138: The Car Mom on Empowering Women to Pick Cars with Confidence

The Car Mom was started by Kelly Stumpe in June of 2020. Kelly has been around the automotive industry her whole life. Her family owns a group of dealerships in the St. Louis area. She began her career in the industry in 2016 as a client advisor at BMW of West St. Louis. Kelly fell in love with sales and knew she found her calling. Kelly had her first child in 2019 and realized the only job harder than 65 hour work week in automotive sales is being a stay-at-home mom. Fast-forward to 2020, the Coronavirus pandemic hit and Kelly was pregnant with baby #2. Kelly thought, “It’s hard enough to take my one child to the grocery store right now; I can’t imagine moms having to go to a car dealership during this.” She thought, “What if I used my resources and knowledge to review cars for moms so they don’t have to waste time going to every dealership?” and that’s when The Car Mom was born. Today I get to sit down with Kelly to ask her all about her mission with the car mom. We talk about how to make a good purchase, the vitality of choosing a good salesperson, what to look for in your first family car, what her favorite cars are right now, and her advice to moms who want to be entrepreneurs too. Today’s episode is brought to you by Better Help counseling services. Join over one million people who have taken charge of their mental health. Go to betterhelp.com/mintarrow and get 10% off your first month of counseling.   Time Stamps: [01:14] - Kelly Stumpe, The Car Mom, opens up about how she got into the automotive space, including her family’s longtime connection to the field. [03:44] - How did Kelly choose the platform to share and promote The Car Mom content? [05:42] - Kelly says she became focused on empowering moms with information to choose the best car options. [08:24] - What is Kelly’s reason for not narrowing a top ten list for cars? She explains that each mom and family have varying needs. [10:44] - Here are the biggest common mistakes that new moms make when buying their first car for the family. [13:35] - Kelly says people should explore their car options. Don’t be afraid to do a size check and be more prepared to buy a car. [16:14] - Don’t test drive a car until you’re ready to buy a car. Instead, here is what people should start. [18:30] - Kelly gives insight about negotiating at car dealerships and finding a good deal. [20:49] - What does Kelly want to say to people who feel nervous about the sales process at dealerships? [22:22] - Why is it important to know a vehicle’s pay off? [25:12] - Should people always buy a new car? [28:09] - Which cars does Kelly say are well-performing cars that get overlooked? [30:39] - Corrine explains her own personal story about dealing with cars. [33:00] - Kelly recalls examples of what she is able to help with by being a voice in the automotive field. [34:50] - Most of the problems in buying a car could be gone if people were proactive about the experience. [37:17] - Kelly’s shares her perspective on using her gifts for her community. [39:29] - Listen to where you can connect with Kelly.   Supporting Resources: The Car Mom website  YouTube Channel  Instagram @thecarmom Facebook