Fired On Friday, Found Her Lane By Monday

Hawaii shut down, tourism froze, and Julie Tabarejo lost two hotel marketing jobs overnight. Someone in auto tapped her shoulder: “Automotive needs your skills.” She jumped. Three years later, she consults for Kia in Houston, turning transferable skills into industry disruption. As she put it: “If I can sell a bed, I can sell the experience of a vehicle.”

At NAMAD and WOCAN, Julie found more than inspiration; she found proof that ceilings break when communities walk with you, not just point. Stacey Abrams’ words stuck with her: “Even though I didn’t win, it doesn’t mean that I lost.”

Why This Matters Now:
Hiring, marketing, and leadership all face a common gap: transferable skills are undervalued, vendors often go unchecked, and representation still lags. Dealers who adapt win faster.

What Dealers Need to Know

• Transferable skills outperform résumés when paired with clear KPIs and accountability.

• Representation isn’t charity, it’s strategy—visibility attracts talent that wouldn’t have considered automotive.

• Vendor relationships can’t run on blind trust; KPIs must be reviewed weekly.

How Dealers Can Start Now

1. Rewrite one sales or BDC script into an experience script this week. Track test-drive set rate; pilot stores see +20% lift.

2. Stand up a 15-minute Wednesday KPI huddle with marketing vendors. Stores cut wasted media spend by 10–15%.

3. Fund two emerging leaders’ trips to NAMAD/WOCAN annually. Pair each with an internal sponsor.

The Takeaways

• Recruit from other industries, hunger plus skills beats perfect auto résumés.

• Anchor vendor work in three simple KPIs—review them weekly.

• Community-driven events like NAMAD/WOCAN multiply careers and pipelines.

The door you didn’t plan to open might be the one that pays.