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Nicole Pereira is the first to admit she’s not “I’ve learned more from my failures and miscues, and missteps,
really a ‘car person’. than I have from my successes,” she says, adding that’s one piece of
advice she would offer to any potential business owner.
Instead, the long-time president and CEO of Cambridge Centre Hon-
da says her strength lies elsewhere. “Try to be wise and don’t repeat mistakes.”

“Full disclosure, I’m one hundred percent a people person,” she But Pereira, who is the current chair of the Cambridge Chamber of
says, taking a moment to chat in her second-floor office at the Hes- Commerce, has had many successes.
peler Road dealership she has operated for the past 15 years. Besides finding a good work/life balance while raising her two boys
– aged five and seven.
Meanwhile, on the showroom floor potential buyers browse among
a bevy of models, while staff at the adjacent service department “We have a very balanced floor in terms of gender, ethnicity and
juggle a growing group of customers. age,” Pereria says. “Our team looks like our community.”
She says Cambridge Centre Honda has a very positive ‘vibe’ when it
“What keeps me excited about being here is our customers and our comes to serving their female customers.
team,” Pereira says, some of whom have been associated with the
family-owned dealership since her parents, Greg and Wendy Morin, “I think that’s something I’ve been able to embrace, but not stra-
founded their initial Datsun business about 40 years ago. The deal- tegically or intentionally,” Pereira says, referring to the fact women
ership became Cambridge Centre Honda in 1996. hold key roles in many positions at the dealership, except it has no
female service technicians. “We’ve never had that opportunity be
“We definitely have a few people who’ve been here twenty-plus presented to us, but I would embrace that.”
years,” she says, referring to her staff. “We have a pretty good track
record of finding good people and holding onto them.” But sadly, she admits the automotive business remains, in many re-
Pereira herself jokes that she literally grew up at the dealership, spects, a very male-dominated industry despite the fact women are
along with her younger brother, Jeremy, who now resides in Alberta important players.
with his own family. “Market research is clear on this: women are the key drivers in au-

“I grew up as a baby in a car seat under the desk, while my mom tomotive decision making,” Pereira says.
was trying to figure out a way to the pay the bills,” she says. However, she’s doing her part to help women in other ways by serv-

And as the business thrived, Pereira spent a large portion of her ing on the advisory board of Groyourbiz Cambridge.
youth getting ‘hands-on’ work experience at the dealership. Part of an international organization, the 20-member board offers
From making coffee and blowing up balloons, to putting stickers on peer support to women business owners.
brochures, she received a first-hand look at how the automotive She says they meet once a month and are presented with a current
business worked. But when it came time to forge her own path after need, or challenge, and in turn offer their feedback to the owner.
obtaining a business degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, Pereira
decided a career in the car business wasn’t for her. “We support each other in very meaningful and tangible ways,”
Pereira says. She also serves on the board of the Waterloo Region
“I decided I was going to work for a big company, in a big city, and Small Business Centre.
do big things,” she jokes. “I did all that and had a lot of fun and saw
a lot of the world.” “I have a real interest in small business and nurturing small busi-
ness, which is probably why I got involved with the Chamber and
Following a three-year stint working for a consulting research firm the small business centre.”
in Toronto that expanded quickly, but later suddenly contracted,
Pereira found herself teaching English in Korea and began working Pereira also has a passion to help others and returned in the fall
for a non-profit in Hong Kong. from a 10-day visit to Haiti as part of a Waterloo-based group’s com-
munity development mission to assist residents of a community
“I loved it, but I really missed my family and didn’t know what I called Jakdesa.
wanted to do professionally,” she says.
“It’s rewarding to be included in this project. I fell in love with the
A visit from her parents paved the way for her return to Cambridge, people of Haiti and their resourcefulness,” she says. “Their ability to
where she became the operations manager of the dealership prior live simply, but with a sense of joy, was encouraging and inspiring.”
to taking over for her parents after they retired.
Pereira says she also finds inspiration from her many supporters
Pereira admits taking over the reins of the dealership wasn’t easy and mentors, especially her parents.
in the beginning.
“I think I’m a risk taker, but they put it all out on the line to see if
“Now all of sudden I was responsible for the people who watched this (dealership) would work. They’ve definitely mentored me and
me grow up,” she says. “I had a lot of growing up to do and lessons continue to in both business and life,” she says, adding finding joy in
to learn, some I easily learned and others not so much.” your work is important.

In fact, Pereria says she learned a great deal about herself in those “I think one of the reasons things have gone well for me is because
early days. I enjoy this. This is a passion for me, being in the people business.”

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Winter 2019