Automotive

Be Differential

The automotive and motorsport world has always had a seat at the table — it just hasn’t always been yours. BeDifferential is the podcast for newcomers, outsiders, and anyone who’s ever felt like they didn’t quite fit in car culture.

Each week, host Eva Gregory goes behind the scenes with racers, engineers, executives, and industry insiders to share the stories, career paths, and hard-won lessons that don’t make it into the mainstream. From grassroots motorsport to the paddock, from vintage cars to cutting-edge tech — if you’re curious about where you fit in this world, you found the right show.

New episodes every Tuesday, plus solo industry takes every Thursday.

Latest Episodes:

The Automotive and Motorsport Industries Don't Have a Pipeline Problem — They Have a Perception Problem | Thursday Pit Stop May 14, 2026

Show notes

There's a narrative that gets repeated constantly in automotive and motorsport: we have a pipeline problem. Not enough people coming in. Not enough diversity in the talent pool.

But what if the pipeline isn't the real issue?

In this week's Thursday Pit Stop, we're making the case that the industries don't lack talent — they lack visibility into what they actually are. And that perception gap is causing incredibly capable people to self-select out before they ever raise their hand.

We get into:

Why the "pipeline problem" framing misses a more important question
How perception shapes participation — and who ends up in the room
The roles that exist beyond engineering and racing that most outsiders never see
Why people who'd thrive here are already deciding it's not for them
What those of us already in this space can actually do about it — starting this week

This one is for the people already in automotive and motorsport just as much as it's for the people on the outside looking in. Because changing perception isn't a marketing problem — it's a culture one.

The BeDifferential Podcast exists to close exactly this gap: showing people the many ways in to automotive and motorsport, so fewer brilliant people leave before they ever arrive.

From New York to NASCAR: Julia Landauer on Owning Every Room You Were Never Meant to Be In May 12, 2026

Show notes

Julia Landauer won her first racing championship at 14 years old — and she hasn't slowed down since. A Stanford graduate, NASCAR driver, keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and NASCAR Strategy & Innovation team member, Julia has spent her career moving through rooms she was never supposed to be in and making the case that motorsport has something to teach everyone.

In this episode of The BeDifferential Podcast, Julia and Eva dig into what it actually takes to build a racing career from scratch — the funding realities, the sponsorship grind, and what most people completely misunderstand about how drivers get seats. They talk about what it was like growing up in New York City with no obvious path to a racetrack, what her family thought when this became serious, and the moment she knew she could actually compete at a high level.

They also get into the harder stuff: what it feels like when "first woman to" becomes complicated, the things that pushed back hardest that rarely get talked about publicly, and how Julia learned to own being the person who never quite fit the obvious mold — not in New York, not at Stanford, not in NASCAR.

Julia breaks down what NASCAR's Strategy & Innovation team is actually working on, how she translates racing principles into leadership strategy for Fortune 500 companies, and what her platform FrontRunner is built to do for storytelling and community building. She also shares exactly what she'd tell a young woman who wants to get into racing but has no idea where to start.

If you've ever had to figure out how to belong somewhere that wasn't built for you — this one's for you.

Learn more about Julia at https://julialandauer.com

What the Miami Grand Prix Actually Shows Us About Who F1 Is For | Thursday Pit Stop May 07, 2026

Show notes

Every year after the Miami Grand Prix, the same debate resurfaces: "This isn't real Formula 1." Too flashy. Too celebrity-driven. Too influencer-heavy.

But in this week's Thursday Pit Stop, we're asking a different question — not whether Miami fits what F1 has always been, but what Miami is actually doing for the future of the sport.

We get into:

Why the "that's not real motorsport" conversation misses the point
How Miami is reaching audiences that traditional race weekends never could
What expanding entry points actually looks like in a sport with a legacy as strong as F1's
Why retention matters just as much as growth — and what that means for everyone already in this space
The role you play in welcoming new fans, not just attracting them

Whether you've been watching F1 for decades or you found it through Netflix and a TikTok rabbit hole — this episode is about how we grow a sport without leaving people behind on either end.

The BeDifferential Podcast is built on one idea: more entry points means more people, and more people makes motorsport better for everyone.

How SLICKS Is Rebuilding Motorsport Media from the Ground Up with Lewis Houghton May 05, 2026

Show notes

Lewis Houghton didn't get into motorsport media through a press pass or a journalism degree. He got in by being genuinely, relentlessly curious — rewriting his dad's old racing magazines as a kid, building a following on LinkedIn before anyone took him seriously, and eventually earning trust from Red Bull and MotoGP one honest conversation at a time.
Now he runs two things simultaneously: SLICKS, his independent motorsport media brand built as a direct antidote to the corporate, play-it-safe content that dominates the space — and copynthat, his copywriting consultancy that helps teams actually say something worth reading.
In this episode, Lewis and I dig into what's actually broken in motorsport media, why great writing is still the industry's blind spot even in the era of short-form video, and what it looks like to pitch "be less boring" to organizations that have spent years doing the opposite. He's candid about the hard no's, the industry's blind spots, and the version of himself that played it safe — and didn't make it.
If you've ever wanted to build something real in motorsport from scratch, this one's for you. Learn more about SLICKS at slicksmag.com and on Instagram @slicks.mag

Why Some People Advance in Motorsport and Automotive — and Others Don't | Thursday Pit Stop Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

If you've spent time in motorsport or automotive, you've probably noticed it: the most talented person in the room doesn't always move forward. So what's actually driving advancement in this industry?

In this week's Thursday Pit Stop, we unpack the real factors behind who builds momentum — and who stalls out. Hint: it's less about raw talent, and more about alignment, timing, and trust.

We cover:

Why motorsport isn't the meritocracy it appears to be
The three factors that consistently show up in people who advance
Why opportunity timing matters more than most people admit
What "perceived risk" has to do with who gets the next shot
What you can actually control — and how to use it

Whether you're just breaking into the automotive world or you've been in it for years and feel like your career is stuck, this episode gives you a clearer picture of how the industry actually operates — and how to position yourself within it.

The BeDifferential Podcast brings diverse voices and perspectives into automotive and motorsport — because the industry is richer when more people feel invited in.

Relationships Are the Real Currency | Pit Stop Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

This week’s Thursday Pit Stop takes a closer look at something that quietly shapes nearly every opportunity in motorsport and the automotive industry: relationships.

After exploring how decisions get made and how partnerships come together, this episode dives into what sits underneath both — and why it’s often misunderstood.

Because relationships in this space aren’t about quick networking moments or collecting contacts. They’re built over time through consistency, trust, and proximity to the work. And more often than not, they’re the reason opportunities happen long before anything is ever formally posted.

In this episode, we break down:

• The difference between networking and real relationship-building

• How trust, proximity, and consistency influence decision-making

• Why opportunities can feel inaccessible from the outside — and what’s actually happening behind the scenes

• How to approach relationship-building in a way that’s genuine, sustainable, and effective

If you’ve ever felt like opportunities are happening around you — but not with you — this episode offers a candid look at why, and what to do about it.

Because in this industry, relationships aren’t transactional. They’re cumulative.

From Builder to Brand with Theresa Contreras Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

This week on The BeDifferential Podcast, we sit down with Theresa Contreras — a builder, designer, and entrepreneur whose work sits at the intersection of craftsmanship, innovation, and cultural influence.

From her early entry into the automotive world to leading boundary-pushing builds through Baja Forged, Theresa shares what it really looks like to evolve from participating in the industry to actively shaping it.

We talk about the decisions behind the builds — what gets preserved, what gets reimagined, and how she approaches design in a space where tradition and innovation don’t always align. She also opens up about navigating the realities behind high-level custom work, and what people often misunderstand about what it takes to execute at this level.

Beyond the builds, this conversation dives into brand — how Theresa transitioned from creating one-off projects into building a cohesive identity across products, media, and storytelling, and how supporting platforms have influenced both visibility and opportunity.

We also explore leadership, representation, and the evolving definition of what it means to "BeDifferential" today — especially for those entering the industry from non-traditional paths.

This episode isn’t just about cars.

It’s about vision, evolution, and building something that lasts.

Thursday Pit Stop: The Reality of Partnerships Apr 16, 2026

Show notes

This week’s Thursday Pit Stop takes a closer look at one of the most visible — and most misunderstood — parts of the motorsport industry: partnerships.

From the outside, deals can look simple. A logo gets placed, a press release goes out, and everything appears to fit neatly into place. But internally, there’s a much more complex set of decisions happening — and they don’t always align with what’s visible on the surface.

In this episode, we break down what brands are actually evaluating when considering a partnership, why strong ideas don’t always move forward, and how timing, alignment, and internal priorities shape the outcome far more than hype ever will.

If you’ve ever wondered why some opportunities come together — while others don’t — this is the context you don’t usually get to see.

Because partnerships don’t move forward just because they look good.

 They move forward because they make sense.

Rethinking Access with Erica Sietsma Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

Motorsport has long been built on access and relationships — but Erica Sietsma is working to change that.

After building her career in automotive technology and digital marketing, Erica founded Autofluencer to modernize how sponsorship works in motorsports. In this episode, we explore the gap she saw in the industry and how her platform is helping make sponsorship more accessible for drivers, creators, and brands alike.

We break down the idea of “social media as currency” — what it actually means, how brands are responding, and how it’s reshaping the value exchange in racing.

Erica also shares what it’s like to build a company in an industry that doesn’t always move quickly, along with the leadership lessons, challenges, and motivation behind creating something new.

This conversation is about access, evolution, and expanding who gets to participate in motorsport — whether you’ve always considered yourself a “car person” or not.

Because being differential isn’t just about showing up differently — it’s about creating new ways in.

Thursday Pit Stop: Who Makes Decisions in Motorsport Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

This week’s Thursday Pit Stop takes a step back from race results and headlines to look at how motorsport actually operates behind the scenes.

Because while teams, drivers, and race strategy are the most visible parts of the sport, the decisions that shape opportunities, partnerships, and long-term direction are happening long before cars ever hit the track — and not always by the people you expect.

In this episode, we break down the three layers that influence decision-making in motorsport:

• The visible layer — teams and competition

• The financial layer — brands, sponsors, and commercial priorities

• The structural layer — governance, regulations, and series leadership

The reality? Motorsport doesn’t run on individual decisions — it runs on alignment across all three.

If you’re looking to build a career, grow within the industry, or better understand why things happen the way they do, this episode offers a clearer lens into the system behind the sport — and how to navigate it more strategically.

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