Erica Sietsma sits down with Krista Lamb, Director of Business Intelligence at DeatschWerks (a leading high-performance aftermarket fuel system components manufacturer), to discuss how a self-taught, no-code approach to AI took her from a marketing role to building the entire business intelligence backbone of a manufacturing company. Krista shares how she went from using AI for simple SEO and email subject lines to vibe-coding a custom, Gemini-powered CRM and reporting dashboard that gives leadership plain-language access to supply chain, sales, and inventory data in real time.She explains how identifying and automating a single painful manual report snowballed into a full business intelligence function, why she chooses different AI models for different jobs (Claude and OpenAI for building, Gemini for cost-effective data queries), and what it actually takes to host, secure, and scale these tools safely, from authentication and domain-locking to never handing an AI your passwords or API keys. Krista also breaks down the mindset shift required to work effectively with AI: writing small, iterative prompts instead of giant briefs, reading every output carefully, and training the model like a smart but inexperienced new hire.Check out DeatschWerks and Krista here: https://deatschwerks.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-lamb/

Erica Sietsma sits down with Scott Emalfarb, Founder of Fresh Content Society, to discuss why staying laser-focused on organic social media, rather than becoming a jack-of-all-trades agency, has been the key to building long-term partnerships with automotive and manufacturing brands. Scott shares how deep industry immersion, from racetracks to retail floors, builds the authenticity needed to represent automotive brands well on social media.He explains how social media has evolved from brand-awareness to a measurable driver of business impact. Scott breaks down when a business should bring in a dedicated social partner versus relying on an in-house generalist, and why strategy (not just content creation) is what separates businesses that know social media is working from those just "posting and praying." Check out Fresh Content Society here: https://www.freshcontentsociety.com/

Erica Sietsma sits down with Lauren McCullough, Founder and CEO of Tromml, to discuss how AI can transform aftermarket operations while preserving human relationships. Lauren shares how Tromml’s Minecart product helps sales reps spend 80-90% of their time selling by automating admin work, capturing notes with a button press and surfacing follow-ups through AI. Lauren shares how modern tech should enhance human interactions, not eliminate them, especially in the automotive aftermarket. Industry-specific solutions matter because generic enterprise software fails in this relationship-driven space. By digitizing field conversations and building organizational knowledge, companies can link priorities to outcomes and future-proof their business. Check out Tromml here: https://www.tromml.com/

In this episode of Smart AF, Erica Sietsma sits down with Ian Brightman, Co-Founder and CEO of Pitlane Media and Marketing, to break down how automotive and motorsports brands should approach marketing during economic uncertainty.Ian shares the real story of how his company hired and doubled down on marketing at the height of COVID while competitors pulled back, and why that decision defined the brand for the next three years. They also dig into why engineers and private equity owners tend to undervalue branding and top-funnel marketing, the difference between playing defense (surviving the next 6-12 months) and playing offense (owning the next 2-5 years), how to know when to trim a marketing partnership versus cut it entirely, and why founders need outside "emotional distance" to make the hard calls.Check out Ian and Pitlane Media and Marketing here:https://www.instagram.com/ianthebrightman/

https://www.pitlanemm.com/

In this episode of Smart AF, Erica Sietsma sits down with Ryan Hilliard, CEO of Refersion, to break down everything automotive and motorsports brands need to know about building a successful affiliate program. Ryan shares why flexibility and ease of use matter more than access to big publisher networks (especially in niche industries where the right micro-influencers are hard to find), how to set realistic expectations around conversion timelines for high-consideration purchases, and why longer attribution windows, like 90 days or more, are essential for big-ticket parts. They also dig into the power of blending commission structures with discount codes for creator communities, tips for switching affiliate platforms without losing momentum, and the #1 mistake brands make: expecting massive results from too few relationships. Check out Ryan and Refersion here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanahilliard https://www.refersion.com/

In this episode of Smart AF, host Erica Sietsma sits down with branding expert and photographer Annette Bauer of The Straightline Co. (formerly Annette Bauer Creative) to discuss how automotive and motorsports brands can stand out in a crowded industry. Annette shares why branding is more than just a logo, how storytelling and consistency build trust, and what brands can learn from the recent evolution of NHRA. From websites and social media to trade show booths and in-person experiences, this episode is packed with pro tips on creating a brand people connect with and why authentic visuals and real stories matter more than ever.

Check Annette out here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/annettebeebauer/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/annette-bauer-creative-llc

https://www.instagram.com/thestraightlineco