On this episode of ASOTU Unscripted, Erroll Bomar sits down with Kate Howell to talk about unexpected career turns, lifelong learning, and the opportunities that emerge when you're willing to say yes to something unfamiliar. After spending years focused on family and building a successful career outside automotive, Kate never imagined she'd find herself helping shape strategy for a dealership group. Then a recruiter's call arrived at exactly the right time.

Kate shares what it was like entering an industry with its own language, culture, and complexities, and how curiosity helped her navigate the steep learning curve. The conversation explores the growing importance of data, collaboration, and execution in modern automotive retail, while also highlighting one of the industry's most overlooked strengths: a community of people willing to share ideas, learn from one another, and move the business forward together. At its core, this is a story about embracing the unknown and discovering opportunity where you least expect it.

Timestamped Takeaways

0:00 Intro

0:33 Meet Kate Howell

0:39 A First ASOTU CON Experience

0:47 What Caught Her Attention at the Event

1:07 Returning to Work After Thirteen Years at Home

1:26 The Recruiter Call She Almost Ignored

1:46 Finding Her Way Into Automotive

1:58 Learning an Entirely New Industry

2:33 Discovering Automotive's Hidden Complexity

3:12 The Data Challenge Facing Dealerships

3:30 Building a Better Data Foundation

3:51 Why Control of Data Matters

4:10 Understanding Customers Before They Walk In

4:51 Cleaning Up the Data Problem

5:11 The Biggest Surprise About Automotive

5:31 Why Community Matters in This Industry

6:02 The Difference Between Tools and Execution

6:23 The Secret Power Is How You Execute

Connect with Kate Howell at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-owings-howell/