Traci Brubaker came up in the Region; she went to Portage High School. For a few months now she has been working as a recruiter for Zeigler Automotive Group in her old stomping grounds. She’s no stranger to the world of cars, either, having previously held a car sales position for 12 years
Prior to these roles, Brubaker began working in a restaurant after graduating from high school. After that, she moved on to selling insurance for State Farm for a significant spell. That industry helped her to get better at building trust and professional relationships with people.
Around 2011, Brubaker made a change. Some re-evaluation occurred, and thoughts of pursuing a different career arose. She decided to join her brothers as a car salesperson. The prospects sounded exciting, and she wound up enjoying it. She remained resolute in staying open-minded to all the potential customers had to offer her.
“I think selling cars was right where I belonged. I built a huge business from referrals and out of the trust people had with me. I would help them find the best vehicle and make the best decisions—that's really the big crux of what I did,” she said. “I had to figure out problems, talk, listen, and really pay attention to what people’s needs were. All of that was a big passion of mine.”
During the past few years, Zeigler Automotive Group has purchased a handful of stores in Indiana with plans to acquire even more in the future. A recruiting role opened up, and Brubaker heard about it. She again seized another great opportunity that found itself on her lap.
Having a natural talent for connecting people with things that best fit with their interests and skills, Brubaker was the perfect person for the job she currently possesses. The position adds on to her desire to show people different career paths and how they can succeed.
“I’m in a male-dominated industry. Recently, I was even in a meeting at a different dealership in Fort Wayne, and I was the only female in a room of about 45 people. Regardless, I always looked at myself as a salesperson who was changing people's lives. Where I am now, it’s been fun and exciting because I still get to do that. I bring them, male or female, into a career and introduce them to paths they hadn’t known about before,” she said.
Providing unparalleled service mandates substantial amounts of both time and effort, but Brubaker is willing to tackle the complexities. She is not afraid of the difficulty of balancing a healthy schedule, nor is she intimidated by telling it how it is, especially when it comes to the realities car salespeople have to face.
“Everything’s commission, so your personal schedule doesn’t matter much. It’s really about your customer and their schedule, and I think that people don't realize how often salespeople work late into the night,” she said. “The work is never done for a salesperson. They're always working a lot later than people think, so the bad rap they get at times is unfair. They should be praised for how hard they work because they really do care about people.”
Brubaker is huge on experiencing live music through concerts and such. It’s one of her favorite pastimes. She loves the closeness of the water of Lake Michigan and all the beaches that border it. Big in her faith, she regularly attends church services. Her nieces and nephews receive a lot of her attention, and she relishes each minute she gets with them and her family as a whole.
An open book, Brubaker has plenty of stories to share. She once walked barefoot on fire after seeing Tony Robbins doing the whole firewalker shtick. Back when she waited tables at a former Ruby Tuesday location in Merrillville, she stumbled upon a David Copperfield show. She ended up getting scared after the performance of one of his tricks and proceeded to scream in his face. Nowadays, she looks back on the memory with fondness.
Another thing Brubaker looks upon with fondness is Valparaiso itself. The city has presented her with many things that enhanced her lifestyle, and it has strengthened her outlook on everything this part of Northwest Indiana perpetually has available to present.
“I love downtown Valpo. They have a lot of concerts over there. There’s always something going on, even in the winter, like ice-skating. You can’t drive downtown and not be happy. It's just a very, very fun place to live. I feel that we’re safe, and there's just so much to do,” she said.