By Ashley Reyes
The SEMA Businesswomen's Network (SBN) has named Michelle Wilbur of VMP Performance as the network's newest #SheIsSEMA spotlight member.
Get to know Wilbur in her interview with SEMA News below.
SEMA News: How many years have you been with your current company and what do you enjoy most about working there?
MW: I've been with VMP Performance for four and a half years now, and what I enjoy most about working here is the abundance of knowledge and resources that I have available to me. Every day is a learning curve.
SN: What is the most challenging part of your business or job?
MW: One of the most challenging parts of my job is not being able to make every person happy. As an empath, I want the best for everyone and realistically, that is not possible. Of course, I still try my best every day to make it more of a reality.
Another challenging part of my job is adapting to the rapidly changing industry. They say that if you're not working in the industry every day, it's really easy to fall behind--this has proven to be true.
SN: How many years have you been in the industry and what was your first industry job?
MW: I came to VMP with absolutely no knowledge or experience in the industry. My role in the sales and support department four years ago was my first dive into the aftermarket performance industry.
SN: What three qualities got you to where you are today?
MW:
The three qualities that have gotten me into the position that I am in today are:
- My attention to detail and love of learning.
- My interest in how things operate mechanically.
- My willingness and want to help everyone and everything.
About six months into my sales and support role, I had expressed an interest in the ECU calibrations side of things, which requires someone who is very thorough and careful, and someone who can adapt and learn as things change (which is every day in our industry).
My want to learn and understand and my attention to detail made me a great candidate for a calibrations role and my genuine interest in helping others sealed the deal and got me the position.
The industry needs people who are not only willing to learn and adapt but it also needs people who genuinely care about the end result that will make the experience a great one.
SN: Being a woman in the industry, what have been your biggest challenges and accomplishments?
MW: Some of the most challenging things that I face is speaking with confidence and proving my knowledge when speaking to someone who is already expecting me to be unknowledgeable. As a woman in the industry, you really have to prove that you're capable because it's often assumed otherwise.
As someone who enjoys interacting with people, I am one of the associates who are sent to work shows as vendors, typically along with a male colleague. At just about every show, there is always a visitor at our booth who would ask my male colleague the same question they had already asked me and gotten the answer. I've also had some visitors refuse to speak with me altogether.
A small accomplishment is when the male colleague actually has to refer the visitor to speak with me for the answer.
SN: Who are your role models or mentors in the industry?
MW: Joe Goodnough, the VMP lead calibrator, has been my shining light in the industry.
He has spent a lot of time teaching me what it takes to be a calibrator and to be a better person overall.
When I am feeling overwhelmed with the many challenges we face in our industry, he is quick to reassure me that I am capable of handling any situation and helping me in any way that he can.
SN: What is the best career advice you have received?
MW: SPEAK. WITH. CONFIDENCE.
As a young woman, with a soft, quiet voice, it's easy to feel like you're struggling to get your point across. My role models here at VMP have taught me that I am armed with the knowledge to be able to help anyone; I just need to speak confidently to prove my knowledge.
I've learned simple techniques such as "take more pauses between sentences," and use fewer filler words such as "um" when speaking. These simple practices have made such a difference in the way I present myself--not only in professional settings but in personal settings as well.
SN: Have you always wanted to work in the automotive industry? What keeps you here?
MW: I had actually never considered working in the automotive industry. I've always enjoyed the idea of race cars, and I actually began modifying my Focus ST when I was offered the job at VMP. That is where my journey began. Since then, I've developed a love for the science, passion and hard work that plays a role in the success of our industry.
SN: Who was the most influential person on your career goals?
MW: My mentors here at VMP have been the most influential people on my career. Joe Goodnough, our lead calibrator has a passion for learning, similar to mine, and he enjoys sharing his knowledge with me. He's influenced me to be open-minded and continue to learn every day. Upon my yearly reviews, my goals are always to be "more like Joe."
Rebecca Starkey, the owner of VMP, has also been a huge influence on my professional and personal goals. As another person who has a love for education, she has fully supported my educational goals of going to school for biology; she herself recently graduated with her BS in Microbiology and PHD in Midwifery. More gearhead-related, she is also the dedicated racer of the VMP Team, going as fast as 7.99 in the quarter-mile in her '11 Mustang GT.
Along with my other colleagues, these people have proven to be influential to me and are absolutely the people that I look up to the most in our 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 sema.org/she-is-sema website.