Payton Massey grew up in the car business. As a fourth-generation dealer, he is carrying on the family legacy started by his great-grandfather. Payton grew up in Mobile, Alabama, attending St. Luke’s High School, where he was a member of the golf program. After graduation, Payton attended the University of North Alabama, playing four years of golf while earning his Bachelor of Business Administration.

After graduation, he got straight to work at the family business, Walt Massey Auto Group. Today, Payton is the general manager of Walt Massey Chevrolet GMC in Lucedale, Mississippi.

We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Payton and learn more about him, his career journey, and his future plans. The following are excerpts from our conversation.

Did you always want to join the family business?

I’ve always known that the car business was right for me. The only other job I’ve ever dreamed of, and I say this jokingly, would be to be a professional fisherman. I just love to go fishing and thought it would be awesome if I could go fishing every day. But all jokes aside, I have immense respect for my dad and what he did to grow this business. I have always wanted to follow in his footsteps. He has mentored me to do just that since I was born.

What makes the dealership unique?

One thing that’s unique about us is that most of our dealerships are located in small towns, yet we remain a high-volume dealer. We aim to generate as much revenue as possible so that we can support our community. That’s important to us. We’re consistently the number one Chevy GMC dealer in the state, thanks to our competitive pricing, and we are really proud of that.

Another thing that’s unique about us is that we are big on growing our employees and promoting them from within. We set everybody up on a path to grow and be successful. If we have the opportunity to promote, then that’s what we do, versus trying to hire somebody from the outside. We value our people and want them to succeed.

What positions have you held in the company?

My first full-time role was at our Chevrolet dealership in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. I started out on the service drive, learning how to take care of customers. I’m thankful that I started learning on the service side because the role of a service advisor is one of the most important jobs at the dealership. They deal with the largest amount  of customers than anybody else at the dealership. Being able to start there helped me to learn how to build connections and make relationships with customers.

From there, I transitioned into a service manager role, then a service director for the group. After that, I sold cars for a little bit, and I worked in parts. I was our used car director for the group, and now I’m the general manager.

Have you had any specialized training or education?

I recently graduated from the NADA Academy, which has been a truly enriching experience. I recommend the academy to anybody who’s in my position or anybody who’s a long-term employee in the car business. The experience you’ll gain is invaluable.  One of the biggest things I’ve taken away from it is the relationships with people. 

Have you had any mentors, and what did you learn from them? 

My dad taught me self-discipline. I grew up watching him work long hours. He taught me to focus on the important things in life, and in the car business — taking care of your employees and taking care of your customers. 

My mom taught me how to stay out of trouble, how to be respectful and kept me in church. I have to give credit to my grandparents as well; on both sides of my family, they definitely set good examples for me.

What has been the most rewarding part of your career to this point? 

The most rewarding part has been the connections I’ve made with people and having the opportunity that my dad’s given me to grow and to one day take over the organization. I really appreciate this opportunity. He’s set me up on such a good path to learn the business and has supported me throughout the whole process. 

Where do you see yourself and the dealership in the next 3-5 years? 

My hope is to stay in Lucedale as a general manager for the next three to five years. This store is where it all started. My dad spent so much time here at this specific dealership, and this campus means so much to both of us. He made so many good relationships with customers, the community and businesses around this area, I want to continue to build upon that.

Additionally, I want to get more involved with the other 10 campuses and continue to make good relationships in all of our communities and with all of our employees. 

How long has the dealership been involved with MADA?

We’ve been a member since 1993. My dad served as a chairman for MADA and is the current chairman of the Self Insurance Fund. As for me,  I’ve always attended MADA conventions and any opportunity that I have to network with people. I appreciate that Marty keeps us informed about any political developments we need to be aware of. I look forward to becoming more involved with MADA in the years to come. 

What is your favorite way to spend your free time? Do you have any hobbies?

Besides golfing and tournament bass fishing, I am an avid bow hunter. My dad has a hunting camp in Illinois that we like to travel to. I also earned my pilot’s license a few years ago and love flying. But for the foreseeable future, my free time is focused on my upcoming nuptials in May and spending time with my fiancée, Whitney.

How do you balance your professional responsibilities and personal life?

It’s definitely challenging in this business. Surrounding myself with a good team is one way that gives me some time to focus on or do personal things. I know when I’m away, my team will take care of the store, our customers and our employees. 

Overall, because I love what I’m doing, there’s not a day I’m here that I’m mad or upset, and that makes it easy to balance things as well.