SEMA News—July 2022

INDUSTRY INSIDER

10 Questions for Marisol Herrera

By Douglas McColloch

In 2016, Marisol Herrera, then 23 and a self-professed “non-car person,” applied for a receptionist’s job at the Zimmerman Automobile Driving Museum, a small private collection in El Segundo, California. Six years later, Herrera now serves as the museum’s executive director, overseeing a collection of more than 130 vehicles and a full schedule of public events, including car shows, children’s programs and weekly cruise-ins and ride-and-drives. Her community outreach efforts have been credited for quadrupling the museum’s annual attendance over the past three years. In recognition of her accomplishments, she was named one of SEMA News’ “35 Under 35” rising industry stars for 2021.

We spent a few minutes with Herrera recently to learn more about her experiences at the museum and how a non-car person became a dedicated enthusiast.

SEMA News: We understand that you didn’t originally come from an automotive background. What was your previous career track, and how did you get into this line of work?

Marisol Herrera: I come from a museum background. I’ve always been a “plant person” and have always been interested in plants and nature, so out of high school I worked as a volunteer at the California Science Center [Los Angeles], and I really liked the environment there. I was learning while I was working, and I really enjoyed that. Later, I worked at the [L.A.] County Natural History Museum as a gallery interpreter, among other things.

I really liked the museum environment, so after I finished college, I applied for a job as a receptionist at [the Zimmerman Museum]. I jumped through the ranks pretty quickly because I knew so much about museums and how they work—programs and events and so forth—and I also had experience in handling sponsorships and admissions. Eventually I was elevated to executive director, and now I run the space.

SN: When did you know you wanted to pursue this as a career?

MH: I’ve always wanted to do something with ecological restoration. I studied environmental science in college, but there just isn’t any work in that field. As I started working at the museum, I realized that I was constantly learning new things, and I really enjoy that aspect of it. It wasn’t easy at first for me since I’d never worked in the car industry, but I just took it as a challenge and ran with it.

The great thing about working at a museum is that you’re learning while working.

SN: You do a lot of work with schoolchildren. What inspired you to open the museum to kids’ tours, and what’s their typical reaction when they see the collection? Some of the cars must look rather odd to their eyes.

MH: We take students as young as preschool and as old as high school, most of whom aren’t used to seeing cars as works of art. They’re just floored by what they see. I like taking them to our antiques section first, with cars that have wood-spoke wheels, cars that need cranking to start and cars that have rumble seats. It’s like a whole different world to them.

SN: Which car in the collection would you most love to have in your garage?

MH: We have a ’55 Nash Rambler in the collection with a Farina body and a 350 Chevy V8 that’s my favorite car to take out when we do our ride-and-drives.

SN: Southern California has a number of big, well-established automotive museums—the Petersen and the Nethercutt, for instance. Being a smaller museum, what do you do to increase public awareness of your collection? What makes you stand out?

MH: Being a smaller museum with a smaller budget, we don’t have a lot of money to spend on advertising and promotion, so we rely heavily on social media and word-of-mouth. People still tell us that we’re a “hidden gem,” and I’m trying to get us away from that. This summer we’re having plenty of events and programs that will help promote different demographics and different audiences. We’re doing restoration programs and car shows, and we’re basically being very grassroots in the local community about it.

SN: What has surprised you the most about your career?

MH: The fact that everybody in the car community was so nice! Even though I didn’t have a car background, people accepted me with open arms, and they taught me everything I know about cars.

SN: What’s your daily driver?

MH: A ’63 Ford Falcon Futura, which is actually on display at the museum now. I also own a ’61 Studebaker pickup, though I don’t drive it daily.

SN: What’s the best piece of advice that anyone has ever given you?

MH: Never give up. Even if you have a bad day, it’s always going to get better.

SN: When you’re not at the museum, where can we find you?

MH: Thrift shopping!

SN: What’s on your playlist? What are you listening to these days?

MH: Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of synthy indie music and pop punk.

SEMA News—July 2022

BUSINESS

Most Businesses Fail Due to Poor Decision-Making. Here’s How to Prevent It

10 Tips for Small-Business Success

By Douglas McColloch

So-called “open-to-buy” inventory controls are an essential element of a successful small business. Having the proper controls in place can help you anticipate periods of peak and slack sales while maintaining a positive cash flow. Shutterstock.com

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20% of small businesses go bankrupt within one year, and more than 50% fail within five. The reasons may vary between businesses (bad cash-flow management, poor product quality, lackluster customer service), but they can generally be traced to a single source: poor decision-making.

A recent SEMA Education webinar, “Small Businesses Don’t Die—They Just Make Too Many Mistakes,” explored the many pitfalls that can await the unprepared small-business owner, with expert advice on preventing bad decisions before they happen. Moderated by Tom Shay, a fourth-generation small-business owner and author of more than a dozen books, the webinar covered a variety of topics that included finance, marketing, customer service and employee relations.

Shay opened the discussion with a personal recollection of running into a long-lost business acquaintance at a coffee shop. The acquaintance, who’d been the owner of his own company, was now reduced to working as a “consultant” for the same company after having lost everything to bankruptcy and selling off the business.

The encounter got Shay thinking of how small businesses fail. Over the course of his ensuing research, Shay discovered some common injuries that befall failed businesses, and practically all of them are self-inflicted.

“Every business I’ve seen that has failed has been a very willing participant in that failure,” he said.

To avoid falling into the failure trap, Shay advised business owners to keep some commonsense principles in mind when formulating their business plans.

Cash on hand and profit are 100% unrelated. Assuming the role of an imaginary business owner, Shay said, “As long as I have enough products on hand and work to do, I expect to have enough cash on hand in the business.” But then he added, “If only that were true.” To Shay, improper cash-flow management is the leading reason for small-business failures.

“Of all the businesses in the United States that fail, the last financial statements they issued before they failed said they were making money,” he said. “Over half of them were actually profitable, and yet they folded. What happened? There wasn’t enough cash in the checking account.”

Would-be small-business owners are well advised, therefore, to have enough cash on hand to keep the company going for at least 12 to 18 months to ensure viability during lean times.

Inventory control is a necessary process. Many business owners don’t believe that they need some sort of inventory control or “open to buy” system. But Shay advised business owners to ask themselves some basic questions: “Here’s what I need. Here’s when I expect to sell it. How many do I have to buy at a time? Is there a deal if I buy more? What about freight? If I buy a certain quantity, do I get freight for free? And in today’s economic environment, do I need to look at buying lots of it, or buying whatever I can? These things all need to come into consideration.”

A written long-term business plan that includes a company mission statement and detailed job descriptions for every employee should be considered mandatory for any business, no matter its size. Shutterstock.com

By having an inventory control program in place, business owners should be able to calculate open-to-buy for any given product category for the foreseeable future. This is especially important when one considers the following:

“Everything we do in business has a seasonality to it,” Shay reminded. “There will come a time when you’re going to go down to the show floor, see something you think is awesome and that you know you can sell—and six months from now, you haven’t sold the first one because you guessed wrong.

“It’s a balancing act. Unless you have unlimited floor space and unlimited dollars, you have to learn how to balance things. But it’s not so simple as ‘I sold five, so let’s buy five more.’”

Which leads to the next point:

You need a written business plan. Shay cautioned against taking a “get out of bed, go to work” approach. “As a business owner, you need a vision,” he said. He urged business owners to ask themselves, “Where is this business going to be in five or 10 years? How many service bays do I expect to have? How many employees? What’s the dollar volume I expect to hit?” These are all questions that a comprehensive business plan can help to answer.

But in addition, you need to add a written mission: “Why are we here?” Put it in writing, Shay said, and “everyone who works for us will understand what we’re here for.” Besides clarifying the purpose of the business to current employees, this can also help employers make better decisions when interviewing prospective new hires: “Does this person fit that vision?” If you have doubts, Shay advised, it’s best to look elsewhere.

Enjoy your work, but don’t overlook its end purpose. It’s liberating to have your own business, but don’t sell yourself short simply because you have autonomy. “Never ‘settle’ for something,” Shay said. “Doing what you love at work can be fun, but it’s also fun to look at the monthly financial statement and say to yourself, “That’s mine?’

“There are lots of people who start their own businesses because they love what they do, but love is not a business plan. You’ve got to love making money as well.”

Stake out a unique brand identity, but be willing to modify it. “No one can be everything to everybody,” Shay said, stressing the importance for business owners to offer specialty products or services that customers can’t readily find elsewhere. “I don’t see how anyone can specialize in all vehicles,” he said. “The old adage is, ‘The better you ‘niche,’ the more you get rich.’”

On the other hand, if customers continue asking for goods and services you don’t have, “perhaps it’s time to look at the business plan and think about adding on.” In the final analysis, “Your customers will tell you what your business should be.”

“Show, don’t tell,” your customer service. Advertising is important to the success of any business, but its measurable impact is what matters most. Instead of relying on traditional advertising models to announce promotions or sales, Shay suggested a different, more direct approach: “What if you took the money you spent on radio and had someone call every one of your customers to tell them about what’s coming up?

“If I’m a customer, you can talk about customer service all you want, but show me instead. And if you’re a business owner, what’s going to pull better for you—a paid radio ad or your customers telling other people they know about how well you took care of them?” In Shay’s opinion, advertising isn’t important—effective advertising is.

Is your management style too hands-off? You may need to tighten things up. “If I’m going to steal from you, thanks for being so consistent,” Shay quipped about employees who take unfair advantage of same-old, same-old work routines and less-than-rigorous sales floor management to engage in workplace theft.

“In your business, are you that predictable?” he asked. “What can you do to tighten the way your business runs?”

You need clearly defined job descriptions, policies and procedures. Even if you have a hardworking, loyal workforce, don’t assume that your employees inherently “know” what their individual job responsibilities are or understand your company’s work policies. “You want policies and procedures in place so there’s a consistency in the customer experience when they do business with you,” Shay explained.

Additionally, having defined policies and workplace procedures assumes even greater importance in an automotive-related industry that may involve operating heavy equipment or handling materials that contain known carcinogens. Failure to have such policies in place can potentially result in personal-injury claims, lawsuits and OSHA visits.

Don’t over-rely on technology. “Technology can be the death of a small business,” Shay warned, emphasizing the value of the “personal touch” in human transactions. “In the automotive service business, the biggest step in technology we have taken has gone from a sticker that we put on the door telling you when to change the oil to this new fancy technology we called ‘static cling’—and that’s where it stopped,” Shay said, adding that, “Even your dentist will call you back six months later to remind you of your next appointment.”

About Tom Shay

A fourth-generation business owner, Tom Shay has been writing about small-business issues for more than 30 years. He is the author of 13 books and has been published in dozens of industry trade publications. His company, Profits Plus Solutions, advises small businesses on management, staffing, business strategy and financial planning. He can be reached online through his website, www.profitsplus.org.

The SEMA Show brings together members of the specialty-equipment industry to connect and conduct business, discover new products, and identify the tech and trends that drive the industry forward.

Throughout the week of the Show, attendees have business, education and trend-spotting opportunities available through a variety of Show features and attractions that spotlight the very best the industry has to offer.

Here are 10 of the features available to SEMA Showgoers:

New Products Showcase (Upper South Hall)

The New Products Showcase is the number one destination of buyers and media for good reason. You can see thousands of products all in one place to develop your must-see exhibitor list.

Optima Village (Bronze Lot): See more than 100 Optima Street Car Challenge vehicles undergo dynamic tests of performance, street-ability, and engineering workmanship.

SEMA Electrified (North Hall): The area will feature electric-converted vehicles, testing and service tools, conversion kits and components.

Battle of the Builders (North Hall): Fortune will favor the brave in what is one of SEMA Week’s most anticipated events, the final judging of a nationwide competition for the title of SEMA’s best builder.

SEMA Cruise (Silver Drive)

The ultimate parade of the planet’s coolest custom vehicles departs the Convention Center destined for SEMA Ignited.

SEMA Ignited (West Hall Lot): The Official SEMA Show afterparty and the ultimate car enthusiast experience. See drifting demonstrations, show vehicles up-close and enjoy live music and a variety of food offerings to cap off the week. Your SEMA Show badge gets you in. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.semaignited.com.

SEMA Launch Pad Competition (Central Hall): 15 Semi-finalists will have kiosks to showcase their products prior to the final competition and selection of the $92,000 grand prize package winner.

SEMA Overland Experience (West Hall): Product and vehicle displays, education and the overlanding community all come together in an experience that traces its roots to Australia, South Africa, and South America before going big in the US.

Toyo Tires TreadPass (Outside Between Central and South Halls):

See dozens of unique cars and trucks that are trending in the builder community.

SEMA Show Education: Attend any of the 75-plus business and development seminars featuring a premier collection of industry thought leaders responsible for driving innovation and sparking new ideas. This year's education program feature keynote presentations and a leadership track presented by Dale Carnegie.

Register now at www.SEMAShow.com/register.

SEMA News highlights new products from industry companies when available. To have your product considered for upcoming issues, send product press releases to editors@sema.org.

Voodoo Offroad
Summoner Winch Series

The Voodoo Summoner Winch Series includes everything you need to start winching. Available in 4,500 and 9,500 lb options, each kit includes a heavy-duty winch, control box, wiring harness, steel fairleads, a steel hook, and a synthetic rope. The Summoner Winch Series features Voodoo's signature synthetic rope that has been tested, proven, and trusted by the off-road community for years.

The  winches combine power and performance that make it an ideal choice for Jeeps, trucks, or any other off-road recreational vehicle. Enjoy instant gratification from the powerful motor and a simple installation process. To provide impressive pulling power, these winches use an all-steel planetary gear and a synthetic winch line.

Brass Knuckle Garage
Spike (BKADJ-5060AFP)

Brass Knuckle’s new Spike (BKADJ-5060AFP) eye protection combines a two-pronged strategy for vision protection with comfort features for the ultimate in customizable, long-wear glasses.  As part of Brass Knuckle’s new anti-fog collection, Spike has BK-Anti-Fog+. The anti-fog protection is fused directly to the lens, not simply sprayed on, to deliver better and longer-lasting fog-free protection than that of competitive anti-fog coated products. Spike exceeds the toughest anti-fog standard in the world. Add to that ANSI Z87.1/U6 ultraviolet protection eliminates 99.99% of damaging UV rays.

Milwaukee Tool
M18 CARRY-ON 3600W/1800W Power Supply

Milwaukee Tool has expanded its CARRY-ON Power Supply solutions to the M18 System to bring on-demand portable power to any jobsite. The M18™ CARRY-ON™ 3600W/1800W Power Supply provides versatile 15A power, with less hassle.  

The push button delivers an instantaneous start, reaching 3600 starting watts/1800 running watts of pure sine wave energy to power everything from high demanding 15A tools to sensitive electronics. The M18™ CARRY-ON™3600W/1800W Power Supply delivers longer sustained peak power through the most aggressive applications, such as table saws and pipe threading.  

The M18™ CARRY-ON™ 3600W/1800W Power Supply leverages four M18™ batteries to deliver emissions-free power to the jobsite while eliminating the hassles associated with gas, such as headaches and routine maintenance. Quiet operation and a compact form allow users to carry the CARRY-ON™ Power Supply in confined spaces, scissor lifts, and utility carts.  

Air Lift
Air Lift 1000 Kit for the '19-'22 Lincoln Nautilus AWD

The Air Lift Company has released a new Air Lift 1000 kit specifically designed for the '19-'22 Lincoln Nautilus AWD. The Air Lift 1000 is Air Lift’s debut product, first released over 70 years ago. By working with the vehicle’s existing coil-spring suspension, Air Lift 1000 helps eliminate frequent problems when towing or hauling by properly supporting the load. Vehicle squat, poor headlight aim, unresponsive steering, trailer sway, body roll, and bottoming out are eliminated and the vehicle is returned to a level and stable state, allowing users to tow or haul with safety and comfort.

The Air Lift 1000 system is air adjustable from 5 to 35 PSI, allowing them to be adjusted to the weight of the load. Whether the vehicle is loaded or unloaded, the volume of the air springs will improve the overall ride quality. Installation requires no drilling or special tools, making this a perfect DIY install.

By SEMA Editors

Exhibitors of the 2022 SEMA Show are invited to expand their reach, product exposure and Show-floor presence by offering products to builders through the Products for Project-Vehicle Builders list. The list connects manufacturers with builders looking to create or complete a vehicle project.

The list, which will be updated in SEMA eNews, features product offers and contact information provided by confirmed SEMA Show exhibitors. Builders interested in obtaining a product use the information to contact exhibitors directly. With each project vehicle required to be supported by a current 2022 SEMA Show exhibitor, all product-placement decisions, negotiations and agreements are the responsibility of the exhibiting manufacturer and the builder.

The list is open to exhibitors of the 2022 SEMA Show only. To be included in the list, complete the form.

Exhibitors: Each submission will appear on a first-come, first-served basis. As participation increases, all submissions will also be archived on www.SEMAShow.com.

Note: For verification purposes, the Project-Vehicle Builders form must be used to participate in the program; email submissions will not be included in the list. Participation in the list does not guarantee product or vehicle placement at the 2022 SEMA Show.

View the Products for Project-Vehicle Builders list.

Holley High Voltage Experience Return to Sonoma Raceway, July 9-10

Holley's High Voltage Experience plugs back into Sonoma Raceway this July 9-10. According to Holley, the inaugural event was a huge success, and the company is looking forward to building up that energy for 2022.

The experience is a full weekend of autocross, drag racing, road course action, vehicle displays, large vendor midway, skidpad and more. The event is designed specifically for the EV community to gather and experience the performance and excitement that EVs have to offer both on and off track.

Participant packages and spectator ticketing are available now at Holley High Voltage Experience.

Eric Lassiter Joins T Sportline as Product Manager

T Sportline announced that Eric Lassiter has joined the company as Product Manager, based at its new Atlanta Georgia facility.
Lassiter has been a gearhead most of his life; starting with motorcycles in grade school and more recently has moved to four-wheels, running an Audi Quattro in various Rallycross events across the country. He most recently worked on the North American Field Marketing team of Oakley, the leader in sports performance eyewear and outdoor products. Previously Lassiter was at local Georgia company Thomson Bike Parts, as design engineer and product manager for their bicycle components.

He got his start in the manufacturing industry as an Aerospace Manufacturing Engineer at Thomson’s aerospace division L.H. Thomson Manufacturing where he was responsible for bringing high-precision machined parts to production for customers like Boeing, Gulfstream and Cessna.

2023 Keystone BIG Show Dates and Location Announced

Keystone Automotive Operations announced it will bring the 2023 BIG Show, its annual customer event, to Aurora, Colorado, at the recently opened Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, February 10-11, 2023. Boasting a 500,000 sq. ft. convention space where the show will be held, the Gaylord Rockies features premier accommodations, restaurants, and entertainment in a beautifully presented resort setting.

The annual customer-only, business-to-business networking event features receptions, a vast array of automotive aftermarket exhibiter displays, new products, show vehicles and education along with substantial show-only sales and promotions. For more information, visit www.keystonebigshow.com. 

Motul and Emelia Hartford Partner to Develop High-Performance Transmission Fluid

Motul announced its new High-Torque DCTF fluid for use in high-performance Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) equipped vehicles. The 100% synthetic Ester-based lubricant was specially engineered to withstand greater torque levels from the most demanding applications.

The High-Torque DCTF fluid began its initial development on the circuits of Japan with racing teams from the Super GT series. As development continued, Motul’s laboratory desired data of the High-Torque DCTF fluid under extreme stress and sent an early formula in a “top secret” container to content creator and record-breaking car builder Emelia Hartford for use in her highly-modified C8 Corvette. Pushing the limit of her Corvette, Hartford tuned the engine to 1,400 horsepower and 1,100 lb-ft of torque, allowing the twin-turbocharged Corvette to tear through the quarter-mile in 9.36 seconds at 147 mph, making it the fastest C8 Corvette recorded at that time.

The insights gained from this outing provided substantive information. Comparing the used fluid samples from the OEM Dual-Clutch Transmission fluid to the high-torque samples from Emelia’s Corvette, Motul was able to further optimize the commercial product for its launch.

“It was incredible honor to be a part of the testing and development for Motul,” said SAG-AFTRA actress and record-breaking car builder Emelia Hartford. “Never in a million years did I think I’d be working with a leading motorsport company to test some of their forthcoming oil on the world’s fastest C8 Corvette.”

RelaDyne Acquires Orange Line Oil Company Inc.

RelaDyne has acquired Orange Line Oil Company Inc., a bulk oil wholesaler and distributor serving the southern California region.

Founded in 1970 in Pomona, California, as a wholesale distributor of lubrication products, Orange Line Oil Company has emerged to be one of the largest bulk motor oil distributors in California. This acquisition will expand RelaDyne's distribution capabilities in the southern California area, increasing route density and automotive focus within the region.

RelaDyne continues to be the "Acquirer of Choice" in the lubricants, fuel, and reliability services industry. "Our relationship with Orange Line Oil Company and their leadership team dates back many years and was built on trust and transparency. This acquisition represents the third investment in the state of California in less than two years and continues RelaDyne's execution of our West Region expansion strategy," said David Schumacher, RelaDyne VP of Business Development. "The combination provides another avenue for RelaDyne to continue to invest in sustainable growth markets while expanding our existing distribution and reliability services capabilities in one of the largest markets in the country."

By Ashley Reyes

SEMA member manufacturers are the heart of producing great products for the automotive aftermarket. Their impact spreads far beyond just making cars more appealing. Manufacturers encourage innovation, competitiveness, create jobs, and promote economic growth.  

Nominations for the 2022 SEMA Manufacturer of the Year are now being accepted to recognize an outstanding manufacturer that has made a significant and positive impact on the automotive specialty-equipment industry.    

Submitting a nomination is the best way to honor manufacturing excellence and support your favorite manufacturing brand or company that has helped the association and industry as a whole, The ideal nominee should exhibit a high degree of corporate responsibility, forward-thinking business practices and continuous innovation of process and products.

Candidates should be nominated for their outstanding contributions during the past 12 months corresponding with the SEMA fiscal year, July 1, 2021–June 30, 2022. The award winner will be announced and celebrated at the 2022 SEMA Show Kickoff Breakfast in Las Vegas in November.  

SEMA Person of the Year, Channel Partner of the Year, and Gen-III Innovator nominations are also being accepted at www.sema.org/awards.

By Ashley Reyes

As founder of Girl Gang Garage, Bogi Lateiner is a name that many in the industry know. Her mission of encouraging women to enter the automotive trade by providing learning opportunities and fostering connections has spread far and wide, inspiring many women to pursue a career in the field.  

SEMA members will have the chance to engage with Lateiner live, and join her for a candid discussion on being a female tradeswoman during the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network’s Facebook and Instagram live chat on Wednesday, July 6 at 12:00 p.m. PT.

Lateiner has been a professional automotive technician her entire adult life and founded Girl Gang Garage with a dream to create a community-focused business that encourages open exploration, hands-on training and initiatives, and connections between women working in the industry. Now a namesake shop, Girl Gang Garage elevates, encourages and champions the entry and advancement of women in the automotive and skilled tech industries.

Lateiner is also the host the Automotive TV show “All Girls Garage,” an industry spokesperson, teaches women’s car care classes, and performs shop evaluations for independent repair shops across the country. Tune in to the live chat on July 6 to tap into her expertise.

Live Chat location: SBN Facebook page and SBN Instagram live @sbn_sema.

By Ashley Reyes

Quincy Freeman is the SEMA Future Leaders Network’s (FLN) newest spotlight member. Freeman is the owner of Cue Anthony Racing, an online resource that identifies, sources and delivers automotive aftermarket and high-performance parts. Get to know what keeps him in the industry in his interview with SEMA below.

SEMA: What is the best advice you have ever received?

Quincy Freeman: Although this was not said to me directly, the sentiment is clear. I quote Denzel Washington’s portrayal of Frank Lucas in the movie ‘American Gangster’: “The most important thing in business is honesty, integrity, hard work...family...never forgetting where we came from…” I believe honesty, integrity and hardwork are the arrows in my quiver that will guide and plant me dead center on my bullseye to success in the automotive aftermarket.

SEMA: What keeps you in the industry?

QF: The desire to win and be a leader keeps me in the industry. Being able to actually say, confidently, that I came up with a goal on my own and executed it to a success or to a failure keeps me going. The desire to inspire a young black man or woman to pursue his or her dreams despite all keeps me forward-focused. I want to be successful in retail e-commerce so that I can stand firmly and speak loudly that a young black person can do anything they set their mind to. I live by the words of Theodore Roosevelt’s “Daring Greatly:” It is not the critic who counts; nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

SEMA: Where can you be found on a Saturday?

QF: On any given Saturday you can likely find me at a local but new restaurant chowing down. I have a deep passion for food and culinary expression, so I try to spend as much time indulging as I can. Alongside technology and the automotive aftermarket, food may very well be my next biggest passion.

SEMA: How do you prepare for an important meeting?

QF: I’m usually a very confident person, so when I prepare to go into a meeting, I wear that confidence as a badge of honor. I ensure that I am prepared for the questions that may be asked, I have solutions for the problems that may need solving, and most importantly I aim to keep both as simple as possible. I do not want to convolute a situation with broad ideas and grand gestures, straightforward and simple are the keys to proper preparation.

SEMA: If you could go to lunch with one industry leader, living or dead, who it would be?

QF: The industry leader I would love to have lunch with is Sage Thomas, also known as Donkmaster. Despite being from Los Angeles, I have always admired and loved what box Chevys on big tires have done for drag racing. It is not something that you see very much here on the west coast. I have watched Donkmaster and donk races on Youtube for many years, and this year Donkmaster’s achievements really spoke to me. I was very proud and excited to see a fellow black man excel in the industry and that has encouraged me to keep striving.

If you are a current FLN member, fill out an FLN member spotlight form. Selected candidates may be featured on FLN’s social media, SEMA News and FLN member updates.

By Ashley Reyes

Shop managers/owners, technicians and installers often learn how to work with products through manuals and even online training videos. It’s rare for installers to get face-to-face time with manufacturers who can answer technical and sales questions.

The upcoming SEMA PRO Installer Training is a unique event where installers will receive training directly from accessory manufacturers. Shop owners will also network and learn from other shop owners and sales personal throughout the area.  

Held in conjunction with the Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) General Membership Meeting at Auto Image in Plainwell, MI on August 18, 2022, the event will feature training from the following manufacturers and products:  

• Katzkin: Leather and Cooled Seats 
• Llumar: Paint Protection Film and Tint 
• Brandmotion: 12Volt ADAS
• Voxx: 12VOLT Entertainment
• Champion Auto: Sunroof

Unlike learning and networking in a typical trade show environment, the PRO Installer Training allows for intimate conversations where shop owners can grow their team’s knowledge at no cost, resulting in lower company expenses and higher ROI. Learn more and register here.