What It’s Really Like Moving from OEM to Retail with Emily Illingworth

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Welcome to Get In Her Lane.

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I'm your host, jamie, and I have a 25-year career in automotive.

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This is the show where we dive into the unique challenges and opportunities women face in the automotive industry, amplifying her perspective to drive positive change.

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Women influence 83% of car buying decisions, so it's crucial we see more women in leadership roles to shape the future of this industry.

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Let's try to get there together.

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Welcome back everyone.

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Today.

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I'm thrilled to introduce you to Emily Illingworth.

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She's not just a dear friend, but a trailblazing force in the automotive world.

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Emily's journey is fascinating, starting in retail, transitioning to the OEM side and then making her way back to retail as an owner and general manager.

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We're diving deep into what the path was really like, what challenges she faced and what insights she gained from seeing both sides of the business and, most importantly, how she's made a lasting impact as a woman in automotive and in her community.

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Before we get into the show, please leave us a review and some stars and, as always, you can check out all the episodes of the show at getinherlanecom.

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Let's get into it, emily.

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It's great to have you on today.

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Thank you, it's great to be here.

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You spent five years at Toyota on the OEM side and then made a big decision to trade that life for the retail automotive world, where you are the general manager and an owner of Toyota of Warsaw and you were 40 under 40 in 2022, which is a huge accomplishment.

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So I'm excited to dig in to a few things today, with the first being your perspective of working on both sides.

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So tell me what motivated your decision to move from the OEM side to owning and running a dealership.

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Well, first I'd like to say thank you for having me.

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I really enjoy the podcast and all the different women that have come on and shared their perspective and their different ideas and challenges they've overcome.

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So thanks for doing this.

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I would say for me the biggest motivation for moving from the OEM to the retail side was I had recognized, just newly being married, that I wanted to have a family, but I also wanted to maintain my career, and I knew that there was going to be one or the other that would have to take backseat at different points in my life.

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And so my husband and I made the decision that if we could get my father who the dealer is, the dealer principal to agree to sell the dealership to us, that we would make this journey to Warsaw and be able to start a family and have a little bit more control of our day-to-day life being at a local dealership rather than working on the OEM side.

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And so it was a big decision.

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It was definitely a hard one and a very hard transition, but in the role that I was in, I was a district sales manager and with that there was a lot of traveling, so I would have a four-hour drive to my territory on Mondays and I would be in the territory all week and then drive back Friday and, although every day was very different, I got to make a lot of great, had a lot of great partnerships and relationships with dealers that I called on that are really some of the best people I've met.

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Car dealers are a unique bunch, but I really truly learned so much from them.

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So I enjoyed the work, but it was just hard to be in a hotel every night and hindsight hotel every night and hindsight after I had my son, who is now five.

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My pregnancy was pretty rough.

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I was very sick throughout my pregnancy and, looking back, if I was a field traveler while going through that, that would have been very challenging.

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It probably would have been challenging for the OEM as well to have to accommodate the challenges I was having while pregnant and being a field traveler.

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Were you afraid at all of the retail hours that would be involved going to the dealership?

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Because I know it's like on the OEM side.

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You have the barriers with all the travel and being away from home, but it's almost like okay, well, you go to the retail world and it's known for long hours and Saturday.

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So how were you scared about that part and what were your thoughts?

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And it's known for long hours and Saturday.

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So how were you scared about that part and what were your thoughts?

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Definitely, I am.

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Honestly.

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When I first graduated from college, I went and worked for a dealership as kind of a starter job while I was deciding whether or not I wanted to get into social work and I ended up really enjoying doing the job that I was doing at that dealership.

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But I told myself once I was hired on to work at Toyota that I don't think I would want to go back to the retail world because of that, because of the hours and there's so much, you can't predict what you're going to make every month necessarily, especially if you're on any of those commission pay plans.

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So to me I wanted something a little bit more structured and guaranteed.

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That was a big motivation for me to move to the OEM side, but also not want to go to the retail side.

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But knowing that one day it would be mine to buy into and that I would have control over that, I think gave me some relief or at least made me more open to the idea of going to retail.

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Because knowing that one day I would potentially be able to become dealer principal, I have control over how that is set up, so if it wasn't working for my family, it's most likely not working for somebody else's family In this environment.

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On the retail side, I have a lot more wiggle room to make those decisions and make that immediate change, whereas I didn't so much on the OEM side.

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Does that make sense?

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Yeah, no, I love that perspective and that's great that you're in the position to be able to make a decision like that.

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That could be very beneficial for all of your employees and team members at the store.

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Coming from the OEM side myself for 25 years, so I know that travel.

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I know all the nights in the hotel room.

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I completely commiserate with you on that.

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But from a different perspective, I know that just being on the OEM side sometimes they feel like they are the expert in many things and their mentality is sometimes we know best and if our retail partners just did it this way, everyone would be successful.

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In your experience, since you've been on both sides, what do you feel is true about that and what's not true about that?

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That's a great question.

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I would say I'll try to answer it like this.

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So the biggest difference, I would say it's like going from a symphony orchestra being the OEM to a jazz band being the retail side.

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Both require a tremendous amount of skill and teamwork, but there's a lot more improv that's happening on the retail side than maybe on the OEM side.

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So, although OEMs have a lot of very talented and smart people working there that have really good goal, you know to always take care of the customer first, but there's just some things that aren't as easily said and done, depending on the different market circumstances and where you're located and so forth.

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So I would say for me, I learned that on the OEM side it was very structured, a lot of really excellent resources.

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The OEM side it was very structured, a lot of really excellent resources, a lot of emphasis on efficiencies, precision and planning, and that's what I took a lot away from my experience.

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We're on the running the dealership side.

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It's a little bit more dynamic, there's less bureaucracy and the impact can be a more immediate on this end of the business on the retail side.

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But I would say in my relationships with the OEM now that I'm on this side is that they always are truly, they're willing to help and I've always appreciated that and if they don't know the answers, they're always willing to workshop and try to come up with a solution to improve the way that we operate and serve our community.

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As a Toyota dealer, the symphony orchestra versus the jazz band.

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I love that analogy, that's a really great way of putting it.

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So yeah, and I know exactly what you're talking about.

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From the OEM perspective, I mean, everything is just so structured but very well thought out plans for months, if not years.

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And the OEM rolls out a program or an initiative and it's okay, here you go.

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But sometimes it's not as easy as it seems to be, but I love that analogy.

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On a similar note, how has your previous experience at the OEM influenced your approach to running a dealership?

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So I would say my previous experience at the OEM really taught me the importance of quality, importance of planning and consistency, but most importantly really, it's the whole culture of the OEM.

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And you take care of your team, they will take care of your guests.

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And so for me, I've brought those values to the dealership, ensuring that every customer interaction is top-notch and that our operations are run smoothly, but also that we aren't wasteful in spending and that we're good stewards to the community and good stewards of our resources that we have here at the dealership.

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And I learned a lot of that from being on the OEM side.

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One of the biggest influences would be the Toyota way or Toyota principles you take care of your guests or your employees, they take care of your guests.

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The idea of respect for people, continuous improvement and the get to get boot shoe, go, go, look, go see all of those things have really resonated with me and carried over to how I choose to to operate and run the dealership.

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So it sounds like you're really focused on the customer relationship.

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How has your perspective on that relationship changed since moving from an OEM role to having direct customer interactions at your dealership?

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will impact our customers' day-to-day lives, but also how our vehicles and our approach to customer service stacks up versus other brands and other manufacturers, and then also how the support goes from the dealership partner to the OEM.

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So I'm in a very small, rural market.

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It's imperative for us that every customer interaction meets the standard of care that we pride ourselves on.

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We don't do everything right all the time, but it is a big.

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It is our mission to take care of our guests.

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Our tagline for the dealership is arrive as guests leave as family, and we truly hold to that, being that.

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We're such a small store in a rural market that everybody knows everybody in a way.

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So we want to make sure that we do what we, we mean what we say and we, you know, say what we mean.

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We hold ourselves to that standard and in corporate, you know, we had a lot less control over that relationship.

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That's where we relied heavily on our dealers and the franchise partners.

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We relied heavily on on our dealers to do the right thing and to take care of our guests.

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But now that I'm a dealer, I feel like my vision and perspective really much still aligns with Toyota, that we show up every day and we focus on our culture and we live by our culture and our team and our guests and treat everybody with respect.

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So arrive as guests, leave as family.

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That's a great philosophy to have, for your store Is there and I feel like everyone's trying to learn from one another, right, especially to be able to have that competitive advantage in the marketplace.

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So still on this topic, what unique strategies or what unique things does Toyota of Warsaw do to enhance that customer experience?

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You're absolutely right.

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Right now everybody is, I truly believe, doing their best, but meeting the expectations of yourself and your customers and your team, you really, in all of the noise of today, you really have to figure out what you want to start working on first and take it one step at a time.

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And I think for us, one of the strategies that we implemented is along the lines of working really closely with our career center and high school programs to, for example, you know, technicians, to be able to bring the technicians in out of high school and grow them and help support them as they grow as a technician and have them be a long, a long time employee.

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So that is one way that we have tried to enhance our customer experience through supporting the community and the future generation in our community by supporting and being actively involved in these trade school programs and the career center through the local high school.

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That's not just technicians, but through marketing and sales and the different career paths you can choose technicians, but through marketing and sales and the different career paths you can choose.

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But also on that, it's really simple to say that we want our customers to trust us, we value their time and we always want to be transparent and so saying all those things is easy, but actually implementing it and making sure we're consistent across the board in that mission has taken a little bit longer and really what has helped is the implementation of technology.

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So different tools like digital retailing tools, moving our service department interactions with customers from repair orders to interacting with upsells and maintenance need on a vehicle, doing that all through video and electronic and digitally has helped us in our mission to be transparent, to respect customers' time and also build their trust.

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So that is great that you are getting involved in the trade schools and your community and the high schools to find the talent, because there's definitely a shortage of technicians out there.

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There's a shortage, I feel, of people even wanting to go into automotive and knowing what a great career opportunity it can be.

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Tell me some of the challenges or how hard has it been to do that and really get involved at those schools in order to recruit the talent and the people that you need.

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Again, in my experience, the local community school district had this pathway already in place.

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The program was fairly new but was still being developed.

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However, when Toyota came out with their program that extended not just from the technical colleges but to the high school programs where they provided curriculum and access to some of the Toyota e-learnings to get maintenance certified before they graduate get maintenance certified before they graduate really opened up a lot of doors because it was really showing that it's not just me, the dealer, coming in here saying that I want to help and help be part of the training and growth of these future technicians, for example, but Toyota wanted to support all the dealers in that way by providing additional resources for them to have that they got something at the end of the training.

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So, basically, if you provide the curriculum and all the students that were accomplished that curriculum in the two years or however long the program is for your schools would come out with a Toyota maintenance certification.

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So graduating from college with that maintenance certification, that typically takes about six months to a year.

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If you come out with no experience and you just start as a lube technician, that's really powerful because it shows that going to college isn't your only path and that you can go this direction and get a head start in the career world without accumulating debt, and this will also set you up for success by partnering with a local dealer.

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So for me it wasn't as challenging as I thought it was going to be, because our school system really wants the local community to be the places where they place students to get real world experience.

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So for us we have two technicians through the program and one of them.

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Well, both of them are starting again tomorrow, but the one we had last year worked for us all summer and he's going into a senior year, so we plan on offering him a job after he graduates and he'll be well ahead of most.

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But we also have a school district that really prides themselves on the relationships built in the community and with the local businesses, especially in the trade schools, with manufacturing is heavy around here for the orthopedic companies and so forth, so they recognize the need for those trade skills and it's not all straight to college you go Right, yeah, no.

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What an important message.

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That's key, I mean.

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I think the younger generation needs to know that there are different opportunities that you can pursue that they could be very successful in.

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Right, and also starting them off so early.

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I mean, we offer 401k, for example.

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So starting a 401k when you're 18 will serve you so well by the time you're 40.

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So, those things that aren't definitely not on the radar for what wasn't on my radar when I was 18, that's for sure but just those different ways that we can play an important role in their lives and help the community through a strong employment network, yeah, that's great.

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Keep that effort up.

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That's what our communities and the industry needs for the future.

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So let's circle back to you personally.

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What unique opportunities have you found in managing a dealership that you never expected?

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So for me the experience has been very humbling and motivating.

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I went from being a district sales manager making six figures to making the transition onto the retail side.

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I was interviewed for the position of service advisor because that's what they had available at the time when I moved here.

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So I was a service advisor.

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I was making a lot less and not as strong of benefits a lot less and not as strong of benefits, and I didn't have the leadership experience from a perspective of.

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I was the manager of a group of people that worked below me.

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I had leadership experience through college and through high school, through those different extracurriculars, but I didn't necessarily have leadership experience in a job position, and so that's why it was very humbling and plus, I kind of got to practice what I preached for so long being a field traveler to the dealers that I called on For me.

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I've had to work really hard on many of the different key parts of management as far as like me as a leader, but I always felt that, you know, once I became the GM I realized that it's very lonely at the top at times, so, and I missed having the camaraderie that I had with the fellow field travelers and just that team environment where when I became GM, it just felt different as far as like I can't just go talk to anybody about any problem, because that wouldn't be appropriate, and so it made me rely on and really reach out and expand my network of mentors and people that I could call and get advice from.

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So, as far as another aspect of it is, I never anticipated how much I would enjoy the community aspect of running a dealership.

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We get to sponsor local events, support the different nonprofits and be a part of the local fabric.

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That was an unexpected surprise or opportunity that I have really cherished, that I didn't have when I lived in or worked in a big city and for Toyota.

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So I think it's kind of a three-part answer for you.

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But it's also how rewarding it is when you put a goal out there or an objective and at the end of the month all departments reach their goals and the sense of pride and accomplishment that each of them feel from doing it and accomplishing that that's probably the most rewarding.

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And having that impact in individuals' lives I mean that's really cool, knowing that what the decisions I make here and how they impact are hopefully always the better their lives at home and the opportunities that they have.

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I love that you do have a lot of impact and the opportunities that they have.

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I love that you do have a lot of impact and that's probably really rewarding.

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Definitely no-transcript.

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Can you share any personal experiences or stories about overcoming any gender-related challenges in your career, whether it's the OEM side and moving into retail or both?

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So one of the biggest challenges I faced is being underestimated.

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Early on in my career, I found myself in some situations where I had to prove my capabilities twice as much as maybe my male counterparts did.

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However, I found in those moments very motivating, because it pushed me to find ways to stand out, but reassure that I knew what I was doing and that I could be trusted to ask for help or guidance if I truly didn't know which I think is sometimes the hardest thing to do when you're trying to prove yourself is to put yourself out there and be vulnerable and ask, like you know, how would you handle this?

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Because I don't know everything and I'm not going to pretend I do so.

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It was a balancing act, for sure.

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I had a situation where I had a performance review and my feedback was that I needed to network more within the office and that when I was walking, for example, from my cubicle to maybe the elevator, that I didn't smile and so I came across as cold or, at times, maybe snobby, and to me I am not that way at all.

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I'm a very outgoing person, but I also just don't walk around all the time smiling because I'm not insane In a way.

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So to me, it just wasn't natural from walking to my desk to an elevator, smiling like I, you know, like I'm just cheery, cheery, cheery all the time.

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So I didn't really know what to take of that feedback, but it pushed me to insert myself into what I felt was a little bit of a boys club at times, which is naturally going to happen when you're in a male-dominated industry.

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But I will say, though, I'm fortunate enough to work with some amazing men and women, both at the OEM and dealership and within the community I live in.

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But to me, I think the most challenging part to overcome is the unconscious bias that women face.

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That's really what I have challenged to overcome the most.

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There's been a number of times, when I was working as a service advisor, that a customer would come in and say to my face, like I would like to work with a man, not a woman, and so you know, at the end of the day, you can only control what you can control.

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It's just how you react, and so, for me, I just always remember to lead with grace and remember that.

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These are all experiences that, at the end, have made me more resilient, but also have made me stay true to who I am as a person and to not waver from that.

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I definitely can relate and have had some similar experiences and, yeah, I do feel like there's a higher level of criticism when you're just walking from your cubicle to the elevator as you said.

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Yeah, I'm like how is that going to make us more money or meet our objectives?

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Right, right.

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It's like, oh, you're not smiling today.

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Or you look, yeah, you're like, no, maybe I'm just focused and serious.

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It doesn't mean that I don't want to be here or I'm not a team player or anything like that.

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So I think that definitely makes it challenging, and then being underestimated as well, I find myself.

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You know, never let them see you be flustered, right that's kind of like the mentality you have to kind of go with, to be like, oh no, this person she's got, she's got her stuff together, yeah she's solid.

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Yeah, she's solid, I don't have to worry about her.

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But, yes, there's all these things out there now on on vulnerability or it's okay to ask for help, but it's the balance.

00:25:05.256 --> 00:25:06.117
And how do you?

00:25:06.117 --> 00:25:07.488
How do you balance?

00:25:07.488 --> 00:25:10.915
That while maintaining the fact that no, she's got this.

00:25:11.037 --> 00:25:11.617
She's solid.

00:25:11.617 --> 00:25:14.530
Right, you're confident, but you're not confident.

00:25:14.530 --> 00:25:18.199
Right, persistent, but not too persistent.

00:25:18.199 --> 00:25:23.771
It's definitely a balancing act and everybody has to work on it, no matter who you are or where you came from.

00:25:23.771 --> 00:25:31.778
It's kind of learning how to work with different people and being a team player, but also, yeah, I can go on forever about it.

00:25:32.046 --> 00:25:37.222
It's a standard that is set higher, I think, for women in business in general.

00:25:37.222 --> 00:25:44.519
That you're trying to, or in life, I mean, it reminds me of thought you're going to break into the Barbie movie speech, so monologue.

00:25:46.565 --> 00:25:48.349
Yes, I can't believe.

00:25:48.349 --> 00:25:49.112
I've never seen it.

00:25:49.112 --> 00:25:55.615
I'm still like trying to figure out why I haven't gotten myself to watch it, but I will, and I love Barbies growing up.

00:25:55.615 --> 00:25:56.567
It's good.

00:25:56.747 --> 00:25:58.471
I mean my son watch it.

00:25:58.471 --> 00:26:00.356
My husband only watched, like the first part.

00:26:00.356 --> 00:26:14.944
It is good to watch, but later in the movie, when like Ken's, like no, it's Ken's kingdom and all that stuff and he's got like he's like riding all these horses and like all that, then my son was just like yeah, ken, and I was like this is not a message I was trying to send.

00:26:15.144 --> 00:26:18.173
Yeah, it's like the most interesting man commercials.

00:26:18.173 --> 00:26:20.459
It's like, oh, I want to be that man because he's so cool.

00:26:20.459 --> 00:26:22.064
It's like, what about the most interesting woman?

00:26:22.064 --> 00:26:22.945
I know a lot of them.

00:26:22.945 --> 00:26:26.236
Can I pitch them for your next commercial ad?

00:26:28.526 --> 00:26:34.558
So you have been obviously successful in both the OEM and the dealership roles.

00:26:34.558 --> 00:26:38.609
What advice do you have for other women looking to advance in the automotive industry?

00:26:38.609 --> 00:26:38.871
What advice?

00:26:38.891 --> 00:26:40.613
do you have for other women looking to advance in the automotive industry?

00:26:40.613 --> 00:26:45.140
The advice I would have is don't be afraid to take risks and to step out of your comfort zone.

00:26:45.140 --> 00:26:53.308
I think that's universal for anybody.

00:26:53.308 --> 00:26:57.986
If you don't wake up every day feeling a little bit nervous or a little bit not fearful, but I would say nervous that means you're not pushing yourself enough.

00:26:57.986 --> 00:27:05.258
So for me, the automotive industry is evolving and there's a huge opportunity for women to make their mark.

00:27:05.659 --> 00:27:09.590
Always remember to build a strong network, seek out mentors.

00:27:09.590 --> 00:27:11.013
Never stop learning.

00:27:11.013 --> 00:27:20.414
Most importantly, you can't ever doubt your gut and what your gut is telling you, or what your instincts are telling you and what your gut is telling you or what your instincts are telling you.

00:27:20.414 --> 00:27:23.819
I've always felt whenever I've gone against my gut, it's been the wrong move.

00:27:23.819 --> 00:27:31.163
And also just believing yourself and your ability to lead and innovate and change course and be flexible.

00:27:31.163 --> 00:27:59.498
I always would say and this is something I wish I would have been aware of earlier in my career but to be clear with what you need and remember your value that if a company cannot accommodate reasonably with what you need to achieve both your personal and family goals along with your career goals, then maybe it's time to consider something else or to never stop fighting for what you need to be happy in life.

00:27:59.498 --> 00:28:08.970
So one thing somebody told me that I thought was funny and it really resonated was remember you are amazing but you're not super woman, so don't try to be.

00:28:09.471 --> 00:28:22.336
And I think that's where a lot of women get caught up is that they try to do it all and then they end up just working themselves to death or losing a part of life because they're so determined to prove themselves and do well.

00:28:22.336 --> 00:28:27.115
Just always be willing to ask for help, be prepared to work hard all of those things.

00:28:27.115 --> 00:28:42.964
For me, it was important that I believed in what I was doing and the service we were providing here, because there was such a risk financially and emotionally, that if it doesn't work, that's it for me, my family, our employees, their families.

00:28:42.964 --> 00:28:49.919
The success of the dealership is a direct success of them and to them for their hard work.

00:28:49.919 --> 00:28:56.893
You have to be okay with the skin in the game and the risk that you have and not weary from the end goals.

00:28:56.893 --> 00:28:58.958
That's a lot of a loaded answer.

00:28:59.684 --> 00:29:00.386
Fantastic advice.

00:29:00.386 --> 00:29:04.055
So I think we'll wrap up with one last question.

00:29:04.055 --> 00:29:05.657
You're in retail.

00:29:05.657 --> 00:29:07.210
You're staying in retail.

00:29:07.210 --> 00:29:08.353
This is your future.

00:29:08.353 --> 00:29:10.641
Toyota of Warsaw is your future.

00:29:10.641 --> 00:29:16.715
What insights do you have on the future of car sales and what do customers want?

00:29:16.715 --> 00:29:17.417
What are you seeing?

00:29:17.417 --> 00:29:18.828
Where do you, where do you think it's going?

00:29:19.471 --> 00:29:36.611
It's tricky because this industry is so dynamic, it is constantly changing and it is constantly being disrupted, and so I feel like dealers are having to prove themselves and reinvent the wheel often, more often than maybe in the past.

00:29:36.611 --> 00:29:49.329
But as far as the future of car sales and customer preferences, I think influence of technology and sustainability will play a role.

00:29:49.329 --> 00:29:54.507
I believe that people are going to be looking for the ability to have a seamless, digital first experience, but I don't think that's going.

00:29:54.507 --> 00:29:56.913
I think that's up to the point of when they sign paperwork and they take delivery.

00:29:56.913 --> 00:29:59.623
I think there's still going to be that human paperwork and they take delivery.

00:29:59.623 --> 00:30:02.911
I think there's still going to be that human connection and that human element.

00:30:02.911 --> 00:30:14.396
I'm not quite sure that we're quite there as far as, like, doing the whole thing online and it being delivered to your driveway For some people, yes, but I just think that there's still that human element.

00:30:14.497 --> 00:30:29.433
So, although it's important that we continue to strive to make our experience as seamless, transparent and pressure-free as we can and that's on the service side too I think that's going to still on planet Earth.

00:30:29.433 --> 00:30:52.130
But I also think that more people are looking for a diverse answer to that, and fulfilling that need not necessarily all going down one path, say all electric.

00:30:52.130 --> 00:31:01.788
I think there's something for everybody, and leaving that choice up to the consumer is the best thing that we can do in the car business to meet their needs.

00:31:01.788 --> 00:31:09.773
Because, I'll tell you, in rural Indiana in February it gets cold and the roads are not ideal.

00:31:09.773 --> 00:31:27.949
And so being able to have that good transportation option that's not reliant on something that could be impacted by weather or anything like that, I just I don't think anybody wants the additional stress to, especially in the rural parts where you know, town to town, there's some some time between it.

00:31:28.009 --> 00:31:32.446
So the consumer does lead the industry but great insights.

00:31:32.446 --> 00:31:33.549
I love those insights.

00:31:33.549 --> 00:31:34.712
That's wonderful.

00:31:34.712 --> 00:31:36.057
Thank you so much for sharing those.

00:31:36.057 --> 00:31:40.592
If anybody wants to get in touch with you, can they get you on your LinkedIn?

00:31:40.592 --> 00:31:41.512
What would be the best way?

00:31:42.233 --> 00:31:47.827
Yeah, so LinkedIn, social media or you can reach out to me by email.

00:31:47.827 --> 00:32:00.557
Either way, I'm happy to talk more and make connections and obviously, for me, I'm very motivated to make the workplace more inclusive and a place that genuinely supports women.

00:32:00.557 --> 00:32:07.114
One thing I do want to say is going back to the supporting the community and serving the community.

00:32:07.114 --> 00:32:25.255
I think, when it comes to the future generations and making a mark on more women working in automotive, whether that's manufacturing, whether that's retail, whether that's advertising, marketing, accounting, lawyers I mean, the automotive industry has every profession in it.

00:32:25.836 --> 00:32:48.037
I believe Truly it is a vast and unique career opportunity and I think for me as being able to get in front of parents and showing that career path or all of those opportunities, we would make, I think, a lot of headway, Because I know for me growing up, my parents had a lot of influence.

00:32:48.037 --> 00:33:10.371
They were always there to help me talk through anything or provide advice or just listen, and so I think we can't underestimate, I think parents understand what the opportunities are and they can help form those ideas or pathways for their own children that I think we can make headway there, because you don't know what you don't know, and a lot of, I think, parents.

00:33:10.371 --> 00:33:18.830
When they hear about automotive, they just immediately think car salesperson or a technician, and it's so much more than that and the most rewarding work.

00:33:18.830 --> 00:33:25.191
Truly, although it's very hard, it's very rewarding and I just love the people that I come across and work with in this industry.

00:33:25.724 --> 00:33:27.873
Well said keep up the amazing work.

00:33:27.873 --> 00:33:31.954
You are truly making a wonderful difference in the industry.

00:33:32.375 --> 00:33:38.330
Thank you, I'm trying one woman at a time, yep one woman at a time.

00:33:38.592 --> 00:33:39.335
This was awesome.

00:33:39.335 --> 00:33:40.951
Thank you so much for being on, Emily.

00:33:40.951 --> 00:33:44.673
Thanks for tuning into this episode.

00:33:44.673 --> 00:33:50.903
If you like this humble passion project, please tell your automotive friends about it and leave us a review on Apple or Spotify.

00:33:50.903 --> 00:33:52.049
Until next time.