TGt Meets IWD Special...Tara Smith, Sales Executive at Breeze Suzuki

It's International Women's Day, Friday 8th March and we had the pleasure of interviewing Tara Smith, the Sales Executive at Breeze Suzuki. Read on as we put Tara under the spotlight...

Tell us a bit about yourself...

I am 26 years old, born in London but grew up in Ireland, and moved to Dorset when I was 18.

Played football for most of my life.

I love cooking and baking; it is my downtime and happy place in the kitchen.

I also love hiking and travelling the world, exploring new places and the cultures there.

Tell us about your business:

I work for Breeze Suzuki in Poole. It’s a Suzuki franchise where we sell new and used Suzuki cars, and a range of non-franchise used vehicles.

What do you love most about your job?

I love the team that I work with most. Finding an inclusive and family feel team is incredibly difficult these days, and finding a manager that you really want to prove yourself to is hard, but that’s what we have here.

I love helping an array of people find the perfect vehicle for them and being part of that journey.

What is your proudest achievement?

I have a few I suppose. My most recent one would be travelling solo to Canada for 3 weeks over the winter period and driving over 2,000 miles through the Canadian Rockies, while experiencing new things like snowmobiling, skiing etc solo.

Another would be doing a skydive for charity when I was 16 and being the youngest person they have ever had do one in Ireland.

And collectively over the years, I have single-handedly raised over 4000 Pounds/Euros for different charities including:

• Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland
• Cancer Research UK
• Action Against Hunger
• Breast Cancer UK
• Macmillan

This year’s IWD theme is ‘Inspire Inclusion’ – what does this mean to you?

I guess it would be seeing the celebrations of all the women across the world. How we all celebrate each other no matter the culture or ethnicity, no matter what walks of life we come from. It's including everyone from all over and celebrating what it truly means to be a woman, what we have overcome and what strength and power we bring to the world.

What are the biggest challenges you have faced in your career?

The biggest challenge I have faced so far in my career would be:

Firstly, it would be finding the career for me, I have been doing various roles in the motor trade for over 3 years now, and only in the past 6/7 months have I found the career role for me.

Secondly, it would be overcoming the way women can be treated in such a male-dominated industry, but it has been a challenge I have faced head-on and finally found my rhythm in. I no longer feel intimated by the challenges I face, and the difficulties that come with being a Woman in this Industry. Challenges that men will never understand, or issues they may never face.

How do you balance your business and personal life?

I try to make sure I cook dinner every night, so I feel like I am no longer in ‘work’ mode. The hardest thing in this career is your job never stops, in other roles, you can close your laptop for the day and go home, whereas in sales there's always an opportunity to connect with your customer or get a deal done.

It's making sure I am strict enough with myself and leave my phone down when I’m having dinner, or spending quality time with my loved ones.

When I have my days off, I try my best to get out of the house to explore new cafes or find new walks, and now the weather is starting to slightly improve, I have started getting back out on my bike and having some of my own time.

Which women inspire you the most?

Honestly, the two main women in my life are my Mum and my sister.

They would be the women who inspire me every single day and make me proud to be able to call them my family.

They have faced so many challenges, but also been there through so many of mine, they continue to be my rocks and inspire me every single day. I truly could not imagine my life without them, nor would I be the woman I am today without their support and guidance.

Find out more about Breeze Suzuki HERE!