Mark Thistel, a native Baltimorean, is co-owner and founder of FreedomCar, Baltimore’s trusted car service. Born and raised in Baltimore, Mark’s dedication to his hometown is only surpassed by his commitment to his family and the business he and his wife, Robyne Lyles, established in 1991.

Mark’s journey into entrepreneurship began at the young age of 25 when he and Robyne, then 23, embarked on both a business and life partnership. Their initial venture, “Freedom Services Association,” aimed to cater to the needs of an aging population by providing transportation, home maintenance, and various independence services. However, their ambitious start encountered numerous challenges as they navigated the complexities of entrepreneurship.

Despite initial setbacks, Mark and Robyne recognized a niche in the transportation sector, particularly in providing a middle-ground option between taxis and limos. This realization led to the evolution of their business model, culminating in the rebranding to “FreedomCar” in 2010, a name that succinctly captured their core service.

Over the years, FreedomCar weathered significant economic downturns, including the aftermath of 9/11 and the Great Recession, without compromising their commitment to their staff or clientele. Their resilience was tested once again during the COVID-19 pandemic, where proactive measures such as staff and customer vaccination requirements underscored their unwavering dedication to safety and public health.

Mark’s leadership extends beyond the day-to-day operations of FreedomCar. With a hands-on approach, he oversees various aspects of the company, including operations, quality control, human resources, marketing, and strategic planning. Mark’s occasional roles as educator, writer, and public speaker reflect his commitment to the liberal arts as a foundation of FreedomCar’s business model.

Beyond business, Mark’s passion for Baltimore shines through his involvement in the community and love for its landmarks. Residing in the historic neighborhood of Hampden, Mark, Robyne, and their daughter Maeve breathe life into a 200-year-old home. Visitors to their abode are treated to Mark’s captivating stories about the city’s rich history, a testament to his deep-rooted connection to Baltimore.

Robyne Lyles, a driving force behind FreedomCar‘s success, has been instrumental in shaping the company’s trajectory since its inception in 1991. As a co-founder and partner alongside her husband, Mark Thistel, Robyne’s strategic vision and dedication have been pivotal in establishing FreedomCar as a beacon of reliability and excellence in Baltimore’s transportation industry.

Robyne’s journey into entrepreneurship began with the creation of Freedom Services Association, a venture aimed at providing a range of essential services to an aging population. Despite initial challenges, Robyne’s resilience and determination, coupled with Mark’s ingenuity, led to the evolution of FreedomCar, a transportation service that filled a crucial gap in the market.

While Mark focused on the operational aspects of the business, Robyne, armed with an MBA from the University of Chicago, took charge of the company’s finances and technology infrastructure. Throughout her tenure, Robyne has played a vital role in steering FreedomCar through tumultuous times, including the aftermath of 9/11, the Great Recession, and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Robyne finds solace in outdoor activities such as playing Ultimate at Roosevelt Park, climbing at Movement, and exploring the scenic trails of Baltimore’s parks. Her love for the city is palpable, as she relishes the skyline view from Northbound I-95 and frequents her favorite restaurants in Hampden.

As a proud alumna of the Park School and the University of Virginia, Robyne’s educational background underscores her commitment to excellence and lifelong learning. Alongside Mark, she continues to lead FreedomCar with integrity, ensuring that the company’s core values of quality, reliability, respect, transparency, and trust are upheld in every interaction.

How did FreedomCar get its start, and what inspired you to launch the original Freedom Services Association back in 1991?

FreedomCar started as Freedom Services Association, a membership-based elder-care company that Robyne and I dreamed up while in college, preparing to combine the two most problematic relationships known to man: marriage and business partnership. The business concept failed, but the marriage/partnership—and one element of the model, transportation—persevered.

What led you to identify the need for a “middle ground” between taxis and limos, and how did that insight shape the evolution into what is now FreedomCar?

Remember, dinosaurs roamed the Earth when we did this. Uber and Lyft (and the internet) were not even a concept in 1991. The transportation market was split between taxis and limos—neither of which we or our clients could identify with. I had been taking care of my grandparents for some time and realized that what people really wanted was transportation that reflected their values and their aesthetics. Nothing too fancy, and something that put a priority on their time and comfort.

FreedomCar has navigated major economic disruptions over the decades, from 9/11 to COVID-19. How did those moments influence your business model and approach to service?

Don’t forget the Great Recession too. Yes, each of these traumas taught us important lessons, and each changed our business model. 9/11 taught us the value of sharing information monthly with our staff about the health of the company, which is something we’ve done ever since. The Great Recession taught us that an unhealthy labor market will bring a lot of talented people into any organization that is still hiring, and it’s the wise employer who doesn’t turn these people away—even if there’s no business to support them. The pandemic taught us so much that it’s impossible to answer glibly with a line or two. It’s still raw, that experience. It literally changed everything. A topic for another interview, I think.

What do you think has been the biggest factor in FreedomCar’s longevity and ability to stay relevant in an increasingly crowded transportation market?

Recognizing that all that’s new (.com in the ’90s, gig employment in the ’00s, remote work in the ’20s) is not what lasts—not necessarily what the market really wants, and not necessarily in the best interests of the company, its staff, or its customers. If your goals are long-term, and you’re not creating a company just to sell it, then you want to look at things that are lastingly important. We answer the phone when you call. We own the equipment that we provide for you. We employ the person who drives you. We show up when we say we’re going to show up. At FreedomCar, what’s old is new again—and that’s something our clients find almost shocking, and valuable in a way that’s disproportionate to the generally tiny role we play in their lives.

Robyne, how has your background in finance and technology influenced the systems and structure that keep FreedomCar running smoothly behind the scenes?

I have always been a “numbers” person with a deep love of great design. These symbiotic interests along with good fortune of being able to forge my own path within our company, have allowed me time to hone my abilities whether through education, building connections, or simply digging in and being willing to learn something new. Education can be transformative and getting my MBA was just that. I gained not only a new language that allow me a deeper understanding of financial world but it also sparked my imagination about how to alter our organizational structure for the better. In particular, we radically altered the way we evaluated our employees performances which allowed us to alter how pay and bonuses were structured. This allowed us adeptly manage our payroll costs as well as providing quality feedback which made our whole company run better. On the technology and design side, the spark also flowed into my creation of a highly user friendly, flexible database system that gives us rich access to data. This in turn allows us to make quality decisions about every facet of our business.

Mark, you’ve spoken about the influence of the liberal arts in your approach to business. How has that perspective shaped FreedomCar’s culture and its support of the arts community?

Wow, insightful question. Yes, I can’t say enough how important my background in things having nothing to do with business has been to Robyne and me, and the way we run our business. Life isn’t a balance sheet, and business is more than an imperative to make money. If you want your business to be important to the lives of your customers—really important, in a way that will get you through the inevitable traumas and disruptions that are always in our future—then you need to place real value in what my parents used to refer to as the “higher callings”: art, science, literature, music, philosophy, politics, humor. If you can speak in those terms and think in those terms, then you’re meeting your clients on a level most businesses never aspire to—and you can actually forge relationships and occasionally make change.

Recently, we took a public stand defending many of our friends in the science, arts, and public service communities against attacks upon them by the current administration. We published a statement of values that put our company on record as defending democracy and the U.S. Constitution against what we view as attacks upon both. Not only was this the right thing to do—and an essential thing to do—it drove unprecedented levels of business in our direction. In 34 years of business activity, it was the best thing we’ve ever done, regardless of whether your interest is public policy or shareholder value.

Trust, safety, and reliability are core to FreedomCar’s reputation. What systems or philosophies help you uphold those values every day?

We have endless, complicated systems that monitor everything and report honest real-time results telling us whether we’re delivering the service our clients have come to expect. I think every successful business model out there is a collection of such systems, working behind the scenes all the time. I think it’s actually quite beautiful—like a really complicated work of art.

The key to such systems is getting everyone on board. At FreedomCar, a mortal sin is not making a mistake—everyone makes mistakes—it’s hiding the error. Metrics are a garbage-in/garbage-out phenomenon. If everyone believes in the legitimacy and integrity of the system, then it will be high-quality info being fed into the system, yielding highly reliable results.

Baltimore is clearly central to your personal and professional story. In what ways has being based here influenced FreedomCar’s mission and identity?

It’s all about relationships, hon. Invest in them. Make sure each relationship you have benefits the other party more than it does you. If you do this—I call it building equity within each relationship over time—people will look out for you. When you need them, they will be there, because you’ve been there for them.

I love Baltimore, because everywhere you look, there are relationships. People live here. They may leave, but they always come back.

How is FreedomCar continuing to adapt and innovate as customer expectations and transportation technologies evolve?

Well, if I’m honest with myself, I’d have to say I’m pretty terrible at that. I don’t like to adapt or innovate. I like things the way they are. Which is why I have to be careful to hire people who don’t feel that way. Their job is to drag me—sometimes painfully for us all—into innovations and adaptations that are in the best interests of the company, its clients, and its personnel.

That’s the thing though… in Mark’s world, it’s got to benefit all three of those parties or we’re not interested.

Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of FreedomCar—and your continued roles as business partners and community advocates?

I think FreedomCar is a small, quiet, local object lesson for would-be entrepreneurs that being all of those things—small, quiet, and local—can lead to a really happy life. I’m excited for the rest of the world to realize that. We spend so much time envying the loud, the big, the super-successful, and I really just don’t think that’s a reliable path to happiness.

Do something really well, that people need. Make sure they get out of their relationship with you more than you’re getting out of your relationship with them. Prosperity will find you. Happiness will find you.

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