was a solid 2.0 student but made it through college because I worked hard. Now, I’m on the Board of Governors for that college, which is crazy. When placed on the board, I asked, “Did you not research my grades when you put me on here?” But I’m a voice of common sense and dissent, and that is what they wanted. You can’t have someone that goes along with everything. It’s not good for whatever you’re doing. Have you had any mentors along the way? I’ve had many mentors, but some in a different way than most people would consider a mentor. I would consider my dad a mentor because he taught me personally what not to do. My mom and dad divorced when I was young; he wasn’t around until I was a teenager. My mom worked hard to raise three rambunctious boys by herself. It was not always easy, and I have so much respect for her. When my dad came back into the picture, I went to work for him. I got a lot of exposure to the mobile home and car industries. I helped set up mobile homes and sold used cars on the side. Through this experience, I knew I wanted to own my own dealership one day. He taught me to work hard, but he was horrible with money and always seemed to be broke. Watching him taught me not to put people on a pedestal, thinking they can do no wrong. You may not believe this, but I was probably the single shyest kid in the world. I hated speaking to anybody. And being a shy person, it’s hard to have a mentor. I had to come out of my shell when I got to college. Everybody made fun of how I talked, and I was the butt of many jokes. When that happens, you just shut down, get in your shell and try not to say too much. So, my mentors were people in the car industry. Whenever I had the chance, I would ask them questions like, “How did you get into the business?” It would just kill me to do it, but I would ask. I learned a lot from them telling their stories. What advice would you pass along when mentoring others? 1. You have to work hard and work smart, too. A good work ethic is irreplaceable. One of the positive things my parents taught me was to have a work ethic. I never missed work, ever. I was dependable and fiercely loyal until someone proved me wrong. And then, I’m fiercely against it. 2. Be honest. I’ve had so many opportunities to take money under the table and do dishonest things, but I have never. I’ve always been able to look at myself in the mirror and know I have lived up to my standards. Don’t ever lie, cheat or steal, ever. Those are the three words that I tell every employee that I hire. You cannot lie, cheat or steal and still work for me. It’s not possible. 3. Don’t put your mentors on a pedestal. You will miss their imperfections, which will teach you so much more than their successes. If you were to spend a week with me, I assure you you’d know my imperfections. And you can learn from my screw-ups. I’m not perfect by any means, so you have to be able to look at me not as this guy who’s accomplished all these things but as an imperfect human being that you can learn from and decide what you would do differently. That’s the most important lesson I can teach anyone. What does the best day in business look like for you? The best day I’ve ever experienced, and it’s only happened a few times, is a 30-car day. When I was young, poor and broke, I worked as a salesperson at one of the dealerships in Charleston. I remember they averaged 30 car sales a day at that store. It was a huge dealership, and I always thought about how crazy it was to sell that many cars every single day, every day of the week. So, when I first got three stores, we finally got our 30-car day. That was always a big deal to me. We have done it a few more times since then. Having a 30-car day is still a personal goal for me. What keeps you motivated at work? My favorite video in the world, which I watch about once every three or four months, is the motivational commencement speech by Lou Holtz called “Silver Spoon.” It is one thing that cheers me up and motivates me as well. My favorite quote from the speech is: “You’re going to have problems. You’re going to have difficulties. That’s part of life. Don’t tell people about your problems. Do you know that 90% of the people don’t care? And the other 10% are glad you got them, so you’re better off keeping them to yourself.” WVADA NEWS 18
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