Shawn Ball is the dealer principal at L&S Toyota of Beckley in Beckley, West Virginia. His long-standing commitment to service in his community has earned him all the recognition that comes with being nominated as the 2025 TIME and Ally Financial Dealer of the Year. 

Through hard work and determination, Shawn overcame many obstacles and attained the American dream. He never forgot his humble beginnings and has, without fanfare, done so much to help the less fortunate, especially the children in his community. 

We recently sat down with Shawn and learned more about his life and career, as well as his advice for others in the industry. We want to thank Shawn for his time. The following are excerpts from our conversation. 

What has been the most rewarding part of your career? 

What I’ve done for my employees is the most important and rewarding part for me. There’s no way I can be successful unless they’re successful. I’ve had that philosophy since I started in this business. I’ve always been very employee-centric, ensuring they all make good money, are happy and have good family lives. To accomplish this, on any given day, I have to be a part-time psychologist, attorney, accountant or whatever role is needed. When I meet someone new and they ask me what I do for a living, I say, “I’m an HR director” because that’s what this world has become — the world of business. Helping employees when they are in need is essential — it’s the difference between a successful company and a failing company. 

I’ve always tried to offer my employees the very best 401(k)s. In addition, I offer a matching SMART529 college savings account. So, if I have an employee who wants to send their kid to college, they can put money in every month, and I’ll match it. One of my managers told me he paid his daughter’s entire college tuition from the 529. She made it through college, and he did not take one penny out of his pocket.

I was one of the first to offer the matching 529, and the state treasurer of West Virginia was so impressed that he brought me to Orlando, to the National Treasurer convention, to speak about what I was doing. There were about 200 treasurers in the audience. I was asked the question, “Why would why would you do this?” I answered, “Because you guys all suck.” The audience looked at me, and they all started dying from laughter. I was supposed to talk for 15 minutes but it ended up being an hour. They wouldn’t let me leave. Throughout my career, I’ve always tried to do things differently, to do the last thing anyone would ever expect you to do because that’s what people remember. And I’m pretty sure that room full of treasurers remembers me. 

Please tell us about any notable accomplishments.

I have had so many things going against me throughout my life, but I am loyal and have a strong work ethic. I did horribly in school. I was a solid 2.0 student but made it through college because I worked hard. Now, I’m on the Board of Governors for that college, which is crazy. When placed on the board, I asked, “Did you not research my grades when you put me on here?” But I’m a voice of common sense and dissent, and that is what they wanted. You can’t have someone that goes along with everything. It’s not good for whatever you’re doing. 

Have you had any mentors along the way?

I’ve had many mentors, but some in a different way than most people would consider a mentor. I would consider my dad a mentor because he taught me personally what not to do. My mom and dad divorced when I was young; he wasn’t around until I was a teenager. My mom worked hard to raise three rambunctious boys by herself. It was not always easy, and I have so much respect for her. 

When my dad came back into the picture, I went to work for him. I got a lot of exposure to the mobile home and car industries. I helped set up mobile homes and sold used cars on the side. Through this experience, I knew I wanted to own my own dealership one day. He taught me to work hard, but he was horrible with money and always seemed to be broke. Watching him taught me not to put people on a pedestal, thinking they can do no wrong.

You may not believe this, but I was probably the single shyest kid in the world. I hated speaking to anybody. And being a shy person, it’s hard to have a mentor. I had to come out of my shell when I got to college. Everybody made fun of how I talked, and I was the butt of many jokes. When that happens, you just shut down, get in your shell and try not to say too much. So, my mentors were people in the car industry. Whenever I had the chance, I would ask them questions like, “How did you get into the business?” It would just kill me to do it, but I would ask. I learned a lot from them telling their stories. 

What advice would you pass along when mentoring others? 

1. You have to work hard and work smart, too. A good work ethic is irreplaceable. One of the positive things my parents taught me was to have a work ethic. I never missed work, ever. I was dependable and fiercely loyal until someone proved me wrong. And then, I’m fiercely against it.
2. Be honest. I’ve had so many opportunities to take money under the table and do dishonest things, but I have never. I’ve always been able to look at myself in the mirror and know I have lived up to my standards. Don’t ever lie, cheat or steal, ever. Those are the three words that I tell every employee that I hire. You cannot lie, cheat or steal and still work for me. It’s not possible.
3. Don’t put your mentors on a pedestal. You will miss their imperfections, which will teach you so much more than their successes. If you were to spend a week with me, I assure you you’d know my imperfections. And you can learn from my screw-ups. I’m not perfect by any means, so you have to be able to look at me not as this guy who’s accomplished all these things but as an imperfect human being that you can learn from and decide what you would do differently. That’s the most important lesson I can teach anyone. 

What does the best day in business look like for you? 

The best day I’ve ever experienced, and it’s only happened a few times, is a 30-car day. When I was young, poor and broke, I worked as a salesperson at one of the dealerships in Charleston. I remember they averaged 30 car sales a day at that store. It was a huge dealership, and I always thought about how crazy it was to sell that many cars every single day, every day of the week. So, when I first got three stores, we finally got our 30-car day. That was always a big deal to me. We have done it a few more times since then. Having a 30-car day is still a personal goal for me. 

What keeps you motivated at work? 

My favorite video in the world, which I watch about once every three or four months, is the motivational commencement speech by Lou Holtz called “Silver Spoon.” It is one thing that cheers me up and motivates me as well. My favorite quote from the speech is: 

“You’re going to have problems. You’re going to have difficulties. That’s part of life. Don’t tell people about your problems. Do you know that 90% of the people don’t care? And the other 10% are glad you got them, so you’re better off keeping them to yourself.”

I’ve always thought that complaining about something will probably not be the most productive thing for people around me. Most do not understand how hard I’ve worked. And I don’t expect anyone to give me sympathy. I’m human. I have good and bad days, just like everybody. 

I’ve eliminated many of my financial concerns, which was a big deal for me. Growing up, I always said, “I want to be a millionaire.” That was one of my biggest goals in life. So, for me to look at one of my employees and tell them how bad my life is, that’s not good. 

I was dead broke when I was 23 years old. I had just graduated college. My dad passed away. Everything bad that could happen happened. I didn’t have a girlfriend. I didn’t have a wife. I didn’t have kids. I didn’t have anything. It was just me, and I thought, “What am I going to do to make it big in this business?” I dove in headfirst, worked harder than anybody and started building my business. 

Back in those days, I could call my brother and complain and bellyache about how bad I had things. But, when you become more successful, you must watch what you say. That was a big aha moment. Today, the only person who will listen to my problems is probably the psychologist who I pay $200 an hour to listen to me. 

When I was young, I always said, “Set small goals that you can achieve, and they’ll lead to big success.” That’s how I lived my life. I set goals, and once I reached them, I would set another goal. It’s a process of small steps. For me, I set goals of being a good salesperson, then a good sales manager, then a good used car man and then to be good at F&R. 

Once I reached a certain point, if the companies I worked for didn’t want to teach me anymore, I moved to the next one. I did that a few times in my career. If you can’t grow anymore, it’s time to leave and prepare yourself for the next thing. Setting goals will keep you motivated. 

You also need to be very disciplined and marry someone very disciplined. My wife and I lived in poverty conditions until we were 40. When I bought my first dealership, we lived in an $800-a-month apartment with only two bedrooms and three kids. We had means, but I couldn’t buy this dealership if we had spent all our money elsewhere. My wife had to have 100% faith in me. I don’t know how she did it, but she did. She was there with me, taking all the chances with me. I would ask her, “Do you want me to get a different job where I can make money, and we can buy a nice house? She would say, “No, just keep going. I trust you.” At age 40, she was starting to get a little impatient. She’d tell me, “I’ve never even had a garage or a house with decent heat. When our daughter was born, she had to sleep in a cot at the foot of our bed.” That was hard. People don’t know that part of my story when they see me. That was only 11 years ago. 

What is your all-time favorite car? And what are you driving today? 

I am a car fanatic for really nice, expensive cars. My all-time favorite car — that I would do anything to own but would never buy — is a 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari. It’s worth about $4.3 million right now. If I owned one, I couldn’t sleep at night. I’d be afraid that that car would get hurt. So, I drive a newer Tundra and have been driving Tundras for 15 years. 

What do you do when you’re not working? Do you have any hobbies? 

I enjoy hunting and fishing, and I own a farm. I bale hay and have cows, chickens, pigs and a donkey named Lulu. My donkey is great. When I purchased the farm a few years ago, my employees bought Lulu for me as a Christmas present. They usually give me something like a rifle or a bow, but one of my wise guy employees thought that I needed a donkey since I have a farm now. They delivered Lulu to the dealership, and my kids were there. They asked me to walk out back with them. I questioned as to why, but they just insisted I come. We finally walked out back, and there she was, Lulu the donkey. I don’t know if it was a gag gift or a real gift, but she’s been with us on the farm ever since.