TONYA HOUSE BEARTOOTH FORD Tonya House has been the owner of Beartooth Ford in Columbus, Montana, for the past 22 years. Her tenacity and drive have made her a trailblazer in this male‑dominated industry. She is a single mother of four wonderful children: Tana, age 25; Stone, age 23; Rae, who just turned 16 and Cort, who is 15. Tonya works hard to make sure she has a good work-life balance. We recently sat down with Tonya to learn more about her career. The following are excerpts from our conversation. How did you get into the auto industry? I was a cheerleader in high school. After cheerleading season was over, I was often found lying on the couch in my house. One day, my mother said, “You know, Tonya, you’re going to have to get a job — nobody’s going to call you while you’re lying on the couch.” The very next day, my cheer coach’s husband called me and said, “Hey, I was wondering if you’d like to come and work for me?” He just happened to own the local Chevrolet and Toyota dealership in town. Needless to say, my mother was shocked and I was hired. I worked full-time in the business office during the summer and part-time during school. I went off to college and had plans to be an attorney. After I graduated, I was busy studying for the LSAT and working at a dealership. I absolutely loved my job. I was getting ready to apply for law school when the owner of the dealership approached me and said, “I’d like to promote you and have you join us in our finance office.” I made the decision to put off law school and never looked back. As a woman, you are in the minority; what are your thoughts about the auto industry as a career path for women? What’s your experience been like? My life in the car business hasn’t been all unicorns and rainbows. I have run into some difficult people in my time, but I am definitely the type of woman to stand up to anyone, anywhere, anytime. When I first bought the dealership, there were times when people would come and say to me, “Can I speak to the man in charge?” or “Can I speak to the owner or somebody above 20 MONTANA AUTO DEALER
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODQxMjUw