Latest / Auto Collabs / Teaching Automotive to 18-Year-Olds with Elgie Bright

Transcript

Teaching Automotive to 18-Year-Olds with Elgie Bright · Auto Collabs

• 0:00
  So I'm in a Buffalo Wild Wings the other day. [upbeat music] This is Auto Collabs. That was your first problem. Yeah, yeah. [laughs] Yeah. That hatch queso just doesn't sit right at 3:00 AM. Of a wings.
• 0:17
  Um- [laughs] And this Foo Fighter song comes on, and I'm like, I don't know how I have not put these dots together, but you know on- I-... on our little Roadcaster doohickey, and there's the one sound, the, the song.
• 0:31
  You know the intro song? Oh, this one you mean? Hold on. I wanna pull that up. This guy? [upbeat music] Ba, na, na, na, ba, ba. Yeah, that one. Up until that point. Yeah. Up until it goes into the dun, dun, dun. Yeah.
• 0:43
  But like that dun, dun, dun, dun, dun. That is- The Foo Fighter song... the oldest one. Yeah. [laughs] And I'm like, I don't know how I didn't connect these dots.
• 0:49
  [laughs] No, no, I never did either until you just said that. It's because you've always listened to it to where it goes into, like, the grind song. Interesting. Yeah, there you go. Wow.
• 0:58
  So- I have no idea how we're gonna transition that into a show intro, but, um, because Elgie- [laughs]... doesn't remind me of the Foo Fighters, he doesn't remind me of Buffalo Wild Wings at all.
• 1:09
  No, but he does work at Northwood, and he's helping- Hey... all sorts of young automotive professionals connect dots in their careers. Oh. Oh. Connecting dots. See what I did there? Sure.
• 1:19
  By just changing the topic and to just say what we should have said when we first hit record. [laughs] Remember that... Oh, man. El- Elgie is one of my favorite people.
• 1:28
  Like, he's the kind of personality that whenever you're around him, you just get the smile and the warmth and the laugh.
• 1:36
  And so I'm really excited [laughs] that we get to spend some time with him, 'cause any time with Elgie is a good time. We hope you enjoy this interview.
• 1:44
  [upbeat music] All right, Elgie, I'm so excited we get to do this together today. Thank you so much for giving us some of your time. I appreciate it. I look forward to it. This is, uh, a highlight of my day. Oh, man.
• 1:57
  Well, we'll see about that. Yes. We'll see about that. [laughs] We'll try and keep it, then. [laughs] Uh, no, you have...
• 2:03
  You occupy in, in my opinion, one of the most fascinating positions in the auto industry, because you're the chair of the automotive program at Northwood.
• 2:10
  So you kind of get to see the future before the future is actually even, like, ready to see itself. Um, how did you even get into this position? I don't know the story, so I'm gonna ask.
• 2:21
  Well, I, uh, I was working for General Motors, actually, and I had got transferred to the Flint zone, Flint, Michigan, and Midland's part of that.
• 2:30
  And there happened to be a couple of people on my zone team that were Northwood grads. I knew of Northwood, um, but maybe like a lot of people, um, just as a dealer school.
• 2:41
  I, I, you know, I, I embrace that now, but I, I just knew, I said, "Ah, there's a lot of dealers', um, you know, sons and daughters that come out of there." And they were getting ready for their auto show.
• 2:52
  And these two, you know, walked me around, gave me the tour. I'd had meetings at Northwood, but never really, you know, connected on any other level.
• 3:01
  And, uh, I, I was sold then both from the, the level of the students, um, that I got to meet that day and, and just the, the fact that they were really excited about their upcoming auto show.
• 3:14
  So I went that year, um, got a chance to do my MBA, um, and then just got connected where the automotive faculty was having me come in and do guest lectures and presentations.
• 3:24
  And when the guy before me retired, um, you know, I, I was raising my hand, saying, [laughs] "Uh, what about me?" Hey, over here. "Adam." Yeah, me, me, me, me, me.
• 3:34
  And so, uh, got the wonderful opportunity, and I've been here 12 years now.
• 3:38
  And, uh, like you say, uh, Paul and Kyle, um, it has just been a, been a, a pleasure, um, to watch these students, you know, come in as 18-year-old, um, whether they come from a dealership background or not, but as an 18-year-old with all of the, you know, um, worldviews of an 18-year-old- 18-year-oldiness...
• 4:01
  right, right. Right? [laughs] 18-year-oldiness. I love it.
• 4:04
  And, uh, and, and, and, and then connect them to thought leader, subject matter experts, the X's and O's of this bill- business and, and watch them, uh, uh, flourish as they take that first internship and first job.
• 4:16
  And, you know, whether they go back to a, a family dealership or, or, or make their way in some other, some other way, it's, you know, maybe a, a small bit of living vicariously through their, their career choice. Yes.
• 4:30
  Yeah. What's the, what's the split nowadays? What, uh, you know, between, like, people that have dealership or family dealership background to kind of new entrants just going- Oh, great question...
• 4:40
  yeah, this is what I wanna be a part of? Yeah, I, I, I say it's, I mean, just anecdotally, that it's 50/50. Um, that 50%- Okay... come from a dealership background. And, um, and then I split it to another 50/50.
• 4:54
  50% of those are going back. 50%, dad or mom has said, "Nope, don't come here first. Go somewhere else." Uh-huh. Or they're going to the manufacturer, a finance company, a vendor.
• 5:05
  Um, and then 50% have discovered us now either through the auto show or through, um, through the worldwide web. I think that thing's gonna make- Oh, man... uh, a huge- You think your shit's not a fad? [laughs] Yeah.
• 5:17
  Google machine's kinda working? Is that what you're- It's, it's working. [laughs] Where's the other, that 50 that didn't grow up in the stores and they come through the car show or whatever? Like- Yeah...
• 5:25
  what are the th- This is what I'm fascinated about, because we're always talking about how can we make the industry, like, how can we get it out front so that- Yeah...
• 5:32
  so many people who never considered automotive industry see it as a place where they could have a really prosperous future? Yeah.
• 5:39
  So, like, where did the other 50% that don't have an automotive background, they came through y- Like, what is their mentality and mindset when they step in, like, let me learn about the auto industry?
• 5:49
  I think they discover some of those great jobs, whether it be from an operational level or an income level or ego level, um, you know, d- doing an internship that, "Hey, I, I can find my career in retail."Or they look at it, um, the number of vendors and manufacturers, finance companies as employers.
• 6:10
  So whether it's, uh, an Ally or a Cox Automotive or a Reynolds and Reynolds, um, you know, where they're going to maybe some of the bigger schools, um, the state schools, and just presenting themselves at a, this career fair.
• 6:24
  Here, not only do they have, um, some knowledge of them, maybe using Reynolds in our lab or seeing a Cox executive on campus or some of the big dealer groups that, that come here, and I know I'll leave someone out, but the LaFontines, the Pinskys, the Hendricks, the Flows, um, you know, that, that come on campus.
• 6:45
  You know, they see them as, as, as corporate, you know, not having that- Yeah... dealer family background and, and so they, they, they find their way in the industry. A lot of startups- Mm-hmm...
• 6:57
  um, that, that, that, that have come on campus and they think, "Oh, that, that's really cool," to see a, um, you know, an AI startup that's working in, uh, you know, as a widget on the computer.
• 7:09
  But, you know, for, for a 18 to 22-year-old student, they'd, uh, "I could see myself in that." And so I think they get a, they get a indication. And, and we, we're big on industry news.
• 7:20
  So whether it is, um, you know, your podcast, Clubhouse, um, you know, Automotive News, I, I, you know, just the industry is the, um, you know, the books of today for us. Um, um- Yeah. It's very real time.
• 7:39
  It's real time. How do you define, how do you define those tracks? Because, like, the difference between working at a, as a salesperson at a dealer, as a corporate finance executive at Reynolds- Yeah...
• 7:50
  as a startup employee or, uh, or as a marketing professional at a, at a vendor- Yeah... are very different tracks and journeys as far as, like, career path. Yeah. How does that get defined in the education path?
• 8:01
  Or is it much more general and then there's kind of like a funneling down? Because I think people typically think about higher education as, like, "I'm gonna be a doctor or a nurse"- Yeah. Yeah...
• 8:12
  or, "I'm gonna be a business person, or I'm gonna be..." Like, how do you funnel that and filter people into these, like, career paths in this education time?
• 8:20
  So as a business school, I mean, we're just, uh, all those functional areas. We don't, we don't get granular like that.
• 8:26
  I mean, finance is finance, and so they're gonna understand it, and then they're gonna understand it from an auto lingo, you know, F&I. So they're actually- So-... certified. So- Um, sorry to interrupt you- Yeah...
• 8:38
  but I think there's an important piece of context- Yeah... that people listening need to know about Northwood in general. So Northwood is a university, it's a business school. Correct. Right?
• 8:49
  Automotive is a track within the business school- Correct... that you can take. So, like, I just wanna make sure, like, people- No...
• 8:56
  understand the difference between, like, this and, like, an NADA Academy or something like that. Northwood is a business school. That business school has an automotive specific track in it.
• 9:05
  Very good distinction there, there that, you know, they're coming to college to get a four-year degree, a BBA, a Bachelor's in Business Administration, and just happens to be in automotive- Gotcha...
• 9:17
  rather than in marketing or in healthcare management or in finance. It's a track. And because of our great long-term relationship with NADA, at one time there was an NADA Northwood transcript.
• 9:31
  We were, um, the, the, the, a partner, we still are, but a partner with NADA- Mm-hmm... in terms of the education. Um, people would go to NADA and then complete through Northwood. Go to Northwood, then go to NADA.
• 9:48
  I mean, there was a transcript actually. Mm-hmm. Huh. Um, today- [laughs]...
• 9:52
  um, um, and we support the, the, the great, um, you know, things that are happening in the, in the NADA Academy and, and online and, you know, where somebody enhances their skills. Got it.
• 10:05
  But the students here are getting a four-year degree. Gotcha. I'm sorry, I interrupted a train of thought- No, that's great... to ask you that question, and I don't remember what that other train of thought was now.
• 10:14
  [laughs] Well, and it, and it was- It-... Kyle was asking about, you know, those functional areas, so- Oh, right... we won't be granular in terms of finance or marketing, in terms of, you know, where your career.
• 10:25
  Um, it's, it's more of who your career starts with. So, you know, you're applying.
• 10:30
  If, if Reynolds is coming here with their recruiters, they're also going to those big state schools and just get marketing students or finance students. Here it's just- Sure...
• 10:38
  and we think it gives a leg up because they understand auto lingo if they've gone through our track. But they'll also, you know, hire a finance student or an accounting student or a marketing student. Mm-hmm.
• 10:48
  Um, so our students, it just prep- prepares them, you know, for a, a narrower track. Skills are transferable. Mm-hmm. Um, they can also go to a really broad career fair and say, "You know what?
• 11:02
  Um, you know, could I get an opportunity at, you know, a hotel?" Yeah. Skills are transferable. The customer experience and- Okay...
• 11:09
  managing that hotel, uh- May that, may that be more a part of the curriculum, 'cause we're constantly talking about the hospitality mentality- [laughs] That's right. That's right... in automotive and how that- Right...
• 11:19
  should be a lot more of a transferable skill set and mindset heading in. I agree. So it's, it's great to know that you're already thinking in this trajectory- Yeah. Yeah...
• 11:27
  because again, this is kind of where we're heading. You recently announced, I saw this announcement, I think it was on LinkedIn, or I can't remember how I heard about it. Maybe it was... Nah, I think maybe LinkedIn.
• 11:36
  But there is a master's program- Yes... about to be launched. Um, so now you can have a master's degree with a specific in automotive, right? Yeah. And, and we, we... And so they've, they've launched, relaunched.
• 11:49
  I mean, we have a Master's in Science, um, in Organizational Leadership with an automotive focus. Um, the particular master's that I got was called a DEMBA, um, Dealership Executive MBA. So you've got the-...
• 12:05
  basics of, um, of, of a master's program. I mean, we use Harvard case studies here.
• 12:12
  And you, you, you take a concentration or a focus, um, on automotive and what happens between, you know, manufacturer-dealer relationship, the relationships. And, um, voila, you have a, uh, you have a master's program.
• 12:28
  So we, we don't lose our, um, automotive focus in some areas. When we advertise for that, um, you know, you're getting a, you're getting an automotive, you're, you're getting a master's through an automotive lens.
• 12:41
  Um, and then, uh, that- that's just another... And we have the traditional, um, we have the online, we have so many offerings. Um, yeah.
• 12:49
  I think it's the organizational side that I remember now that we covered this on our morning show. Yeah. And we talked about the, the great dealerships and the great dealers that we see out there- Yes...
• 13:01
  are great organizational leaders. Yes, they have the building blocks and all the blocking and tackling of inventory management and, you know, like franchise agreements and real estate, and they have all that stuff going.
• 13:13
  But the ones who understand how to get an organization pointing in a direction, keeping people attached to the vision of, you know, the leadership- Yeah...
• 13:22
  or the founder in a lot of cases, or the owner in a lot of cases, those are, those are the ones when you walk in, you're like, "This is a really special place."
• 13:30
  So I remember in the show we were talking about the fact that the organizational leadership is the center point of it. Yes. Um, it just, it just feels very appropriate for the times we're in.
• 13:40
  You know, we're, we, we've discovered one of the simplicities of, of the auto business. Um, it's the people business. Um, you know, your employees ultimately- See, now you're gonna start preaching on us. Sure.
• 13:52
  [laughs] Now you're gonna go to... Now you're gonna do it, man. [laughs] Take me. Take us to church, right? Take us to church. It's a people business.
• 13:58
  And, um, and, and so I think when you mention organizational leadership, organization development, organizational behaviors, I mean, you're, you're... All of those things, you're talking about people.
• 14:09
  And all the things that you mentioned, the brick and mortar and the amenities and all that, but it's a people business. The customers are people, the employees are people, the leaders are people.
• 14:19
  And, you know, once we coach and mentor and, um, you know, try to put people on the right path, get those that are on the wrong path on the right path, um, you know, great things can happen, uh, to our bottom line, our, our financials, uh, you know, all our analytics and analysis.
• 14:36
  But it, it really is a people business. Mm. So good. Well, so see, here's the thing. This is... You... Thank you for that- Yeah... because I've been waiting for a moment, because you're a person too.
• 14:46
  You're not just this, like, organizational leadership- Sure... you know, education guy. And our team, we, we've got a great team around us, and they gave us a little...
• 14:55
  They were like, "There's a nugget on your LinkedIn that many people maybe not get to- Mm... every once in a while." There's a nugget when you scroll down in your little About thing, and it says, "Saxophone."
• 15:07
  So do you play the sax? I, I haven't played in a long time. No, I... [laughs] It's funny you mention that, 'cause I- As he's like, "But I happen to have it right here." Right, right, right.
• 15:16
  [laughs] About, about to play a tune right quick. No. [laughs] I'm a, I'm a huge jazz fan. Uh, played the sax through high school. Uh, especially enjoyed the, uh, the, the, the jazz band.
• 15:28
  Uh, my dad was a big, uh, jazz guy and, um, uh, probably, uh, the guys that I admire most in music are, are sax players. Um, but, uh, yeah. Yeah, that's, uh, way back. So now I wish Al was here all of a sudden.
• 15:43
  [laughs] Yeah, 'cause we've got a guy on our team that plays sax, and I feel like when you come to a SoDuCon this year, 'cause it's not right bumped up n- next to, uh, bumped up next to it.
• 15:50
  You, yeah, you move that for me. We move it for you. We just, we moved it for you, baby.
• 15:54
  We're like, "We gotta get as far away from the car show-" It's coming, because we have a band that plays, and they got a sax player on the back line.
• 15:59
  [laughs] We're just gonna have him flip that to you and- That's right... you're just gonna be up there grooving. I love it. I love it. I love it. I don't know. Do people flip a saxophone to somebody else?
• 16:07
  I mean, you can flip a guitar. The saxophone's a little tricky. Right. You know, you just- Yes. It's more like a gentle handover. Rather one-handed. Yeah. [laughs] That's so good. So what, what is like...
• 16:19
  Because as the industry, and I think there are more and more people gaining knowledge of what Northwood is doing, specifically in auto, right?
• 16:26
  There's, there's a general knowledge, especially with some of the larger companies, but maybe not some of the smaller.
• 16:31
  And as it grows to be an education path, not just for, you know, people that family has a dealership- Yeah...
• 16:38
  and it's, and it broadens in that, what type of support or, or how can others kind of get connected, or de- smaller dealerships or dealer groups get connected with the education path, or telling more people in their community about it, or, or bringing along?
• 16:52
  Maybe they, maybe there are others that want to create internship paths or, or career paths. What's the connective tissue for the auto industry that emerges? I would, I would say I'm always willing to talk.
• 17:02
  Um, one, they ought to be tuning in to you guys all the time. Um, um- Hey. Another paid promotion. [laughs] Northwood.edu, uh, slash automotive, um, is one way that, uh, they can get some of the information.
• 17:16
  Um, we, we certainly, um, go to the NADA convention, so if anyone's out there.
• 17:22
  The other thing that we think we're doing, um, for the industry is, um, we've started a camp last year, um, through the generous support of General Motors, um, that, uh, takes that 14 to 18-year-old and exposes them to the industry.
• 17:38
  You know- Ah, man...
• 17:39
  many of those students, we, we wish that all of them would consider Northwood, but some are gonna wanna be engineers, designers, technicians, um, all the different career paths, and there's wonderful universities out there.
• 17:50
  But to see what happens, no matter what you are, in the retail industry, and especially those that are underserved, and that is in communities where maybe General Motors or any other manufacturer has pulled out of, think of Flint, Michigan, Pontiac- Mm-hmm...
• 18:06
  uh, Saginaw, Michigan-To say that, um, if your experience was like mine, where you've never been into a dealership, but oh, wow, that's... They, they put those cars back together in the body shop.
• 18:20
  They put those cars back to OEM specs in the service department.
• 18:24
  Um, yeah, they sponsor my Little League baseball team, but, you know, someone is in that office, um, you know, business manager, controller, with the numbers. And we wanna expose- Yeah...
• 18:35
  young people to those great jobs that are in the, uh, specifically the, the retail industry. But, um, like I said, some will wanna be, you know, designers, engineers, uh, go to the OEM.
• 18:47
  But we, uh, it- we're doing our small part, you know, to try to expose people to this industry. Well, we'll link that up in the show notes- Yeah, we will... for sure.
• 18:55
  Because I think that that's something that anybody can be sending their people to, or, you know, just encouraging those in their community they're a part of. Because that's- Appreciate that...
• 19:04
  like, getting them, like, starting them young. Why not? Let's go right after that. Please. Please, please. So, uh, well, Elgie, we really appreciate you coming on, hanging out with us.
• 19:13
  You are a wealth of knowledge, and just a, just a, one of the best smiles on the planet- [laughs]... to hang out with. So we got to hang out with you a little bit today. Um, and thanks for joining us on Auto Collabs.
• 19:24
  Thanks, Paul. Thanks, Kyle. I appreciate you guys. App- appreciate everything you guys do for the industry.
• 19:32
  [upbeat music] I, I really love the fact that his origin story was all around that he was just interacting with these people, and then he saw an opening and was like, "Me, me, me, me, me, me, me." "I want that."
• 19:46
  "I want in on that." And then has been there for as long as he has. It, it's a testament to, like, he has a passion and intention for this.
• 19:54
  He didn't just fall into watching and guiding these young people into a career in automotive.
• 20:02
  Um, that's, that's exciting for me, because I love hearing these stories of people going, "No, I'm pursuing pouring in to the next generation." And not just that, a really fun generation.
• 20:15
  We've had the opportunity to be around a couple of these people- Mm-hmm... at, like, NADA, and then we've had a couple calls with them. These people are fired up for automotive. They're on the hunt, man. They are.
• 20:24
  They're on the hunt. You know what? That's funny you say that. Like, I remember coming into automotive, being, like, the freshman class, and it was suits and pocket squares and all of these sorts of things.
• 20:33
  And now, just- Monogrammed shirt cuffs. Yeah, mon- yeah, exactly. It's still cool. Which is still cool, by the way, if you're rocking the monogrammed shirt cuffs. Yeah. Like, don't get me wrong, I love wearing a suit.
• 20:40
  But I think- I'm just jealous because I don't have them... you're, you're talking about now other generations coming into the ex- this business, and we've got people who dance at conferences now.
• 20:49
  Like, we've got, like, this next- Do we ever. Yeah.
• 20:52
  It's like, when you say this is the most fun generation, but I also think it's kinda cool that we are part of this industry that now has so many generations of people working in it. That's right. Yeah.
• 21:04
  You know, I think- Yeah... from Elgie's position,
• 21:07
  you know, when you have a college professor in general, their kids or their students, they just blast out across the country in all different industries, and probably very lucky if they see them or, or not again.
• 21:20
  It's gotta be fun to know your students are going into an industry where it's kinda such a close family, and even, like, not to toot our own horn, but, like, organizations like ASOTU, who intentionally try to bring people that think the same way together, I mean, it's gotta be fun for him to watch these students just, like, land in their spot.
• 21:37
  Yeah. Engage in the community. Like, move on, move up. And he's got, every, every time you're around him, he's like, "Oh, that person's Northwood grad. That one's a North... Oh, I had this student there."
• 21:45
  It's just gotta be so rewarding. Yeah. Absolutely. If you have not connected with Northwood, make sure you hang up this podcast. As soon as I'm done talking, check out their website. Check out what they're doing.
• 21:55
  Fol- uh, follow them on the socials, uh, 'cause they got a lot of cool stuff going on. On behalf of Paul Jay Daly, Michael Cirillo, and myself, Kyle Mountsier, thanks for joining us here on Auto Collabs.
• 22:05
  We'll see you next time. [upbeat music] Ah, ba, ba, ba. [laughs] 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.
• 22:23
  You can get it now at asotu.com. That's A-S-O-T-U.com. 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.
• 22:35
  [upbeat music] Welcome to Auto Collabs. [laughs] Why are we recording? Are we rolling yet?
• 22:53
  Not yet.