Tara Willis shares her journey in the automotive industry, highlighting the resilience and evolution of the sector over the past two decades. She discusses the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, reflecting on her experiences as a female leader in a predominantly male field. Tara emphasizes the need for effective communication and collaboration to drive change and foster a positive culture within the industry. The conversation also touches on the significance of community engagement and philanthropy among dealers, as well as the potential for innovation and growth in the automotive landscape.
What makes someone dream of being in the car business, and then actually make it happen?
In this episode, I sit down with Tara Willis, a seasoned automotive professional who turned her childhood love for cars into a 20-year career working with major automotive brands like BMW, Subaru, Nissan, and Infiniti. Tara now leads product marketing and incentives planning at Infiniti, and she’s using her voice to shape what leadership looks like in today’s auto industry.
We talk about how she found her footing in a predominantly male space, the lessons she’s learned sitting in boardrooms across the automotive world, and what it really takes to create workplaces where every voice can be heard. Tara shares honest reflections about mentorship, empathy, and the power of communication, especially when intent and impact don’t always line up.
We also dive into why she believes there’s still so much hope in the future of car buying and the automotive industry, from evolving technology to stronger community connections through dealership philanthropy. And she shares how her work with Empowering Auto is helping inspire the next generation of car industry leaders.
If you’re passionate about car sales, automotive leadership, or the human side of this business, this conversation will remind you why the industry is worth believing in.
"...working with brands such as BMW, Subaru, Nissan, and Infinity."
BMW is a well-known car brand from Germany that makes luxury cars. They are famous for their sporty designs and high-quality engineering.
BMW is a German luxury vehicle manufacturer known for its performance and engineering excellence. The brand has a strong reputation in the automotive industry, particularly in the luxury and sports car segments.
"...working with brands such as BMW, Subaru, Nissan, and Infinity."
Subaru is a car brand from Japan that makes vehicles known for being safe and good for outdoor activities. Many people like their cars for their all-wheel-drive feature, which helps in tough weather conditions.
Subaru is a Japanese automaker known for its all-wheel-drive vehicles and rugged designs. It has a loyal following, especially among outdoor enthusiasts and those who prioritize safety and reliability.
"...working with brands such as BMW, Subaru, Nissan, and Infinity."
Nissan is a car brand from Japan that makes many different types of vehicles, including affordable cars and sporty models. They are known for their technology and innovation in the car industry.
Nissan is a Japanese automotive manufacturer known for producing a wide range of vehicles, from economical sedans to performance-oriented models like the Nissan GT-R. The brand is recognized for its innovation and technology in the automotive sector.
"...working with brands such as BMW, Subaru, Nissan, and Infinity."
Infiniti is a luxury car brand that is part of Nissan. They make high-end vehicles that are designed for comfort and performance, often featuring advanced technology.
Infiniti is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Nissan. It offers a range of premium cars and SUVs that focus on performance, luxury, and advanced technology.
"...the one thing they'll say about the auto industry is it's so resilient so we've got so many different players in the industry the OEMs the after sales market the dealers..."
OEM means the original company that makes the parts for cars. In the car world, it usually refers to the car makers themselves, like Ford or Toyota.
OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer, referring to companies that produce parts and equipment that may be marketed by another manufacturer. In the automotive context, it typically refers to the car manufacturers themselves.
"...the one thing they'll say about the auto industry is it's so resilient so we've got so many different players in the industry the OEMs the after sales market the dealers..."
The after sales market is about everything that happens after you buy a car, like getting it serviced or buying new parts for it.
The after sales market refers to the sector of the automotive industry that deals with services and products sold after the initial sale of a vehicle. This includes maintenance, repairs, and aftermarket parts.
Select text to request an explanation
Over the last 10, 15, 20 years, how have you seen things? Are we moving forward or is it always doom and gloom like the headlines want to suggest? The one thing that I'll say about the auto industry is it's so resilient. And throughout my career, I've seen these moments with the recession, COVID, but the auto industry always comes through. I want to know a little bit more too. Obviously, it goes without saying this is a predominantly male industry. In getting your voice out there, coming up into the industry and finding leadership positions, what were some of the things you
found aligned with the dreams you had as a kid and what are some of the things that were in adjustment for you. I really came in with just the heart of the industry and the heart of the product. And what I found as I kind of went through my career and just sitting at the border and table is that sometimes I was the only female there. And now I think what's really empowering is just being able to speak about it, just to say, hey, do you see this? And are there anything that we can do to drive change? Do you find sitting at those leadership tables that maybe it's just a language and communication?
Break down and we haven't yet given our industry the tools to know how to communicate more effectively to push the the movement forward, so to speak. What I found personally to be really helpful is to have. One of the things that I enjoy most about producing the dealer playbook is hearing from you. The messages that I get of people who are getting so much value out of the podcast, applying it to their day-to-day workflows and finding a thriving career right here in the retail auto industry. It means the world to me.
And you know, one of the ways that we make doing this possible is through my agency flex dealer. And of course, in the spirit of providing value, I think this is a perfect time to head over to triple w dot flex dealer.com to show even further support for you, my beloved DPB gang. Right now, if you go to my website flex dealer.com, you can get a full free PDF of my number one best selling book. Don't wait, dominate.
And the reason I think it's so special is that a lot of the topics that are discussed in this book are even more relevant today than ever with this surgeon popularized AI and people wondering, well, what can I do next? How can I have a competitive advantage? Well, that's all here in this book. And so I'd love to be able to offer you a free copy of this. If you go to flex dealer.com, it would mean the world to me because that is how we continue to produce this show for you.
And so I would like to give you a free copy of my number one best selling book.
Tara Willis is a seasoned automotive professional with more than 20 years of experience working with brands such as BMW, Subaru, Nissan, and Infinity.
She is built a dynamic career across marketing, product planning, financial services and corporate social responsibility, including a leadership role in diversity, equity and inclusion and philanthropy.
Tara now leads product marketing and incentives planning for infinity, bringing her strategic insight and passion for innovation to the luxury automotive space. Tara, thanks so much for joining me on the dealer playbook podcast.
Thank you Michael for having me.
Okay, I got to know I'm always interested in how people started in the automotive industry because so many of us kind of did that.
What do they call it that backwards trust fall and then we we just got trapped in the in the ether of it.
Yes, what would it what did getting into automotive look like for you?
So I just really loved cars ever since I was a kid just gravitated towards them.
I hadn't even driven so never really been behind the wheel didn't know or taste kind of what that felt like but just really gravitated towards it.
I had my dad take me to a dealership when I was 16 years old in the hopes of buying a BMW.
He ignored me couldn't afford it so went in there and tried to try to shop around and and look at a pre-owned vehicle.
And it was just it was just that experience where I was just drawn to it and I was that kid that was had the pictures of the cars on my on my wall and just aspiring and day dreaming to just be in the industry and as soon as I turned 16 I got my license and I was I was ready and it was just that feeling of freedom and fun.
And then I just gravitated towards it and then actually when I went into university I did a co up program and that was my first experience on the business side and the OEM side and that sort of what opened the door to my career but I would say I was in the industry before I was in the industry.
This is interesting because you might actually be one of the few people I've spoken with who I think you just said you dreamed actually of getting into the industry.
That feeds so deeply into something we believe obviously not just here at the playbook but in our media business which is that automotive is the greatest industry in the world.
And it should be an industry that people feel like they should have to fight to get into.
And now here you are saying I dreamed about it break that apart from you.
What in particular was so fascinating to you you mentioned having posters of cars and fantasizing about them.
Yes.
What what did that really look like in application of like one day I'm going to work in the car business or or or was it something a little bit more grand than that.
It was I would say a little bit more deeper in a sense of the aspiration of being behind a car and the branding of it.
So the other area that was really interesting for me was the advertising side of the cars.
I always thought that that was really just kind of sexy and glamorous and you know being at a car shoot and a commercial shoot.
I thought that there was something really interesting there.
And so that spark for me was a bit of both it was a bit of the creative side but it was also a little bit of this passion in terms of the drive.
And it's it's hard to it's one of those where you have to experience it to know it and it's that feeling of driving.
So when I'm behind a vehicle that I'm loving and that feeling I it's like nothing else that I can describe in the world.
And so for some for some reason that was kind of in my brain where I was like I want to know what that feels like.
And just being able to drive and have that experience it kind of put it all together for me.
And then I got lucky throughout my career where I as a kid where I'm thinking about oh I want to shoot that you know the picture that's on my wall.
I want to be the one taking the photo or being part of that commercial scene.
I was able to do that so I was able to do that in my career as I stepped into product planning and advertising.
So it was really in my the back of my brain and that passion and in my heart.
And then just kind of seeing it come to life as I look back at my career it's been phenomenal.
I want to know a little bit more to obviously it goes without saying this is a predominantly male industry.
I'm not one I will say to like really agitate that too much because I think it's more important to find inroads and build bridges and find unity in those sorts of things.
So this next question I'm thinking about some of the strong female leaders that are in my network Ashley Kovazos who's the now president of women of color automotive network who has affiliated deeply with with stuff that we do.
In getting your your voice out there coming up into the industry and finding leadership positions within the industry.
What were some of the things you found aligned with the dreams you had as a kid and what are some of the things that were an adjustment for you.
I love that question.
I really came in with just the heart of the industry and the heart of the product.
What and what I found as I kind of went through my career and just sitting at the border and table is that sometimes I was the only female there.
And as I went through my career it's not something I spoke about actually and I've only recently started to talk about it.
I would say in the last three to four years where I'm able to go into the boardroom and I'm able to talk to my leaders as well as my peers and say hey do you see this.
Do we do we see that I'm the only female here the good news is I never felt that I was the only female.
I think sometimes it was on me where I noticed that and I had I'd maybe seen that but I never I never was treated or felt like I was treated differently.
And so it's really interesting you say that just having a voice at the table so being able to speak being able to articulate my ideas.
I've been fortunate with good mentors good leaders so I've had good experiences, but it's been interesting to see the evolution of that so being sometimes the only female being able to navigate through that.
And now I think what's really empowering is just being able to speak about it just to say hey do you see this and can we is there anything that we can do to drive change.
And something that I've noticed that's really been impactful is just communicating and just us being able to talk about it.
And I spend a little bit of time on the culture side of our business.
And part of that for me was just talking to people and just hearing different voices hearing different experiences and then it further enhanced for me that okay it doesn't matter.
It doesn't matter where you know I come from what my gender is what I look like it's going to be my ideas and how I'm presenting myself and that's unlocking for everyone around us.
So my focus was now okay how do we bring everyone together how are we going to bring all the voices in all the ideas and so I feel like over time my school of thought has changed.
And then the good news is I have a lot of male friends and a lot of male allies so what I what I really love as well about the industry is just there's so much knowledge to tap into.
And so that there's been a lot of really positive male influence and male guidance for me in particular.
My my sisters we were talking pre show I think the DPB audience at some point maybe maybe this is a new revelation for sisters no brothers I remember growing up my sister would say don't worry Michael.
You're going to marry somebody she's going to have brothers you that's that's that's you're in road to I don't know why they didn't talk about them getting married actually at the time but they're all married.
But they were like you're going to marry somebody that has brothers and that's going to be fine I married my wife has four sisters no brothers.
And the reason I bring that up I think it's funny because sometimes they would say especially them not experiencing a teenage boy until I came along to kind of be like you're special like people are special you know.
And I say that because I think sometimes a lot of the barriers we face especially in the context of our industry is that in two regards somewhat facetiously people are special meaning they don't have quite the tools resources or ability to articulate what they're really trying to say so they revert to what can sometimes sound like really dumb language.
You know they say the wrong things they stumble over themselves like they're trying to run a marathon with with you know flippers on or like Ronald McDonald shoes sort of a thing.
And then that the problem with that is that breakdown and communication turns into a thing versus what you've shared with me what I'm what I'm picking up is when you have you know when you have meaningful communication.
That immediately moves out this idea of like oh they're trying to say something to hurt me or be offensive we are both seeking to understand each other.
What's your take on that I mean do you find sitting at those leadership tables that that maybe it's just a language and communication breakdown we haven't yet given our industry the the tools to know how to communicate more effectively to push the the movement forward so to speak.
Yeah I love where you're going with that and part of it as well as intention versus impact right so we we don't intend to hurt someone or be you know offend someone and it sometimes it's just the way it comes out so I find on both sides of the table or all sides of the table that is just really leading with that empathetic mindset and so knowing when we come to the table what's the intention.
Okay might have had a bit of a different impact in terms of the way it landed the way it was received but ultimately we're in this together so I kind of like where we are disagree and we're having a bit of a different opinion but we're going to work it out and we're going to hear each other and we're going to get the different perspectives and then at the end when we landed the end we have the best possible solution.
So I kind of like where there is a little bit of that different schools of thoughts a little bit of that a little bit maybe a little bit of that tension but at the end of it we can decipher intent versus impact and then we go we're in it together treat each other with respect and empathy and then we we're going to get the best solution.
Yeah like don't do with us Italians do sometimes where we're we're just like listening so we can make our next point like actually listen you know like listen and seek to understand what the individual.
Understand what the individual is saying because the diversity of their life experience the wisdom that they've gained the the latter they've climbed so to speak is going to bring a different point of view that perhaps you you have not thought of yet that can really round out and make more meaningful an idea I think is is so powerful it's when the conversations don't happen that people.
Yes you're right you're right and I wonder how you've navigated that sitting at those leadership tables when you've encountered I'm really thinking about those that perhaps haven't found the courage to to express themselves yet yes yes.
What could you say to those individuals listening or watching that are like I really want to have my voice heard but I'm not quite confident enough yet yeah I really love that question and it's something that I am paying more attention to as well as a people leader and I think for us as people leaders it's bringing people into the conversations so sometimes someone might not say something.
But maybe behind closed doors they've expressed an idea or a thought and then when we get into a round table they might not be saying anything so it's drawing them out and it's bringing people into the conversation and it's intentionally asking as opposed to kind of us sitting there separating and not getting kind of different voices so I feel like number one is is asking and pulling everyone into the conversation.
And then for other individuals that find it hard to kind of maybe just step up express themselves what I found personally to be really helpful is to have a mentor or a sponsor or a sponsor meaning you know somebody that you're not in the room and they're going to say fantastic things about you mentor maybe somebody you just want to go vent at or get some get some advice from it's just having those individuals kind of guide and it's really helpful especially if you're in the same organization.
And they're kind of around the table and they can see and help that and what I found as well just is if I see someone for example we're in a boardroom situation and someone's talking and somebody cuts them off or it looks like they have that they started but then they stop because they got cut off we go back we'll go back we'll circle back to them we'll stop and say hey Michael did you just you had a thought I heard you start something so it's really just giving people the microphone but it's really being in tune with that situation.
Paying attention because sometimes we're in a zone right it's like I multitasking I might be typing something paying attention but I would say it's pausing paying attention and bringing everyone in and it takes all of us to do it.
Hey does your marketing agency suck listen before we hop back into this episode I know you know me as the host of the dealer playbook but did you also know that I'm the CEO of Flex dealer an agency that's helping dealers capture better quality leads from local SEO
and hyper targeted ads that convert so if you want to sell more cars and finally have a partner that's in it with you that doesn't suck visit flex dealer.com let's hop back into this episode.
It everyone becomes each other's accountability partner yes in that yes we're all allies.
Um you've you've been in you've been involved in so many of the big players BMW Subaru Nissan and Infinity how have you seen the industry I want to say evolving but there might be some out there that don't think it's evolving but I want to ask that intentionally how have you seen things over the last
10 15 20 years how have you seen things are we moving forward our things progressing is there hope or or is it always doom and gloom like the headlines want to suggest.
There's hope there's such a bright future and the one thing they'll say about the auto industry is it's so resilient so we've got so many different players in the industry the OEMs the after sales market the dealers everyone's in it together
and throughout my career I've seen these moments in 08 with the recession covid tariffs and all of this and there's there's sometimes a storm but the auto industry always comes through and the auto industry just so strong so resilient so intelligent just moving and mobilizing and really even with the technology I've seen that evolve over time as I joke as I started when I was shopping for my car from when I was 16
With just the radio and probably not even a CD at that time in the car to now where everything is kind of wireless and you can just step in and it's all connected and even what I'd say the consumer has evolved so we got we have to keep pace with a consumer and their needs and their demands so I would say the auto industry there's such it's such a bright future and what I love personally about it is that we're we're on the road to that and we help we're helping carve that future and sometimes the customer doesn't know the technology
that they need or that they're going to love and we provide that we give them that and I just I really love that and I feel that that's the art as well of the auto industry is just that innovation and that spark and that creativity and that's us that's we we are the future and we're going to we're going to just evolve and it's it's going to keep getting better and no matter what
her balls I feel get thrown at the auto industry at least in my time what I've seen if the industry's there it stands up and it keeps going.
There's two things I'm thinking about here. The first is I feel so inspired and so old at the same time because when you started talking about pre CD player I was like oh yeah I know I know we're talking about here.
I don't remember you'd program all the radio stations. You know actually the steering wheel didn't I wasn't even able to change I think I had to do it manually I feel like that's where that's where I was in my first car.
I remember our first family car that I can remember and it still had the the high beam switcher on the floor. Oh yeah that's awesome.
But now it also gets me thinking in this vein which is that the kids the kids are coming back to vinyl and droves yes yes I'm like is Nissan is infinity ever going to put that six CD changer back in the trunk.
Okay I was just thinking about this like thinking about this as I was talking to you and I remember ordering that in one of my one of my one of my bars where I got the five CD changer because it was so cool and it would shift.
I yeah I hope so maybe it'll be yeah a little bit different hopefully more more tech than that but yeah I love it I love it.
I'm like hey for you young ins tuning in we actually had to listen to the music we can be like I'm done with this it was like no because then you got to get out of your car you got to go to the trunk you got to take the CDs out you got to pick different CDs.
The second thing I'm thinking about is we is really this idea of collaboration and human connection the reason I think the auto industry is the greatest industry in the world is because it is one that at its core even when it leads to a transaction in nature requires human connection.
And that's kind of where I'm putting my chips on it it's like no pun intended we don't want to get into chip shortage conversation but you look at how quickly technology is advancing you look at how the automakers are all looking at how to integrate the advancement of technology whether it's EV technology battery tech you know entertainment infotainment all the different things that we're putting in vehicles we know that at the end of the day.
What what the industry can facilitate greater than many other industries is that this innate desire we have as human beings to have a meaningful connection with someone else yeah well said right which is why we're seeing OEMs coming out with new flagship store experiences and beautiful architecture and creating spaces that that people want to be in and feel inspired by which brings me all the way back to what we've been talking about which is.
You know a friend of mine Michelle denogene brilliant marketer years ago said to me there is no worse mistake in marketing than to make a promise online that you can't fulfill in person similarly I see this we can spend all the money in the world on creating an environment and beautiful architecture and beautiful vehicles.
But if we don't acknowledge that the hilt of it all is a meaningful interaction with another human being then everything falls apart yeah I love it's the promise we couldn't fulfill yeah well said as you are involved in philanthropy and and having meaningful connection with other human beings what are you finding brings you the most joy in that regard that that the dealer audience listening and who could physical who often participate.
And philanthropy could be thinking about as well yeah I love that and we work as well obviously closely with our dealers and they the dealers are really the heart of communities and I see the dealers in communities they're giving back they're doing initiatives a few of our dealers run food drives actually within their stores they make their stores a safe space so I really love the fact that we're we're connecting as a community.
Whether it's to us as the OEM through the the dealer itself within the actual community and for us it's and for me personally it's really about creating that community and giving back and just the fact that you know we're in it together we have empathy for each other we have respect for each other and where it's this mentality I have but we're in it we're in it together and we want to all have a positive and meaningful experience so what are we going to do about that so I don't want to walk around saying I want to have a happy day.
I want to create that and you know I want when I interact and I see you smile it's making me smile I love it so that's what I that's my personal goal is to make whoever I interact with or speak with on a daily basis make them smile.
And that's for me the extension of philanthropy and just giving back and and I really see that in our dealer community is that they do that and they're really the heart of that and what they're involved with so I would say just just keep going because they're actually the dealers are the leaders within this space and they're the ones in the communities they give back daily and it's actually we we can probably learn from them just in terms of some of the best practices there so I would say for that community keep it keep it going and we really respect and appreciate what what we're seeing.
Yeah, I think that's that's a powerful advice because I think a lot of people have the desire to do good many majority of us I would say have the desire to do good to have a meaningful impact on the communities and the people in those communities but you can't one and done it.
And because it's going to take potentially it could take months if not years to actually understand or quantify the impact that you're having in those in those things so your advice to keep going keep doing it keep participating I think is is sage advice.
I want to tie this as we wind down into empowering auto you you participated in the inaugural event.
It now happens every year was it 2022 that it started yeah that's correct so 2022 empowering auto what is what is this event this movement mean to you and where do you see it going in the future.
It's been really personally impactful for me because on a personal level it's really given me a voice voice that I felt that I actually didn't have maybe a few years ago in a different platform.
It's given me community it's given me new friends and new contacts in the industry and network and what I'm really hoping for is that we inspire the next generation of the auto community and so we bring them in we get them excited we're motivating them we're mentoring them and we're setting them up for success and for me.
I started the automotive industry as I told you before I started before I was actually in the industry I was in the industry and when I leave the industry I want to leave it in a better place so that's my personal mission here is that we're we're bringing a community together and we're growing them and we're going to create a positive experience for everyone and the industry is bright and it's going to keep going and we want everyone to join and be excited with us.
I love it we've covered a lot of ground here that there are in fact people in this world dreaming of being in the auto industry it is something worth fighting to be a part of not physically fighting but like putting the effort in let's say that it is it is worth dreaming about being a part of.
I talked about how to find your voice that you can have courage that there is an accountability mechanism involved at any any stakeholder in a conversation to make room for one another to express their opinions we can disagree but we don't have to hate each other we can move this industry forward.
And that philanthropy is one of the most powerful things dealers and be participating in the encouragement to keep going I think is is just incredible advice as we wind down Tara how can those listening and watching connect with you.
Yeah we they can connect with us at empowering auto.ca as well obviously if you want to reach out to for infinity or Nissan happy happy to connect anytime but yeah Michael I really appreciate your time and all the thoughtful questions.
Thank you and playbook episode thanks so much for joining.
Request an explanation for:
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark.
Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.
