Meet Arsen Misakyan | Founder of LAXcar & Angel City Limo, Transportation & Event Logistics Expert

We had the good fortune of connecting with Arsen Misakyan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Arsen, how do you think about risk?
I don’t look at risk as something to chase—I look at it as something to manage. In this business, every decision has trade-offs, so I focus on calculated risks where the upside makes sense and the downside is controlled. That usually means testing things in smaller steps before fully committing.

Taking risks has been a big part of building the company. Launching, scaling into events, and investing in systems all came with uncertainty. Not everything worked, but those decisions pushed the business forward and helped me build a more resilient operation over time.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We run LAXcar and Angel City Limo, focused on airport transfers and event transportation across California. Most of our work is either time-sensitive travel or coordinating multiple vehicles for corporate events, where timing and communication really matter. What sets us apart is how operational we are—we focus heavily on dispatching, driver coordination, and having backup plans in place so things run smoothly.

Getting here wasn’t easy. Early on, consistency was the biggest challenge—delivering the same level of service every time. As we grew, managing larger events added pressure and complexity. We made mistakes, but each one pushed us to build better systems, improve communication, and run a tighter operation overall.

The biggest lesson is that service businesses are won or lost in execution, not marketing. What I’m most proud of is the consistency we’ve built over time and the trust clients place in us for high-stakes situations. If there’s one thing I’d want people to know, it’s that we focus on doing things properly—no shortcuts, just reliable service when it matters most.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Since I’m based in the Los Angeles area, I’d make it a week that mixes the classics with places that still feel easy and fun. I’d do an ocean day on the Westside, an art day downtown, one night around Griffith Observatory for the view, and at least one slower day in Malibu. LA is best when you don’t overschedule it.

For food, I’d keep it varied: tacos and market stops at Grand Central Market, where vendors range from La Sandunga to Broad Street Oyster Co. and The Donut Man, then one nicer dinner with a view on the coast. For culture, I’d do The Getty Center for the architecture, gardens, and city views, and The Broad downtown since general admission is free and timed tickets are recommended. Griffith Observatory is still one of the best LA stops because the grounds are free and the views are hard to beat, especially around sunset.

A simple week would look like this: Santa Monica and Venice early in the trip, downtown LA with The Broad and Grand Central Market, a Hollywood/Griffith evening, Malibu and the Getty Villa on another day, then one flexible day for a drive through the canyons, coffee, and a long dinner. The people and places that make LA fun are the ones with range—artists, founders, chefs, creatives, and neighborhoods that feel completely different from each other within the same day. That contrast is what makes the city interesting.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d give a lot of credit to the people I’ve worked with closely over the years—especially the drivers and dispatchers. They’re the ones on the front lines, dealing with real-time challenges, and they’ve played a huge role in shaping how I think about service and operations. A lot of what we’ve built came from learning through those day-to-day experiences together.

I’d also credit early clients who trusted us before we had a track record. In this industry, one opportunity can open the door to many others, and those first relationships really helped us grow. Beyond that, I’ve taken a lot from books like The Hard Thing About Hard Things—they don’t give you shortcuts, but they prepare you for the reality of building something from scratch.

Website: https://laxcar.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laxcarinc/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/laxcar

Twitter: https://twitter.com/laxcar_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laxcarinc

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/laxcar-los-angeles

Image Credits
LAXcar Inc