Our third Meet a Dad feature this month is local dad Taylor Penley; owner of Washed By the Water Detailing! Husband, father, and founder of Washed By the Water Detailing — driven by faith, committed to excellence, and passionate about cars. Always chasing growth and giving God the glory every step of the way. Read more below about Taylor, his passion behind his business, his incredible team members, and one thing he has learned about fatherhood, raising his family here in Charleston, SC.
Where are you originally from and how long have you been in Charleston, SC?
I am originally from Charlotte, NC but have lived in Charleston for about 5 years.
Tell us about your family
My wife Candice and I have been married for almost 6 years. We have three kids. Ava Grace is 5.5. Kylie Rae is 4. John Luke is 1. We also have a golden retriever dog named Bentley. And 6 chickens – salt, pepper, mocha, cocoa, Porsche and Rari (short for Ferrari).
One thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I played the drums growing up and was actually on the drum line in middle school.
What’s your favorite thing about raising a family in Charleston?
My favorite thing is that there is always something to do. With kids, it is nice to have different things for them to do. Also, if for some reason you can’t think of anything to do, you can always go to the beach!
Tell us about your business, Washed By the Water Detailing, and when & why you decided to start this business!
Long story short, Washed By the Water Detailing was started in August of 2020. We moved to Charleston from Charlotte, NC. After getting many physical signs of Charleston, SC. We prayed many prayers and felt that we should move to Charleston. We rented in Johns Island for 8 months. We moved here with a 1 year old and my pregnant wife. We had pretty much zero connections here but we felt called here. It was rough in the beginning but the Lord pulled us through. We have had continuous growth every year. We currently have 6 guys (including myself) operating 2 vans, 1 truck and now a shop.
What is your favorite part about your business?
Leading a team of guys and serving our customers. I want my guys to grow and become better men every single day, and in turn that helps me do the same. Us becoming better and holding each other to a high standard also carries over to how we take care of our customers.
Tell us about the different services Washed By the Water Detailing offers.
We offer basically every detailing service for vehicles as well as boats. That includes basic interior/exterior Washes, Full Details, Paint Corrections, Ceramic Coatings. We are also certified Yacht Armor installers, which is a marine protection film. We’re have quite a few additional services that will be added in the near future.
What do you think sets you apart in your line of work in this community?
We’re not just another detailing company, we operate with integrity, service, and accountability rooted in Christian values. We treat every job as we are working unto the Lord, not just for a paycheck.
What has been your favorite / most exciting vehicle to work on?
This is a hard question to answer because we’ve had the opportunity to work on a lot of nice cars. A few that stand out to me would be a McLaren Elva, Lamborghini SVJ, and Porsche GT2RS.
Tell us about your team members!
My guys are the best of the best! Tyler Doster has been with me since Nov 2021 and has helped tremendously with the growth of the company. He and his wife live in MTP and have a 2 year old daughter and a chocolate lab named Chief. He’s also a huge Texas Longhorn fan.
Mike Gemerek joined the team in June of 2024 and has been a great asset running the van soon after he started. He and his wife also live in MTP and have 2 dogs (Mac and Sadie). He love sports talk radio, golfing and the Buffalo Bills.
Tyler Leagans joined in Nov 2024 and has a background in boat detailing. He’s a great guy and hard worker. He love to fish and hangout with friends in his free time. Not long after Tyler, his two brothers Blake Leagans and Cam Leagans joined the team as well. They both love to golf and hangout with friends.
How can a new client book your services?
You can book via phone call, text, email or visiting our website at WBWDetailing.com. Text is usually best (843-810-9143)!
Tell us more about your work/life balance within fatherhood.
One thing at Washed By the Water is that we don’t operate on the weekends. We save that time to spend with our families. I love getting home from work and seeing my wife and kids. I try my best to just put the phone down and spend the next hour or 2 playing with them and learning about their day. They usually want to play basketball, go for a bike ride or play match game. I also love to get on the ground and play/wrestle with my 1 year old son.
Who has most influenced you to be the dad that you are today?
I think the way I was raised by my parents really taught me a lot. There are things I learned that I should and shouldn’t do as a parent. With that being said, I think the most influential person now is my wife. She makes me a better person every day. She’s taught me a lot about patience and has really helped me grow as a father.
What advice would you share with a new dad or other dads?
First and foremost I’d really lean into your faith. It has helped me not only become a better father, but also to be a better all around person. We can learn a lot from Jesus.
Know that it’s not always easy, but it’s worth it. I believe we are meant to lead and provide for our families and children. That may look differently for every family but overall I think we need to be the strong, solid foundation that weathers the storms of life.
Also, know that you’re not alone, if you ever need help or advice, reach out.
We love supporting local businesses – favorite places in Charleston to…
Have Dinner with Family: Bohemian Bull
Grab a Drink with Friends: I don’t drink but I’d say Edmonds Oast
Have a Date Night: Halls Chophouse
Spend time together as a Family: We like to get breakfast/brunch at Kiss Cafe on Johns Island and go to church at Fort Johnson Baptist
Outside Activities: We enjoy going to the different county parks and playgrounds around town
Grab coffee: Second State coffee
