sports, bicycle related stuff and moto. Then I played travel soccer, travel softball, lettered in high school, tried the team sports, but it really wasn’t my thing. I’m more of a self motivated independent style athlete. I went back to a motorcycle when I could afford one in college, and that’s about when I meet Matt. Matt was the one that actually got me into the sport of off-road racing. My mom, I had bought a 1989 Toyota truck with a trail disaster kit.
[00:05:40.600] – Nicole Pitell
Good old Trail Master. I thought I was Ivan Stewart. We proved those drop down brackets to not be worthy of Nicole’s skinny pedal. But yeah, so I bought a truck for my first vehicle, and I think that planted me in the sport. Then met Matt, and the rest is history. I fell in love with it. READ MORE
