Life lessons learned from 30 years at GRM

It was a weekend of light bites and an open bar at $350 a head, a poolside spread presented by smiling faces, and locally caught seafood that practically melted in the mouth. Even the lunch in the media center looked fairly deluxe. 

The one meal that I actually chewed during the recent Amelia Island concours weekend? A Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich eaten in my hotel room around 11:00 at night. By the glow of my laptop, I got to savor every bite–no answering questions, no grabbing photos, no rushing to the next item on my agenda.

[How to enjoy The Amelia with your classic car]

And at that moment, a light went off: Perhaps I should slow down a tick and just take a few extra moments to chew my food. 

In early April–or was it late March?–I will have celebrated 30 years here at Grassroots Motorsports, nearly all of them heading up the editorial department. That’s a lot of files proofed, captions written and assignments assigned. 

As I have been approaching that milestone–apex? zenith?–several things have been on my mind. Maybe sharing that list will help the rest of the class–or at least allow my brain to fret over something else now that these have been expressed. 

Chew your food. Okay, we covered that. 

Put the audience first. When I started here, the scene was awash with magazines. We had the class-leading buff books staffed by all the Cool Adults plus a slew of specialty titles employing the nerds that I partnered with at press events. Today, we’re one of the last titles left. 

Something that I think helped us remain relevant? Keeping the spotlight on the audience. If you do that, everything else–circulation numbers, advertiser base, inner peace, etc.–should fall into place. We’re no different than our readers, J.G. often jokes, but just with access to press cars. 

Don’t put off things that annoy you. When I rebuilt the engine in my Porsche some 15 years ago, I went with a “stage 1” clutch from an advertiser. Gotta keep everyone happy and involved, right?

Guess what? That clutch has sucked since that day: It’s either on or off and, oh, it also chattered. I just went back to a stock unit–finally–and it totally transformed the driving experience. Just as life’s too short to drink bad wine, it’s also too short to drive around with a miserable clutch. If you have the means, take the time and spend the money to fully dial it in. 

Maintain a proper work/life balance. I continue to totally miss the boat on this one, and my apologies to friends and family. 

Surround yourself with good people. Sarah recently asked what has kept me here for 30 years. The people, I told her. Look at the names on the masthead. Many have been there for decades. 

Be nice. I’m going to quote Colin here: It costs nothing to be kind. Personally, I know I can do better here. (Also related: Never stop working to improve.)

Learn something new. I have been serious about my photography since middle school, so in round numbers, let’s say the past 40 years. Yet I still learn something every time I pull the camera from the bag.  

During the past year or so, I have been working with some local models on my people photography skills. The photos that I made of Rick, my Porsche mechanic, while swapping in that new clutch? I’ll be honest: I’m stunned. The David of even a year ago wouldn’t have come up with that composition and lighting. The images are less about Tab A going into Slot B and more about showing a craftsman working in the zone. Enough technical documents exist. It’s time to tell the story. Take the extra minute to get the lighting right. 

Walk the course three times. Two times isn’t enough, and four will make you tired. What are the cones trying to tell you? On the third walk-through, all will be revealed.

Simple fun is still fun. A friend and I had plans to attend cars and coffee today. Then his car wouldn’t start. Could I bring over a jump pack? Truth be told, I enjoyed that little adventure more than making small talk with people I didn’t really know. Then we got Waffle House. A perfect outing. 

Pay it forward. Whether I finish second or third at a local autocross doesn’t really matter anymore. The F1 scouts have stopped sniffing around. Helping the novices–our next generation–provides more personal reward. Breathe, eyes up and smooth inputs. Good luck and have fun. 

Last life lesson: Spoil your family, spoil the dog.

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