By Ashley Reyes
Ty Cobb, photography studio manager at Holley Performance, is the SEMA Young Executives Network’s (YEN) newest spotlight member.
Cobb is a photojournalist that specializes in automotive and motorsports coverage. Get to know what keeps him in the industry and how he prepares for important meetings in his interview with SEMA below.
SEMA: What is the best advice you have ever received?
Ty Cobb: Be prepared. I learned this advice while in scouting, and it is fundamentally the best advice, as I use it every day. Whatever you may face, be prepared—whether it's being prepared in your skills and knowledge or being prepared with a backup plan when your skills and knowledge aren’t enough.
SEMA: What keeps you in the industry?
TC: At my core is a love for all things automotive. From my earliest memories to today, cars have always been my biggest interest aside from photography.
SEMA: Where can you be found on a Saturday?
TC: On a typical Saturday, I’m either covering an event or spending time in the garden with my partner.
SEMA: How do you prepare for an important meeting?
TC: I always consider my audience first to determine what information to present. After that, my preparation looks something like handwritten notes in different colors to keep me organized and on one topic at a time; as well as detailed reporting about current status and open issues. If I bring up issues, I do my best to include possible solutions as well.
SEMA: If you could go to lunch with one industry leader, living or dead, who it would be?
TC: Such a hard question! I think it would be interesting to have lunch with Chip Foose because I’ve followed his work and consequently, SEMA builds, since I was a little kid. It’s because of Chip that I am in involved in the automotive industry. I originally wanted to go into automotive design, but quickly realized I couldn’t draw or sculpt very well. A mentor suggested I take on photography as “the next best thing” and that pursuit has gotten me to where I am today. On top of that, I would love to learn more about Chip’s business history and entrepreneurship that has framed his success within the industry.
If you are a current YEN member, fill out a YEN member spotlight form. Selected candidates may be featured on YEN’s social media, SEMA eNews and YEN-member updates.