Born of Passion

Benvenuti amici!

Despite the fact I am prone to a "shy" nature… especially in large groups… I am not one to shy away from change. I am most definitely not one to shy away from a good challenge. So, when we decided to follow through with the idea of founding Cream City 500 Club I knew the greatest opportunity for personal growth would be in getting to know people and forging lasting relationships with them. Fortunately for me (and the Famiglia), we have a good-looking & iconic symbol that unites us in passion.

The importance of unification through passion, and the success it delivers, cannot be overemphasized or exaggerated ~ regardless of the venture. Dr. Gary P. Hamel, considered by many to be one of the world's most influential business thinkers put it this way, "… there are some more important gifts… capabilities. Initiative: people who see a problem, an opportunity, they start to move before anyone says 'It's okay'. Creativity: people who are learning from other industries, they are challenging the status quo. Passion: people who truly have passion… who look at their job not as how I put bread on the table, but as this is the way I can make a difference in the world". - from Passion Trumps Intellect

Making a difference drives me with every new day I am given. Unifying passionate people, I think, is a surefire way to exact a positive difference in the world. That is where FIAT, the Cinquino and, now, Cream City 500 Club come into play for me. The company, the car and the club owes a great deal of gratitude to the passion (of the people) they tap. Without this inexplicable emotion we are left with cool but common commodities. But these passion-infused entities have provided me innumerable opportunities to change the world around me for the better. 

The latest FIAT-related opportunity I have been gifted is one I set my sights on very soon after we agreed to launch CC5C. As such, it is  with a certain degree of pride I announce the following. Last week I agreed to take on the voluntary role of FCA (FIAT Club America) Regional Contact [Wisconsin]. FCA is one of the longest running FIAT focused car clubs in North America. They command the audience of the Italian automaker, FIAT USA and most local clubs in this part of the world. To be of service to them & the greater FIATisti community is an honor.

The Italians hit North American shores…

How this gift serves my purpose is fairly obvious. I become available to many more people… some of whom have been passionate for the brand, as well as the change it represents, for decades. As we come together, our individual perspectives and passions cross pollinate which creates opportunities for even greater change. I believe what is happening in the Milwaukee Metro Area and Madison can add/adds a tremendous degree of value to the established North American FIAT community. In doing so, we actively take part in changing the environment around us.

One of many FCA FFO panoramic group shots…

Simply put; Wisconsinites, especially Milwaukeeans, are a very different slice of 'Americana'. The differences go far deeper than the use of words like 'bubbler' and 'soda' pronounced with a nasally accent all our own. We drink different. We think different. We walk different. We small talk different. We drive different. We thrive different… and I have not begun to scratch the surface of it. As Chrysler helps FIAT usher in a new era of their presence in the global market, we want to help FCA usher in a new era of fandom.

Moving ordinary people in extraordinary cars…

Groups like the CC5C Famiglia do not have an extended era of doing things a particular way or decades of waiting for their beloved to return impacting good ol' fashioned fun. What we offer is not as much new to enthusiasts as it is  unfettered passion. The first FCA meet, later to be dubbed FIAT FreakOut, was held at the time the automaker pulled out of the U.S. market. Theirs began as something of a lament-infused gathering of very passionate people. Newer, local clubs gather… from day one… as a celebration of a triumphant little buggy. The aforementioned beloved has arrived.

The coming together of the two is a very good thing for all involved. FIAT Club America offers local clubs a link to FIAT heritage while we offer FCA a fresh look at an old pastime. My affiliation with both, the national and a local club, helps everyone involved. The fact the FCA BoD (Board of Directors) recognizes this, as they seize opportunities to unite the community on our shores, serves to further validate the point.

So, where do we go from here?

To mark the occasion of my individual FCA membership, the appointment to Regional Contact [Wisconsin] and the relationship between the national club + Cream City 500 Club, I wrote an intro piece for an upcoming issue of RICAMBI magazine. We, the RICAMBI publishing team and I, believe it helps punctuate the power of our united passion. True, CC5C may not become an official chapter of FCA anytime soon. But we support the FCA goal -- with vigor -- of putting good people together with other good people in style.

In closing I would like to draw attention to what the S.p.A. in FIAT S.p.A. means… Società per Azioni (Society for Action). Thank you for your continued support of Cream City 500 Club, your local community and FIAT Club America. The source of your action fuels the change and makes the difference.

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

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