What Crisis Taught Me About Leadership | Terry Rhadigan

In our episode we covered:

→ Why transparency is your best crisis tool, and what happens when you don't use it

→ How to redirect a conversation without lying

→ What 15 different roles at one company teaches you about communicating

→ What it will take to keep Detroit's momentum going

→ What Terry would tell his younger self about balance, kindness, and the long game

People who can communicate well under pressure aren't born that way… they earn it in the hard roles nobody wanted, before anyone trusted them with the big ones.

Terry, thank you for sharing your story with our audience!

0:00 - Introduction to Terry Rhadigan

1:30 - Career Beginnings: Nine Years to Get Into Communications

4:00 - Breaking Into GM Communications and Learning the Business

5:00 - The Core Rule of Crisis Communication: Own It

7:00 - Redirecting the Narrative: How Product Launches Changed GM's Story

8:45 - Using Communication Skills in Your Personal Life

11:15 - Life After GM: Four Boards, One Consultancy, and Detroit's Momentum

13:15 - The NFL Draft, the Sports Commission, and Detroit's Image Shift

17:00 - Michigan's Automotive Industry: Fighting to Stay at the Top

25:00 - The EV Crossroads: Where the Industry Goes From Here

38:15 - When Shift Hits the Fan: Inside the GM Crisis

44:50 - Leading at 22: Managing 70 People Through a Company Crisis

50:35 - Advice to My 25-Year-Old Self

52:05 - About TeamSense

Terry: [00:00:00] existential issue for the company. That's pretty strong motivation 

Devin: I looked in the mirror at myself beforehand and I looked at myself afterwards. The amount that I learned in that time, like how to manage people, that was the foundation of my entire career. Nobody prepares you- 

Terry: No ... for that kind of shift It's hard to hold on the manual.

Okay, what do I do in this particular case? There is no such thing. Be as honest as you can. Be as upfront as you can. Be nice to everyone. It's free. The Real Shit

Devin: Welcome back to Talk Real Shift. I'm your host, Devon Froschizer. On today's episode, I have the absolute pleasure of speaking with Terry Rattigan. Terry spent more than three and a half decades at the same big three OEM, where he helped the company navigate through some of its most difficult communication times, 

Terry: [00:01:00] including bankruptcy and more.

So you're gonna wanna stay tuned as I talk Real Shift with Terry. 

Devin: Terry, we were both at the same big three OEM during what is a time of crisis that's well-known in the industry, uh, but serving very different roles. So I was a floor supervisor, straight out of college. Mm. Know nothing, but I think I know everything.

That's what we do in our young 20s, right? And I was at a facility in Belleville that was responsible for shipping a component that needed to be individually packaged as part of the crisis management. You were in a communications role. 

Terry: Correct. Yes, I was in a communications role, and I was not fresh out of college.

Fair. I was already a grizzled veteran at that point, with a lot of experience in crisis communications. Mm-hmm. And so I [00:02:00] think that's why I was asked to take more of a lead role at that- Mm-hmm ... particular time, because th- we had been through a few other things like, uh, you know, just, just... A lot of crises happen in, in a big company like that.

And, uh- It's 

Devin: inevitable ... 

Terry: exactly. So you're right, we were both working. We didn't know of each other at the time. No. But it's nice to, uh, connect with you now, and, uh- Yeah ... looking forward to the conversation. 

Devin: I appreciate that. So, so you go throughout your whole career predominantly at the same company.

Terry: Correct. 

Devin: It's very different, and we're gonna talk some real shift. It's very different than what my generation does. Can you talk about that journey from the beginning to where you get to managing a massive crisis? 

Terry: Sure. You know, it's, it's, um, timing is everything, and much like today's college grads are entering a pretty tough job market, unfortunately.

Mm. So it's, it's tough to get a job out there for- Yeah ... some of these youngsters, and feel bad for them, um, because I had the same experience. So I was not able to go [00:03:00] into, directly into communications, which is what I, I studied- Okay ... at Michigan State, and had to take a, a different route through customer- Mm

service. Oh. And being on an 800 number, you know, getting, um, fielding a lot of customer phone calls. Then after a year of that, kinda cutting my teeth- Mm-hmm ... right here in Troy, as a matter of fact, then moved out to the field organization, where I was actually face to face across the desk from dealers, helping customers- Okay

and learning the dealer business, both on the service side and on the sales side. So six years of that. Interesting. Eventually moved back. I was in St. Louis, Missouri, at the time, and eventually moved back to Detroit. And, um, you know, was still trying to figure out a way to get into communications. Mm-hmm.

Took me a little bit longer, about nine years total, but I kept my eyes on the prize of where I wanted- Yeah ... to be in communications, and I will always, always be grateful for that first nine years where I got to learn the different side [00:04:00] of the business. Mm-hmm. I learned how, had to learn how cars operate if you're- Right

gonna be a district service manager, had to learn how dealers think. 

Devin: Mm-hmm. 

Terry: Um, had to learn, you know, with customers, all kinds of, whether it's anger management, empathy- ... anything like that, right? 'Cause 

Devin: you gotta have some crazy stories from dealing 

Terry: with- We have some crazy stories ... some an- 'cause 

Devin: you were dealing with end consumers.

Terry: Correct, and it was in the late '80s when, uh- Ah ... maybe the quality of the Detroit Three was not at the same level that it is today. So yes- Okay ... it was a, it was a challenging job, but I look back for the rest of my 36-year career, the first nine really were super valuable to me- Yeah ... and I think enabled me, uh, to be better at the communications role that I eventually took on.

Devin: What gave you that break? How did you get into communications? 

Terry: I just kept being persistent, probably to an annoying perspective, and kept wandering into the communications area and making friends and making contacts and, um, applying for every job that they [00:05:00] posted until finally I think I just beat them down and said, "Okay, come on in," and started in internal communications.

Okay. My second job was in safety and legal communications, and that was- Interesting ... right around 2000, and that's where I got some, some experience in- Mm-hmm ... the whole crisis mode. Okay. And then, um, most of my career, though, was in product communications, which was great because that's launching new cars and trucks from concept to reality through the auto shows- Okay

through the media drives. Yep. You know, you gotta get the media behind the wheel- Mm-hmm ... of the vehicle. Um, you know, getting employees enthusiastic about the product, and at the time, we had eight brands. 

Devin: Oh, eight. 

Terry: Yeah. Okay. So it was, it was pretty tremendous. So it was a really, really terrific opportunity, and, uh, you know, I have, uh, nothing but fond memories of my- Wow

36-year run. 

Devin: That's amazing. Yeah. You know, I feel the same way. That, that first time that I spent there, [00:06:00] it made me the person that I am, right? Every job that you go through gives you an experience that sets you up for success. Um, we're here to talk some real stuff. 

Terry: Yeah. Let's do that. 

Devin: Tell me, what's some real shift that you've learned, that you've dealt with in those times of crisis that can help other people better communicate?

Because- You mastered it, right? You did it professionally, and we all struggle in, in work environments and even personally. How do you communicate to get your point across and create a collaborative space at the same time? 

Terry: Mm-hmm. Yeah, it, it, it helps to just own it. Own the issue- 

Devin: Yeah ... 

Terry: whatever it might be, large or small.

Um, you're obviously gonna have your communications professional along with your legal advice. Mm-hmm. And, you know, there's a lot of people. You pull, pull together the team, and [00:07:00] everybody knows what the end goal is. And, um, yeah, and then it's just, it's just own up to it, be as honest as you can, be as upfront as you can, and, um, tell people what you can when- tell them what you can as soon as you can.

Okay. Uh, whether that's media- Yeah ... whether that's employees, uh, that transparency, uh, really helps to, you know, to mitigate the suspicion or any- Yeah ... uh, concerns that people might have. If they, if you're being as upfront as you can with folks, um, they can't, they can't fault you for that. 

Devin: Right, and then they can't speculate, because that's what- Right

we do as humans, right? If we don't know the whole story, we make up our own version- 

Terry: Right ... 

Devin: of that story- Exactly ... right? We just start filling in, in the gaps. Have you had a moment where you've had to kind of course-correct gap-filling and storytelling? 

Terry: Yeah, I think so, for sure. There's been t- when, when I was in the product role and l- and launching cars and [00:08:00] trucks and crossovers on a regular basis, at one point we had 10 vehicles to launch in a 20-month period, so we were- 

Devin: 10?

Terry: constantly- 

Devin: Every two months you're just new- Exactly ... there's a 

Terry: new product, right? Another new one, and these were big- You 

Devin: don't even get to get down to the excitement of the first 

Terry: one. These were not like a new, you know, a new console either. This was an all-new vehicle, and so it was, it was crazy. Wow. And while we were in the midst of that, um, there were things going on on the other side of the business, on the financial side.

Devin: Mm. 

Terry: And so we were actually able to Change the conversation. Okay. Say, "I know, I, I t- I don't know what's happening over there. That's the finance communication team." 

Devin: Okay. "

Terry: They've got a lot going on, but look at this car." 

Devin: Mm. "

Terry: This is all new, 32 miles to the gallon. This is, you know, this is a beautiful five passenger..."

You know, whatever. We would just be the bridge to, "Can't help you with- With that ... your real question- Right ... but I can tell you that this is what we're here to talk about." Right. And [00:09:00] it was a way to d- generate positive coverage for the company- Right ... when they weren't getting a lot of- A lot of positive coverage

positive coverage- Right ... on the other side. So that was kinda cool. 

Devin: And, and it's a way to, to redirect to get out of that bad time. 

Terry: Right. 

Devin: Right? Right. Because anything that there's financial going on, but these, these products are our answer- 

Terry: Exactly ... 

Devin: to that issue. 

Terry: Right. 

Devin: Interesting. Right. Have you used your, like, skills in your personal life to help navigate different conversations?

I will tell you, I've got one person in particular in my life that I struggle on, how do I communicate with this individual? 

Terry: You know what? I bet I have used them without even knowing it, Devin. Fair. I, I, I would have to say that, um, it gets to a point where, as you know, you spend as much time with people at work as you do with your family and f- If not more

and friends, if not more. 

Devin: Yeah. 

Terry: And so there has to be that crossover. So I can't come up with a, a specific example- Mm ... right now. Okay. But I can assure you that, [00:10:00] uh, the things I learned at work translated to, to my personal life for sure. 

Devin: What would you say to somebody if they're struggling with that difficult conversation, right?

'Cause I, 'cause I've been telling, I've got one person in particular, and I could say, "The sky is blue," and they would say, "You're wrong," right? How, how do you navigate a conversation with somebody that might not always be the most rational- 

Terry: Mm-hmm ... 

Devin: because it's just you? 

Terry: Right. Right. I think, I think part of it is back to what I was saying about how I got my job in communications, by being- Just s-

persistent- Persistent ... and just keep hitting that key message. Yeah. And we say in communications, if you, once you're tired of saying a key message, it might be getting through to the end user. Ah, okay. So you think you've said this particular key message ad nauseam- ... and guess what? You haven't even broken through to your, to your, uh- Right

you know, to your target audience [00:11:00] yet. So I think that might be true as well. So as, despite the fact that you're insistent that the sky is blue, and this person isn't seeing it that way, stay the course. 

Devin: Stay the course. Stay 

Terry: the course. And 

Devin: stay... Do we bring emotion into it, or do we stay emotionless? 

Terry: Uh, it's hard to do the, the latter in 

Devin: that, yeah.

It is. It is. It's, it's so hard to be emotionless, but I feel like that's the key a lot of times, right? You stick to the facts. 

Terry: Agree. 

Devin: And you can't, you can't bring- You can't come in hot, 'cause sometimes I just, I wanna come in hot- Right ... 'cause I'm like, the facts are the facts. 

Terry: Well, that's where empathy can come in, so you try and get in that person's- Mm-hmm

perspective. So why do you think that person is so obstinate about, and so, so set in- Mm ... his or her ways? Yeah. So let me, let me help to, help me to understand where you're coming from here, and maybe with delving down a little deeper, couple- Yeah ... more layers, maybe you can get to the bottom of [00:12:00] why this person doesn't see it your way.

Devin: Fair. Fair. I think we know the reason is that the person's just sitting right here, so I'm just always gonna be the reason, but that's okay. Right. 

Terry: Right. 

Devin: But it's, it's like that at work sometimes. It's like that in our personal lives. Those communication gaps aren't isolated in one direction or the other.

Um, but I'm gonna shift gears here a little bit. Yeah. fair number of years, retired very happily, and now you're unbelievably involved in other organizations. Because I met you at, at a Detroit Economic Club event- 

Terry: Right ... 

Devin: where we got to meet the president of the Detroit Lions. 

Terry: Wasn't that cool? 

Devin: Unbelievably cool.

Terry: Yeah. 

Devin: Right? It 

Terry: was great. 

Devin: How many times can you say, like- 

Terry: Yeah ... "

Devin: Well, you know, I just met the president of the Detroit Lions today." Right. Like, what did you do today? Right? Like, this is what I did. Um, but you're a volunteer on, on the board, correct? 

Terry: On the board of the Detroit Economic Club. [00:13:00] I'm a volunteer on the board of the Automotive Hall of Fame.

Very cool. I am, um, on the Parade Company board. 

Devin: Okay. 

Terry: And I'm also the chair of the Detroit Sports Commission board. So I have four hats, and I'm about to wear a fifth one that I, uh... That's all volunteer. 

Devin: Okay. 

Terry: And then I'm, I'm a consultant, a paid consultant with the Detroit Regional Chamber. 

Devin: Chamber. 

Terry: Yes.

Devin: Okay. Do you sleep? 

Terry: Yes, I do. Really well. 

Devin: Yeah, okay. That's, you know- Compared 

Terry: to- That's the end of the 

Devin: battle ... 

Terry: compared to my old days, um, I get so much sleep, and I- I've really... It's been a big step down, Devin, from- Yeah ... 23 is when I retired, so it's going on three years. And, um, yeah, I sleep better. I feel better.

I'm more active. Yeah. I exercise more and still feel like I'm able to be in the game and, and- Right ... make an impact. You know, so much is happening in [00:14:00] Detroit right now, that I didn't want to stop participating in it. Right. I felt like, you know, I had invested a lot in the, in the momentum that the city was having.

Devin: Mm-hmm. 

Terry: And it felt like, well, if I get off the train now, I'm gonna miss all the fun. 

Devin: Right. And you don't wanna do that. So let's talk about that. Talk... Tell me about some of the momentum that the city is having. 

Terry: So three months, four months after I retired- Uh-huh ... was the NFL draft- Ah, yes ... where we set a record.

Uh, it just got broken, but we, we set a record. Um- Mm-hmm ... 775,000 people came downtown, and it was a game changer for our image internationally. 

Devin: Mm-hmm. 

Terry: And it was just one of the greatest weekends of my life, and it was so exciting. And that, that credibility that we got for that- Uh, from that has, has made it easier for us as a sports commission to go to different sanctioning bodies, organizations, be it the [00:15:00] NCAA or the NBA or you name the organization- Mm-hmm

we're trying to get them to bring their signature events to Detroit. We wanna improve our image. Right. People think they know Detroit, they don't. 

Devin: You, you don- you know, I went to school, my undergrad I went to Wayne State, and I stayed on campus. 

Terry: Nice. 

Devin: And I, I loved it. I loved it. But when I look at Detroit today and in 2026 versus 2009, '10, '11, '12, when I was- Yeah

you know, at university, it's not even the same. 

Terry: No. 

Devin: Right? I mean, there would be a group of us where we would walk down Woodward- 

Terry: Mm-hmm ... 

Devin: to go to Tigers games, and that was, that was your, your path and, and, and everybody was, that wasn't from Wayne State would be like, "Oh, aren't you afraid? Aren't you scared?"

And I'm like, "No." Like, the city's coming to life. You're safe if you stay on Woodward. But now there's so much- Incredible ... that it's, it's grown unbelievably. 

Terry: A lot of [00:16:00] that, um, can be attributed, I think, to Especially that stretch of Woodward. Yeah. Little Caesars Arena was a game changer, of course. Yeah. You got the Mike Ilitch School of Business right next door to that- Right

um, that houses, you know, there's different companies that are, are housed there. Google's inside of, um- Mm-hmm ... of LCA. Um, and just the QLine I think helped a lot because it's, you know, it's at each stop of the QLine you see Michigan State making a big investment- Right ... or you see all these different companies.

So from Grand Boulevard all the way downtown has, has been amazing. We need to do the same for Jefferson. A lot is happening on Michigan Avenue, 'cause you think about it there are, like, four main arteries out of the city. 

Devin: Mm-hmm. 

Terry: And, uh, Michigan Avenue with everything Ford is doing with the, uh, with the train station, and Corktown is just the hottest neighborhood.

Right. And so I feel really good about that artery. I feel great about the Woodward artery. Um, yeah, if we can get, uh, Jefferson and, um, you know, out toward, [00:17:00] toward Grosse Pointe, get that going a little bit more, and I, I feel... And Gratiot, Gratiot heading out toward... Those, those main arteries really, you know, um, are gonna help take the greatness that's happening downtown and spread it to the neighborhoods, which is what we're seeing with Midtown- 

Devin: Yep

Terry: and Corktown, and we just have a lot of neighborhoods in our, in our city. We 

Devin: have a lot of little towns. 

Terry: Exactly. 

Devin: And we need to connect- Big time ... we need to connect all the towns. 

Terry: Absolutely. 

Devin: Yeah. Wow. 

Terry: It, it's, it's great. I just love it. I love the momentum. It does help that all of our sports teams are trending right now.

The Red Wings were just so close to making the playoffs- I know ... but we have, um, we have the Lions and the Tigers and the Pistons, and, uh, we've got a Final Four coming in, like, 11 months. So, um, that's gonna help. We've, we're really focusing on women's sports now. We've got a Big Ten women's tournament coming in '28.

We've got a regional, another regional final for the men in '28. Uh, and we're actively, actively pitching the city to anyone, um, who will listen because we [00:18:00] want people to come in to experience our great... You know, our food is amazing now, the restaurants in our town. Yeah. We've got way more hotels. Good example of how far we've come, and you just said it, you were in school in 2009 when Michigan State made the Final Four.

Detroit- Mm-hmm ... hosted a Final Four in '09. Okay? The financial crisis was happening all around us. Yes, it was. It was not a pretty time in our industry- Nope ... or in our city, and, um, but we still pulled it off. We had a great Final Four, and having MSU there helped. Um, people that went to that Final F- came into town and went to that Final Four in 2009, when they come back again in 2027, they're not gonna recognize- It's not the same place

the place. 

Devin: No way. 

Terry: It is just- No way ... s- it's a metamorphosis. 

Devin: Yeah. 

Terry: And that'll be really exciting to see. And so yeah, the, the Sports Commission is, you know, it's, it's, even if I w- uh, uh, it's not over b- overtaxing for me because I'm a volunteer But even if it was, I would gladly [00:19:00] do it 'cause it's just a very rewarding, very fun, uh, piece of business.

And, um, I was happy that they asked me to, to chair the, the, uh, committee, and I... That happened while I, before I retired. Okay. But then after I retired they said, "Hey, if you, if you're willing to, can you stay on?" So that's been great. 

Devin: That's amazing. Okay, so you've got sports- 

Terry: Yeah ... 

Devin: and then we've got the Detroit Economic Club- 

Terry: Right

Devin: and the Detroit Regional Chamber Chamber Dealer's Choice. Tell me about one. 

Terry: I'll tell you, because you were there, I'll tell you about the Detroit Economic Club first, and we've got a, a board meeting tomorrow. But we are so lucky, you got a chance, I think, to hear from Steve Grigorian who's the president and CEO.

Devin: He's phenomenal. 

Terry: He is unbelievable and- 

Devin: Just a good person, which is... You know, I think people say it's hard to find good people. 

Terry: Right. 

Devin: But I have found as I get more and more involved in the community with organizations like the DEC, good people aren't that hard to find. 

Terry: He's the best. He- You're right about that But he- And he is the 

Devin: best

he really is, and he [00:20:00] cares. 

Terry: And he knows that... You know, I love the part where he, he, you heard it, um, he talked about the history of the DEC. Mm-hmm. And on this date, whatever it was, in April, uh, you join, Rod Wood, you join these six people that also spoke to the DEC on this date. Right, on the 

Devin: same day. 

Terry: Which was so cool and, and, um, every sitting president, uh, for the last, like, six presidents have- Mm-hmm

spoken at the DEC. Um, it is in the very top tier of economic clubs in the country- Yeah ... as a platform for people to come who have big news to share. Right. And that's why, um, presidents and vice presidents call Steve. He's also actively pitching, but when they say, "Hey, where should we go to make, um, make an important announcement?"

Now, it helps that Michigan is a swing state, right? It is. So we're a purple state, so- Right ... um, we're always... This particular year, 2026, what an [00:21:00] election year it's going to be for us. Mm-hmm. So I think the DEC... We're lucky to have Steve. We're lucky to, that he recognizes the importance of this platform to the country.

Mm-hmm. And he is passionate about making certain that it's, that it's, um, passed on to the next leader- Right ... at some point- 

Devin: Right ... 

Terry: um, in better shape than Steve found it, and I hope Steve stays for a long time to 

Devin: be clear. L- listen, I do too. Somebody the other day asked me, you know, "What do you wanna be when you grow up?"

And I hate when people ask me that question 'cause I'm like, "I don't... D- I, I don't know." Right. "I don't know what I wanna be when I grow up." My candid response is something that a candidate once told me when they were, when I was interviewing them, and their response is, "Happy." Yes. I was like, "Oh." Great. "That's, that's what I wanna be when I grow up.

I wanna be-" That's a 

Terry: great answer. 

Devin: It, isn't it? I so use... I steal it this, to this day. I wanna be happy. 

Terry: Mm-hmm 

Devin: But they're like, "Okay, yeah, cool. We all do, right? But what do you wanna actually do?" And, you know, and I was like, "I have no clue what I wanna be when I grow up." Right. Like, I'm happy doing what I'm [00:22:00] doing right now.

Right. But then later, when I was reflecting on it and they were like, "Just, you know, bucket list career jobs that you wanna do," and I'm like, "Oh my goodness, you know what I wanna do? I wanna do and have the conversation that Steve is having." 

Terry: Yes. 

Devin: You know, so Steve, one day, I'm gonna come for you. Not for a very, very long time, 'cause I'm nowhere near qualified to do what he does, but, um, it makes a difference in people's lives.

It does. And it's connecting, particularly because Michigan is founded in automotive manufacturing, right? It's the core of what we are. We are the top automotive manufacturer in the country still. Um, we're a top manufacturing state in the country. Um, but it is like, it's the, the networking wheelhouse where people do go and they lean on him- Mm-hmm

whether that's for policy or sharing news and, and getting information, new products, new rollouts, um, out to the community. So it's an amazing place. 

Terry: And leadership development. Yes. [00:23:00] So he's got one thing called the Career Readiness Academy that the DEC, um, supports, and then the Young Leaders- Leaders ... Group is- Yes

like 1,000 or 1,500 people strong. 

Devin: I, it, it, it's- 

Terry: And- 

Devin: And it's fun. I went to my first event. 

Terry: You did? Okay, good. 

Devin: Yes, with Debbie Dingell, and I had the honor, I tell this story, I had the honor of, uh, handing her a letter w- And I wasn't emotionally, like, prepared to have the conversation with her. Yeah. Um, but you were part of the GM Foundation.

Terry: Yes. 

Devin: Debbie was part of that foundation. 

Terry: Sh- she hired me. 

Devin: See? There you go. Small world. It 

Terry: is. 

Devin: Um, so I am a first college graduate in my family- Oh my gosh ... fir- from a four-year university. So my brother went and got an associate's. My dad was at a trade school. Um, but in my family, I'm the first pers- first person that attended a four-year university- That's 

Terry: amazing

Devin: let alone graduated. 

Terry: Congratulations. 

Devin: Thank you. Love that. Um, but I share that to say that it wasn't a choice of like, are you going to college? It was just where. 

Terry: Right. 

Devin: And, and my parents were very open. Like, "We can't [00:24:00] afford- 

Terry: Mm-hmm ... 

Devin: to pay for you to go. Like, you have, you've gotta figure it out." Um, and I worked with my counselors at the school.

Every week, I'd go in and she'd hand me a folder of new scholarships to apply for. One of those was the GM Foundation Scholarship. 

Terry: That's awesome. 

Devin: And I can reme- It's a sunny day, and I'm standing outside the mailbox 'cause I wouldn't even wait till I got in the house, right? Like, you, you open up that mail because it's either an acceptance letter to a university- 

Terry: Right

Devin: or it's a scholarship, and her name was on the bottom of it. And I still remember that. So I had the honor of meeting her at a Young Leaders event and handing her a letter that just said, like, "Thank you for believing in me, and I've spent my whole life here, and I couldn't imagine spending it- That's 

Terry: amazing

Devin: anywhere 

Terry: else." I love that story. 

Devin: Yeah. That's great. So, you know, Allen Park High School I graduated, which I grew up in Taylor, Allen Park High School, uh, Wayne State University Civil Engineering, and then started working at a, at a big three- Uh-huh ... then the world's largest logistics company, then the world's largest, uh, interiors manufacturer- 

Terry: [00:25:00] Wow

Devin: and to my current company, which is TeamSense. Um, and throughout my journey, uh, at, in, in one of the big three, I went to Kettering all online 'cause they allowed you to do online. Nice. And then I got my MBA, 'cause they honor engineering degrees. 

Terry: Good for you. 

Devin: And then my, uh, MS in Operations Management. So, but enough about me.

We're here to talk about you. 

Terry: You're, you're make, you're, you're making up for the years that your family wasn't able to get degrees. Now you got three of them. 

Devin: You know, there, yes. You know- You're three up ... my mom would say, "I scrubbed toilets for a living so you don't have to." And it used to just irk me- 

Terry: Yeah

Devin: when she would say that. 

Terry: Yeah. 

Devin: And then when I had my daughter, I realized, like, "Oh, this is what she really means." I get it. Yeah. Right? Like, like, it, it sinks in. Right. It has a different meaning. But, you know, I've been very privileged to have wonderful parents that supported me, um, throughout my career journeys- Lovely

and my life choices, but yeah. You made 

Terry: the 

Devin: best 

Terry: of it. 

Devin: We try, right? That's all we can do. [00:26:00] 

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Terry: call-offs made simple. [00:27:00] So you talked about Michigan being important for the automotive industry. Really the epicenter. 

Devin: It is. 

Terry: Um, but it, at the chamber- Okay ... I have, um, part of, part of my role there is to help MichAuto. So MichAuto is a sub-sub-brand at the chamber. 

Devin: Mm-hmm. 

Terry: And it is really solely for promoting and retaining The, uh, the automotive industry in Michigan, we are so lucky.

The number of, of suppliers that are headquartered here- 

Devin: Unbelievable ... 

Terry: unbelievable. The number of OEM facilities that are here, be it the Detroit Three plus Nissan and Toyota- Yep ... you name it, they're all here. 

Devin: Mm-hmm. 

Terry: Uh, so we're very fortunate, but we feel like we need to not rest on that and not assume that that's just a birthright that's always gonna be the case.

Right. We have to fight. There are places like Tennessee and Georgia and Mississippi, you know, the, where, where a lot of the transplants have built [00:28:00] up- Mm-hmm ... a big footprint that would be happy to take that mantle from Michigan if we- Right. They 

Devin: can't take our crown ... 

Terry: if we take our eye off the ball. So that's what we're trying to do.

Okay. So right now, actually, we're going around, because this is such a pivotal s- uh, year- 

Speaker 4: Mm-hmm ... 

Terry: in our state, new governor, new lieutenant governor, new s- uh, secretary of state- Mm ... new attorney general. We already have a new mayor in Detroit, a new senator to replace Gary Peters. So there is a lot going on. A lot happening.

Yeah. And we have to make certain that people understand unequivocally the importance of our industry at a time when it's really at a crossroads, of course, with the EV- Mm-hmm. It's hard ... you know? Ex- exactly. It's really hard, but it's worth fighting. So that's what, that's what MichAuto does, and I, I spend a fair amount of my time doing that.

We just had Capital Day at the, uh, at the Michigan capital- Mm-hmm ... where we just again wanted to reinforce why we're here and the advocacy for the industry. Um, it's great. When something like the tariffs happened, you know, on [00:29:00] Liberation Day about a year ago, where all of a sudden this tariff, um, hit the auto industry harder- Right

it hit the m- state of Michigan harder than it hit any other state. 

Devin: Any other state. Yeah. 

Terry: And, um, our, uh, g- uh, Glenn Stevens is the, uh, s- is the executive director of MichAuto, and I think he did 115 interviews in a two-week period, because he could speak with one voice as, as a spokesman for OEMs- Everybody

suppliers, the state of Michigan- Right ... and just say, "This is, this is not good." Right. "And we need to do something about it." Then when there was controversy earlier this year about the opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge, there was Glenn again doing a bunch of interviews saying, "No, we, we need , we need that bridge."

We 

Devin: do. 

Terry: Yes. It's the, it's the busiest crossing between US- Mm-hmm ... and Canada, Detroit, Michigan is. And we need, there's a reason we built the bridge. Right. And so, um, we're lucky to have Glenn, and we're lucky to have MichAuto watching our back to make sure we don't lose what we have. 

Devin: What would you say to people that are, are in high [00:30:00] school, they're in college, they're debating, they get told, "Well, why would I go into the auto industry?"

Mm-hmm. Right? People think I w- is crazy. They're like i- it's the most unpredictable or what have you. What do you say to that skepticism? 

Terry: I would say that going into a big company like I was able to do, um, 36 years, I probably had 15 different jobs during that time. 

Devin: Okay. 

Terry: And each one felt like I was going to a new company- It does

because it's, it's totally new- 

Devin: Right ... 

Terry: vernacular. It's totally new, um, you know, business acumen that you need to, to run it. It's, everything is different. So I would just say that you can go and stay at one company. It feels like you've moved to 15 different companies, but you really haven't. You've stayed right there.

So I know I'm a, a little bit of a dinosaur having stayed at one company for my entire career. Yeah. Um, but there's something to be said for that. And, and if you just go and stay for a short time and use it as a [00:31:00] springboard to go somewhere else, um, there's nothing quite like the auto industry. 

Devin: It is, um, you know- People used to argue when I was a floor supervisor, uh, hourly associates would tell me, like, "This isn't brain surgery."

Like, we're not, we're not, you know, s- finding a cure to cancer. Mm-hmm. We're, we're not all of these things. It's just car parts. And I'm like, "But it's not- 

Terry: Right ... 

Devin: just a car part," right? It, it's, it's the car that gets a mother's kid to the hospital when they've had their head bashed open by a bat. Not speaking from experience here.

Um. Technically it was my brother. Um, you know, it, it's the car that gets goods from point A to, to point B. When I was at a logistics company it's, this isn't relevant, and we're in the middle of, of, of COVID, and you don't know- 

Terry: Right ... 

Devin: [00:32:00] what's mentally important for somebody to have. You're not in their head space.

Terry: True. 

Devin: But all of that relies on the automotive industry. Every product has gotta get from point A to point B. Everything that you use is being manufactured by somebody and shipped by somebody. It, it, do you f- find with EVs that it's gonna go away? 

Terry: No. No, I don't think so. I think it's just a, um... It's a, it's an interesting crossroads, and, uh, we were, the whole industry, everyone, all in.

We were building in Marshall, and- Yes ... Ford was building down in, in, uh, in Blue Oval, Tennessee, and everywhere, right? And then just massive, yeah. Just 

Devin: halted. 

Terry: Halted. Um, so it's just everything's gonna be fine. Everything's gonna be fine. We'll go where the market demand- Goes ... is. Yeah. And, um, you know, I think some of that, um, you know, the EV [00:33:00] tax credits certainly drove some, maybe some demand that wouldn't have been there- Normally

normally. And, um, I think once we normalize all of it, EVs are incredible. They're in- incredibly fun to drive. Um, but some folks aren't ready for the inf- the lack of infrastructure. Some folks aren't ready to get past that range anxiety. I think EVs are still huge part of the future, so to, uh, bridge to that are hybrids.

Mm-hmm. And then right now, the Detroit Three is able to toggle back to, you know, the, the vehicles that make the most money- Yeah ... uh, which helps our state tremendously. Right. And that's why, um, you know, the Navigators and the Escalades and the F-150s- ... and the Silverados are selling like crazy. We like our trucks.

We love 'em. And 

Devin: the 

Terry: Ram. We like big cars. And, and a lot of those are built right in our greater metro Detroit area. Right. So that's, uh, gratifying as well. 

Devin: Okay. I can appreciate that. We've got an EV at home. 

Terry: You do? 

Devin: We do. 

Terry: What do you have? 

Devin: We do. We have a Lightning. 

Terry: Okay. 

Devin: Okay? And I will say, um, [00:34:00] we... So my daughter's seven.

Terry: Yeah. 

Devin: And we will put it in kilometers, so you think you're going super fast. Right? It's, it's all, it's all a mind game half the times, right? I love it. But, uh, m- my partner or my husband will be like, "I'm gonna put the turbos on," because you go from- Ah ... zero to 70 in the snap of a finger because it's electric, right?

And she thinks you're going 100, you know, kilometers on the freeway or 100 miles per hour and, and you're not. Um, but it's fun. It's a lot of fun. Now, the range isn't always there as- No ... as you mentioned, right? So there's been times where he's had to pull over because he couldn't drive to the border and drive home.

Terry: And it's weather dependent as well, 

Devin: so- It varied because the cold- 

Terry: Right ... 

Devin: we get some bitter cold weather here, and that drastically changes it. But, but it is fun, and it's fun to see it on the [00:35:00] manufacturing floor. Right? When we start talking about AGVs and autonomous tuggers moving stuff around, um, and I remember being at that same OEM, uh, in West Michigan.

Terry: Mm-hmm. 

Devin: We were, uh, manufacturing axles, and people kind of had a panic that you're gonna have autonomous fork- you know, forklifts and, and people's jobs are gonna go away. And, and I didn't see that anybody's job went away. What we were able to do is we were able to put racks closer together because your, your turning radius is, is tighter, right?

You're able to get more in there. Mm-hmm. But you redirected people's jobs to, to other things. Right Managing your inventory so your counts were better. It, it was just, you just shifted the work. Um- Given your organizations, are you seeing any kinda other manufacturing fears that aren't really validated? [00:36:00] 

Terry: No, I don't see any fears.

I'm so proud of this region, this industry, this state, that can take, you know, whatever's dealt them. Yeah. Okay? So first it was gonna be we gotta go all EV. Yeah. And then, and so w- that's what we did. 

Devin: Yep. 

Terry: Uh, across the board, everyone was doing it. Ford did one way with the F-150 Lightning that you have.

Mm-hmm. And that was more of a retrofit of the existing F-150. General Motors decided to bring the Silverado EV ground up, brand new, took longer. Different approaches, but in the end, you know, both were, uh, commercially successful entries. And then the world changed with a new administration, and it changed a lot.

Devin: Yes. 

Terry: And the way that these companies and all of the thousands of suppliers that support them were able to pivot, and now, uh, that plant that General Motors has in Orion- Mm-hmm ... Orion Assembly, uh, was gonna be all-electric vehicles. And nope, nope, now it's gonna be Escalades, gas, or I think it be Es- Combustion[00:37:00] 

Escal- Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Internal combustion all. Okay, so that sounds easy. 

Devin: It's not. 

Terry: That's not easy. 

Devin: No. That's not easy at all. That's a lot of work to turn over. 

Terry: And that's a, there's so many smart people in our industry and in our state. S- I mean, brilliant is a better way to put it. Yeah. I got a chance to be at the table because whenever, wherever y- you're working, if you're working, like, to support manufacturing communications or supplier, um, communications- Mm-hmm

and, you know, purchasing and supply chain- You know, the, the best leaders always invite their communications person to their staff meeting, and that almost always happens 

Devin: That they do. I, uh, you know what? Because I've, I've experienced times in a previous life in procurement where that didn't always happen, and one of my good friends is actually in communications.

Okay. And she would gripe so hard- Right ... because she would be like, "I can help you- 

Terry: Mm-hmm ... 

Devin: navigate the conversation." Exactly. "Just let me know, because if I [00:38:00] don't know- 

Terry: Right ... 

Devin: I can't help be your risk mitigation to the rest of the world." 

Terry: That's exactly right. 

Devin: So I, I apologize. Continue. Not 

Terry: at all. No, please. I was just gonna say, too, th- that, A, bring me in so I understand- Right

your business, and that's what I would encourage all of my team to do is really, like, hang on every word. Don't be on your phone. Don't be, you know- Multitasking ... distracted at all, because these are super smart people, and they're gonna throw a lot, and you're not gonna understand all of it. And there's acronyms and all that, you know.

Take notes and go Google it later. Um, but, but learn their business so you can be a better communications counselor to them when stuff hits the fan, the shift hits the fan. 

Devin: When shift hits the fan- Yeah ... 'cause it does. 

Terry: It does. It does, so whether it was, you know, and, and to, to learn from great leaders like Gerald Johnson in manufacturing or Steve Kiefer, who was running, um, purchasing and supply chain, a- and different, different folks like that is just, um, it's, it's a gift.

But then it pays dividends for the organization, too, when [00:39:00] something happens and the communications people can, can really serve as counselors. 

Devin: Right, because they are. They are- Right ... your, they are your public counselor. 

Terry: Mm-hmm. 

Devin: They're, they're the lawyers to the public. 

Terry: Right. Right. 

Devin: Interesting. 

Terry: And to the media, too, all important.

Devin: Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. You know, that same individual actually gave me advice about the podcast, because they were like, "Hey, you can't just be throwing people's, people's name out there. Whether you have good intentions or bad intentions," she's like, "people will clip and slice and put things together to manipulate it to tell their story."

Speaker 4: Mm-hmm. 

Devin: And I was like, only somebody that actually knows communications- 

Speaker 4: Right ... 

Devin: could 

Speaker 4: Would be able to come up with 

Devin: that ... could give, yes, and give me that feedback. Like, "Devon, don't be dumb." 

Speaker 4: Yeah. "

Devin: Pay attention to what you're doing." Where I went into it so innocently thinking, "Well, it's just my story, right?

It's just my experience. I have freedom of speech." [00:40:00] Yes 

Terry: Right 

Devin: But also, you wanna make sure that people feel welcomed all the time. So, uh, it's definitely changed my mi- my mindset in that regard. Okay, so we've mentioned shift hits the fan. 

Terry: Yes. 

Devin: Tell me a time when shift has hitted, has hit the fan, and it's going everywhere.

Or do you have an umbrella? Are you prepared? Are you unprepared? Tell me about a time, some real shift. 

Terry: Well, I would say that, uh, you know, you previously mentioned a, a particular crisis that we both worked on. 

Devin: Mm. 

Terry: We didn't know we were working on it together. No. It takes a, a team. 

Devin: It does. 

Terry: Uh, that was, that was as significant a crisis as there could ever be.

Yeah. Because the really the, the scope of it, um, it was an- It was massive ... it was an existential issue- Yeah ... for the company. And so it's all that anyone really worked on- 

Devin: Mm-hmm ... 

Terry: for a period of time. Um, in hindsight, I mean, f- [00:41:00] at the time it felt like it was eternal. Um, but in hindsight, it was a relatively short period of time.

Um, and you know, just if you put all your focus on mitigating- 

Devin: Mm-hmm ... 

Terry: all your focus on what are we gonna say, to whom, how, when, and, um, and to get the, the, the entire organization rallying around something. I think it, it invigorated people because they saw how severe it was, how significant it was. Right.

And, um, I don't know if they questioned the existence going forward of the company like I did, but I mean, that was, that's pretty strong motivation to say, "Holy cow, we gotta- 

Devin: Right ... 

Terry: we gotta just drop everything." And you know, there were incredible late nights, weekends, you name it, but it was all worth it.

Devin: How long were you in that crisis mode? So before you answer that, I'm gonna share a crisis that I, the, the what [00:42:00] I was experiencing- 

Terry: Okay ... 

Devin: on the warehousing side. 

Terry: Yeah. 

Devin: We got an exemption from the union to actually mandatory all Saturdays for an extended period of time. 

Terry: Mm-hmm. 

Devin: And we were, my hourly team was working 12 hours, Monday through Friday.

We offered up to 12 on Saturday, and then we were optional 10 hours on Sunday. I think in seven months, including holidays, I had five days off. 

Terry: Mm-hmm. 

Devin: I, like, the amount that I aged where I looked in my, I looked in the mirror at myself beforehand- 

Terry: Right ... 

Devin: and I looked at myself afterwards, but the amount that I learned in that time, like how to actually rally a team like you said, how to manage people, that was the foundation of my entire career.

Terry: Mm-hmm. 

Devin: I wouldn't give up- Right ... that, that [00:43:00] year, two years as a supervisor for anything. And at one point my, uh, my, one of my counterpart had to go out for, for medical. Another counterpart was, um, separated with, for making some non, um, ethical choices. 

Terry: Okay. 

Devin: And then same happened to my manager. So, you know, I'm, I'm what?

22, 23 years old, and I am the highest ranking individual running a group of upwards of like 60 people. Mm-hmm. And then having the negative side of that, of these were predominantly temps that, that were mass hired on- 

Terry: Right ... 

Devin: knew what they were bringing, brought on for. But as the world went back to normal, having to walk them out the door.

Terry: Yeah. 

Devin: Like, to experience that much was unbelievable, but it felt like forever. 

Terry: Mm-hmm. 

Devin: Forever. It, it, like, I'm like, "This is [00:44:00] it." Like, "I'm gonna die in this plant." What did it feel like for you? 

Terry: Yeah, it was, it was similar for about four months. 

Devin: Okay. 

Terry: Uh, and unfort- fortunately for me, my, my sons at the time were, you know, 15 and 12 or something.

Okay. So they were, and they were with their mom and, and, you know, th- that was fine. I didn't see much of my family, uh- No, you can't ... which, which was fine. Um, but, uh, so I didn't have to worry about that. And, um, so the four months of really intense, like, oh my gosh, I haven't, haven't taken a nap in I don't know how long.

And then after that it was still very busy- 

Devin: Yep ... 

Terry: um, probably for the rest of that calendar year. Mm-hmm. So let's say maybe 10 months total- 

Devin: Yeah ... 

Terry: before I get back to normal and just like, okay, now that's largely behind us and let's go and let's g- get back to launching cars, trucks, and crossovers. Uh- 

Devin: Yeah

Terry: but yeah, no doubt about it, that was a defining moment for the company and certainly- [00:45:00] And 

Devin: The no shift moment 

Terry: That for sure. That is so true. Nobody, 

Devin: nobody prepares you- 

Terry: No ... for 

Devin: that kind of shift It's hard to. You can't, until you're in it. 

Terry: Can't just go to the, to the, uh, shelf on it, pull down the manual for, "Okay, what do I do in this particular case?"

Right. Turn to third tab. Nothing. There's, there is no such thing. Yeah. There's, 

Devin: yeah. There's nothing. There's nothing from the communication, to the supply chain, to the logistics. I mean, we reconfigured the inside of the warehouse- Wow ... to, you know, a, a portion of it so that we could individually package per DOT regulation this one- component because it had to be separately packaged.

But it was un- unbelievable how quickly people just, just moved. Um- 

Terry: And you were 22. 

Devin: Yeah, I, I think you're 22 when you graduate, right? Yeah. So I was 22, 23 years old. Oh my gosh. 

Terry: What responsibility, what- 

Devin: [00:46:00] Un- unbelievable ... 

Terry: experience you gained. 

Devin: A, a ton of experience. Hindsight, not, not the greatest thing for my ego because you feel like you know everything.

Terry: Yeah. 

Devin: You've... And I had, I was very blessed in a lot of my life, but I've had a lot of trauma in a lot of my life, too, right? And so I was very much like life is work and, like there's life and then there's work, and you leave life at the door. Mm-hmm. And you come into work, and it's black and white, and you do what you're supposed to do, and I don't care what you have going on.

Like, I've got problems, too. 

Terry: Right. 

Devin: And I'm coming here, and I'm performing, and it made me a very cold leader. Hmm. And it wasn't until years later when, um, you know, I supported my dad through pancreatic cancer- Mm ... and then his passing, and I had my daughter, that I really actually became a better leader. But it was almost like that crisis- Yeah

gave me a complex where I was like, "I can do this." Yeah. Like, I've been through this, right? Like, you don't know what it's like to work long days. [00:47:00] Go seven months with five days. 

Terry: Right. 

Devin: Um, but that's some of my, that's some of my 

Terry: fun shift. But you, but you learned, learned from it, and you applied it. 

Devin: It did.

Terry: And it sounds like both to your professional and personal life. 

Devin: Absolutely. 

Terry: Awesome. 

Devin: Absolutely. 

Terry: So that's, that's growth. That's development. That's- 

Devin: Fair. Yeah ... 

Terry: those are lessons you learned at a very young age. I mean, my kid is 23 now, so I'm thinking, "What would it be like if he was in that warehouse?" 

Devin: You, but you- Yeah

you rise to the occasion. Yeah. Right? You have, you have no choice. When I came in the one day and I had an hourly associate pull up to me, and they were like, "Did you hear what happened to so and so?" "No. What, what happened?" And then I, you know, you read news articles and things like that, and I was like, "Great, great.

Now it's, it's me, myself, and I." But when you focus on the people first- Mm-hmm ... and, and I think it, it made it a little bit m- better for me that my family was all in union. So I'm the only person in my family that didn't work for the union. 

Terry: Okay. [00:48:00] 

Devin: My mom was her local, uh, president, so I grew up listening to, like, arbitrations, negotiations.

Gave me a really unique perspective. Um, but I think having that rapport with my union hourly, where I'm on their level, like I, I, I've heard it. I don't have any grace for any of your nonsense. Right. Right? Come in and perform. But if you performed- all. Like, you were, you were golden. Right. Right? Like, I'm gonna give you everything that I possibly can.

Um, but during that same time, I'm gonna share a little story. During that same time, this is one of the most, I think, pivotal moments in my career. I had an hourly associate that would do shipments very weird. She called it merging. Okay? And she goes, "If, if you're a dealer and you're getting multiple shipments or you do different orders- Mm-hmm

and we pull the orders on the same day, instead of shipping them in two different boxes," she would merge them and ship them [00:49:00] in one order. So it saves on shipping costs, it saves on material handling costs, not only to the company, but to the end consumer, right? Because they don't want in their parts room a whole bunch of boxes.

Right. Right? They don't, they don't have that kind of real estate. True. Uh, and so she kept doing this, and then during the crisis it was, like, critical for us to be able to ship out these large sums of this individual thing, because they would order them in, in random quantities throughout the day because everybody was fighting for product, right?

Everybody needed to get vehicles back on the- Mm-hmm ... on the road. 

Terry: Right. 

Devin: Um, but I was like, "Julia," I was like, "This is amazing. W- why aren't we doing this everywhere?" She was like, "I don't know. You know, somebody said to just keep doing it and, and nobody..." And I was like, "No, no, no, no." And that was my first time learning how to do an A3- 

Terry: Okay

Devin: and record a project. 

Terry: Wow. 

Devin: And when I did that, she ended up getting a very [00:50:00] large suggestion payout. 

Terry: Nice. '

Devin: Cause I was like, "We're gonna, I'm gonna data track this for you. I'm gonna do this for you. I'm not gonna get anything from this, but I need you to do this." But doing that with her, she got the rest of my team to believe and to push and to keep fighting.

But I think if I wouldn't have believed in her and I wouldn't have given her the time of day for that project, the rest of my team would've been like, "This crazy lady- 

Terry: Right ... 

Devin: is, has, like, no emotions," even though I did, but they were like, "She's got no emotions. We don't wanna rally behind her- 

Terry: Mm-hmm ... 

Devin: for months at a time or 12-hour shifts."

And you know, when you work 12-hour shifts in the plant, that's not a real 12-hour shift when you're in management or you're a team leader, right? They're clocking in and out. 

Terry: Right. 

Devin: But you're an hour before, at least. 

Terry: Yep. 

Devin: And you're at least an hour after. 

Terry: Right. 

Devin: There'd be days where, I hate to admit, where I curled up my coat and slept under my desk- 

Terry: Mm[00:51:00] 

Devin: because it wasn't safe to drive home. 

Terry: Yeah. I've done that. 

Devin: Slept in my car. 

Terry: Yeah. 

Devin: Right? But it's a certain kind of crazy- ... right, that keeps us coming back- Correct ... to the industry. 

Terry: Correct. 

Devin: Yeah. Because it's fun. It's fun 

Terry: Well, there could be no better place for you to learn, especially, like I said, at such a young age.

Oh, yeah. 

Devin: For sure. 

Terry: And see the benefits of that learning career now. 

Devin: Oh, well, thank you. So you go back- Yeah ... in time, and you can talk to 25-year-old Terry. 

Terry: Yeah. 

Devin: What do you say to yourself? 

Terry: Uh, let's see. I would say, um- I would say 25-year-old Terry probably lost his way on, um Some of the important things, family, fitness, things like that.

So balance. It's key. You think you've got [00:52:00] it, you don't. Yeah. So I would say just make sure you take care of the things that are really important. I would say be nice to everybody. It's free. You can, you- Whoa ... you can just, it doesn't matter if it's the person that you're, you know, the parking attendant, the lady that's serving you the latte, the security officer or the head of the department.

You know- Mm-hmm ... just be nice to everybody. And, um, uh, you just never know what people are going through before they get to work, and your smile or your good morning or your ask- asking them a question could be a difference maker. That's what I would say. 

Devin: I like that. You know, um, it, it, it shared with you my mom saying like, "I clean toilets for a living so you-" Yeah

"don't have to." 

Terry: Mm-hmm. 

Devin: One of the things my mom once said to me about, you know, walking around with a smile on your face, not [00:53:00] my typical like RBF that I- ... I just, I just resort to that. That is my thinking face, right? Um, and she would say, "Devon, like everybody serves a purpose." She goes, "Even..." And she would resort to like even the, the janitor or the custo- the custodian, like they're important.

Smile to them, be nice to them because you don't know when you're gonna be in the bathroom and run out of toilet paper. I'd be like, "All right, you've got me." 

Terry: Very practical advice, you know? 

Devin: Right. Because- That's 

Terry: so true ... 

Devin: shift happens. 

Terry: Exactly. Exactly. 

Devin: And you're gonna want that person on your team. 

Terry: Yep. Yep.

Devin: Terry, is there anything that you want to share with our viewers either to promote or advice to help guide them one way or another? 

Terry: Uh, I would never wanna turn down an opportunity just to, to- Yeah ... just to, to wa- Do it ... wax for a little bit. I would say that if you're in the industry and if you're in the state of Michigan, thank you.

Uh, doing great work and, um, know that there [00:54:00] are a bunch of people who appreciate what you do, value what you do, and are fighting to keep Michigan at the epicenter of the global automotive industry. Uh, and that's with my Mich Auto hat on. And just if you're, if you're out there and you haven't been to downtown Detroit in a while and you still think of some of the, you know, preconceptions that used to exist, or if you see some of the, you know, media coverage, give it a try.

Come down. You will not believe the number of high quality, amazing restaurants. It's safe. Uh, there's amazing sports, there's amazing, um, arts and, uh, hotels, and there's a vibe downtown Detroit that, um, that we have been striving for for decades, and we've got it now, and we're gonna continue to build it.

Thanks to Dan Gilbert- um, and his team for doing what they're doing. And, um, I just h- have a, a high degree of optimism that, that Detroit will continue to be one of the [00:55:00] great cities in the world, and it's only gonna get better 

Devin: Yeah. Okay, I gotta ask, are you going to the Grand Prix coming, coming up? 

Terry: Yes, I go every year.

Devin: Do you? 

Terry: Yes. Yes, yes. Okay. Yes, absolutely. 

Devin: That's- That, I'm looking forward to that. I, I went one time- 

Terry: Yeah ... 

Devin: when I was, uh, I did a small stint in procurement for, like, three months, um, before my, my previous tenure in procurement, but very early on at, at a, at a, my, you know, big OEM. Mm-hmm. Uh, and I got to help purchase some performance parts.

Terry: Okay. 

Devin: And so there was a, a select number of us on the procurement team for after sales that were able to go to the Grand Prix, and you got to go behind the scenes and meet the drivers, and- It's amazing ... you feel, you just, you feel the power. Mm-hmm. And we always had cars, you know, in the house when I grew up.

When my parents got married, they didn't do a honeymoon, okay? So my, my dad adopted my brother and I. Okay. So they got married when we were a little bit older. [00:56:00] 

Terry: Yeah. 

Devin: Um, and they didn't do a honeymoon. They restored a '67 Chevelle- Nice ... together. So I like, I learned how to weld in the garage. I learned how to tinker in the garage, right?

I 

Terry: love that. 

Devin: I l- But when you get in that car- Yeah ... and you start the engine, and it- Oh, yeah ... it, and it rumbles, and you feel the curve of a racing seat just- 

Terry: Envelop you. Yes. Yeah, 

Devin: it 

Terry: does. 

Devin: There's, we've got a, we've got a, a, a dark horse at home now, and I- 

Terry: It's 

Devin: great ... I just love it. It goes a little bit against my, my roots of- Yeah

of what I typically would choose. Right. Um, but I've gotta say, it's, it's gorgeous, and when you start it and you hear that rumble, and you hear it coming down the street, that... Oh. 

Terry: The, um, the, the, the, uh, Chevrolet Grand Prix, um, with the, under the leadership of Roger Penske- Mm-hmm ... and Mark Reuss at GM and Bud Denker at Penske, Michael Montroy, those guy- Th- This is a world-class race, and we are so [00:57:00] fortunate to have it in our city.

And of course, it was at Belle Isle. Now, it's in the streets again- Right ... just like it used to be back in the day. So w- that is one of the signature events every year. So when I'm asking people to come down to Detroit, maybe you come down on that particular day. Uh, more than half of the, of the attendees pay nothing 'cause it's, you know, you, the lower end of W- Woodward is all blocked off, and you can- 

Devin: Right

Terry: you can watch the cars go by- Yes ... 

Devin: at, 

Terry: like, 180 miles an hour- Un- ... on Jefferson Avenue. 

Devin: Unbelievable. Yeah. And when they take some of those, those, um, those pin turns- 

Terry: Yes ... 

Devin: right? And they're going from, like, 180, and they, they drop down, I mean, they still take it at, like, 100 miles per hour around- Yeah, it's crazy

that turn, but you see them, and they just, ah. Yep. Right around the. 

Terry: It's invigorating. You 

Devin: gotta love a hairpin turn. 

Terry: Exactly. And the other great event we have every year is the Rocket Classic, uh, Golf Tournament, which is at the- Oh ... Detroit Golf Club, and that's at the end of July. So, um, you know, or beginning of June, [00:58:00] come to see the Grand Prix.

End of July, go to the, uh, Rocket Classic, uh, Golf Tournament, which later in the calendar year this year than, than in the past, and we're gonna have some world-class PGA professionals there that'll be fighting for the FedEx Cup. So we're gonna have the, probably- Oh ... the best Rocket Classic we've ever had.

Devin: Interesting. Yeah, 

Terry: lots going on this summer. 

Devin: Yeah, it sounds like it. Mm-hmm. Anything else you wanna share? 

Terry: No, I think that's it, Devon. Really enjoyed it. Thanks for having me. 

Devin: Thank you for coming on. It's been a pleasure. 

Terry: My pleasure. 

Devin: All right. 

Terry: Thank you. 

Devin: Thank you. 

Terry: Today's episode is proudly sponsored by TeamSense.