Michelle Micalizzi, Artist
(All Rights Reserved)
My muse this week is Sung Cha. Sung has owned Bell Union Auto Service for twenty-seven years, a genuine establishment where honest repair is the best repair. Bell Union is a filler of Sinclair Gas, which is one of the largest privately owned companies in America.
WHY SUNG QUALIFIES TO BE ONE OF THE 2017 FEARLESS THIRTEEN.
Sung and I met several years ago as members of the Arizona Business Networking (BNI) Group, BNI Business Leaders of North Scottsdale (BLONS) group. BNI is the largest networking organization in the world.
Sung gave me a referral for my husband’s company, Eco-Logic Management, that in fact helped pay for our wedding in Maine, as well as our nuptial Pig Roast that we hosted here in Arizona. That referral lead to the largest business transaction of my husband’s career thus far. This is how networking works at its best; one family helping another by giving qualified referrals. The most exciting thing about benefiting from this assist from Sung is how happy he was for us when we won the bid. My husband and I are raving fans of Sung & Bell Union Auto.
Sung and I have been buddies since our first conversation. I find him to be a very loyal
hard-working family man who has a strong belief in God and one hell of a sense of humor while simultaneously being a generous man. Every Christmas, he sponsors a huge toy drive to benefit Arizona Helping Hand’s, an organization whose mission is to, “…assist foster families who have stepped up to provide a safe, loving environment for children in the Department of Child Safety system.” Their programs are designed to provide many basic needs for these boys and girls.
Most importantly, Sung is genuinely an honest mechanic, which is contrary to most people’s experiences. In today’s world, there are mechanics that are selling people a lot of things they simply do not need. Thankfully, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if Sung tells me that something needs to be done – it actually needs to be done. I do not question his advice because I know he stands by his word.
The three biggest things that impress me the most about Sung are:
- He wins customers all the time because he tells them the truth and saves them unnecessary cost.
- He has a wonderfully unexpected and keen sense of humor.
- He gives back in every way!
FEARLESS INTERVIEW
Sung took a few minutes out to answer the five Art of Fearlessly Doing Business Questions.
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM SUNG ABOUT BEING FEARLESS?
1. Be a Life-Long Learner
One of the things that has always impressed me about Sung is that he is a continuous learner and he expects that same persistent curiosity of his team. From the very start of his career, as a mechanic, Sung became an expert of any car he worked on. He reads manuals from cover to cover. For him, it is a matter of principal to know all there is to know about the task before him. My dad was also that kind of mechanic, so when I get advice from Sung and his team, I trust them implicitly.
2. Never Lose Your Sense of Humor
Sung has a wonderfully good-natured sense of humor. It sneaks up on you when you least expect it. At one of our BNI meetings last year, I had brought postcards for the Art of Fearlessly Doing Business II opening. Fellow BNI BLONS member Najla Kayyem, owner of Kayyem Marketing, was one of the Fearless Thirteen business leaders highlighted in the 2016 show that was held at the Walter Gallery in Scottsdale. Her painting, “Pull Your Big Panties On,” was inspired by her fearless interview and was subsequently featured on the cover of the promotional postcard that year along with other paintings. I cannot reiterate exactly Sung’s levity about Naj’s big red granny panties, but what I can share is that he commented honestly, much to the amusement and mutual acknowledgement of his audience. We were all in stiches for the rest of the meeting where every thank you regarding closed business ultimately referenced Naj’s big girl panties in one way or another.
The power of humor; proved itself that day amid the camaraderie of two unforgettable business leaders and people; Sung and Naj. Laughter is a powerfully bonding tool. Laughing together builds life-long friendships and referrals.
3. Honest Repair is the Best Repair
I cannot tell you how many times I have listened to a fellow BLONS member stand up and thank Sung for saving them thousands of dollars. One specific occurrence was for a young mother, who was told by her dealership mechanic that she had to replace a particular part for thousands of dollars. Sung quickly eased her stress by speaking truthfully and simply replaced an inexpensive part for less than a one hundred dollars, resulting in a genuine fix.
Another success story is when the Sung encouraged Nate and Kelley Dominguez, the owners of BNI Arizona and long time customers, to purchase a vehicle specifically based on safety factors. I have heard Nate comment multiple times that Sung saved his and his boys lives. If it were not for the guidance from Sung about the choice of that car purchase; what was a very bad accident would have been even more devastating. Nate and family are so thankful for their trusted relationship with Sung. Simply said this is the kind of man you want working on your loved one’s cars.
4. Buy American
Sung is a Korean immigrant and yet he is one of the most patriotic Americans I know. My mom is from Ireland, and my grandparents are from Italy, so the American Dream is close to my heart. Sung is truly the embodiment of the American Dream. He and his family came here and invested in America by creating businesses that excelled. Sung chose one of the largest privately held companies in the word as his gas company. He is proud of the fact that all the oil used to make the gas that he sells comes from North America, and primarily from the United States.
He is also humbly aware of the regulations and limitations of the industry that make it nearly impossible for family-owned businesses like his to flourish. He relentlessly holds on to his values and advocates for small business owners and consumers alike.
5. Drive Forward
I have heard it said, “Don’t look behind, you are not going there and you cannot go forward looking in the rear view mirror.” Sung says that when we drive in reverse we are more likely to have accidents and go in the wrong direction. Sung feels that fear is an inside job and that only we have the ability to choose to move forward rather than getting stuck in a bad break of a challenging experience. When challenging things happen, we just need to move forward. Sung has had his share of challenges to overcome and I have watched him (theoretically) pull his big boy boxers on and just move forward with his character and sense of humor fully intact.
Thank you so much Sung for taking the time out to be one of the Fearless 13! I look forward to seeing you again at the Art of Fearlessly Doing Business Art opening on May 5th at DeskHub- Scottsdale from 6-9PM.
COUPONS
Click here for a Link to some coupons in case you need a service on your car or an oil change!
Note from the Artist
SUNG’S ILLUSTRATION’S STORY:
Sung states that fear is something we choose and that only we have the ability to change out minds and drive forward. We cannot be successful looking in the rear view mirror or driving in reverse. In this illustration inside the head is a road in the daytime with flowers blooming and with a drivers hands confidently on the steering wheel moving forward. Sung’s analogy is perfect for both life and his business. He helps his clients literally to drive forward but he is also the example of how to keep moving in a positive direction with his mind, thoughts and actions. Outside the head it is night time. The AZ moon is in the sky and it is dark. No matter, Sung has decided to have faith in the light and just move forward. It is out choice. Will we simply blend into the darkness and lose faith or will be make the decision to as Sung says “Snap out of it!!”
#Fearless #AoFDB #Entrepreneurship #VisualJournalism #ContemporaryForum #PheonixArtMuseum #ContemporaryArt #Art #OneThing
THE ART OF FEARLESSLY DOING BUSINESS III – OPENING
Fearless Art Works at Spanish Village
7211 E Ho Rd, #17
Carefree, AZ
Friday, May 5th
6-9 PM
Optional RSVP: Facebook Event or EventBrite Event.
CHARITY: The Contemporary Forum, a support organization for the Phoenix Art Museum
FUTURE EVENTS: Fearless Art 2017 Schedule
SPREAD THE WORD: Event FLYER.
THIS WEEKS BOOK RECOMMENDATION
On the Edge: Leadership Lessons from Mount Everest and Other Extreme Environments by Alison Levine
Feel free to email me and suggest a book that you have found particularly helpful!
See other book recommendations at the Fearless Book Store.
Fearlessly Deliver is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
Y FORUM a support organization for the Phoenix Art Museum. Their mission is to promote interest in and understanding of contemporary art at Phoenix Art Museum.
Michelle Micalizzi is a creative entrepreneur. She balances her businesses mind and creative skills in all that she does not only professionally with her business Fearlessly Deliver as a Visual Journalist, Curator & a Business Executor but in her life. Her strong belief in community and collective engagement lead her to found the Art of Fearlessly Doing Business and Fearless Pop up Projects. Michelle’s latest exciting endeavor the Fearless Art Works is an art gallery and a space for good works of all kind that connects Art + Community + Business! You can work with Fearlessly Deliver by either accepting an invitation to participate in a Fearless Art Project or by applying to be a custom business project execution client.
michelle@fearlesslydeliver.com
480.526.2609
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