It started with an idea in May of last year when freshman Joseph “JR” Shields wanted to turn his interest in cars into a business.

Shields grew up reading duPont REGISTRY, a magazine that offers a buyer’s guide to fine cars, homes and boats. However, he didn’t feel that the magazine was memorable.

Just before entering his freshman year at Iona, Shields created a Facebook page called A1 Exotics, which took a different approach to cars compared to the typical buyer’s guide. A1 Exotics has more of a lifestyle focus where it highlights the owner of the car, their experience with it and exotic car events.

He started to reach out to car owners through his Facebook page. Luckily, the luxury car owners community is very tight-knit, which helped the A1 Exotics Facebook page get noticed quickly by other car owners around the country.

In September 2013, a1exoticsmag.com was launched as a preview to the A1 Exotics print magazine that came out this past January. The Ionian sat down with Shields to learn more about his project:

Ionian: Who was the first car owner that you made contact with on A1 Exotic’s Facebook?

JR: Joanne Del Prete-Rosten, who owns a Lamborghini. She became my mentor and I keep in touch with her on a daily basis. She helps me set goals and guides me when making new connections with car owners. She also let me drive her Lambo!

I: Once you’ve made a connection with a car owner, what’s the next step?

JR: I will set up a photo shoot, hire a photographer and [if I can] will fly out to where they live and learn about their experience with their car(s). I write some of the content, but I have writers, who reached out to me on Facebook, write some of A1’s content, too.

I: Is there anyone else involved in A1 Exotics?

JR: Yes, my Iona teammate and vice president, sophomore Thomas Keefe, joined me once I shared my idea with him. Our relationship benefits us both because his dad owns two car dealerships which allow us to build our network and expand our reach.

I: Who is your inspiration?

JR: I’m inspired by Michael Fux, the founder of Sleep Innovations, Inc., which makes memory foam. He owns over 150 custom made cars. I got to meet him in New Jersey before A1 Exotics launched and told him about my idea. I’m sure he didn’t think much of it, but when the first issue of A1 Exotics came out I sent him a copy. He wrote me a handwritten letter saying he would love me to shoot his collection; I’m planning to meet with him this summer or fall.

I: What’s your top goal for A1 Exotics?

JR: I want to do what duPont REGISTRY did in 30 years—have a gross of $250 million per year—in 10 years. By 2023, I want A1 to be their top competitor.

I: What’s your favorite car?

JR: Ferrari F430, because it was the first high-end car I got to drive when I was 15.

I: What do you want the students to remember from your story?

JR: I want to show people our age that you don’t have to wait until you graduate to do something.

www.a1exoticsmag.com is a weekly publication that teases what’s to come in the print issue. A1 Exotics is released quarterly. However, Shields plans to make it a bi-monthly publication by 2015 and a monthly one by 2016.

Shields’ long-term goal is to live at the top of the Trump Tower by senior year.