By Ashley Reyes
The SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN) named Daina Dalesandro as this week’s #SheIsSEMA spotlight member. Dalesandro is a customer relations specialist at ORACLE Lighting, which manufactures designer lighting products and technologies for the automotive powersports, motorcycle and marine markets.
Learn about Dalesandro in her interview with SEMA below.
SEMA: What do you enjoy most about working at Oracle Lighting?
Daina Dalesandro: I love my job because we are like a big family. I enjoy the company of every single person I work with. We also have amazing women that are making an impact. It is truly an inspiration every day to work alongside them.
SEMA: What is most challenging part of running your business or job?
DD: I cannot think of anything that is too challenging for my job. I love everything I do, so it makes all of my tasks more enjoyable.
SEMA: What was your first industry job?
DD: ORACLE Lighting is my first job in this industry.
SEMA: What are three qualities that got you to where you are today? How have these qualities benefited you?
DD: Patience, optimism and perseverance. My patience enables me to analyze things and situations beyond their face value. My optimism improves my emotional well-being, helps me foster better relationships and also provides protection against adverse events. I feel my perseverance is a value that drives me toward success and achievement helping me to overcome challenges along the way.
SEMA: Being a woman in the industry, what have been your biggest challenges and accomplishments?
DD: Every so often, I will have someone call in stating they want to speak to a “man," assuming I don’t know as much. In these situations, I do all that I can to assure them that I know what I am talking about. I have always been able to help these people out and it is a great accomplishment to win these people over.
SEMA: Who are your role models or mentors in the industry? How have they helped you along the way?
DD: Tiffanie Hartenstein, Sandi Crespo-Mossi and Missy Boudreaux are the three women I look up to in my company. These ladies help me strive to uncover my true potential. They serve as examples of how far women can go in a male-dominated industry.
SEMA: What is the best career advice you have received?
DD: Success is a journey, not a destination. It means that what matters is not necessarily where you are at the end, but what you accomplish while you are trying along the way. It means that no matter what, as long as you try, you can never fail.
SEMA: Have you always wanted to work in the automotive industry? What keeps you here?
DD: It gives me motivation knowing that there are so many strong and independent women out there in this industry killing it without regard to what people say or think about them. Also, this industry is so innovative. We push the limits of technology, every day.
SEMA: Who was the most influential person on your career/goals?
DD: Mary Barra is making history in the auto industry as the first female CEO of major global automaker General Motors. She is a true inspiration to all women.
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 News and recognized on the www.sema.org/she-is-sema website.