Some Automotive News 40 Under 40 honorees share one thing that people don’t know about them.

“I’m an amateur sushi chef. On a trip to Japan with Honda in 2016, I learned how to make sushi watching a master sushi chef prepare dinner. Now I regularly order fresh fish from Hawaii and whip up sushi platters for family and friends; I even make my own crispy rice.” — Eric Frehsee

“I get to work real early in the mornings. Sometimes people walk into my office, and I’ll be listening to classical music at a very, very loud volume. I’m like, ‘This helps me go through statements, go through whatever in the morning.’ So a lot of people think I’m kind of a weirdo.” — Joe Medina

“In 2010, I was crowned Ms. United States.” — Tristan Topps

“It took me three attempts to pass my written learner’s permit test, but now I’m a great driver.” — Keri Lanzavecchia

“I proposed to my wife at the Eiffel Tower. I hired a photographer online before I went; he drew up a map and [helped] me pick out the perfect spot to do the proposal and told me what time to be there for sunrise. I managed to pull off surprising my wife. She didn’t quite understand why she had to get so dressed up so early in the morning.” — Jesse Powers

“I enjoy collecting bourbon and have around 2,500 bottles in my collection dating back to the early 1900s.” — Ronnie Lowenfield

“I used to be a very avid poker player. I try to not let my guys find out so that maybe there’s still a chance we could have a poker night. It’s just like the car business. What prepped me for the hours and patience and focus was the hours I spent playing cards.” — Jessica Cupini

“I used to be a beekeeper on biodynamic farms in Colorado.” — Savannah Simms

“I married my middle school sweetheart who used to drive me to and from work since [age] 14 and now works with me at the dealership. We have been together for 21 years.” — Jessica Trask

“I’m very shy. I am private, and I doubt myself a lot — a lot. I’ve accomplished a lot, too, but I still don’t always grasp that.” — Carmen Hinton

“I skipped fourth grade … so I never learned the state capitals. To this day, I couldn’t tell you the state capital of probably just about any state. I’ve tried to learn them as an adult now [but] I cannot retain them for anything.” — Jennifer Parsons

“I was ‘fired’ after just a week as an express technician on one of my first jobs in the car business. I knocked over an oil caddy and spilled oil across about a quarter of the shop floor. After that, I was sent up front to drive the customer shuttle van.” —

“I performed at the 2007 Super Bowl halftime show!” — Kristina Perez-Cubas

“Every Thursday, I actually work at a nonprofit faith-based organization. I am doing online outreach and motel outreach so I am around prostitutes, pimps, pedophiles, you name it. I go to the strip clubs here in Amarillo and I get to spend time with the dancers and talk to them, get to know them, show them that they are loved.” — Courtney Paschal

“I am really flexible. I’m 6-foot-5 and can place both of my feet behind my head; I can just lift my foot up and rock it right behind.” — Doug Formby

“My wife and I got engaged at a [Kansas City Chiefs] home opener, and we bought the seats from the stadium we got engaged in when they put all new seats in the stadium.” — Ryan Dare

“When I married my wife, Alexandra, I took her family’s last name, which is Haskell. She didn’t know until a few weeks before we got married.” — Ryan Mutalib (He plans to eventually use Haskell as his last name for work purposes.)

“I graduated from the [police academy] when I was 22. The town that sponsored me didn’t have any openings. They were like, ‘We’ll pay for you to go; we can’t offer you a job afterward, but at least you’ll have that education.” — Eryn Haugen

“I actually worked on the mechanical side of dairy farming. I used to help change tires, change oil. I didn’t do it myself; I will say that I’m not that good. But I helped change a radiator in a Mack truck and those kind of things.” — Tineke Greyling

“I own an off-the-track thoroughbred [Rowdy] who was bred in Kentucky and is supposed to be a really great racehorse, but he never won a single race.” — Samantha Sonnemaker

“Sometimes employees are surprised when I tell them I want to ‘train my replacement.’ People need to know the business, and they need to understand how everything works. When I tell people that, they say, ‘You mean, you want me to take over your job?’ They’re kind of surprised by it.” — Jeff Defonseka