Since I graduated from the Academy, he has developed a training program that is helping me dig deeper into dealership operations, management and leadership. I’ve been fortunate to have different mentors at different stages of my career who were willing to invest in me. You recently graduated from the NADA Dealer Academy. What did you take away from that experience? I graduated from the NADA Dealer Academy, Class 485, this past July. On our first day, our director, Michael Hayes, told us to prepare for the longest, quickest year of our lives. He was absolutely correct. One of my biggest takeaways was the importance of continuing to grow. The automotive industry is constantly evolving, and if you reach a point where you’re completely comfortable, you’re probably not evolving along with it. And graduating from the Academy doesn’t mean the learning is finished. In fact, if you think you’re done learning in this industry, it might be time to box things up and go home. For me, the real training began after graduation. What has allowed Crossroads to remain successful across generations? It boils down to people — how we take care of our customers and our employees. At our second annual Employee Appreciation Day, we actually shut down the dealership on a Saturday, rented a golf course and invited employees and their families to spend the day together. We are fortunate to have many long-tenured employees at Crossroads. At the event, we recognized those who had been with us for 10 years or more; roughly 12 people reached that milestone. We also have many employees who have been here for more than five years. You’re always going to have some turnover in any business, but we try to take care of our people and invest in them. I think that makes a difference. Community involvement is clearly important to Crossroads. Tell us about Crossroads CAN. Crossroads CAN stands for Community Action Now. Through the program, we give $2,500 every month to a local nonprofit. We also participate in toy drives, food drives and other efforts throughout the year, supporting organizations that serve everyone from children to older adults. It’s really about letting our community know we’re here for them. When the Alcorn County area was hit hard by an ice storm in January, and many people were without power, we were fortunate enough to be able to open. I spent two days outside cooking for anyone who wanted a hot meal, and if people could make it to us, they got as much food as they needed. It wasn’t about selling a car that day. It was about taking care of our community. We don’t do those things expecting something in return. We do it because it’s the right thing to do. Ultimately, we view ourselves as stewards of what we’ve been given. Our responsibility is to take care of our people — our employees, our customers and our community. How have you been involved with the Mississippi Automobile Dealers Association? I’ve been involved with MADA since around 2009, when I began attending conventions with my father-in-law after my wife and I got married. The family’s involvement goes back much further than that. 19
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