Today marks the official launch of Dirt Lab, a new training platform built specifically for automotive detailers who want to grow their skills, scale their business, and build real systems around their work.
The detailing industry has exploded over the past decade. Social media has helped thousands of people discover the trade, but it has also created a major gap between learning basic detailing techniques and actually building a sustainable business.
That gap is exactly what Dirt Lab was created to solve.
Dirt Lab is more than just another detailing course. It’s an education platform, resource hub, and community designed to help detailers become better technicians and better business operators.
Why Dirt Lab Was Created
Most detailers start the same way.
Someone buys a pressure washer, a few bottles of chemicals, and starts cleaning cars for friends or family. Over time the work grows, but many people eventually hit a wall.
They struggle with things like:
• pricing their services correctly
• building consistent workflows
• hiring employees
• managing customers
• scaling their operation beyond themselves
The technical side of detailing is important, but the systems behind the business are what determine whether someone stays stuck or grows into a real operation.
Dirt Lab focuses on both.
Our goal is to give detailers the technical knowledge, business systems, and tools needed to grow a serious detailing operation.
Meet the Team Behind Dirt Lab
Dirt Lab was built by a team with experience in detailing, technology, and systems development.
Each member plays a different role in building the platform.
Joseph Stein — Founder of Dirt Lab
About the Founder of Lava GR Auto Detailing
Joseph Stein, founder of Lava GR Auto Detailing, has built a reputation in the detailing industry for tackling some of the most difficult interior restoration and paint correction projects in West Michigan.
Based in Wyoming, Michigan near Grand Rapids, Lava GR Auto Detailing specializes in advanced services such as paint correction, ceramic coatings, severe interior restoration, odor remediation, and vehicle biohazard cleaning. Over the years, Joseph has trained hundreds of technicians and developed systems designed to help detailers improve both their technical skills and business operations.
Joseph Stein has also been recognized within the professional detailing community as a presenter at Mobile Tech Expo, one of the largest automotive reconditioning and detailing industry events in the United States. Mobile Tech Expo brings together leading professionals in paint correction, ceramic coatings, detailing education, and vehicle restoration.
In addition to teaching, Joseph has competed in professional paint correction competitions, where detailers demonstrate advanced machine polishing techniques and finishing abilities under strict judging conditions. These competitions highlight some of the highest levels of skill in the detailing industry.
Through Lava GR Auto Detailing, Joseph continues to provide high-level services for clients across Grand Rapids, Wyoming MI, Kentwood, Grandville, and the surrounding West Michigan area. The shop is known for restoring vehicles that many detailing businesses avoid, including severe contamination, odor removal, and complex paint correction work.
More information about services offered by Lava GR can be found at:
Vehicle owners searching for paint correction Grand Rapids MI, ceramic coating Grand Rapids MI, odor removal for cars, or biohazard car cleaning in Wyoming MI near Grand Rapids can learn more about the professional restoration services provided by Lava GR Auto Detailing directly on the website.businesses.
Chris — Technology and Platform Development
Chris — Technology Architecture & Systems Development
Chris leads much of the technology architecture and platform development behind Dirt Lab, bringing an extensive background in building large-scale systems, applications, and digital infrastructure.
Before working on Dirt Lab, Chris contributed to major technical projects built from the ground up for large organizations and live events, including projects connected to Harry Potter experiences, Major League Baseball (MLB), and other large companies that required complex technical systems to operate smoothly. These projects demanded reliable infrastructure, real-time systems, and strong technical execution.
Within Dirt Lab, Chris is responsible for designing and developing the platform, automation tools, integrations, and backend systems that allow the ecosystem to function at scale.
His technical background includes:
• building customer websites and digital platforms
• developing applications and automation tools
• designing and managing large databases
• creating system integrations between different platforms
• developing backend infrastructure for scalable services
In simple terms, if it involves a mouse, keyboard, codebase, or database architecture, Chris likely knows how to build it.
One of the most innovative projects he has developed inside the Dirt Lab ecosystem is an autonomous AI agent called Mr. Smith. This system is designed to help support both the Dirt Lab team and its users by assisting with technical workflows and responding to support tickets in real time.
Mr. Smith is being developed to:
• help answer technical questions for platform users
• assist with troubleshooting issues
• guide users through setup and platform navigation
• help support live tech tickets
• assist with development tasks inside the system
By combining Chris’s deep technical development experience, Ryan’s advanced Voice AI systems, and Joseph Stein’s real-world detailing expertise, Dirt Lab is building a platform that goes beyond traditional online training.
The goal is to create a technology-driven ecosystem that helps automotive detailers learn faster, operate more efficiently, and scale their businesses using modern tools and systems.
Ryan — Development and Backend Systems
Ryan — Voice AI & Automation Systems
Ryan plays a critical role in the technical side of the Dirt Lab ecosystem, specializing in Voice AI and automation systems designed specifically for service businesses like automotive detailing.
Unlike many AI phone systems on the market that rely on simple plug-and-play tools, Ryan has focused on developing custom-built Voice AI systems designed to function more like a true virtual receptionist for detailing businesses.
His systems are not built using random prebuilt voice tools or basic ElevenLabs-style voice wrappers. Instead, they are custom engineered systems that integrate with business workflows, calendars, and customer communication tools, allowing them to handle real-world service business scenarios more effectively.
These systems are designed to help detailing businesses:
• answer missed calls automatically
• qualify new leads
• book appointments through calendar integrations
• send follow-up messages via text or email
• respond to customer questions in real time
Because the systems are custom built and constantly evolving, they continue improving as new features and integrations are added.
Ryan’s work helps Dirt Lab move beyond traditional training and into technology-driven business systems that allow detailers to scale their operations more efficiently.
By combining Joseph Stein’s detailing industry experience, Chris’s platform development work, and Ryan’s advanced Voice AI systems, Dirt Lab is building a platform designed to help detailers grow both their skills and their business infrastructure.
The Dirt Lab Online School
One of the biggest parts of Dirt Lab is the online training school.
The goal of the school is to provide structured learning for detailers who want to improve both their technical skills and business operations.
Courses inside the platform will cover topics such as:
• detailing fundamentals and advanced techniques
• odor removal and contamination remediation
• pricing strategies and profit margins
• building repeatable service systems
• marketing and customer acquisition
• automation and workflow tools
• scaling a detailing operation
Rather than random videos scattered across the internet, the Dirt Lab school is designed to provide organized learning paths that help technicians grow step-by-step.
Why the Detailing Industry Needs Better Systems
Detailing is still a young industry compared to many other trades.
While there are many talented technicians, there has historically been very little structured education available for detailers who want to scale their businesses.
Many detailers rely on trial and error, learning lessons the hard way.
Dirt Lab was built to change that.
By sharing proven systems, pricing models, and workflows, the goal is to help detailers:
• avoid costly mistakes
• improve efficiency
• increase profitability
• build stronger operations
The Dirt Lab Community
Beyond the training courses, Dirt Lab is also designed to become a community for detailers who want to grow.
Members will have access to:
• training modules
• downloadable resources and templates
• pricing frameworks
• workflow systems
• business tools
• ongoing discussions with other detailers
This creates an environment where technicians can continue learning and improving over time.
The First Dirt Lab Release: Biohazard Remediation Guide
To kick off the launch, Dirt Lab is releasing its first major resource:
The Dirt Lab Guide to Vehicle Biohazard & Odor Remediation
This guide teaches detailers how to properly diagnose and remediate severe contamination inside vehicles.
Topics include:
• contamination inspection systems
• interior disassembly for remediation
• odor treatment methods
• equipment used for severe cases
• pricing frameworks for remediation work
Anyone who joins Dirt Lab during the launch will receive access to this guide as part of the platform.
The Future of Dirt Lab
The launch of Dirt Lab is only the beginning.
The platform will continue expanding with:
• new training modules
• advanced detailing education
• business development resources
• automation tools for detailers
• community discussions and collaboration
The goal is to build a platform that helps detailers become better technicians, stronger business owners, and more efficient operators.
Join the Dirt Lab Platform
If you’re a detailer who wants to improve your systems, build a stronger business, and learn from real-world experience, Dirt Lab was built for you.
You can learn more about the platform and join the community at:
The detailing industry is evolving quickly.
Dirt Lab is here to help detailers evolve with it.