The Do-Good Auto Coalition with CEO Diana Lee

TMI with Kevin Ryan

Constellation Agency Cofounder and Do-Good Auto Coalition CEO Diana Lee joins the show today to share how she is helping the auto industry step up in a time of crisis and get food and supplies to the people and organizations that need it most. She shares how her experience from age 18 in the automotive industry gave her a thick skin and can-do attitude that helps her today, what the Do-Good Auto Coalition does in terms of outreach, what challenges they are currently facing, and what you can do to help.

Takeaways:

• The Do-Good Auto Coalition comprises dealers who have volunteered to deliver prescription medicine, food, and other items to needy seniors and others in their communities.
• Most of the first dealers to sign up are located in and around New York City but the coalition will soon spread to other cities, such as Detroit and Chicago.
• Diana started selling cars at 18 and used her sales skills to put herself through college. Working in car sales shaped her as a person and gave her a deep understanding of the auto industry and ways that it can help provide resources for others.
• The Do-Good Auto Coalition focuses on uniting the community and making a meaningful change. The Coalition acts as the middleman between dealers, volunteers, food rescue services, and citizens.
• The Coalition just did one rescue that consisted of 13,000 lbs. of food and six cars. These types of big changes can happen when we are able to provide transportation for food rescue companies.
• The DGAC also helps drivers that need work and give a purpose to employees of dealers, automakers, and manufacturers that want to work but can’t.
• Social distancing is a privilege, and many people have to leave their homes to stand in line for food or other crucial resources.
• Brands that are aware of how they can help their community and take action will be the first in line to get commerce from loyal customers when business fully resumes.

Quotes:

• “If we don’t actually rescue those foods they will all go to waste, and the pantries need them.”
• “One volunteer with one car can’t do what we need to do at this point.”
• “Social distancing is a privilege.”
• “If I, a healthy human being that’s got resources can’t order food, what happens to everybody else?”

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Do-Good Auto Coalition
• DCH Audi in Millburn
• Table to Table
• Automotive News story: com/dealers/group-cheers-dealers-good-deeds
• DGAC delivers 2,500 lbs of potatoes to a Manhattan food bank: com/sansone-auto