Redefining Who Belongs In Motorsports And Why It Matters
From West Valley to Wall Street Basics
The story starts nowhere near pit road. A West Valley kid from a Title I high school. A UPS dad. A paralegal mom. At sixteen, she lands a School to Careers spot at Charles Schwab. It is an HR desk, but the lessons compound fast. Mentors matter. Money has rules. Mindset sets pace. She opens a 401k at eighteen. Buys a condo at twenty one. Sells too soon and learns the sting. The literacy sticks anyway. Save early. Diversify. Build a network before you need it. Leadership shows up early as listening first and moving without pretending to know everything.
When the Work Stops Feeling Like the Work
After 9 11, HR loses its soul. Layoffs drain the meaning. She moves around, then finds a long home at USAA. Nearly fourteen years of recruiting, community giving, and sports partnerships. NFL Salute to Service. Big events that actually make people feel something. That becomes her thing. Connect leaders. Fund foundations. Make rooms move. On a women’s panel, she meets the head of Phoenix Raceway. The track is mid rebuild. Huge capital spend. No campaign plan. Just one goal. Fill seats. She helps as a friend. Makes introductions across chambers, councils, and sports leaders. No pitch. Just service.
The Call She Almost Says No To
Then the call comes. Take the job. She says no. Family talks. Prayer. A hard values check. The answer turns into a yes, but only with terms. She interviews NASCAR right back. No token role. Real authority. Real accountability. Day one is chaos. Press everywhere. Wet hair photos. Nashville awards. Broadcast meetings. Then the real work. Walking garages. Asking crews how eleven second tire changes happen. Learning why qualifying decides stalls and starts. The rule is simple. Do not fake answers. Earn them.
Making the Track Feel Alive
Three years in, the machine hums. Tickets drive every day. Forty thousand seats. Suites. Decks. Mountain views. Over twenty thousand campers on championship week. Culture shifts on purpose. Hip hop before races. Nelly on stage. Spanish headset experiences for Daniel Suárez fans. Collabs with the Suns and Cardinals. The off season barely exists. Nearly two hundred non racing events. Decadence. Foodie Land. Rentals that keep lights on and the brand everywhere.
Community Is the Strategy
At the center is Beyond the Finish Line. A free Title I field trip program with the Larry Fitzgerald Foundation. Thousands of kids get their first raceway day. Fun. Educational. Joyful. The personal side fuels it all. Parents babysit so the career can sprint. A husband in recruiting asks the question that flips the no into a careful yes. Family packs Victory Lane when the schedule finally pauses. Legends feel close. Jeff Gordon texts encouragement. Michael Jordan’s team shows up. She still protects one habit. Taking meetings by driving slow laps herself. Feeling the banking. Finding calm.
What Leadership Actually Looks Like
This version of leadership is clear. Own the numbers. Widen the welcome. Make the experience unforgettable. Build community first. The grandstands follow. One real connection at a time.
