The Value of Positive… When in Doubt, Google It!

Taking a moment to search “similar words for positive,” my favorites are: confident, upbeat, encouraged, cheerful, enthusiastic, animated, and assured.

A further search for “benefits of positive thinking” lists performance improvement, improved immunity and overall health, increased motivation, and better stress management—among others.

So, if you had been in the main lobby of our office building this past Monday for our monthly agency kick-off, it was Positive Plus!
• Live DJ (coming back next month by popular demand)
• Balloons
• The Account Team with pom-poms doing cheers
• Over 60 employee “Shout Outs” thanking teammates with a compliment and a $20 bill
• Presentation of the Monthly MVP honor with a gift certificate (complete with confetti bombs)
• Invitation for employees to create a recruitment video for social on #WHYILOVESTRONG with a $1,000 prize for 1st place – see the winners’ links below
• In closing, my assessment of the automotive state… it was positive, tariffs and all.

In keeping with the company’s core value, Have Fun, our monthly social connection lasted nearly an hour and concluded with a huge cheer, including a pyramid stunt hoisting former Alabama cheerleader Megan Latham (fortunately, no one was injured).

Making all this happen took planning, but the time and effort were well worth it, as the positive energy transferred from the lobby back to each person’s work area. Account Executive Baylee Clark said it best when accepting her MVP award:

“This is the best job. I’m so thankful to be here every day. Coming back from vacation, I was thinking how much I look forward to being back with the people I love!”

And the #WHYILOVESTRONG winning videos below are worth a look, for the enthusiasm of wanna-be rapper Ann Marie Waldrop, and the assured confidence of Will Giuliani. Both videos validate the power of creating a positive environment, having fun, and working tirelessly to produce results for every client.

Attitude is Everything! (You’ve got to watch Ann Marie and Will’s videos.)

When we introduced our One Team brand for the new year, the tag line was One Goal, One Impression, One Time.  Our intent was to generate the sharpest focus possible on the importance of things big and little in order to WIN, like correct spelling 100% of the time.

We are talking about that sinking feeling that defies gravity when an error is discovered too late, whether it is a key memo to a new client, or in a Direct Mail piece that was approved for, and completed,  a 10,000-copy printing…it blows my mind!

I read a recent article by Mark Heim at Al.com, commenting  on 2025’s most misspelled words, as researched by WordUnscrabler.pro.  They utilized data from Google to find the words most often searched for correct spelling, and the Top 10 are some tough ones, all bold-faced in this non-sensical sentence:

Definitely not surprised that separate and necessary are Top 10, since I believe we use them through efforts to communicate the purpose of a gorgeous TV ad, whether it is directed to a neighbor or a business that is a personal favorite because of a restaurant nearby.

The article noted that our dependence on autocorrect ‘weakens spelling skills over time’, with some researchers labeling it ‘digital amnesia – we simply forget things we delegate to technology.’  This is why our team of proofers is held in my highest regard – not only are they smart, but knowing my fear of undetected misspellings, they are probably borderline paranoia.

One final observation for all of those who think the only word we spell correctly in Alabama is football, this study listed America’s most misspelled words by state.  The word most misspelled in the Heart of Dixie was different, which made me feel good since I usually get it right.  And when I saw the other states where different was the front-runner, it was good company:  New York, Kansas, and Wisconsin.

The biggest surprise by states was for Hawaii, luau, followed closely by Arkansas, with quesadilla, which would not have been my first, or last, guess.  And, in case you missed it, the only two words misspelled in this blog are in the opening theme line, which is why we all need to agree that accuracy is Absolutely Necessary!

“It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.”
The above quote is one I came across a couple of weeks ago, saved it in my phone, and in looking at it today, realized it is a key component to winning, especially for me.
Thinking about the conversations when I have been asked, ‘After all the years in business, what were your greatest wins and losses?’ And after a short pause, they added, ‘Did you ever believe it was all possible?’ When I stopped to think about those times, my realization was I didn’t have any answers, because none of that was really top of mind.
I do not spend time thinking about what the company was like 15,20 years ago, or focus on highs and lows. It’s all just momentum that builds on itself day in and day out. I have never really planned a course for where I’m going, I just know I want to keep going. The reason today’s quote jumped out to me is that I have never thought I wasn’t capable of doing something. Sure, there have been big challenges, obstacles, and moments where you don’t know how you are going to get around them, but my focus is on finding a way. If you have to worry, don’t worry about what you can’t do, focus on what you can do – it’s been the biggest driver for me.
“It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not,” is attributed to Denis Waitley, a respected American motivational speaker and author on high-performance human achievement. In searching his writings, another quote jumped off the page: “Success in life isn’t only for the gifted or the privileged or those with a high IQ. Success is totally dependent on three things: persistence, determination, and a positive mental attitude.”

Tonight, we’re taking our team out to the ballpark!

It has become an annual rite of spring to see our AA Minor League Birmingham Barons play.

Last year, they won the Southern League Championship, and from a historical perspective, the Barons were the team basketball legend Michael Jordan played with in 1994.

I enjoy our Barons outings, especially when considering the unique challenges faced by a baseball manager throughout a season: players get hurt, players go into slumps, some get called up to a higher level, while others move down. Every day, every game, it’s more than just the split-second decision to hit away or bunt with the winning runner on third—it’s the grinding challenge of roster management, and above all, instilling a winning clubhouse culture.

As a business owner, the challenges are similar and plentiful. Like unexpectedly losing a key employee. While it’s not the first or last time it will happen, you need to have both the mindset and the plan in place to keep everything moving in the right direction. For you as a leader, and for every active team member, the workday never begins with a goal of achieving mediocre results. The top-to-bottom plan is for building and maintaining competitive excellence within a culture of excellence.

The skills of an exceptional employee are cut from the same cloth as a world-class athlete. Yes, there will be bad days in the office—some the equivalent of throwing an interception, even a Pick 6. Yet, the great ones have the motivation to push through obstacles and get back on track. Winning is not easy. Losing is even harder. But it is those losses that condition the drive to be ready to win.

Team reality: key player out. Team challenge: next player up. Team strength: a deep pool of team members coached, encouraged, and prepared to step up when a higher-performance role presents itself. While we deeply appreciate the employee who is leaving, we look forward to who is next up. The plan is already in motion.

The pursuit of competitive excellence is relentless and practiced only by a select few. Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi stated it best: “It’s not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.”

Be prepared. It happens!

The newest additions to our Creative Hub are up and running. Two huge flat-screen TVs showcase the most recent commercials, animations, company photos, our One Team logo, and a collection of sports highlights featuring clutch performances—from Dodger All-Star Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam against the Yankees to the Crimson Tide’s “Kick 6” payback with QB Jalen Milroe’s 4th-and-31 touchdown against Auburn.

There are other last-second heroics on the reel, capturing moments when teams snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. They all illustrate the truth in one of the best-known quotes about winning and losing: “It ain’t over until it’s over!” Spoken by baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, it encourages playing until the last whistle blows—or, in our business, until the month-end closes at a dealership.

Nothing is more satisfying than hearing a dealer describe hitting their sales goal just seconds before reporting closed. I’ve been in dealerships when it happened, gathered around the closing desk with more excitement than sitting behind home plate. I’m also a big fan of when our dealers exceed their goals by 100 vehicles—that’s an equally great performance.

The key to both is the same: determination. That’s what creates the WIN! WIN! WIN! experience.

What do winning coaches always say on ESPN when their team comes back from 20 points down? The same things Sales Managers tell their teams:
“We believed in each other!”
“Overcoming challenges is what this team does best!”
“Until the final horn, we never stop fighting!”

Determination is the commitment to reaching your goals despite the challenges. And the driving force behind it is often the fear of failure—of losing rewards for yourself, your team, your family.

Og Mandino, author of the best-selling book The Greatest Salesman in the World, which sold over 50 million copies, said it best: “Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.”

Your success is in your hands. The secret is staying at it.

It is always a pleasure to kick off a new month by bringing our entire staff together, and May 1st came with a first—a juggler performing while employees were recognized for great performance by a teammate and received $20 per shout-out. Nick, the juggler, was fantastic. He had balls and bowling pins flying through the air and performed until it was time to discuss new business and the state of the automotive world. My opening comment was to the point: “You are reading a lot in the news about tariffs—it’s all smoke.”

I was balanced in my presentation, noting that the situation was subject to change and that any major impact would likely be felt 60 to 90 days down the road, if and when full implementation occurs. That’s my opinion, and I supported it by sharing some of the end-of-month results our clients reported for April, which, as expected, were positive.

Our company boasts a diverse workforce—from employees fresh out of college to veteran riders of the roller coaster known as “automotive.” There may not have been a collective sigh of relief, but the reassurance was appreciated throughout the room. The tension sparked by the word “tariff” is a flame fanned by today’s opinion-heavy social media—more fluster than facts, not to mention political partisanship.

Note: As this blog is being written, an email from Automotive News popped up titled, “Trump tariff relief ‘not enough’ to end supply chain and pricing worries, executives say”… and to that we add, time will tell.

Our business is always about timing—understanding a situation as it unfolds and responding with a plan that capitalizes on the market’s reaction. The good news right now is that buyers see an advantage in getting ahead of what they think the tariff will do to prices. Even better news: most dealerships have an in-stock supply to meet the demand. And when you look at the calendar and see that May has five Saturdays—one being Memorial Day weekend, followed by a full week until the 31st—this is a great time to do what you do best: SELL!

Nick the juggler wasn’t perfect—there were a few drops—but he recovered without missing a beat and acknowledged the staff’s applause with a big bow. That’s the lesson: it’s showtime. Perform like a pro—your audience is waiting!

“The Pick Is In!”

Viewers of the 2025 NFL Draft heard that phrase 224 times over three days. From the #1 Pick to Mr. Irrelevant – the last player picked on Saturday night – the process of selecting the right player is no easy task. While first-round picks have a 99% chance to make the 53-man final roster, picks from the 6th and 7th rounds have a 30-35% chance. The Draft illustrates how critical the process is for hiring, whether for an NFL team or your company.

I give a tip of the hat to our HR Team and Director of People Strategies, Dan Crumpton, for the processes we have in place to help identify the best hire when the opportunity arises.

Where the NFL utilizes the Wonderlic Personnel Test, Strong Automotive utilizes the Culture Index, structured hiring scorecards, and a multi-phase interview process that gives us insights into traits like drive, communication, teamwork, and resilience. These tools help us increase our odds of predicting fit, performance, and cultural alignment.

In our interviews, just like NFL teams, we strive to discern whether a candidate exhibits genuine hunger for growth, ability to work well with others, emotional intelligence, and the grit to succeed under pressure. Conversely, we look out for signs of low energy, poor adaptability, or lack of curiosity – all potential warning signs that could hinder future performance.

Earlier, we mentioned the 30-35% success rate of players picked in later rounds of the draft – there are exceptions. Tom Brady was No. 199 in the 6th round in 2000. And closer to home, Auburn’s Bo Jackson was drafted in the 7th round, and you know Bo is in the NFL Hall of Fame. In the end, it’s not just about picking talent – it’s about trusting the process that helps you get it right.

I believe one thing in business that’s really held a lot of people back is complacency. It’s that false sense of feeling like what they’re doing should be good enough, and a justification for doing nothing more. Why? You’ve heard the quote, “It’s not my job.”

Driving Innovation is the exact opposite of that mentality. You always have to be looking to see what’s next and what is happening around you. The ability to move quickly while juggling several tasks, and still creating enough time to look ahead and think about what other companies are doing—that’s how you improve your brand, with new opportunities and possibilities.

Some people call it throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks—I’m not sure if that’s true or not, but it can be a good starting point. What I’ve always enjoyed about my job and my career is the reality that you can always be inventing something new. It starts with taking something you’ve done and figuring out how to make it even better going forward.

Today, some of that comes with new tools and software, dealing with AI and advancements in the modern world. But some also comes from just thinking about the day-to-day—how you simply do stuff. The reward is the realization of what you can do to make yourself—and what you’re doing—infinitely better.

Driving Innovation is having the will and discipline to do more to better yourself and your team.

Sometimes, Driving Innovation takes the most basic form.

Earlier this week, I was asked how dealers could respond to the tariff, especially the uncertain consumer response. One answer was to go with Employee Pricing. So, when Ford and Chrysler launched their national programs, I found myself looking for a way to hammer home their announcements.

The best tool that came to mind was a tried-and-true direct mail piece tied to Employee Pricing. After scouring through a cabinet, I found it in a company sales manual called “The Book of Answers”—from 2013—and the message was perfect. The quest gave me pause to think: sometimes, even in the truest sense of Driving Innovation, you have got to get back to basics.

Even more relevant to the back-to-basics mindset, this week we had our entire sales team here in the office for product training, team training, motivational training—just getting back on track in a few key areas.

Driving Innovation doesn’t always mean technology, Artificial Intelligence, the new world order, or a new order to achieve success. It also requires reinventing, reinvigorating, and recharging yourself based on the things you’ve always done well and making them new again. Like going through my cabinet and finding “The Big Book of Answers”—from 2013.

The test of time is a telling standard.

Every month, we celebrate our One Team theme by honoring an employee who best exemplifies being a great teammate. The essence of the award is recognizing a person who will jump in and help anybody do anything. Once the initial conversation concludes, the pursuit of a solution begins. I noted in introducing our winner that during a meeting this past September about the possibility of implementing new company processes in several areas, by January, our winner had it in place.

This month’s winner was Ivan Wright, Vice President of Innovation/Technology. It is a prestigious title, but Ivan wears it well. His bio on the company website reads, “With nearly two decades of developer experience, Ivan Wright leads the agency’s technology strategy to achieve maximum efficiency and information security.” Smart guy, loves what he does, accessible to all of his teammates, and, above all, humble.

When introduced as the MVP Award winner, the applause and cheers were big—you could feel the sincerity. Ivan’s first words were, “I didn’t expect this. I am very grateful.” After a moment to compose himself, Ivan continued, “For the development team, Strong is our customer. I just try to help. We enjoy doing it, and thank you for the opportunity.”

At a time when our future focus for Driving Innovation is on implementing Artificial Intelligence and ensuring the accurate flow of information throughout the entire company, it is a pleasure to have an employee who sometimes needs to be reminded that you can’t do everything. Business columnist Harvey Mackay said it best: “All the technology in the world will never replace a positive attitude.”