Work life of Danny Rivera, president of Meineke
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I was put in touch with Danny Rivera after I got a tour of Driven Brands up on the seventh floor of the Ally Center. It’s a neat company — running two national automotive brands from here in Charlotte (Meineke and Maaco). Danny took the reins of Meineke about a year ago. Super smart guy. He’s got a law degree and a computer engineering background. Here’s how he works.
Job title
President of Meineke
Office location
Ally Center uptown
Commute
20 minutes by car
What phone do you use?
Samsung S5
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Desk
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Computer
Microsoft Surface
What software can you not live without?
Excel, Outlook, Evernote
What’s your to-do list manager?
Evernote
What’s your go-to spot for business lunches?
Levant Mediterranean Cuisine
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Sleep routine
After dinner and putting the kids to bed, my wife and I will watch one episode of whichever show we’re watching at the time (we’re watching Lost at the moment, we never saw it back in the day), and then we’ll go to bed. I’m in bed at about 11pm and I’m up at 545am.
What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
Slice of whole wheat bread with peanut butter and a café con leche (Cuban coffee, soy milk, two Splenda served hot).
What everyday thing are you really good at?
Planning work and then getting things done.
What’s your one favorite thing about your job?
Working with a really talented group of people to accomplish challenging business objectives.
Where do you go to get away from the office?
Just go for a walk through Uptown.
What’s the last book you read?
For fun, House of Hades in the Percy Jackson series. My oldest son Lucas is really into the Percy Jackson books and it’s something we enjoy together.
For business, The Myth of Excellence. Good book, provided some great insights but they could have been developed a bit more.
What’s the last movie you watched?
Love Actually (it’s a Christmas tradition my wife and I have enjoyed for many years).
What do you love most about Charlotte?
It’s beautiful. Charlotte is all trees, windy roads, and great weather.
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If you weren’t in your current job, what would you be doing?
Running another business. While my job can be a challenge, I love what I do. I really enjoy working with great people to accomplish great things.
Best job advice you’ve received?
Great people turn ideas into action.