Pub. 1 2019 Issue 1

How did you become a car dealer? Did you always aspire to be part of the automotive industry? I’m a second generation dealer. I grew up watching my dad sell cars. My dad had all of his kids working at the dealership in the summer – it kept us out of trouble and instilled a work ethic from when we were young. So I guess I never really thought hard about my career op- tions. I had a path and I recognized it. I’m lucky that I found my career, or rather my career found me, at a young age. Mike Smith Past Chair CFADA Do you have family members in the auto industry? I do. My dad was in the auto industry most of his adult life, until he passed. My mom still comes in and signs checks for me and my brother Stew, and she’s 89. My brother Stew and I work together, running the dealership now. There are five siblings in the family, four boys and one daughter. My older brother is in the business. My brother Stew and I run our family dealership, and my sister is married to a dealer. The car business runs in the family. Describe your educational background. What did you study? Hands-on learning. I guess you could say I’m a graduate of the University of Dad. I started at the dealership switchboard, back then it was the cable plug-in kind! I worked in accounting, and back then, we posted manually. There’s not a job in this dealership I haven’t done. Again, I was lucky; my dad was a great mentor, so I learned from the best. Are there any specific individuals who had a major impact on your career? My dad, first and foremost. He taught me that it should never be difficult to buy a car, to treat people fairly and to tell the truth. Those were wise words. My cousin, Ron Smith, is another person who made a big impact on my career. He often said “profit is not a four-letter word!” And you know, it’s not. It’s okay to run a profitable business. I believe that you can do it all: treat people fairly and tell the truth. I be- lieve that the profits and success will follow. What is the most rewarding part of your career? The people. Hands down, it’s the people. The car business is a people business. If you don’t like people, you shouldn’t be in the car business. Every day, we see people in our dealership from all walks of life – they all need a car and they all come with their own stories, needs, wants and concerns. And regardless of who they are, they all want to be treat- ed fairly and told the truth. When we help a customer find and buy the right car for them, it’s a great day. GETTING TO KNOW Immediate Past Chair, Mike Smith: Orlando Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram 6 Issue 1 2019