By Ashley Reyes
The SEMA Future Leaders Network (FLN) has named Austin Huffman, founder of Valvetronic, as the network's newest spotlight member.
Get to know Huffman in his interview with SEMA News below.
SEMA News: What is the best advice you have ever received?
Austin Huffman: If anybody can do it, I can do it. This was advice that was given to me by my father when working on various projects--from business operations improvements to just building Legos, he always stressed that if anybody can do it, I can do it.
SN: What keeps you in the industry?
AH: The automotive world is unlike any other community. People bond over sports, music or whatever their passion might be, but nothing compares to how cars and trucks bring people together. The culture is vast and diverse, from luxury supercars to lifted trucks to off-road builds, and it creates connections that cross every boundary.
What excites me most is seeing new enthusiasts discover it for the first time, a kid pointing at a Ferrari or Porsche and yelling "race car!" or a group of friends wrenching on their first project. That sense of wonder and excitement is universal, and it never fades. The automotive world offers a place where passion, craftsmanship and community collide, and it's that shared thrill that makes it so special.
SN: Where can you be found on a Saturday?
AH: My life is about self-improvement. You'll find me cooking new recipes, enjoying new adventures, flying a Cessna 172 or at the gym hustling. I love to be in motion.
SN: How do you prepare for an important meeting?
AH: Usually, an important meeting will involve negotiation, even though it might be between you and your own peers regarding an opportunity for an expense. Preparation comes from making sure you're able to listen and hear what the key information is and what the other person wants out of the meeting.
SN: If you could go to lunch with one industry leader, living or dead, who would it be?
AH: Elon Musk. He is such an interesting, creative visionary. Whether you like him or not, you have to respect that he has a knack for entrepreneurship and has an uncommitted approach to his objectives and maximum efficiency.
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