The 13-Year-Old Auto Industry Advocate with Kaylee Jewert

Paul J Daly: 0:00

Well, it's summertime. Not really yes

‍Unknown: 0:09

this is Auto Collabs

Paul J Daly: 0:11

which means Michael is getting Meteor sized hail in Texas, I think is what that happens.

Michael Cirillo: 0:17

Yeah, I was like, did he say summertime or tornado time? I know.

Kyle Mountsier: 0:21

I know NATO's hail.

Paul J Daly: 0:24

I feel like that feel in Dallas. I feel like you guys are both getting crushed. And for once I'm like, see, this is why, like, I live where I live.

Kyle Mountsier: 0:34

No right now. This is like early summer for us. It's it's 59 in the morning, and 83 in the afternoon, you go let's do something better. It is pretty Yeah, yeah, you get it for another four months.

Paul J Daly: 0:47

I saw I just saw a post from from a friend of mine who's a musician in Nashville. Fancy that from Syracuse. He's a drummer. And he's like, only in Nashville. Can you have the forecast be partly sunny, or partly cloudy and it looks like this and he like pens the camera to the right. There's like water rushing down a street. Part of nationalism. That's about right. Yeah.

Michael Cirillo: 1:09

Speaking of storms, or we're gonna be sitting down with Kaylee Jordan. 13 year old bringing bringing the storm Yep. To retail auto. She recently spoke at women and auto. Yes, you heard that right. 13 year old took the stage everywhere. And I don't know about you guys. I'm excited to get into get into this. We're three. This episode title is three dads, my three dad, my three dads. That's

Paul J Daly: 1:38

exactly what it is. I feel super old because I have kids older and younger than her.

Michael Cirillo: 1:42

Yeah, so I'm excited to get into this though. Without further ado, let's jump into this episode with Katie Jordan.

Paul J Daly: 1:52

All right, we are here with the infamous Kaylee joueur Kaylee, thank you so much for joining us today on Auto Collabs.

Kaylee Jewert: 1:58

Thank you for having me here. Today.

Paul J Daly: 2:01

I think I have to apologize in advance for probably what you're about to endure before backstage. We're like, we don't know what you know about this show or what your dad signed you up for basically, you're just like, on screen with a few idiots for 20 minutes. And you're just what we should be doing.

Kaylee Jewert: 2:17

I mean, if I'm gonna call on my friends real quick. I will literally fall asleep on call with some idiots. So

Paul J Daly: 2:25

it's just a roller our friends under the bus $1 friends?

Michael Cirillo: 2:29

How dare you refer to me? So

Paul J Daly: 2:34

alright, so the reason we kind of found our way to each other is because recently, you're making waves in the retail auto industry, especially across the dealer side of the business, because you had a speaking engagement at women in automotive just a few weeks ago, actually, as of recording this in May. And you were on stage, very passionately and articulately, making a case for why there needs to be more women in the industry and why you love the industry so much. Can you just tell us how that whole thing came about?

Kaylee Jewert: 3:05

So I remember just one day my dad was like, so he was sitting in his chair upstairs. And he's like, Hey, there's this, like women run mode of conferences in Colorado Springs. So it wouldn't be that far do you want to go on? And I'm like, Sure, why not? I mean, like, I'll go and I'll present he's like, okay, let's figure out a topic. So we started figuring out a topic. And so we had to fill in, fill out the form and go through the whole process. And then I got the ability to speak

Kyle Mountsier: 3:32

there was it was that your first time speaking? Or was it like this is a normal thing in your life at this point.

Kaylee Jewert: 3:37

So the only other time that I've had like a spoken in front of like, high power people was at my school for the Shark Tank Project. And so I had a partner, he didn't know talk at all, because he had a panic attack right before because he thought it was like, um, I think six high power people from Denver, like, there was

Paul J Daly: 4:02

like, Who were they? Do you remember who they were, I don't remember somebody important. They're

Kaylee Jewert: 4:06

just like, important people. So, I mean, I my face was like, completely red. And, um, so I was just there talking about the product that I had basically designed to hold myself to, because I had the idea. And it's like, whenever I'm in a group, whoever I'm with, they're like, alright, she's doing the whole, everybody

Paul J Daly: 4:26

else is really excited that they're in your group. And you're less excited, right? Like, that's always a warning when you get a group assignment, and everyone else seems super excited. That's code for you're about to do all the work.

Kaylee Jewert: 4:37

Like, Oh, they're so excited because they're all my group like tech classes happen. So they're all friends. They're all popular. I'm not popular so that way anymore. I'm there. I'm, so we're building robots. I'm like, Okay, this is fun. I like I enjoy it. They didn't really want to do where phase one talks. I'm like, Okay, I'll just build the robot. So I built the whole robot base. Basically, they handed me parts every now and then.

Paul J Daly: 5:02

Did you say that like at the presentation? Well, we

Kaylee Jewert: 5:05

didn't present them at all because our tech teacher she, like we had to figure out, we didn't even get the robots to work, because they were all like cancer you build them from so we can even get the laptops to code them, right. So

Michael Cirillo: 5:18

okay, but I gotta get to the bottom of one thing here. You're 13. And so nonchalantly was like, Yeah, I'll take that speaking gig. And then you speak eloquently about why there needs to be more women in the auto industry.

Kyle Mountsier: 5:38

And young, young people, and young people attracting

Michael Cirillo: 5:41

young talent. What I'm trying to figure out here is the source of what where does this all coming from because I have a 15 year old son and a 13 year old son, who I'm pretty sure want to be ninja turtles when they grow up. I mean, helped me and helped me connect the dots. At what point does Kaylee wake up and say, I care about the automotive industry. So

Kaylee Jewert: 6:04

my mom has worked in the automotive industry before. And then my dad's worked in it since I was even just like thought, like, ever since I was just wandering around the house. He was working in automotive. So I've met a bunch of women. Like in my presentation, I met high power women, such as like VP, CEOs, engineers and stuff, because I got to travel around the world with my dad.

Michael Cirillo: 6:27

So okay, so that's always been real. For you.

Kaylee Jewert: 6:32

Yeah. Like, I've been to just about every US state. But I don't even remember how for them because I was doing it when I was. So anybody.

Kyle Mountsier: 6:42

So what part of your blood? It's like a big thing. So where did the passion like? Did you? Did you kind of like take on the speaking engagement as a point of deciding that you had passion for like, building up young, young talent? And or was it like something that before that, that you kind of saw had a thought for? And this was just the expression of that.

Kaylee Jewert: 7:03

So my dad kind of like started off the idea like, well, there's not a lot of automotive like being shown to people in your school, right? Like, you've had people come into your school and talk to you about the high school that you want to go to. And then this is where you're figuring out who you want to be. So why don't you also have people who work in automotive, go and talk to you and be like, there's more than just working on cars. There's coding, there's, like data analysis, there's all this. But there was no one talking about that to us. Because, I mean, if I wouldn't have been around my dad, I wouldn't have known that automotive has anything to do with a computer other than coding, whatever goes on in the car.

Paul J Daly: 7:44

That's a great point. I had a conversation. I have four sisters. And I had a conversation with one of them. She's a twin, and my nephew, who is also older than you. He's 17 he's looking to get into a career and she had no idea of all the things that you can do in the auto industry. And she's like, Is that Is that a good? Is that a good industry? And I'm like, it's the best industry you kidding me? And even my own sister didn't know. And so that I think that's a that's a really valid point that you like, realize all this thing you want to tell people about this. And you deliver this and women in automotive, give us give us the skinny, what's the women in automotive? How do they treat you they treat you? Well, they did get you m&ms.

Kaylee Jewert: 8:24

I felt like a celebrity at one point because I was sitting in a workshop and this was before I presented. I sat down next to this girl I was wearing a pink suit that might have made it kind of obvious that I was like somewhat cool or popular there. So I sat next to Michael

Paul J Daly: 8:41

tries that it didn't work for him.

Kaylee Jewert: 8:45

So I sit down and I talk with this one girl. She's like, Oh my goodness, can I get a picture with you? Like you're my idol? And I'm like, Sure. And then after my presentation, a bunch of people were like, Oh my gosh, like you're my inspiration like, Can I get a picture with you? So I feel like a celebrity after that. Yeah. Eliana who kind of runs a lot of it? We know Eliana. Yeah. I love her. She's amazing. But I also got to go to dinner with her and one column that I'll always remember from her. The more she talks the less She sounds like a 13 year old

Kyle Mountsier: 9:20

that's cool. That's

Michael Cirillo: 9:22

that's kind of she was thinking the more I talk the more I feel like a third

Kyle Mountsier: 9:29

Eliana so what like when you think about like, if this is maybe the launch point of where maybe some more lot more people are starting to hear from you and about like what you're passionate about? What do you think are some of the ways that that you see getting into the industry this message so that more people get attracted to attracting young talent? How what are you excited about doing in the industry, like even at your age is so that this is not just a dream but a reality.

Kaylee Jewert: 10:03

So through the woman automotive program, there's you can become a mentor. So I'm trying to sign up to become one of the mentors that goes and talks to automotive companies and starts like bringing up that idea, not just specifically to women, but like the whole company. Start showing them because I remember the one thing my middle school that was automotive related was like the Christian automotive brothers poster in the gym. Nobody looks at that. Nobody was the most observing people that are bored during gym class, like, so you're basically teeing

Paul J Daly: 10:39

up to go on a tour where all of a sudden you're gonna find yourself and you know, they're gonna push you up to the front, you're gonna be in front of executives, and decision makers in these big companies to advocate for young talent in automotive, do you do you play an instrument? Do you play guitar? Um,

Kaylee Jewert: 10:54

so I used to play violin, I'm not vegan anymore, because I kind of just stopped doing it because Middle School figuring out how to get all your work done. And then, like, I just lost time off time lessons and also enjoy myself and play Call of Duty with my friends.

Paul J Daly: 11:10

That's yeah, I was wondering. Yeah. Well, I literally I've been thinking like if Greta Thornburg and Taylor Swift had a third sister. I think it would be you

Kaylee Jewert: 11:23

the Commonwealth that I look like Taylor Swift. So yes, I went to the heiress that is a compliment. My goal was to look almost exactly like her. And so every now and then, if I go through my camera, I find the pictures and I'm like, oh, yeah, I remember when I just did like, did

Paul J Daly: 11:38

you go did you go see her on the tour? You

Kaylee Jewert: 11:42

know, Taylor Swift Fan, like I like her music, but I feel like her older country was better than our music now. Wow.

Paul J Daly: 11:49

Ah, has an old soul folks. And their use we can say that you can say that.

Michael Cirillo: 11:56

Something worth distinguishing here too about Kayla, you bring up Greta Thornburg. And the difference, I reckon between a lot of differences I believe, is that when Kaylee speaks people listen.

Paul J Daly: 12:09

Do you know who Greta Thunberg is? No. Don't look. Look it up. So what in the industry? What is it that you specifically have your eye on? Do you have a deer just like broad industry focused? Or is there like a narrow lane where you like I'd like to go that direction. So

Kaylee Jewert: 12:30

I'm personally really big in psychology and I want to go into some psychological, like, work area. But honestly, I've always found it really fun to go through like the marketing of how companies get you to buy the things that they're selling. Stanley technology like cuz Stanley, okay. I love that they look the system and you have a bunch of people who want to buy them or iPhone. Oh, they're high quality and they're very expensive. And only the rich people have them. Oh, well, if I have one, then I must be rich.

Paul J Daly: 13:04

You know, when when did you first find out about? Yeah, it's like when does your hero one already? I have it around here. It's called the essence of value. When did you first like think Stanley was cool? Because Stanley like do you know the history of the brand at all?

Kaylee Jewert: 13:20

Um, I know like a little bit. It was like been around a long time.

Paul J Daly: 13:25

Old working guy. Gear, right? It was boring. It was lame mo it just worked. And then all of a sudden, like I didn't even know this happened because I have a 15 year old daughter and assumed to be 13 year old daughter. And all of a sudden like they wanted a Stanley like I haven't hold like Stanley thermos in the basement and you were like,

Kyle Mountsier: 13:43

oil rig. Right?

Paul J Daly: 13:45

Yeah, right. You don't have a lunchbox? What? When do you remember why when you like first came across the Stanley and we're like, Oh, I think it was one of those.

Kaylee Jewert: 13:54

So I just really liked this design of like the shape of them. And this is my this is the single one that I have that is like this specific shape. I have one actual family from my I like to call my rich cousin from Missouri. And so it's one of the ones of the like, heavy duty handle on the top of it. And it's like purple and all like Type A but I

Paul J Daly: 14:15

have got the big bracket that has the the handling. Yeah, up and down. Yeah. Um,

Kaylee Jewert: 14:20

but I do have a fake Stanley that I have that I'm trying to dazzle whenever I get the chance. But just because I saw like a tick tock on it. And it was so cute when I was dazzled. So I'm like, You know what, why don't we just dazzling ourselves? So

Paul J Daly: 14:34

tell us talk about the psychology of it. Why do you want it? Because other people have it because you think it's cute? Yeah,

Kaylee Jewert: 14:40

because it's pretty. It's popular. Like I see it a lot. I hear good things about it. So

Paul J Daly: 14:47

well. Here's the cool thing about the way that psychology works. Usually right so when people call an influencer or someone who you know they look to you are in a very unique position in this industry like and you saw it firsthand at the Women in automotive conference like you got off that stage and all of a sudden people wanted what you had people, you know, and that's just going to continue. It's a big responsibility too. But I love that you're into the psychology of brand, basically. Do you think about that when you're like, positioning yourself, whether making content and social media? I don't even know if you make content that you're let me sadly, good job. Good. Good for that. Yeah. So so but like, what? What is it that you want people to take away? Like, why do you want people to pay attention to you? What are the traits that you think you want people to gather around when they see and hear from you? That

Kaylee Jewert: 15:40

even though I'm younger, I still have like, important things to say. Like, there is important things that you can get from the younger generation. It's not just oh, yeah, the adults know everything. Because the kids who have the creativity are the ones who will think of like the next thing to put in the car, like, Oh, hey, for the family, why don't you put a little net that comes in every car, and like the family style ones, so that the kids can put their backpacks in them? And they don't like move around?

Paul J Daly: 16:10

Like, it's good idea. Thinking, great

Michael Cirillo: 16:12

idea. I think that I was like, why would they put a hammock in a car? Right

Paul J Daly: 16:17

for the backpacks?

Kyle Mountsier: 16:19

It's for the backpacks. That's perfect interest. Yeah. And I think like Paul said, it's a it's a big mantle. But it's an opportunity because, like, if you're thinking about marketing, and you're thinking about the psychology of marketing, what you're really doing and the talks, the portion that I've seen, is really centered around like, the brand of retail auto. Like is it a brand worth being a part of? Yeah, from a career standpoint, like would your friends would? Would the people that you know, look to auto and is it branded well enough the career path in auto like why isn't the brand standing out so much that everybody's in the halls talking about that? They can't wait to work in a dealership right, a tech company that serves retail auto, right, that's the that's the play. Alright,

Kaylee Jewert: 17:08

so one thing that I've noticed so even my best friend who is around my dad half the time it so I will say the word automotive, she's like, what does that mean? And I'm like, you don't know what the word automotive means. You

Unknown: 17:23

probably don't even have a Stanley

Kaylee Jewert: 17:28

Oh, I got her a fake one for her birthday though. That's perfect.

Kyle Mountsier: 17:35

Yeah, but she knows what doctor nurse psychologist all of those things. gym teacher Hey,

Michael Cirillo: 17:41

but yo I bet you anything the the owners of the family mug company are just rolling in dough to like there's something to be said. Stanley people like they're rolling in it because of Stanley they

Kaylee Jewert: 17:59

copy it and then you make it cheaper. And you don't put lead in the bottom of them.

Paul J Daly: 18:04

Remember that last step?

Kaylee Jewert: 18:08

The bottom of like, my Stanley Cups is not damaged. I will just like if I drop it out

Unknown: 18:13

into the lead poisoning. It actually lead in the no there is no oh dear. Yeah,

Kaylee Jewert: 18:19

it's it's like you can have like the most area and then it weighs down the bottom because it's so top heavy.

Paul J Daly: 18:24

You're sure it's a lead? It's not like full?

Michael Cirillo: 18:28

Like, hot glued together pennies.

Paul J Daly: 18:32

Okay. Yeah.

Kaylee Jewert: 18:33

I mean, it's just a small little disc in the bottom. I think Stanley even said that they actually do that. Okay,

Michael Cirillo: 18:39

well, 1960s of them.

Paul J Daly: 18:41

That is very 1960s. Let me ask you this Kaylee one. One of the topics that comes up quite a bit in the auto industry from the OEMs. The manufacturers and the dealers and consumers is this topic of electric vehicles. Everyone's talking about EVs and I would love to know, your 13 year old going on 36 year old perspective on electric vehicles. Do you like them? Do you hate them? Do you not care? Do you think that the future what do you think?

Kaylee Jewert: 19:11

So I've heard a lot of things about electric vehicles. So I'm like, oh, electric vehicles, they have batteries that aren't that eco friendly. But then again, do you want to keep paying for gas? Or do you want to, because they're literally basically paying you without paying you because you're not having to pay for gas money, and you can just find somewhere that has a charging station. So there's that and honestly, if I'm being entirely honest, please my dream car isn't Tesla's cybertruck dejo then

Kyle Mountsier: 19:42

I know I know a guy that just got access to test the side truck. Just throwing it out there nobody that's too close.

Paul J Daly: 19:52

We know a few people.

Kaylee Jewert: 19:55

Um, I went to the mall and they're like, do you want to sit in the like this I'm talking to Mike, you got to sit one. Yeah. I'm picturing me because

Paul J Daly: 20:04

every time Kyle and I've been around one they don't let us away. Yeah, please. We're a media company here are credentials and they're like, Get out of here. Yeah, I just got a picture of her in a cyber truck. I bet the cyber truck looks really big.

Kaylee Jewert: 20:20

Let's see got a look here. Yeah, five

Paul J Daly: 20:22

it she's like Stanley pictures.

Kyle Mountsier: 20:24

Cybertron Oh, there it is. Look at that. She's really cybertruck If you can't see it, it looks so legit. It's it's, it's fun. Why do you want a cyber train? You have been an absolute just a joy to have on we're really excited to see what you do in retail auto and in all of auto because someone with your voice speaking about why it's important to be a part of the industry I think is great for the whole entire industry. And I can't wait to see more of your friends in few years be in retail auto. Thanks for joining us.

Kaylee Jewert: 20:57

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Kyle Mountsier: 21:03

All right. I looked it up. Okay. Is led at the bottom of a Stanley Cup white and people

Michael Cirillo: 21:09

be throwing that in?

Paul J Daly: 21:10

I'm okay. Before you say yes. MC. Are you at a thumbs up or thumbs down? I think it is not.

Michael Cirillo: 21:15

Do you think it is or isn't? Oh, wait, we're doing trivia.

Paul J Daly: 21:19

Yeah. Well, it's not really trivia gentleman's wager. All right.

Michael Cirillo: 21:23

I got to think there's some health regulation.

Paul J Daly: 21:26

Okay, so you're saying no? No,

Michael Cirillo: 21:30

I mean, yo, if they sell them and can I just

Paul J Daly: 21:32

keep it up? It has it. It does have it so I was wrong. You're wrong. It's got lead has

Kyle Mountsier: 21:38

it? Which means a lead disc at the bottom of it. She was right.

Paul J Daly: 21:42

She even said a disc. A lead does so it's also effective in blocking the effects of kryptonite on Superman. Fantastic. That actually carried some weight back when Superman was the thing. If they

Michael Cirillo: 21:53

were smart, the new Superman would be holding a Stanley in some of the nerves. That's a

Paul J Daly: 21:58

great idea. I mean, I'm like my Superman days was like Gene Hackman and Richard Pryor and Superman, Christopher Reeves and Ben three. Oh,

Michael Cirillo: 22:07

it'd be a subtle jab to the Marvel Cinematic Universe because Stan Lee style

Paul J Daly: 22:12

Oh, this is good. No, but without a doubt, really good. Really go for it. I was like, talk about, like a little force of nature. She never. She knows what she's talking about. She doesn't hesitate to answer questions, which was one of the most impressive things for me. She was always like a guy that I have something to say to. She was right in the conversation. Well, and I

Kyle Mountsier: 22:37

love you know, we do so many of these podcasts. And like, people just struggle to talk about normal life. And she's just in here talking about robots and hanging out with friends, but also auto exhausting that into the reality that like none of them know about retail automotive. Oh my gosh, it's so refreshing to me to like, just communicate with someone that is just living life and has a passion for a thing, right, which is seeing young people see auto that she's like, Yeah, I think about my kids. Like they're passionate about auto because they see that in me. Absolutely. And that's the same thing for her.

Paul J Daly: 23:16

Yep. And Michael's kids just see his passion for Ninja Turtles apparently, row.

Michael Cirillo: 23:20

No, I was thinking like, at her age. I legit thought I was going to be WWF Tag Team Champions with the Ultimate Warrior. Oh, yeah, she see the clarity. And this is always weird, right? Because we're at risk of being the three old dudes complaint that rocked by a teenager. But I mean, like we, but but I have to say like, I'm just so impressed by the clarity of her thought about where she's going. Because I do think that's unique. I think it's available to everyone, but there are roadblocks in the way in society that we you know, get distracted by and so I'm just I think that's why I'm so impressed that you know, good job mom and dad good is solid values and they're steering in the right direction. And, and that's lending itself to a 13 year old, smart, intelligent forward thinking young woman who's not afraid to take the stage at conferences which is isn't that isn't public speaking the thing supposedly. Yeah.

Kyle Mountsier: 24:32

Are they go? Well, hey, look, on behalf of three slightly older dudes, whether in feeling or actuality. Really, thank you for hanging out with us and Kaylee here on this episode of Auto Collabs. We'll see you next time.

Unknown: 24:47

Sign up for our free and fun to read daily email for a free shot of relevant news in automotive, retail media and pop culture. You can get it now@asotu.com That's ASOTU.com If you love this podcast, please leave us a review and share it with a friend. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you next time Welcome to Annika

Paul J Daly: 25:22

Are we recording

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