Family: Husband Carey; Children Bradley Schefferstein (wife: Amber), Amanda Michel (husband: Joe), Charlie Barron (wife: Chelsea) and Patrick Barron; grandchildren Nate, Spencer, Isla and Ellie.
Parents Peggy Gowland and the late Charley Gowland; Siblings Catherine, Charles and Joanna.
First memory in the tire business: Cleaning my dad’s office. I was around 8. My dad was a heavy smoker until he stopped smoking on his 20th wedding anniversary. He quit cold turkey. But before that, he would smoke three packs of cigarettes a day, and I used to have to empty those ashtrays off his desk.
If you weren’t a tire dealer, what would you be? I have no idea. I guess a real estate appraiser, but I don’t even know if that would have come to fruition.
Tell me about your best day at work ever: There are a lot of really great days. Milestones we’ve hit, locations that we’ve opened.
What would you tell an 18-year-old who is considering the tire industry? There are so many opportunities in this industry that you don’t have to have a college degree for. You don’t have to have any kind of schooling. You just have to choose a path. If you choose to be customer facing, then you better be happy talking to people all day and a smile better come naturally. And in your heart of hearts, you should want to make people happy. You should want to service people and do the right thing for the right reasons. You don’t have to know a thing about tires. You don’t have to know a thing about fixing a car. But if your heart is in the right place and you believe you want to make other people’s lives better, and if you can be positive and happy and have your customer’s best interest at heart, then the sky is the limit for you in this business.
If you’re technical and you like to work with your hands and you’re in South Louisiana and you’re not afraid of a little sweat, technicians make $80,000, $90,000, $100,000 a year and some of them have never had any formal training. It’s because they’re good at what they do. They don’t have comebacks and they’ve learned how to be as efficient as possible. If that’s what interests you, you could make a very good living.
Favorite book: I love happily-ever-after stories. I love to read a book where I know in the end the boy and the girl are going to end up together and live happily ever after.
Favorite movie: Notting Hill.
Actress who would portray you on screen: Sandra Bullock
Favorite sport: All LSU sports.
What would be your hype song? Eye of the Tiger
Best way to spend a day off: On the beach.
A motto/phrase you live by: World-class customer service.
How do you manage stress? Shopping makes me happy.
Favorite food: My mom’s chicken sausage gumbo.
A hidden talent? I can carry a tune.
Something the world needs to know about Southern Louisiana: We don’t all talk like swamp people.
On a race track are you in the slow lane or hell on wheels? I’m hell on wheels. I’ve got a heavy foot.
What celebrity poster hung on your bedroom wall? Shaun Cassidy
Olympic event you’d have the best chance to win a medal? Table tennis.
Best tire trip you’ve ever taken: Ireland with Bridgestone. We ate dinner in Christ Church with an opera singer singing to us. We stayed at Adare Manor. The experiences on that trip were experiences you cannot get on your own.
