From Entertainment Tonight to SEMA: Kendra Sommer's Wild Automotive Journey | S3 E12

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Kendra Sommer of CWK Media and Cruising with Kendra joins Barry Alt and Sean Sawyer of Revved Automotive Consulting at Gearheads n' Gasoline to share how she left the entertainment industry, bet on herself, and built a career in automotive media.

From growing up in a family of International Scout enthusiasts to quitting her job and heading to SEMA, Kendra explains how networking, consistent branding, and genuine relationships opened the door to new opportunities. She also breaks down why authentic storytelling often connects better than perfectly polished content, how LinkedIn became a powerful business-development tool, and why confident cold outreach still works.

The conversation also covers international travel and perceptions of America, building trust with automotive brands, managing rejection, protecting your reputation, and the challenges women can face behind the camera. Kendra closes with advice for young professionals entering the industry and shares her goal of expanding automotive storytelling into television and film.

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Key Takeaways:

• Quit her local news job on the spot to chase the SEMA Show, with no backup plan.
• Third-generation International Scout enthusiast; her family has a home Scout museum in NC.
• Went from dangerous, solo local news assignments to building her own media company.
• Built her client network by cold-calling every business card she collected at SEMA.
• Used LinkedIn to warm up relationships before making the call that landed Brunswick/Mercury Racing.
• Has worked with NASCAR, Fox Sports, Discovery, History Channel, Scout Motors, and Walmart.
• Hit 175 mph on the Miami coast riding along with Brunswick's CEO.
• Covered the Saudi Crown Princess Car Show in Riyadh.
• Shares her mindset trick for handling rejection in a brutal industry.
• Talks about what SEMA could do to help young people break into the business.

Guest Bio:
Kendra Sommer is an automotive reporter, producer, and businesswoman known for her brand "Cruisin' With Kendra" and her ad creative agency, CWK Media. She is a distinguished businesswoman, automotive reporter, and producer who has contributed reports to the marine and automotive industries, delivering content ranging from technical reports to lifestyle features. Her coverage has spanned the globe, including the Saudi Crown Prince Car Show in Riyadh, and she has written for Motor Trend publications like Hot Rod, Car Craft, and Mustang Monthly. She has also appeared as a correspondent on automotive TV programs on History Channel, Discovery, MAVTV, and Fox Sports. As a third-generation International Harvester enthusiast, Kendra continues a family legacy; her grandfather worked as an engineer for the company for over 40 years. Before entering automotive media, she built her skills as a news journalist covering stories throughout the Heartland; then, in 2017, she left news reporting to attend the SEMA Show, the world's largest automotive trade show, launching her career in the industry.

Guest:
Kendra Sommer, Owner, CWK Media
https://www.cwkmedia.net/
https://www.facebook.com/kendra.sommer
https://www.instagram.com/kendrasommer
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendra-sommer-a40240138/
https://www.youtube.com/@KendraSommer⁩
https://www.tiktok.com/ ⁨@cruisinwithkendra902⁩

Host:
Barry Alt, Motorhead Digital
maximizesales@motorheaddigital.com
https://motorheaddigital.com
https://facebook.com/Motorhead.Digital
https://instagram.com/motorhead.digital
https://linkedin.com/company/motorhead-digital

Co-Host:
Sean Sawyer, Revved Automotive Consulting
https://www.revvedac.com
https://www.facebook.com/revvedautomotive
https://www.instagram.com/ocdcarbuilder

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