By Gordon Payden
Imagine this: A hurricane tears through your town. The streets are flooded. People are trapped in their homes. Official rescue teams are stretched too thin. Out of nowhere, hundreds of everyday citizens roll up in their personal fishing boats to save strangers. That’s not a movie script—it’s exactly what happened in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, when the now-famous “Cajun Navy” rescued more than 10,000 people in the aftermath.
That’s the power of volunteering. Ordinary people. Extraordinary impact.
Now, I get it… Most of us aren’t wading into floodwater on a Tuesday. But the truth is, opportunities to make a difference are all around us, often in our own industry, and they rarely come with flashing lights and sirens. They start with a decision: I see a need. I’m going to do something about it.
Too often we say, “I wish somebody would…” and then wait for that mysterious “somebody” to show up. My uncle used to tell me, “Discussing a problem without discussing a solution is just complaining.” The solution starts with you.
Not “the company.” Not “the government.” You.
That’s why I started volunteering with SEMA. I saw an industry I love slowly losing ground, not because we lacked passion or innovation, but because the people shaping policy didn’t understand how far we’d come. Too many still see the automotive aftermarket as a bunch of outdated, dirty polluters rather than the advanced, safer, cleaner industry we’ve built. I knew I couldn’t sit back and wait for “somebody” to change the conversation.
Here’s the thing: You don’t need a perfect roadmap to get started. You just need to ask, “Where can I help?” and keep asking until you find the answer. That might be serving on a Council or Network, joining a task force, mentoring a student, or lending your skills to a project that needs them.
And yes, volunteering takes time. But the return is huge. You expand your network. You sharpen your skills. You shape the future of the industry you care about. And you make an impact no one else can make exactly the way you can.
One of my favorite movie lines comes from the movie Equalizer 2, when Denzel Washington’s character is asked why he’s cleaning up vandalism in his building:
“Anybody could do it, but nobody does. Ends up everybody complaining because nobody did what anybody could’ve done.”
We all have the power to be that “anybody” who steps up. In SEMA’s Councils and Networks, volunteers are the reason initiatives like career fairs, advocacy efforts, and student engagement happen. Without them, they don’t.
So, here’s my ask: If you’ve been waiting for the right time to get involved, this is it. If you’ve been waiting for “somebody” else to do it… surprise! You’re somebody.
Visit SEMA’s Volunteer Interest Forum, or click the button below, and let’s talk about where you can plug in. The industry’s future isn’t just in our hands. It’s in yours.
