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(Re-Upload) Inspiration Over Motivation With Erroll Bomar III · Auto Collabs

• 0:00
  Guys, yesterday I went with- You ate tacos. [upbeat music] This is Auto Collabs. [laughs] Sorry, I- Of course. I went- I, I, I'm, I'm always the interruption guy in the intro. I apologize.
• 0:17
  [laughs] I went with Emer to buy a car. Okay. And, um- I feel like you buy a lot of cars lately. I, I don't know what it is. I- You said something about six, seven cars- I should get my dealer license...
• 0:27
  in the last two years on a podcast- [laughs] He did... and I was like, "What?" [laughs] Okay, so- I should just get my dealer license. So you went, you should. More Than Cars. It's gonna happen.
• 0:36
  And here's what I think is hilarious. Um, I'm like, "Yo, you gotta go to this dealership and talk to, talk to my boy, Mark. You n- somebody else needs to experience Mark." Mark is a 63-year-old Hispanic Tracy Morgan.
• 0:51
  Like, that's the only way- [laughs]... I can describe Mark. That sounds amazing. I need to know him. I was there until Tracy Morgan. I was like, "Whoa, that hit me out of left field."
• 0:59
  No, because, you know, and, and sooner or later, you guys are gonna come here and I'm gonna introduce you to Mark, because now they're, it's a whole thing. I, I bought two cars from him. Now Emer's bought a car from him.
• 1:08
  But, but think Tracy Morgan, 'cause the way, you know, he kind of talk like this and go like that. Yeah, yeah. I got, I'm already there with you. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Okay. So we get in to test drive.
• 1:18
  Em- Emer's, you know, he calls it his baby truck. He, he needed a four-way into, foray into trucks, so he buys a Tacoma. We're in the back of the Tacoma. I'm sitting with Mark.
• 1:27
  Emer and his wife are in the front seat, and we're driving. And Emer, you know, Emer being in the industry- Wait, there were three of you in the front seat? That's, there's nothing more pickup truck than that.
• 1:34
  No, he was in the backseat. Oh. He was in the backseat. Yeah, yeah. And so Emer's like, "Come on. Come on, man." Like, "Mark, tell, tell me about this, [laughs] tell me about this truck."
• 1:44
  And Mark from the backseat, just picture Hispanic Tracy Morgan, just had hip surgery so he waddles a little bit, goes, "Yeah, you know, so there's, like, the knobs and stuff up fr- I don't know.
• 1:55
  You got the future sheet in front of you." [laughs] Got all those fancy things on there. And while we were there, guys, while we were there, Mark sold four cars. [laughs] No way.
• 2:08
  [laughs] Well, Mark- This dude, like, he's been at this dealership for, like- Oh... 22 years. It's like he's not going anywhere. And I think- [laughs] I think he's got the shtick down.
• 2:18
  Like, people have to just come and experience Mark. It's just a thing. Like, it- And I've been dying to tell you guys about this, 'cause I need everyone now to experience Mark.
• 2:25
  Someone needs to run around and throw this guy on social, 'cause I can already see, like- Oh, it's probably me, but he never- Like- The way he wa- waved his hand.
• 2:33
  And, and we're in the back of this Tacoma- I don't know, you got the features... so he came, like, in front of my face. He's like- Yeah. Well, I guess- "You, you know, it's got the knobs and, like, I don't know."
• 2:39
  All, all this shit. "You got the feature sheet in front of you, man." [laughs] I don't even know what we're doing. Listen, today's guest is Errol Bomar, who doesn't talk anything like that. Actually, quite opposite.
• 2:48
  But he ap- happens to be a product specialist for Ford, and he's also, um, I don't know what you call him, hired talent, spokesperson. I don't know.
• 2:57
  He's at the NADA live stage every year, which is where we met him, and immediately knew that, uh, we weren't just in the same industry, but there was a very, a very much a kindred spirit by the way we approach things.
• 3:08
  And even though we never talked about that, it took till about year three before we were like, "When are we doing something together?" Uh- Yeah...
• 3:14
  that's something we're doing together is at a SodaCon this year, which if you don't have your tickets, you should.
• 3:19
  And, uh, this is the first time we've actually gotten to sit with him to, like, have some kind of meaningful conversation. So looking forward to this conversation with the one and only Errol Bomar III.
• 3:29
  [upbeat music] Errol, our friend, thank you so much for joining us today on Auto Collabs. What's up, guys? How's everybody doing? I'm doing good. Wonderful. Doing so good.
• 3:41
  Doing even better- Better now that you're here... now that you're here. Look, man, uh, it's, this has been a long time coming. Yes.
• 3:46
  We've never had the chance to actually sit down and do some real content together, but our paths have been crossing for the last several years at the NADA show.
• 3:55
  We just got to spend some time together, albeit brief, at, in New York City when you're in town for the auto show. We were there for the J.D. Power Forum. Um- Yes... and so, man, it's just good to have you here.
• 4:05
  And you're in New York for, like, a while right now, aren't you? Yes, yes.
• 4:09
  So the, uh, the New York show is, uh, normally two weeks, so I, I put boots on the ground on the 15th, and then, uh, I'm not wheels up until the 28th. So it's a, it's a- Ooh... good little stretch.
• 4:20
  Um, but what's funny is our meeting in New York was, I think, purely in New York fashion. It was, like, quick pace on the go. [laughs] Um, but, but we got the job done. Rooftop bar. That's what was crazy about it.
• 4:29
  Like, it was- Yeah... all of, all of the- Oh... quintessential, like, "We'll meet on the rooftop bar. We'll be in and out in a couple seconds. We're com- we're going to this party that you don't know about.
• 4:37
  You may or may not be invited. Come on in." Right. "It's gonna be fine." Yes. "I'll get you in." Look, here's, here's the element. All a thing. Let me just say this.
• 4:45
  When you meet other people who understand how to move arou- like, I say, move about the cabin, right? Yes, yes, yes. You, you know it.
• 4:52
  Like, you just, "We're gonna be at this address at this time," and they're coming in from all over the country, sometimes all over the world, and you just know. Like, people know how to get to a place. That's it.
• 5:02
  That's how you, that's how you kinda can identify, like, oh, we understand each other. Absolutely. There's nothing worse than, like, you give somebody all of the information, right?
• 5:09
  And then you'll say, "Here's the place, here's the location, here's the link," and then they're t- calling and texting you like, "Well, where is it? How do I get there? Where..."
• 5:16
  And you're like, "I've given you the roadmap." And so when- [laughs]... you find somebody that can follow the roadmap, you're like, "Oh, yeah." Do I...
• 5:22
  You know you're in trouble when they're like, "Do I need to set up an Uber account ahead of time?" [laughs] You're like, oh. Oh, boy. [laughs] We got problems. We got problems. Right.
• 5:31
  I mean, uh, okay, so let's, let's walk this back, because I think some people- Yes... know you. Uh, and, and maybe if they've been to NADA the past couple years, approached the live stage, seen that.
• 5:41
  Or if they've been around the Ford, like, traveling roadshow of auto shows, they may have seen or heard your voice or things like that. But- Absolutely...
• 5:50
  give us the background of, like, why you landed in the automotive industry and are running around to events and speaking and doing all these things in auto. And what's, how'd you, how'd you land in this thing?Right.
• 6:03
  So four score... No, I'm just playing. [laughs] I like Kyle's question- So-... how did you land in this thing? [laughs] Right. It, it's- That, that's how it works, just so everybody knows. So- It is.
• 6:13
  And what's unique about it is it's definitely one relationship at a time. So, uh, originally, I've been in sales and marketing for well over 16 years. But that started, um, in the automotive space.
• 6:25
  So I actually, um, out of high school, um, I had a, a job where I worked at Kinko's, and then that led me to another position to where I was a production manager for, uh, this, uh, dental PPO.
• 6:38
  I did all of their print work and all that good stuff. But that ended up landing me into the automotive space. And so, um, I started in new car sales, Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep, uh, all the way back in '03, right?
• 6:50
  And back then it was 100% commission. You don't sell, you don't eat. Sure. Uh, whole nine yards, right? And so that was a different industry, but it taught that tenacity, that focus, all of those things.
• 7:01
  And in that space, uh, this was when, you know, car sales were relationship driven. It wasn't m- there was no social media, there was no...
• 7:10
  It was literally just, A, being in the same location so that when people came back to you, they knew you were there.
• 7:17
  Uh, and then B, it was building that relationship so they would either share your information or come back to you. Like, you know, you did the, we did the birthday cards, and anniversary cards, and thank you cards.
• 7:26
  Like, everything was building that relationship out. And so that taught me a lot about the importance of the relationship piece, right? Um, because one relationship leads you into the next.
• 7:37
  So fast-forward, um, uh, one of my, there was two gentlemen that kind of I, that mentored me in that space. Both of them had, one had been at the dealership for, at that time, 20 years.
• 7:47
  The other one had been at the dealership 18 years. Same dealership. And just watching them and the relationships built.
• 7:53
  One of the guys, um, he actually went to Jordan for two weeks, two and a half weeks out of the month, came back, and you know how the end of the month is in the auto business. I watched this guy sell 19 cars in six days.
• 8:06
  Wait. Just literally- Jordan as in the country? Jordan as in the country, yes, yes. Okay. So he- Just wanted to be clear on that. [laughs] Right. Absolutely. So he, he, he leaves, comes back 18 cars in six days.
• 8:19
  And literally just picking up the phone, "Hey, your car's ready. Come pick it up. Hey, your car's ready. Come pick it up. Hey, your car's ready. Come pick it up." You're just like-
• 8:25
  I'm like, "What is going-" [laughs] But it was, it was because of the relationships and the fact that he knew his client base. So he knew which customers were coming up for lease, which ones were ready to purchase.
• 8:35
  So he just had a system. Mm-hmm. And so, um, fast-forward, uh, I ended up leaving the automotive space. But during that time I got introduced to auto shows, because we did a thing called walk arounds.
• 8:47
  And so as a walk around, uh, it was basically how you presented the vehicle to the consumer. And there was very- Yep. Yep... certain points you had to hit.
• 8:55
  You start them on the passenger side, land them in the driver's seat, you're ready to hit the road, right? Um- That's what I'm talking about. That's it. It, it was a system. Let them know.
• 9:02
  So everything was kind of system based, you know? Um, and so what ended up happening in that space was I would work the Detroit Auto Show as the Dodge Chrysler Jeep representative. Nice.
• 9:12
  And the job there was, it wasn't sales related, it was literally just engaging with people answering questions. Because at that time the industry was a little bit different than it was now.
• 9:22
  At that time, the, those folks that worked the auto show were considered more spokesmodel. That's kind of the term that was used.
• 9:30
  Now we're product specialists, meaning we're actually trained by the manufacturer, know all the ins and outs of the vehicle, and can talk to a customer and consumer in spec and in depth about the vehicle.
• 9:39
  There's a big difference. I mean, you're pretty and all, but I mean- Yeah, yeah. [laughs]... product specialist makes a big difference when you put that- [laughs]...
• 9:46
  when you put, when you put that mantle on the person you have answering questions and knowing about the vehicle.
• 9:52
  So are you, are you, like, fully trained and certified in all, like the makes and the models and the specs and all that? Yeah.
• 10:00
  So typically how it works is we have to know a little bit about everything, and then certain times at certain shows, there'll be specific vehicles that we focus on.
• 10:08
  So obviously that's based on product release and what's important and, you know, what the flagship or, or, or angel halo vehicle is at that time. Mm-hmm. But absolutely.
• 10:17
  If somebody comes up and wants to talk, you know, Transit Van or they wanna talk Escape, I've gotta know, you know, either A, the information- Yeah. So across the Ford lineup. You're...
• 10:27
  Well, and this is what I think is interesting, because, you know, there, there will people, be people to say like, "Ah, the auto show might be going away." Yeah.
• 10:35
  But there's clearly a ton of people going to auto shows, especially like the big four, big five, right? Yes.
• 10:40
  And the manufacturers have realized, no, when people come to this, they are technically detailed, looking for rich understanding of a vehicle, and I think that's actually like a tip for dealers to say, "Okay, if people are going to auto shows asking that, they're probably coming to the showrooms wondering the same exact thing."
• 11:01
  Without a doubt. "So my people-" Absolutely "... better be dialed in product specialists," not just like, you know, sales junkies that wanna get the next sale.
• 11:07
  It's like, no, people are coming to discover deeply ab- Yes... you were telling me, you, we were, we were in New York City. You were like... What was the thing you were telling me about the nine volt battery? Oh, yes.
• 11:19
  Oh, yeah. [laughs] For the, for the Mach-E. Did you hear that? Yes. Yes.
• 11:21
  So if, if any event, for some reason your battery is at a low percentage and you can't unlock your doors, there's an opportunity where there's a panel where you can actually use a standard nine volt battery, which allows you to, in an emergency situation, unlock the doors of the vehicle.
• 11:36
  And that's something that, yeah, while it is obscure and very rare, if there's a consumer that gets caught in that position, knowing that can make the difference of their impression of the brand long term, you know?
• 11:47
  Um- See, I'm convinced right now, I just have to call this out. Yeah. They've got some, like, Southern 73-year-old grandma- [laughs]... sitting in the R&D lab, like, figuring out, like MacGyvering that stuff.
• 12:04
  'Cause that's- Oh, absolutely... that's something that, like, a 73-year-old grandma in like Southern Mi- Mississippi would be like-Y'all got a nine volt for this? [laughs] Got some Vicks- In your back- in your bag...
• 12:15
  goes, goes right in the bag Apple cider vinegar in the gas tank? [laughs] Yes. Okay, so like th- this is what stands out to me about this. Because- Yes...
• 12:22
  like we're all in this space every day, all day, talking about it over and over again, and we're like, "Do we really have to talk about nine volt batteries again?"
• 12:29
  But like, I think because we're so in it, we forget sometimes, or it's easy to forget, that there are millions of enthusiasts out there that love- Yes... that stuff. Mm-hmm. Absolutely.
• 12:42
  That like, that nine volt battery little hack is gonna blow their mind, and they're gonna be like, "I guess that's why I need to drive this vehicle." You know? Absolutely. Yeah.
• 12:49
  In the same way there's affinity audiences and enthusiasts for, like, gaming and role play gaming, and they just sit there and consume and consume and consume.
• 12:59
  The difference is, uh, to your point, what I'm picking up on is, the, the difference is there are specialists in those,
• 13:07
  uh, industries, in the in- the gaming industry, that know there are people that wanna know this stuff. And in our industry, I think, like, we, we don't do the best job at realizing, no, like, people are enthusiasts.
• 13:20
  They wanna be excited. They wanna know the little ins and the outs of the vehicles. They wanna pay attention to the space. That's the first thing that I had to, like, just get off of my, g- the- Yeah... the really...
• 13:30
  Errol, it grinds my gears, and now you- Oh, no, no. [laughs]... surface it, and I'm like, "Yes, Errol. Yes, Errol, preach." He said it. He said it. Yeah.
• 13:37
  The, the, the second thing is, like, you have so much experience at these, these events. I went to the Toronto Auto Show recently. Okay.
• 13:45
  And what blew me away is how much, this kinda ties into what, Kyle, what you were just saying, like how much attention the OEMs are actually paying to the space that you're presenting in- Mm-hmm...
• 13:58
  and that it becomes a very real character that sets a tone for buying and, like, consumer buying activity and how they're thinking about the vehicle and how they're seeing it. And then
• 14:10
  we go to the dealership, and it's like a doctor's office. [laughs] Sometimes, yeah. Yeah. Right? And there's, there's always a dude in the front cubicle like this. 100%.
• 14:21
  You know, watching him, him looking at- Or, or the guy that stands up and just leans on the edge of the cubicle-... the equipment... looking at everybody else, you know?
• 14:25
  So from your experience- Watching the front door... I mean, what are you seeing? How does that- [laughs] How does, how do all of these things, your product specialty- Yes...
• 14:32
  and knowing there's enthusiasts, millions of people going to these auto shows, the big five, I think we talked about,
• 14:39
  and y- and the consumer's role in how all of these things come together to actually move people to, to show intent and move people to a purchase? Yeah.
• 14:49
  I think the, the big thing that from, you know, being able to see it from all sides.
• 14:53
  'Cause even outside of just auto shows, so one of the things that I have the opportunity to do because I'm in Michigan, in the Detroit area, um, is I do all of, like, Ford specialty events, and that includes even dealership.
• 15:05
  Like we, one summer we did a dealership t- uh, thing, tour called Tech Days, which is where any consumer can come back, and if they had questions about the technology of their vehicle, we were there to walk them through and answer some of those common technology questions.
• 15:19
  So, overall, what I've experienced and what I've seen is that from a consumer standpoint, their vehicle is essential, but it's also an experience.
• 15:30
  People buy not just 'cause the vehicle looks good, not just 'cause it's cheap. They might buy that for that reason initially, but they keep buying it because of some experience or something that- Mm...
• 15:41
  emotionally has tied them to the vehicle. I've heard so many countless stories. I've had people, for instance, uh, here at this show, I had a lady that was like, "I ha- I've had six Explorers, da, da, da, da.
• 15:54
  And I love the Explorer. I'll never get another vehicle other than the Explorer."
• 15:57
  And it all tied back to the fact that she had got in an accident all the way back in 2012, and the Explorer kept her and her family perfectly safe. Ooh. She didn't have an issue. She walked away.
• 16:08
  And just that one accident- That's a big deal. Yeah... her confidence level in the vehicle, she's like, "I will never own another vehicle outside of this vehicle." Wow. And so- I think that's-... while that-...
• 16:18
  that's really important. Like, we, we key into the existential moment of the purchase- Yes... a lot in, in auto. But, like, keying into the ex- existential moments that happen along the way of the ownership.
• 16:31
  Actually, I remember there was a Mazda. Mazda did this whole, like, uh, this was probably 2018, did a whole commercial series around the existential moments of, of ownership. Yeah, I remember that. Yeah, I remember that.
• 16:43
  And it was like, oh, like, this, you know, it kinda moved from like, you know, the Mazda 3, the small car, to the CX-5, you got a family- Yeah... to the midlife crisis Miata, you know. But it was like- [laughs]...
• 16:56
  oh no, the, the journey of owning a vehicle, wh- whatever brand it is, is just as important, if not more important. So you go back to, like, the relationship selling, thinking about the birthdays or the anniversaries.
• 17:10
  Yeah. How do we know our consumers so well that we're tapping into their existential realities within their owner- like, we're that close to our clients that we know exactly what their experience in the car or can- Mm...
• 17:22
  can get some insight into that? Because I think that that's, like, that's how you really build loyalty, right? How does your service- Yeah...
• 17:28
  department, how is your service department aware of what's happened recently so that- Yeah, all of those things... that moment can be brought into the service or the purchase experience? So interesting. Right.
• 17:39
  Errol- And I think, so I think, uh- So, uh, uh- Oh, go ahead. We gotta get off this, because I, you're wearing this shirt. Uh, I don't know if people see it. It says Change 365, #Change365. And, uh- Yes...
• 17:50
  you've alluded to, like, the fact that you care about relationships, the fact that you care about people, now you're talking about their life experiences. I, I wanna get to what is that?
• 18:00
  And because it's, it's not a part of exactly who you are in auto, but it's who you are. Yes.
• 18:04
  And I think that it, that it, it's a real part of, like, why we've connected and felt connected to you, even from a, almost from a distance on the NADA live stage. It's like-That's one of our people up there. Right.
• 18:16
  Yeah. Yes. Yeah, yeah. So talk around- Absolutely... like, where, where that came from and, and what the heart behind, you know, what you're trying to do there. Absolutely.
• 18:22
  So the, The Change 365 is literally just about that. It's about that gradual change that each of us make on a individual daily basis.
• 18:30
  And, um, I'm a big proponent, and sometimes it's controversial, but I believe in inspiration, not motivation, and I'll tell you why.
• 18:37
  Uh, for me, motivation means I have to give you motive behind whatever it is that I want you to do. Now, motivation is great. It's needed, don't get me wrong.
• 18:45
  But I believe that inspiration is something that somebody picks up and carries with them regardless of any external motivating factors, right? So- Ooh, that is nice... you know, like, if I motivate you- That's tight...
• 18:58
  uh, you know, if I motivate you, it can be for a moment. So as an example, we've all been to conferences, different things, and we leave out that room, and we're like, "Oh, we feel great.
• 19:06
  This is great," and it kinda tapers down over time, right? But when I'm inspired, it's something that I just can't let go, right? If a, whatever- Oof. I want it...
• 19:15
  when it, if, if I'm inspired to start a business, if I'm ins- inspired to, to move in a direction of something, I just can't put it down, no matter how long it takes me, how much I have to, you know, tinker with it or whatever the case might be.
• 19:27
  So that's why for, for me, The Change 365 is about helping people where they are, but giving them the inspiration that they need to sustain everyday transition and change. Um, and that happens in a multiple ways.
• 19:40
  It happens through coaching, speaking events, um, connecting, um, building relationships out that are sustainable.
• 19:47
  Um, right now, one of the initiatives that we're blessed with is, uh, we have a, a grant that we have, um, that we're actually working with 50 men over a six-month period to specifically focus on cardiovascular health and then also their mental health.
• 20:02
  So we have myself doing the physical wellness part, and then we have another, uh, gentleman by the name of George who's a licensed therapist that's doing the mental health part.
• 20:10
  And we get together with these guys once a month, sit down for four hours at a time, um, and, and, you know, lunch in between and all that.
• 20:17
  But it's building those, those kind of, uh, grounding points so that they can inspire and change their life over time.
• 20:24
  And then throughout the month, we give them homework and different assignments, but ultimately it's just about that.
• 20:29
  It's about having the impact so that if somebody comes in contact with me, they don't leave the way that they came, right? Even if it's just something small, you know? Like, it's, it...
• 20:38
  You would be surprised, especially being in this space and how that ties in automotive, um- Yeah... the, the, the way that people connect, you know? Um- You just, you just shifted my paradigm a lot.
• 20:51
  I, and I already knew when Kyle asked this question. I was like, "We're gonna need another podcast just for this topic." [laughs] [laughs] I knew it.
• 20:57
  As soon as you said it, I was like, "Well, we're gonna need to do this again." Yes. Um, but the, the delineation between inspiration and motivation, I'm thinking of the life of any entrepreneur. Yes.
• 21:07
  I'm thinking of the life of a parent. The things that inspire you to keep going, it has to be so much of a higher level. Because there are lots of motivations.
• 21:17
  Like, as an entrepreneur, right, you're inspired to make this thing better. Yes. And that's, like, that could be a product, could be a service.
• 21:23
  It could be, you know, the lives of the people around you and on your team to, like, move everybody. You could be inspired. The motivations, though, are, are vast, right? Yes. Find...
• 21:33
  You know, running out of money is a big motivation [laughs] right? Yeah. Needing to hit a deadline is a big motivation. Consequences. Like, motivations a lot of times are driven by consequences. Absolutely. You know?
• 21:44
  That's what I think, right? Like, I wanna do this so that I don't have to deal with that. However- Or, or fleeting rewards, right? Like, I think of- Yeah... like- Timing, yeah... like timing, fleeting reward.
• 21:53
  I mean- Yeah... a Saturday morning meeting has a lot of motivation in it, right? There might be like, "Hey, today we've gotta accomplish this specific goal for this specific moment-" By this, yeah "...
• 22:02
  and we will reward you with this short-term benefit of financial gain," right? Yes. Yeah. Yes, yes.
• 22:08
  And instead, like, what would it look like for a dealership or a business or something like that to inspire their people to where they, they don't have to have those moments of motivation as often because the inspiration carries you much more deeply past?
• 22:24
  Mm. I think that's what we're actually... Like, it, I- I think it's the, the translation of... Like, for me, it's the words of motivation is probably mission without vision. Yeah.
• 22:36
  And inspiration is coin- coexistent vision and mission, right? Yeah. Um- Yeah. Hmm... if you have a vision for something and you call people to that vision, they have, like, long-term foresight- Yeah.
• 22:52
  I be- I believe in this thing... and they're like, "Why we're headed that way." Right. Right. "I believe in this thing that's over the horizon that we can't see."
• 22:56
  And there could be missional elements of, like, "Today, we're gonna do this. T- Yeah... next day we're gonna do that." Right.
• 23:00
  "And that's how we get toward this future vision," but it allows the, the motivation to actually extend into inspiration potentially. Absolutely. And even if we...
• 23:09
  Like, c- so a- and I love what you said about from the, like, the money piece as an example, right? If I'm motivated to get money, once I get the money, then what? You know what I'm saying? Right.
• 23:17
  Like, what, what pushes me beyond- Need, need to be motivated by another thing that's similar. Exactly.
• 23:22
  So, and I think when we look at that from, you know, just tying that in from a, a automotive space and just looking at our, how our dealerships on a day-to-day operate, right?
• 23:30
  I think some of the most successful dealerships, 'cause a lot of dealerships at some point are, are family owned and driven, right? Mm-hmm. Um, and i- I think the majority of them can say that story.
• 23:40
  I think what makes the successful dealerships different is the people that are in the dealership, do they feel as if they are part of that family in some way, right? So, and the, and the mentality is different.
• 23:52
  Think about it this way. If, if I have, and, and I'm just gonna say sons and daughter versus, uh, employee, right?
• 23:59
  Uh, a son and daughter of a business is gonna be, have a different perspective and a much more protective approach than someone who's just feels like, "I'm an employee of the dealership."
• 24:10
  They have a different level of responsibility and ownership as the feeling of son and daughter, in most cases, than they would of, "I just work here." You know what I'm saying?
• 24:19
  And so- For sureTo get, when you're talking about building a cohesive team, like even for us, uh, on my auto show team, there's 80 of us that are on the Ford product specialist team. We're all over the country.
• 24:30
  Uh, but when we travel together, you know, right now there's 22 of us here, um, we literally move as a family. Like in, in s- in most cases where it's like, "Okay, we wanna make sure.
• 24:40
  You, are you, if it's late at night, are you walking back? Okay, I'm gonna walk with you. We're gonna call a Lyft or..." Like, we're protective over one another.
• 24:46
  We make sure that our mental space, you know, like, "Hey, are you okay? Well, listen, I'll, I'll kinda, you hang back and relax for a minute. I'll deal with more consumers if you're having a bad day."
• 24:56
  And, and, and what that does is overall, when people come into the Ford display in the space, people sense that. Like, the, I- Mm. We've had people that'll just come back and hang around- Sure...
• 25:05
  like, "You guys have the best display. Like, you guys are just cool. Like, we just wanna hang out here." And it's like- Oh, I love that...
• 25:11
  because they sense that energy, or you have situations, like I'll tell you a brief story. So I was in Detroit. I had a couple that drove, so they were, this is when the 2024 F-150 was launched.
• 25:22
  They drove to the Detroit show to see the '24 F-150 because they were almost about to purchase a '23. I spent 15, 20 minutes with them, just walking them through all the features, functions. Just that's what I do.
• 25:35
  That's not a, "Oh, I'm..." You know, I didn't think anything of it. Fast-forward four months later, the lady actually messaged me on LinkedIn and said, "Hey," 'cause they were between the F-150 and the Tundra.
• 25:48
  She said, "Hey, I just wanted to let you know we're actually s- right now picking up our F-150. We got the platinum edition," da, da, da. Like, told me the whole story.
• 25:56
  "My husband just really appreciated the time you spent. You were patient. You didn't brush him off," all these things.
• 26:01
  And this is four months later that this lady found me, messaged me on LinkedIn, and felt the need to, like, not just a sentence, a couple paragraphs of why our interaction was important to her. Ooh.
• 26:13
  And those are the stories that are like, that's not just me exclusive, right? That, that should be the way that the industry works because you never know. It's not just, "What am I moving or selling today?
• 26:23
  What, what X am I crossing off today?" But, "What's the ripple effect that I'm gonna have down the road?" You know? Oh, man. Bro. And that can close my TED Talk. You know, you know what's funny, dude?
• 26:34
  Like, people ask me sometimes why I'm always looking down in podcasts, and it's 'cause I'm a for- like, I'm the first student. You know what I mean? And it's like a privilege- Yeah... that I get to be the first student.
• 26:45
  And I'm sitting here writing notes. And you know, as I'm listening to you and I'm tying all of these pieces together, you know what I wrote down? Because I- What?
• 26:52
  It's something I've been picking up on, and it, and I think it ties into your mission, and it certainly ties into our mission. And I'm just gonna come out and say it. Yeah.
• 27:01
  The boys know I get one controversial statement of the day, and I'm gonna use it on this one. I'm here for it. Let's go. People are lonely. Mm. And becau- and, and b- people are lonely. We're, and we are designed
• 27:18
  divinely to connect with one another. 100%. And we desire connection, and I see that at the heart of your mission. That's certainly at the heart of our mission at ASOTU is to create connections.
• 27:31
  Going back to the very first quote, in quotation marks, from the man Errol on this episode, "One relationship at a time." Mm-hmm. Yeah. And I just think of the impact on,
• 27:45
  what if I know as a dealer or as a business owner that
• 27:50
  m- majority of the time, the people that work in my organization are lonely, and that's impacting how they connect with the other lonely people who wanna buy vehicles- Absolutely...
• 27:58
  or who are coming here to work every day, or who don't know how to be inspired, who've lived their whole life, um, thinking that motivation was the thing, even though they know it fleets.
• 28:08
  Even though they know that once they attain the thing they felt motivated for, like you said, Paul, they, they, they gotta come up with something else. For sure. And it's always, you know, material.
• 28:19
  It's, it tends to revolve around something material. I just find the, the thread that runs through how you operate, I think, is so fascinating, and it comes down to
• 28:30
  we live in a world where I think a lot of people are lonely, and they desire connection. And to, when you recognize that, be the one who is worthy to be connected with- Mm... is, is, like, such an important thing.
• 28:43
  So I just wanna, I, I'm hopping in, and I'm, I'm gonna close us out here. I just wanted to thank you for that. I think it's tremendous.
• 28:48
  I think that's a huge, uh, mission, and I see how it rolls its way into, like Kyle said, it's not, like, who you are just in automotive. It's just who you are. Yeah.
• 28:57
  And I see how you having that healthy center emanates it.
• 29:02
  It's, it brings an elegance to everything you do, whether it's informing people about, you know, vehicles or the products and features or how you carry yourself, um, I think is, is stand up.
• 29:14
  So I wanna thank you for that. I think it's tremendous. Uh, and also, man, just thank you for, for joining us on Auto Collabs. How can those listening connect with you?
• 29:21
  Uh, so, uh, across every platform, The Change 365, um, that's Instagram, social, the website, uh, any, any of those things. Obviously, you can look me up by name. There's only a, a handful of Errols in the world.
• 29:33
  So, uh, Errol Bomar if you look me up on LinkedIn, but if you, if you type in on any social The Change 365, uh, you should find me and pull me up. So, uh- And you can also-... it's pretty simple...
• 29:43
  find, and you'll also be able to find Errol at ASOTU CON- Yeah... doing ASOTU Unscripted, which we didn't talk about that. Let's go.
• 29:49
  We'll talk about that another, which is an interview series where you're gonna get to schedule and sit down with him, and he's gonna ask you the fun, unscripted questions- Let's go...
• 29:56
  that, uh, people really want the answers to. Yes. And you might feel a little bit less lonely after that, is what I'm guessing. There you go. Errol, man- Absolutely... thank you so much for joining us on Auto Collabs.
• 30:05
  It's been great. This is awesome. I think if, if I'm, I'm gonna put this out there. This is part one. You know how a great podcast- Yes... will have part one- Part one... and then they go part one.
• 30:13
  [laughs] So we gotta, we gotta, we gotta- Tell him... schedule a date, and we gotta do a part two. Like, we gotta, we gotta keep it going. Sounds good. Take care of New York City for us. You too, guys.
• 30:21
  It's great talking to you. I'll see you soon. [upbeat music]One thing's for sure Yeah, we need another podcast One thing's for sure, part two's coming. We're gonna do it in person- And we-...
• 30:33
  we're gonna make coffee, and it'll probably be a two-hour podcast, and Michael Cirillo's gonna make us all cry. [laughs] That's, that's gonna happen- Wow...
• 30:41
  'cause he's gonna be like, "You're seen, you're seen, you're loved, you're cared for, you're known." People are- Michael's like, "Controversial statement" "You're not lonely," right? People are so lonely.
• 30:49
  That is- [laughs] And like Mark, we'll all sell four cars while we have the conversation. [laughs] I'm down for that. Yeah.
• 30:54
  Probably, because Arrow's gonna tell us about the nine-volt battery in the side of the car- True, he-... and everybody's gonna be like, "Wow, I didn't even know that" I love stuff like that.
• 31:01
  I live for little hacks like that. True.
• 31:03
  I wanna know the little, like, thing, you know, like the Häagen-Dazs or whatever it is, Ben & Jerry's, you take the lid off and the spoon's under the lid and nobody knows, and then you know and you're like, "What?"
• 31:13
  I love little things like that. There's a spoon under the lid? See? Boom. Boom. See? Oh, no, like- People-... the little ones they have at the hotels? The little ones. The little guys. The little guys.
• 31:24
  Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Not the- For some-... not the big ones... I was thinking Ben & Jerry's. I don't know why. No, it's like the little wood one- I think I would-...
• 31:28
  you get a sliver on your tongue when you eat it, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sucks. Ice cream tastes better off a wood spoon. [laughs] Hands down. It, for sure, it really does. Without a doubt.
• 31:37
  Kenny's happened to- Guys, that was unreal. I love, I love his energy... say the word. Um, I, I love just the, the thread that...
• 31:42
  You, you can tell, like, I, I know Kyle probably picked up on, you, you picked up on it sooner than I did, but, like, you're like, "There's a thread that ties the way this guy moves- Yes... together."
• 31:52
  Like, it's not, you know, we tend to so, so often, human nature, like, we focus on the thing. "I am a product specialist." Yeah. "I go to auto shows. I ba-bee-ber-ber." But it's like, I love the way you said it, man.
• 32:03
  You were like, "But that's not who you are." Yes. Yeah. And, and we live in a world that so often it's like, "Oh, I'm just an entrepreneur." It's like, I'm n- that's not who I am.
• 32:13
  That's a thing I do, you know what I mean? You know, I, uh, and, and, and I really, like, I know we've been talking about ASOTU CON a lot recently, but Paul and I had a young lady come up to us,
• 32:24
  I can't remember if it was last year or the year before, at ASOTU CON. It was the very last day. It was two years ago. It was the, the first year we were in, in Hanover, Baltimore area.
• 32:33
  And she came up to us, I won't tell you who it is, but said, like, looked at us both in the eye, like, with tears running down her face, and said, "I feel like I finally have a place." Whoa.
• 32:46
  "I feel like I finally am known. I feel like I can finally be friends with people in this industry- That's crazy... and not, like, constantly- I remember that... almost trying to be ejecting myself from it.
• 32:58
  Like, I am immersed- Wow... in it because of these two days." And I think there, there, at ASOTU CON, you will have business leaders that are dialed in.
• 33:08
  You'll be able to sit in sessions that, that you will learn really, really practical stuff to do things.
• 33:13
  But I think that the reason why people come away from an event like that and take away things is because there are people there that will l- allow you to be seen, to allow you to feel less lonely, and to give you purpose and inspiration past how to sell more cars next Saturday.
• 33:30
  And that- And that's a big deal... will truly change your life more than a paycheck will. Listen, this has been a good one.
• 33:36
  On behalf of Kyle Mounts here, Michael Cirillo, and myself, thank you as always for listening to Auto Collabs.
• 33:43
  Sign up for our free and fun to read daily email for a free shot of relevant news in automotive, retail, media, and pop culture. You can get it now at asotu.com. That's A-S-O-T-U dot com.
• 33:56
  If you love this podcast, please leave us a review and share it with a friend. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you next time.
• 34:05
  [upbeat music] Welcome to Auto Collabs. Welcome to Auto Collabs. [laughs] Why are we recording? [laughs] Are we rolling yet? Not yet