Yahoo Finance Want to do Miami right? A Black-owned business lets visitors drive their dream car
As a kid, Carol City native Marlon Wentworth was more familiar with his neighborhood’s now-defunct 183rd Street flea market and Joe Robbie Stadium, now known as Hard Rock Stadium, than he was with the way the world saw his hometown of Miami.
“I knew Miami, but I knew everybody comes to Florida to really enjoy something they dream about,” he said. “Being a native, I went to the beach maybe twice.”
After high school, Wentworth moved to Tampa and began a career in logistics. In his travels for work, he frequently met people who romanticized life in Miami and what they believed came with it: bright sunshine, blue water and fast cars. That eventually gave him an idea, and in 2019, he and his wife Jessica started a luxury car rental business and concierge service with hubs in Tampa and Miami.
Together, the couple now manages a fleet of dozens of luxury vehicles, including Lamborghini and Ferrari sports cars, through their company Energetic Exotics.
Launching a business the year before the pandemic started had its challenges, but the Wentworths were able to weather the storm.
“Our business experienced a slowdown due to the need for more cautious operations,” Jessica remembered. “We transitioned to contactless services. Since the majority of our clients were local at the time, the impact was not substantial.”
Working in logistics had prepared Marlon, 43, for what it took to move products across America and around the world. Jessica, 40, had worked in the medical industry as a customer service specialist, giving her a different type of experience to bring to the business.
After talking to a car broker, Marlon and Jessica emptied their 401Ks and bought a Mercedes-Benz Maybach S600, the first luxury car they would rent out to customers.
“We were at a dealership and had no connections with any dealers or hook-ups and were shopping for a vehicle for $250,000,” Marlon said. “For some people, that’s a house.”
Growing up as a Black kid in Miami, Marlon remembered being denied access to opportunities on a consistent basis. While he didn’t know how well he and his wife would fare as entrepreneurs, he saw being able to purchase the Maybach as a good sign.
Five years since launching, Energetic Exotics has grown — it now also offers add-ons like concierge services and security.
The Wentworths’ clients range from brides and grooms who want to make a grand exit to businesspeople who want to arrive to their meetings in style. Prices for daily rentals begin at $395 for a special edition Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and go up to $895 for a Lamborghini Huracán.
According to Jessica Wentworth, the company is most busy during wedding season. While prom season in Tampa has had a fair amount of traffic, it hasn’t yet gotten to the level of prom season in Miami.
“We haven’t gotten to that Miami status level where [Tampa clients] are doing extravagant $20,000 single-day things,” she said. ”But we get our fair share.”
The Wentworths know the ins and outs of their business well, but there’s one person who knows their fleet of luxury cars better than either of them — their 13-year-old son, Zachary.
“He knows more about the cars than I do,” laughed Marlon Wentworth.
Remembering his Carol City roots has compelled Marlon to sponsor a marching band in Tampa and to be a mentor to young people. He said it’s important for him to pay his success forward and show Black youth with less resources that you do not have to be a pro athlete to succeed in life.
“I always tell them you always have to believe in yourself and stick to it,” he said. “If you haven’t invested in yourself, nobody else will. Success is taught. I have met people that say you must play ball, you must be a rapper, but this was from my life savings.”
Looking ahead, the Wentworths hope to expand their business nationally in the next two to three years, with the ultimate goal of expanding worldwide. Clients from other parts of the country have mentioned a desire for an Energetic Exotics where they live.
But for now, Marlon Wentworth says he’s content with the road he and Jessica have already traveled.
“It feels like a dream,” he said. “You’re talking to a kid that used to live near Trick Daddy’s restaurant. It’s mind-blowing.”
