is owned by Doug Kalitta, a top fuel drag racer sponsored by
Mac Tools.
Lake works five days a week, but she doesn’t count her
Monday as a work day, which she uses to do inventory, banking
and other paperwork.
This born-and-raised Michigander lives and runs her
route on the shore of Lake Heron, which she says makes life
easy for her.
“You can’t go east, there’s water there,” Lake says of her
route. “I can only go in three directions: north, south and west.
And in every direction, I butt up into another distributor. So, I
go three directions and I work four days a week. Life is good.”
That may just be the simple, humble way of saying she’s
got her route down to a science.
A key to Lake’s laid back-attitude could be just who she is,
or maybe it has something to do with her work-life balance.
“My theory is that I park the truck for the day and before I
get out of it, I’m done,” Lake explains. “I do whatever paperwork
I have to do to close out my day, and I’m done. When I’m home,
I have my son’s full attention.”
Lake says the key to staying refreshed is to take time off
when it’s needed, something she’s had to learn along the way.
As a distributor, Lake acknowledges how hard it can be take
a break because it’s such a “big orchestrated plan” when it’s
needed. But, it’s necessary.
“If you’re starting to feel burnt out, take that time or you’re
not going to make it,” Lake advises other distributors. “You’re
going to hate your life, you’re going to hate your job.”
While she advocates for responsible breaks, that doesn’t
mean she’s ready to slow down anytime soon.
“I see no retirement in my sight,” Lake says. “A tool dealer
can never retire. Somebody’s always gonna owe money.”
Carrie Lake was first featured in Professional Distributor's
February 2013 cover story, "Make way for the new generation."
28 Professional Distributor I October 2018 I VehicleServicePros.com
Lake runs a refurbished tool
truck, which she has driven
since the start of her route.
Lake stocks mainly Mac-branded
tools. Some of her best sellers are the
DeWalt line, which offer versatility for
many industries and customers.
Lake stocks a variety of tool sets
to cater to all her customers, which
range from automotive to aircraft.
For example, a major part of Lake’s
territory is servicing the Kalitta Air
cargo airline in Oscoda, Mich.
SPECIAL FEATURE
/VehicleServicePros.com