SOAR Innovation’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence shared lessons from more than 30 years in business, encouraging students to recognize opportunities, solve problems, and pursue their own paths to success.
What does it take to build a successful business? According to Eastern Kentucky entrepreneur Kevin Davis, it starts with recognizing a problem worth solving and having the courage to do something about it.
On Wednesday, October 14, students at Paintsville Independent High School heard that message firsthand when Davis, SOAR Innovation’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR), visited the school for an Inspirational Speaker event funded through SOAR Innovation’s ARC POWER grant.
A Martin County native with more than 30 years of entrepreneurial experience, Davis shared how he built Fast Change Lube & Oil into a multi-state business, the challenges he faced along the way, and the lessons he hopes the next generation of Eastern Kentucky entrepreneurs will carry forward.
An Entrepreneurial Journey Rooted in Eastern Kentucky
Davis didn’t grow up dreaming of owning a chain of oil change locations.
“I just wanted to be a business owner, and this happened to be the problem that I could solve,” he told students.
His entrepreneurial journey began with a simple observation: there was an underserved market and an opportunity to meet a need. Within the company’s first three years, Fast Change Lube & Oil had grown to 12 locations.
Before that growth became a reality, however, Davis faced skepticism from people who believed he should stick with the security of a steady job.
Davis recalled advice from his father, who had gone to work in the coal mines at just 14 years old after losing his own father. Having experienced hardship firsthand, his father understood the value of stability and worried about the risks his son was taking.
“Son, don’t do it. You’ve got a good job,” his father warned.
Davis chose to pursue the opportunity anyway. As the business grew, his father’s concerns gradually gave way to curiosity about what came next. By the time Davis opened his tenth location, his father was no longer questioning the decision to start the business. Instead, he was asking when Kevin planned to open another store.
Davis eventually sold Fast Change Lube & Oil in 2022. Today, he continues sharing his entrepreneurial experience through speaking, advising, consulting, and mentoring others. He also serves as SOAR Innovation’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR), supporting the organization’s work to strengthen entrepreneurship across Eastern Kentucky.
Entrepreneurship Starts with Solving Problems
Throughout the presentation, Davis encouraged students to look for opportunities by identifying problems, recognizing unmet needs, and considering how their own interests and abilities could translate into a business. His experience demonstrated that entrepreneurship doesn’t necessarily begin with a groundbreaking invention or a lifelong dream of entering a particular industry. Sometimes, it starts with a simple idea and the willingness to pursue it.
Davis also emphasized the importance of finding work that genuinely motivates them, encouraging students to think about what excites them and what they might want to build for themselves as they consider their futures.
Bringing Real-World Experience into the Classroom
SOAR Innovation’s Inspirational Speaker events connect students with experienced entrepreneurs who share firsthand insights into starting and growing a business. Funded through SOAR Innovation’s ARC POWER grant, these events introduce students to entrepreneurship through the experiences of people who have navigated its challenges themselves.
For students preparing to graduate, hearing from someone who has built a successful business can help make entrepreneurship feel like a realistic career path. Davis’s story offered a local example of what that path can look like, from growing up in Martin County to building a multi-state company and now sharing his experience with the next generation.
Students remained engaged throughout the presentation, and several stayed afterward to ask Davis additional questions and continue the conversation.
Inspiring Eastern Kentucky’s Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
Through Inspirational Speaker events, SOAR Innovation is helping Eastern Kentucky students explore entrepreneurship, recognize opportunities in their communities, and envision futures shaped by their own ideas and ambitions. Davis’s journey is a reminder that a successful business can begin with a problem worth solving, and that the next great idea could come from right here in Eastern Kentucky.
Interested in entrepreneurship or growing a business in Eastern Kentucky? Learn more about the resources and support available through SOAR Innovation.
