By SEMA News Editors
Content Creator Spotlight: Emily Reeves From Flying Sparks Garage
Instagram: @imemilyreeves, @flyingsparksgarage
TikTok: @imemilyreeves
Facebook: @imemilyreeves, @flyingsparksgarage
YouTube: @flyingsparksgarage
Follower counts: Instagram and TikTok: 233k. Facebook: 241k. YouTube: 348k.
Focus: Building adventure machines and making memories
Emily Reeves loves adventure--but she loves the memories she makes in the process even more. With her husband, Aaron, Reeves documents those adventures on her YouTube channel, Flying Sparks Garage, and shares her passion for off-the-wall projects of all kinds. Whether it's building a '69 Camaro or dropping a diesel engine in a yacht, Reeves aims to inspire everyone to pursue their passion and join them in using their voice to help protect the automotive industry.
Reeves has also continually used her own voice and platform to support the future of the aftermarket, attending the 2024 SEMA Washington Rally and supporting SEMA staff at a visit to the Capitol in March, where she met with lawmakers to advocate for the specialty-equipment and automotive industries.
SEMA News: How did you get into the automotive industry?
Emily Reeves: I got into cars when I met my now husband. He was a mechanic and gearhead so if I wanted to be near him, I had to be in the shop. When we built a 350ci Small-Block Chevy for his '69 Camaro together (when I was 15!), I was hooked!
SN: What's been your biggest motivator?
ER: Making memories with people I love in machines that excite me. Putting hours and massive effort into the builds and then hitting the road or water (we love boats too!) means so much to us.
SN: What's been your favorite part of being a part of the automotive community?
ER: My favorite part has been hearing stories of how our experiences inspire others to build stuff and make memories together.
SN: As an industry content creator, how do you hope to make an impact on your audience?
ER: Our main goal with our content is to create a space for folks to have hope for themselves, the future of the family unit, their abilities and having the guts to make their own dreams come true. We hope--by pushing ourselves through difficult circumstances in the shop and being in a positive and loving relationship despite everything--will inspire others to do the same.
SN: Why is advocacy important to you?
ER: The opportunity to advocate for our industry, passion, hobby and lifestyle is such an honor, but it's an honor given to each of us! Encouraging folks to speak out, send a letter through the SEMA website, comment, like and share on social media about a topic about our freedoms, means a whole lot to us. If we all work together (so speak out!), we can make a difference and sustain the growth our industry deserves.
SN: What's been the biggest moment of your career thus far?
ER: Seeing our niece's face when we surprised her with her first project truck. The feeling that gave us-- that we have influenced the next generation of gearheads and given her something that she will work hard on for her whole life--that felt like the biggest achievement.
SN: What is on the horizon for you in 2025? Anything you're looking forward to?
ER: I am looking forward to everything in 2025! We have projects that range from diesel-swapping our yacht to getting our classic semi-truck back on the road and driving it across the country, to restoring our vintage RV and continuing weekly YouTube uploads covering all the progress. We have so much to look forward to and be grateful for.
SN: What are you hoping to see from the industry in the next few years?
ER: Continued expansion and innovation. There are so many brilliant minds and passionate people in the automotive industry. I hope we can keep our communities strong with small businesses and keep the big companies expanding with all the moving parts.
