The Kids Table: The Next Generation in the Automotive Industry [RR 853]

carmcapriotto · May 30, 2023

Are you curious about what it's like to work for your family in the automotive industry? In this episode, Tracy Capriotto, Sara Fraser, and Kent Bullard discuss their journey into the automotive industry, the challenges and pressure to fill their father's shoes, and the need to find their own paths. They squash the misconception that working for family in the industry is easy and handed to them. It requires hard work and dedication to succeed in the automotive industry, regardless of family connections. They also touch on the challenges of preparing the next generation of professionals in the industry.

Kent Bullard, COO, The Institute. Listen to Kent’s other episodes HERE.

Sara Fraser, Haas Performance Consulting, Sara’s previous episodes HERE.

Show Notes

The Kids Table: The Next Generation in the Automotive Industry (00:01:31) Tracy, Sarah, and Kent discuss their plan to start a series on the younger generation's perspective in the automotive industry.
Sara's journey (00:04:25) Sara talks about how she started working for her father's company, from casual conversations to helping out with social media and eventually speaking at events.
Kent's journey (00:05:26) Kent shares how he stumbled into the automotive industry while doing tech support for Verizon, and how his father offered him a job as a secretary, which eventually led to him becoming the COO and owner of the company.
Tracy's journey (00:07:30) Tracy talks about how she started working for her father's podcast, initially helping out part-time with editing before eventually coming on full-time and realizing the many career paths available in the automotive industry.
Building a career path (00:10:11) Kent Bullard talks about building his career path under his father's guidance.
Pressure of working for a parent (00:11:31) The misconception is that working for a parent is easy
Addressing the relationship with their fathers (00:12:44)
Pressure of Filling Shoes (00:16:09-00:17:34) Tracy, Kent, and Sarah discuss the pressure they feel to fill their fathers' shoes in the automotive industry and the challenges they face in doing so.
Being Yourself (00:17:34) Sara talks about the pressure she initially felt to fit into a certain mold when presenting and training, but ultimately learned to be herself.
Creating Your Own Path (00:20:08) Kent emphasizes the importance of the next generation paving their path in the automotive industry and not continuing to do things the way they have been done.
Working with Family (00:22:54) Tracy, Sarah, and Kent discuss the rewards and challenges of working with their fathers and the importance of trust and communication in their relationships.
Finding Joy in Work (00:25:35) Sarah and Kent discuss how they found meaning and purpose in their work, and the importance of doing work you enjoy.
The Importance of People in the Automotive Industry (00:27:52) The importance of people in the automotive industry, and how it is a people industry that happens to fix cars.
The Power of Networking (00:28:22) Sara and Kent discuss the importance of attending industry events and networking, and how it can lead to meeting extraordinary leaders in the industry.
Surprises in the Industry (00:30:29) Kent shares his surprise at the amount of education required for automotive technicians.
Succession Planning (00:31:39) The group discusses the lack of succession planning in the industry and the need for business owners to start thinking about their exit plan from the day they open their shop.
Being a voice for younger people in the industry (00:34:38) Sara suggests discussing topics such as imposter syndrome and pressure that younger people in the industry may face and being transparent about their experiences.