Howdy Lucas! Let's start with the basics – how did you get into the automotive industry?
I am not really an automotive guy. I didn't grow up tinkering with cars in rural Pennsylvania. I never imagined I'd be in the automotive industry. Frankly, I didn't even know it was a career path. I went to school for Public Relations, graduated, and then drove out to Colorado just for a lifestyle change.
I started working for a small agency in Denver. Then I found a position at the Denver office of Saatchi & Saatchi, the agency of record for Toyota. Saatchi was hiring an account coordinator, and the small agency I worked for suggested me for the role. I contacted Saatchi, got hired, and began working on Toyota.
When the Toyota Denver region started realizing the importance of e-commerce, I left Saatchi and joined Toyota, working on their e-commerce team. I later became a District Manager for them for the state of Nevada.
However, with the birth of my first child and the amount of travel the role required, I decided to prioritize being a present father. This led me to the Dolan Auto Group, where I now work.
I started working as a marketing manager and then moved up to now being the director of marketing for the group. It's been a crazy ride, and I love the group I work with. They're incredible people and have done a great job in building a culture and a team.
In this small town, they've always said they want to be a group that can go to the grocery store and see customers who've bought a car from us, have them be proud, and thank us. They're so committed to the community, and I can go to work there and have an impact on people's lives, which is really important to me.
Do you still feel like you are not an "automotive guy," but are working in an automotive context?
I definitely don't feel like I'm an automotive guy. When I came to work for the Dolan's, I knew nothing about dealership operations. It's funny that they made me a district manager because I had no idea about the day-to-day operations. The dealers I worked with were all awesome and very patient.
I believe that vehicles are incredible tools that offer immense value to people. They provide transportation for work, family, and personal needs. However, they also enable us to explore new places, like the mountains or the beaches. I don't feel like I'm just selling cars. Rather, I see it as a complex and fascinating business, encompassing service, sales, parts, and operational aspects.
In your current role, what does your day-to-day job look like?
My role is very different. It's also changed a lot because I currently work remotely. My predecessor, Stefan Precup, was the marketing director when I joined the group and is now our Director of Innovation and has an absolutely brilliant mind. He was very gracious in taking me under his wing and explaining how our group operates. He constantly challenged the status quo, a mentality our owners also embrace. They want to do things differently and challenge everything, not just follow traditional paths. This mindset has really shaped the foundation of how we operate.
I was in Reno for three years, and then during the pandemic, my wife and I decided to move back to Denver for family reasons. The Dolans were very understanding and allowed me to work remotely. So I now live in Denver, travel to the dealerships every other week for a few days, and work remotely the rest of the time.
As Director of Marketing for Dolan, what have you seen as the non-negotiables? Are there any foundational beliefs or best practices you've learned to do your job effectively?
One of the things I've learned, particularly during the pandemic, is that when we do the little things right, the big things go right too. Our rallying cry has been about getting back to the basics. We sometimes get caught up trying to do something new or keep things super simple or beautiful from a design perspective, and we forget about the things that actually work.
Do you see more embracing of work-from-home and hybrid roles in your industry? And how do you feel about returning to the office someday or continuing to work from home?
I'm a bit of an odd nerd. I love people, and I get energized by being around them. I'm as much of an extrovert as you can get, so being at home can be tough for me. I want to be in the dealerships. The right mix isn't all of one or the other; a hybrid model is probably the best. It's good for us to be there, to see the business and have those connections.
I've realized how much information I used to get from casual conversations while walking around the dealerships. These conversations often led to learning about challenges people were facing or updates that were important to know. That kind of interaction is tough to replace in a remote setting.
Do you have any thoughts regarding opportunities that the industry may commit or commit to realizing? Things folks may be missing?
The first thing that comes to mind is gratitude. I feel so grateful to have met the people I've met in the industry. There are so many smart people. I'm fortunate enough to be in a dealer 20 group moderated by David Kane that's filled with brilliant minds. I've learned so much from them and have so much more to learn.
I used to think that a one-size-fits-all approach was the way to go, but I've realized that what works for one group might not work for another. It's about understanding what's authentic to our group and recognizing what's distracting and what aligns with our core values and operations. It's okay that different groups have different things that work for them.
But at the end of the day, it's about identifying what will stand the test of time and setting ourselves up for the future. This requires going back to the basics and meeting our customers' needs.