You’ll never find Wes Bailey sitting at his desk. That’s because he’s always out and about talking to his customers and delivering on his purpose.
“I love interacting with people,” says Wes, General Manager (GM) at America’s Car-Mart of Woodstock, Ga. “I enjoy working with my customers. I’m a service-oriented person and I enjoy doing things for my customers and my community. That’s huge for me.”
Every day that Wes goes to work, he has a purpose. In fact, everything he does must have a purpose. His “P” word is Purpose. “It’s everything I do. My purpose is my main attribute,” Wes comments. “Every day, I ask myself, ‘how many people can I help?’”
Wes compares his purpose to planting a tree. “It starts with seeds. What trees will grow based on what I have planted? What trees can I leave behind,” says Wes, who is inspired to help his associates and customers, as well as his family, to be the best they can be.
Finding purpose, fulfillment, and opportunity at Car-Mart
“I was intrigued, to say the least,” says Wes about the potential for advancement when he joined Car-Mart.
He joined the company in June 2016 as a Future Manager in Training. He was quickly promoted to an Area Operations role before being named to his current position as GM. His Woodstock store achieved its business projections during his first year in leading the store, turning the store around 150 percent. “Seeing the growth and potential was very rewarding,” says Wes.
Undeniably, Wes has discovered his purpose at Car-Mart, a company with a pursuit of its own. Car-Mart’s mission ‘to be America’s best auto sales and finance company in the eyes of our associates and customers while improving the communities we serve.’ Wes chose to work at Car-Mart because of what the company stands for – respect, compassion, integrity, and excellence. “It’s easy for me. These values are who I am,” says Wes, who ‘fell in love with the lot at Woodstock.’
Of course, the opportunity to help people at Car-Mart falls in line with Wes’s purpose. During his time at Car-Mart, Wes has seen Car-Mart’s values play out with customers. The Car-Mart team restructured a payment plan for a single mother who was late with her payments and hosted a birthday party for the customer’s 11-year-old daughter. Another customer was living out of his truck, and Car-Mart lent him a helping hand. When an elderly lady’s husband died, Car-Mart presented her with the title to their vehicle.
Learning and paying it forward at Car-Mart
Wes participated in Car-Mart’s Future Manager training program upon joining Car-Mart where he learned the business. “The Future Managers’ training program was important to me because I’m all about education,” says Wes. “Training helps the growth of the people and if the people are growing, the company is growing. It was an amazing opportunity.
“Someone saw the potential in me, and someone gave me the opportunity. Just give me the opportunity and I’ll prove myself. Many other places don’t give you this kind of opportunity,” Wes continues. “If Car-Mart sees potential, they’ll give you the opportunity and help you grow.”
And, now, Wes is hosting Future Manager training participants at his store. He, also, pays it forward to his staff by helping them achieve their full potential. He willingly shares his knowledge and uplifts them as much as possible.
“Believe it or not – I tell my staff – I’m successful because I give,” Wes comments. “The more I give, the more I receive. I don’t look to receive anything. I stress the importance of always giving.”
Carving out family time
A family man, Wes and his wife, Jennifer, spend quality time with their three boys and one girl, ages 8 to 16 – Genevieve, Miles, Wes, and Kyler. “My family is my passion,” says Wes, while adding that he regularly spends one-on-one time with each of his children, as well as enjoying frequent date nights with Jennifer.
He coaches his children’s basketball and football teams. Wes encourages them that they can be anybody they want to be, “just have a big heart,” he comments.
If that isn’t enough, the family hosts an international exchange student from China, a 16-year-old girl, Yiyi. “We love opening up our home,” says Wes, who grew up in New York City with his single mother and brother and sister.
“It was rough and hard, but, yet, we were able to help others,” adds Wes. “At one time or another, we needed help. So, I appreciate helping other people.”
“My mom is an amazing woman. She taught me to be independent and hard-working and to take care of each other. She also taught me how to cook and clean,” mentions Wes, who credits his mother for his purpose-directed life.
Wes’s mother re-married when Wes was 16 and the couple moved to South Carolina while Wes stayed behind in New York City to continue his high school and playing basketball. “I was always that person. They called me that ‘old soul,’” says Wes, who eventually moved to South Carolina where he graduated from South Carolina State University, Orangeburg.
Additionally, his teachers, coaches, and bosses all helped him along the way. He wants to pass on to others what they gave to him.
Prior to working for Car-Mart, he was a military contractor and ran operations for Honeywell in Iraq and Kuwait.
Delivering on his legacy at Car-Mart
“My purpose – my legacy – is to leave something better than what I found it,” says Wes. “The more I help others, the more I get in return. It’s a blessing. When I see my mark in the lives of people I’ve helped, it’s fulfilling. If someone needs my help, I’ll be there. I’ll do what I can to help people and this company be successful.”
Indeed, Wes is capitalizing on the opportunity provided to him by Car-Mart to deliver on his purpose. “They let me fly and let me soar and they have faith in my capabilities,” says Wes. “So, it’s my turn to help and serve our customers. It’s an amazing opportunity.”
Searching for a career with a community-driven company? If so, we encourage you to learn more about working at Car-Mart and see how you can start improving a local community near you today!
