Famous Rhodes on…Bringing the Aftermarket Online

Famous Rhodes, 35 Years old
Director, eBay Motors; YEN Member

At 35, Famous Rhodes has built his career on bringing the Internet to the automotive market, having held executive roles at two automotive lead-generation companies prior to joining eBay Motors.

How has the Internet changed the way the aftermarket does business?

The Internet is providing information and transparency to the aftermarket industry. This story has played out in the automotive vehicles business seven years ago as content, pricing and comparison data surfaced on the Internet. More than 85% of all consumers now start their vehicle purchase online leveraging the wealth of content available to inform their decision. The Internet is already playing an influential role in the aftermarket industry as more content and pricing information is beginning to populate the Internet. We’re seeing tremendous growth in the aftermarket, as it is poised to double online sales in the next four years. Not only that, the Internet will influence more than 80% of all transactions offline and online as it will be the starting point for consumers.

James Lawrence on … Becoming an Entrepreneur

James Lawrence, 34 Years Old
President, powerTV

Starting and running your own business is the American dream. But is the reality of founding your own company more often The Nightmare on Elm Street than a Beautiful Life? This month YEN’s Member Spotlight features James Lawrence, President & CEO of powerTV, to help answer this question. At 34, Lawrence is a grizzled veteran of the startup game, having founded and operated four performance automotive industry companies. If you think running your own business is on the horizon, you’ll want to read this interview on how to Become an Entrepreneur.

About James

At the tender age of 19, powerTV founder James Lawrence learned quickly at the business school of hard knocks. The son of two doctors, Lawrence dropped out of UCLA to start his first automotive aftermarket company. It’s been a blur since then for the passionate entrepreneur, now 34, and at the helm of digital media company powerTV. Not just a “business” guy - Lawrence is a hardcore automotive enthusiast who enjoys both hot rod and late model vehicles.

Chris Douglas on… Building a High Performance Culture

Chris Douglas, 33 Years Old
V.P. of Marketing, COMP Cams; YEN Member

Team building. Employee growth. Business success. Without a high-performance culture, it’s unlikely that your company is going to achieve any of these objectives. Nobody knows that more than Chris Douglas, Vice President of Marketing, for COMP Performance Group. At COMP, winning isn’t a sometimes thing – it’s an “always thing” that requires passionate, committed people. How do you get them…? By building a high-performance culture.

About Chris

Putting himself through college racing Go-Karts in the World Karting Association, Chris Douglas is no stranger to competition on the race track. In fact, he earned the WKA National Championship with dedication to being the best racer he could be. At the tender age of 23, he soon found himself behind the wheel of Late Models, ASA, and NASCAR Busch Cars as a partner in the Race-On Driving school. It wasn’t long before an even better opportunity came along in 2003 – the chance to work at the fast growing COMP CAMS. With an amazing work ethic, and a passion for the brand, Douglas worked through the ranks at COMP, becoming the Director of Marketing in 2006, and the Vice President of Marketing in 2009.

In this interview, Douglas gives us insight into COMP’s winning culture, and how you can incorporate some of their principles into your high performance company.

Edelbrock’s Jason Snyder on… Climbing the Ladder

By James Lawrence, PowerTV

Jason Snyder, 34 Years Old
Vice President of Marketing, Edelbrock; YEN Member  

At 34 years old, Jason Snyder is one of the most creative and successful young executives at Edelbrock Corporation. Recently promoted to the Vice President of Marketing, Snyder believes his benchmark of success has been a blue collar work ethic and a continued appetite for learning. Known for being candid and direct in the daily course of business, he has helped Edelbrock transition to the digital age with stellar results.

What Does It Take to Make it to the Executive Level?
“Early on, I had a manager that laid out very high expectations. I felt like the karate kid. If I had to clean shelves, stay late, come early – I did it. If I was late, he was standing at the door. There I learned to become an executive – it takes a blue-collar approach. You work hard, do what it takes, and you’ll be successful. I was also wiling to take the big risks for my job. I was 28 when I was offered the opportunity to go to work for Edelbrock. I had to move across the country, away from my wife and 18-month old son, to unfamiliar surroundings and live in a hotel for 7 weeks. But those were the things that I had to do.. to make the sacrifice to make it work.”