A long career in automotive is neither an easy feat nor a boring journey. In an industry that continues to evolve alongside customer needs, technology, oil and gas prices, and car maker innovations, staying power depends on our ability to adapt and share knowledge.

Ed Sheehy, President of Southeast Toyota Distributors, joined The Walk Around podcast for a frank conversation about the lessons lived and learned through his decades-long career in automotive. Ed will soon be a retired veteran of our industry. He plans to enjoy some boredom, improve his golf game, travel, and keep his mind sharp by learning Italian.

In the meantime, he answered some very helpful questions:

Pay attention to all trends, particularly those effecting consumer behavior, and be prepared to adapt regularly. Change, even when it feels sudden, is normally gradual, announcing its arrival in subtle ways well in advance of mass adoption. The best retailers will be looking for the indicators and already moving.

Ed leaves us with an important takeaway: study up on all types of business and industries, because automotive does not exist in a bubble.

Ed Sheehy leads Southeast Toyota Distributors as President and has been with JM Family and SET since the early 1990’s. A true veteran of our industry, he has been part of some of the automotive industry’s best and most challenging chapters in recent history.  

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