Pub. 9 2020-2021 Issue 2

PUB YR 9 2020-2021 | ISSUE 2 11 Continued on page 12 I think that this is true for any organization— and certainly ours — it’s the people. If there is a secret, it’s spending the time and getting to know your people. It’s instilling your company’s culture, philosophy, and energy into the day-to-day that makes the difference. It’s what makes the whole operation authentic from the top down. Everyone’s on the same page as to what is important. I think it’s paramount in streamlining what you are truly trying to accomplish. The better understanding, the more successful. If you look back at your career and life, what would be three things you have learned that you would pass onto a younger member within the auto industry? This is a question that certainly hits home. My son Michael is 26 years old, and he is just starting in the business. The opportunity of mentoring my son is absolutely a wonderful experience for me. Here’s what I have told him: • Always take care of the customer. • There aren’t any shortcuts to success in this business —gain as much experience as possible because that is what you will need to rely on in the future. • Always learn—be ready to adapt to new and better ideas, processes, and be agile. How did you weather the pandemic storm? Well, I think it falls back on being agile, thinking fast on your feet. However, I credit our people —our teammembers, our customers, and industry partners for helping us be agile. The past year or so has been a moving target. The low point was, of course, when we furloughed our staff because we had to stop sales. Getting our people back during such uncertain times was stressful — for them and for our leadership. The most important thing was making sure everyone was safe and comfortable, and our people showed up, determined to make the best of the situation. There’s been a lot of uncertainty — I think that there still is to some extent. I am not sure that we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief yet. It’s better, so much better. We’re very low on vehicle inventory, but, on the positive side, the demand is there. The conditions for the industry are fantastic — interest rates are low, the average consumer’s car is about 13 years old, so there’s a demand for new vehicles, and the consumer’s mindset, after the past year, is that they are ready to buy. All of this is positive. What is the takeaway for you from the pandemic that will guide your future business decisions as a small-business leader? The takeaway from any adverse situation is this: take care of your people in good times, and they will take care of you in bad times. That is what stands out. I have a different perspective than most small-business owners and most dealers. My partner, Troy, and I have several dealerships in Louisiana —New Orleans, specifically — and in 2005, when Katrina hit, we lost 1,200 cars and 65% of our market. Everything we had worked for was mostly gone. We had OEMs questioning whether we should even open back up. Amonth after Katrina—one full month after —we still didn’t have cellphone coverage. It was nonexistent. I remember taking a yellow legal pad and writing down telephone numbers and spreading themout on a table, so I could call our people and check up on them as we could. Both Troy and I had a sort of dress rehearsal ahead of last year. The whole country saw the aftermath of Katrina, but we experienced it. I think there is a certain skill set that is developed from really tough times and you learn very quickly what’s important – and it’s this: the goodwill you have The auto industry is not an industry where you do it on your own; it’s a team effort. You need to find mentors, develop and work with a great team, and be aggressive in stepping up when a learning opportunity presents itself.