Bridney Jordan
Product manager | Turbo Wholesale Tires LLC | Oak Park, Mich. | Age: 35
What was your first job in the industry?
Commercial truck tire field sales representative.
What attracted you to the industry?
My entry was somewhat accidental. The unique business structure of tires is very interesting to me. I like a good challenge and in the tire business there are several.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
Differences are feared instead of embraced much too often. Being a woman of color in this industry at my age was/is challenging. It pushes me to work harder, drive results and prove myself constantly. Diversity is a beautiful thing in any industry. I wish more companies in our automotive industries embraced this, it brings perspective and a huge value to business.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
So many, I'll name two.
Carolina Wagner, my former director of marketing took me under her wing and showed me what every letter of marketing meant. (I’ll be) forever grateful to her for pushing me outside of my comfort zone to achieve great things.
Brett Walters is a business operations professional. He outlined the tire business for me inside and out. From understanding customers, to programs, pricing and business structure you name it, he knows. On top of that I appreciate his constant desire to give back to the next gen, providing sound career advice constantly.
What is your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
Successfully launching new tire and retread products into the market. It’s a pretty awesome feeling pulling up next to a tire on the street that you helped design, market and launch.
Tell us about your current job and responsibilities. How do you spend your workday?
As a product manager I am responsible for bringing products successfully to market. From conception/ideation all the way to product launch, commercialization and retirement. My main responsibilities are to keep projects on task, coordinate efforts amongst departments to ensure our products work and satisfy our customers’ needs. There are a lot of meetings, Teams calls, travel and events. I also get into marketing communications and brand management. It's a cool and unique job.
What's been the biggest surprise of your current job?
The waves we ride in the tire industry. We follow the economic peaks and valleys naturally, but legislative and commercial challenges keep us on our toes. Customers continue to push and pull on the popularity of certain products and services. Tires are no new product, but they sure due affect many aspects of the automotive marketplace.
Tell us about your family.
I'm married with two amazing children. My husband and I love traveling together. My family has been super supportive of my career, and I'm grateful. My mom has pushed me to achieve greatness since day one. She's always made my education a priority, and I'm forever grateful for her sacrifices to get me where I am today.
If you could wake up tomorrow with one new skill, what would you choose?
Web design/online interface development. It's driving the future of how consumers make moves.
In a single word, how would your friends describe you?
Ambitious.
If you could switch careers tomorrow, what would you want to do, and why?
Now that I've discovered business and marketing it'd be hard to turn away. Maybe a physician or a motivational speaker, mainly because both careers can literally change lives.
What's the biggest issue facing the tire industry?
Succession planning. So many businesses don't have the second and third generation lined up to take over. It’s takes a special skillset and work ethic to successfully run a tire business even at the corporate level.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I switched between a lawyer and a teacher. I never thought about business until college.
How do you unwind after a stressful day?
Spending time with my family, or wine (Preferably a good Merlot) and reruns.
What goal did you set for yourself this year? Are you on track to reach it?
I just started here at Turbo and my goal was to build a complete portfolio for each of our brands. Currently, on track to achieve this moving into 2025. We have an awesome team here.
What do you expect to be doing 20 years from now?
Hoping to be close to retirement at that point, but I think I would still be doing something in the realm of marketing. I'd like to be spending close to 75% of my time doing more philanthropic activities such as, mentoring, coaching, etc.
