Automotive passion isn’t just a career for Vince Finaldi. It is built into his DNA. His story began nearly a century ago when his grandfather worked for General Motors in 1920s America before returning to Italy to open his own garage. Years later, Vince’s father followed the same path back to the U.S., establishing a shop that repaired and imported legendary Italian marques like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Alfa Romeo. Growing up in this high-octane environment, Vince was hooked early, spending his high school years in the shop covered in grease and learning the trade from the ground up.
However, his path to leading one of the world’s most prestigious concours events into the future was anything but linear. After high school, Vince enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, leveraged the GI Bill to earn a law degree and spent two decades as a high-stakes trial attorney. But when the relentless stress of the courtroom took its toll, the call of his family’s legacy proved impossible to resist. Pivoting back to his roots, he founded a world-class Italian-focused restoration shop in Carmel, California, a journey that ultimately led him to become president of the world-renowned Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
On this episode of the “Only The Strong Survive” podcast, Vince shares the wisdom he has learned over his incredible journey with host Dan Kahn. Click on the icon above to listen to the entire episode, and here are our top five takeaways:
The formative years of your life lay the foundation for the rest of it.
You have to take risks to accomplish anything.
Like great art, great cars should be shared with the world.
Live your life in thirds.
Leaders should always focus on the future.
Lay the Foundation Early
Vince joined the Marines right out of high school and credits that decision with shaping his future. His experience in the Marines in his formative years molded the person he would become. It also gave him the outlook and leadership skills early in his life that he would carry throughout his career.
“I joined (the Corp) when I was 18 years old. I was part of an organization that was run very efficiently, with a very firm and tight organizational structure and chain of command. That is kind of what I have always known from the time I was a kid, and that has carried with me throughout my career,” said Vince. “It is a good foundation to have and a good foundation to set for your staff if you are running any type of business.”
Take Risks and Take Chances
Many would see Vince’s career arc as the result of a carefully laid-out plan. Surprisingly, that isn’t the case. Rather, Vince got to where he is by taking risks, and he encourages others to do the same.
“I didn’t have this plan. I ended up getting here, but I took chances, I took risks. I was presented with something in my life, and it was something I could either see as an opportunity or as a negative,” said Vince. “I always saw challenges in life and events that occurred to me as opportunities, and I always dove into them headfirst. That is how I got to where I am.”
Great Cars are Meant to Be Shared
There are all kinds of automotive enthusiasts with different views on collecting cars. However, one tenet that Vince strongly believes is that beautiful cars are meant to be shared with the world. Like great art, they shouldn’t be hidden in a private collection, but enjoyed by the public. It is a belief perfectly suited to his role as president of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
“One thing I am very into is using cars and sharing cars with the world. That applies not just to cars, but to art as well. I don’t really see why certain cars are squirreled away, only for a select number of people to see. It is the same thing with art. The best art should be shared with the entire world,” said Vince. “I think that is how cars are, too. Cars should be used, and they should be enjoyed.”
Life in Thirds
The right mentors can make a big impact on anyone’s life. That is definitely true of Vince, as he met someone early on who had a profound impact by giving him a philosophy to live by. Even though it was decades ago, Vince still uses that guidance today.
“I met someone early on in my life who gave me really good guidance and advice. He said that if you are looking for a way to structure your life, you should spend the first third of your life educating yourself,” said Vince. “The second third of your life you spend applying that education, making money, establishing yourself and freeing yourself from the economic chains that can bind you and hold you down. If you can finish that, then the last third of your life you should spend giving back to all the people who helped you get there and give away everything you’ve had the good fortune of earning, so when you’re on your deathbed, you die broke. And that is a life well lived.”
Focus on the Future
For Vince, the role of a leader is to be focused on the future. If you focus only on the now, you become reactive rather than proactive. And that is a surefire way to doom your business to stagnation or worse.
“Any leader of a company that you talk to, if they tell you that they focus on the now and the yesterday, then you can see the results in their company. That is not going to be a company that is doing well,” said Vince. “The leader of a company should be living his life two years, three years or five years ahead. That is your job. Your job is to live in the future. My job is to look at trends and headwinds and figure out how we are going to deal with them.”
