VIRGINIA AUTO DEALER vada.com 16 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K BelAir-VIADA-halfpagead-DEC2019-PRINT.pdf 1 12/2/19 9:37 AM Hill, South Carolina. My advertising agency came up with a marketing campaign called “Dan the Man.” The slogan was, “Come see Dan the Man today.” I am still known as “Dan the Man” now. The “Dan the Man” campaign made me a household name for many years. Describe your all-time favorite vehicle (it can be one you’ve owned or something on your wish list). What are you currently driving? My all-time favorite is a Nissan GTR. If I could drive any car in the world, that’s what it would be. And today, I am driving the GTR. What is your favorite way to spend your free time? Do you have any unusual hobbies? I love spending time with my family. My wife and I have been married going on 24 years. I met her in 1995 at the first dealership I worked. She was a service customer, and I greeted her. She’s been my rock and has helped me succeed in the car business. For so long, I spent so much time away from home, and when I was home, I was not there mentally. She was a single parent for all intents and purposes, but she supported me and didn’t complain. She held the family together. When my son hit 10, that’s when I really became a dad. If I had to give anybody kudos, I would say she is the most influential person in my life. She could have made it very tough for me early on in my career. If you don’t have a stable home life, it’s hard to be a successful anything. But she kept us together. My parents have been married for 60 years, and I have one brother and two sisters. I am the youngest. We all live in different parts of the country but make it a point to get together at least once a year. VADA is proud to acknowledge “Dan the Man” Banister on his 2021 TIME Dealer of the Year nomination. continued from page 15
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