The SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN) named Taylor Haney as this week’s #SheIsSEMA Spotlight Member. Haney is a digital marketing content specialist at The Retrofit Source/Driven Lighting Group—a designer, marketer, influencer and online retailer of aftermarket enthusiast automotive lighting products.
Get to know what drives Haney’s passion in her interview with SEMA below.
SEMA: How many years have you been with your current company and what do you enjoy most about working there?
Taylor Haney: I have been with my current company for two months. I love working with this close-knit team of fellow car junkies!
SEMA: What is most challenging part of running your business or job?
TH: The most challenging part of my job is outdoing what we did last time. We’re always pushing limits and expanding just how far we can go, which is as much enjoyable as it is challenging. We’re always asking around here, “how can we market better?”
SEMA: How many years have you been in the industry and what was your first industry job?
TH: My first industry position was a graphic designer at COMP Performance Group.
SEMA: What are three qualities that got you to where you are today? How have these qualities benefited you?
TH: I’ve always set my sights on something, and either met or exceeded where I thought I would be. The relationships with amazing people that I’ve made along the way have also shaped me into where I am today.
SEMA: Being a woman in the industry, what have been your biggest challenges and accomplishments?
TH: I have always strived to be seen as an equal to my male counterparts and respected for my experience and opinion. I have been lucky to have been surrounded by industry members who support my message and the growing group of women around me in the industry and motorsports.
SEMA: Who are your role models or mentors in the industry? How have they helped you along the way?
TH: Over the years, I have had the privilege of providing media coverage for racing events, especially those centered around women coming into motorsports. I am constantly inspired by their determination to learn, not only to drive, but to turn wrenches on their own cars. They have inspired me to keep pushing in my hobbies and to continue to spread their message of inclusivity in motorsports.
SEMA: What is the best career advice you have received?
TH: The best career advice I’ve had is to never stop improving. The world isn’t stagnant, and you have to move with the tides. This advice has led me to travel places, meet people and do things I never imagined.
SEMA: Have you always wanted to work in the automotive industry?
TH: I am truly here to stay. I have been inspired by the automotive industry since I was little, from car magazines to going to drag races with my dad. The ever-evolving industry is something that inspires me every day. On weekends, you’ll even find me shooting racing with my camera. I live, sleep and breathe automotive.
SEMA: Who was the most influential person on your career/goals?
TH: I had two art directors in my career who believed in me, along with amazing college professors who pushed me to aim high and focus on my goals. They encouraged me to always consider the bigger picture and what steps I can take every day to get there.
Do you know, or are you, a woman with a career in the automotive industry? Fill out a #SheIsSEMA spotlight form to submit a self-nomination or nominate a colleague and highlight how you or she is contributing to the specialty-equipment industry. Selected candidates are automatically eligible to be considered for SBN’s #SheIsSEMA Woman of the Year award, featured on SBN’s social media, SEMA eNews and recognized on the www.sema.org/she-is-sema website.