ASOTU's Chris Reeves spoke with industry veteran Tony Owens, Assistant Service Manager at Germain Motor Company. With over four decades of experience in the automotive world, Tony's unique perspective on leadership, resilience, and change is both enlightening and inspiring. He's seen everything from the rise of social media and the internet to the emergence of electric vehicles, all while nurturing a lifelong passion for cars and people. Today, we'll dive into his journey, his predictions for the future, and his plans before and after retirement.
Thanks for taking some time for us, Tony. Your online presence screams, "More Than Cars," our favorite language, so a talk was overdue!
My passion is to inspire other people. That's what I want to do every day. Auto is a people business. So, customers or teammates, the people come first.
When did you start in the industry?
July 15, 1980. I’d just turned 43 years. I've loved every day of it.
I want to make it seven more, an even 50.
What have been some exciting moments in that 43 years? Any fads that stuck, or apocalypses that fizzled out?
There are so many! In my mind, the biggest thing has been COVID. It has totally changed communication.
It helped me realize that if you manage 50 people, you manage them in 50 different ways. Everybody has their own motivation, and you have to find that motivation. Managing people is the toughest part. But man, when you do it right, it works perfectly.
I kinda learned that by accident. Back when I started, I didn't have access to Social Media, which makes learning from other peoples’ experiences so easy.
I guess you saw the rise of cell phones, social media, and even the internet as we know it today in your career. Were you a quick adopter or a holdout like me?
I'm not afraid to say it. I managed a Ford dealership, and I was the last person in the dealership to get rid of my flip phone and get a smartphone.
And now I never get off it. I spend 20 hours a week learning this business, front and back because there's so much information out there. I'm like a sponge. I want to read as much as I can, know as much as I can. It's been revolutionary.
What about the future? What do you see coming up – opportunity or challenge – that you think people should be watching close?
EVs, definitely. I'm a big fan of EVs. I like the driving experience. The acceleration is crazy.
It's an opportunity because I'm not sure the US is ready for them. There are 54,000 people in my hometown with only eight chargers.
What are you going to do in seven years when you retire? What are you doing after that?
I love to build and work on things at home. I’ve got a few old cars I work on. I have a lot of home improvement stuff I want to do, too, but my house was built the 1880s so I try to keep it vintage.
When I walk out of this dealership, my main goal is to consult people to be all they can be and to help them accomplish things. I love to motivate people. And I don't think I'll ever want to stop doing that. That'll probably be my main thing. I might do it for free. Who knows?
But I'm not done yet. I’ve got seven more years. I have one more goal I want to reach – I want to be a GM. My first love is sales because I love dealing with people.
That's awesome. I'm saying a little prayer that somebody reads this chat and they say, "That's our guy!"
I appreciate it!
I spent 30 years managing two departments. I thought nobody was better than me. I was arrogant. I was unapproachable. I was the worst dude you can imagine, and I ran into some serious adversity.
I lost my job of 30 years with a 10-second goodbye speech. I lost everything I had. I spent six months thinking about myself – why did this happen to me? I looked at my entire life and I realized I created all those problems myself. I decided to own it. Own everything. No excuses.
For the last six years, my whole outlook has changed. I'm humbled. I'm approachable. That adversity was the best thing to ever happen to me.
Now, I wake up every day and embrace everything as an opportunity – the good and the bad. I love life, I love to live here, and I love every day.
I can see how you’ve made it 43 years, my friend, and I’m glad that you have. Thanks for letting us share some of your story!