We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Darin Roberge. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Darin below.
Darin, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?
To be perfectly honest, I’ve spent a pretty good chunk of my life being one of those down—but never out—kind of stereotypes. I fully understand how difficult it is to pull yourself back up once you’ve screwed something up, tripped and fallen a little bit, or even had a run of bad luck. I think that trying to do positive things for others is not only a component of my personal redemption arc, but it’s a reflection of how genuinely grateful I am for some of the good luck that I’ve been blessed with, too. Repeatedly, I’ve not only been lucky enough, but also strong enough to make that change and figure out how to make it work. Some people need a little bit of help with that sometimes in order to realize that they can do it, too. Additionally, I’m passionate about preserving history, and as a result, it’s something I dedicate to my career. This is also shown through my nonprofit efforts. You never really know where you’re going unless you first figure out where you’ve been. It’s important to protect that.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
The reality is, at Motorwerks, we do a lot. We’re comprised of five different entities, including a classic, collector and specialty automotive-focused marketing and advertising agency, Motorwerks Marketing; two nonprofit support businesses, Motorwerks Gives and ClassicCars4Nonprofits; an automotive media outlet, The Z260; and, of course, Arizona Car Week, which is one of the world’s premier classic and collector car event series. Additionally, I serve as a consultant, board member, frequent podcast and media contributor, and host for two major annual classic car events here in the Valley of the Sun: Concours in the Hills and the Copperstate 1000 Kickoff and Car Show.
Currently, the big focus for me outside of my day-to-day is preparing for the 2026 installment of Arizona Car Week. This year, we’re blowing the doors off and looking at nearly 40 events coming to the Valley from January 16–January 25. More than half of the events will, once again, be free for all to attend. It’s a guaranteed can’t-miss for anybody who loves cool cars. All of the information is available at arizonacarweek.org.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think first and foremost, you’ve got to be able to take a punch. The world is an undeniably difficult place right now and absolutely nothing is easy. The people that figure out how to navigate things successfully are almost never the “smartest” or “most talented” people in the room. They are the people that simply last the longest. Putting your head down and pushing forward is crucial when attempting to do virtually anything in today’s environment. Tune out the noise, get rid of the naysayers, stay positive and go.
As cliche as it sounds, I also believe being an active listener is an absolute requirement. I talk a lot—there’s no question. I’ll be the first to admit that, but I am where I’m at today because I listened, and continue to listen, to people that are older than me, have more experience than me, and know the way better than I do. I study everything these people do, both good and bad. On top of this, I listen to the marketplace, and I watch what trends are happening around me. This is true not just here in Arizona’s collector car market, but also in the greater business environment in general. It’s very difficult to adapt if all you are doing is speaking. I think this is an issue that a lot of leaders in particular have. They get to a certain point, and they think that they can stop learning. As more than a fair share of smart people have said over the years, the most dangerous words in business are “because that’s how we’ve always done it.” People who continue to learn, continue to earn.
Third, I think you have to prioritize physical health in the same way you’d prioritize accomplishing things at work. I’ve been on both sides of this coin over the years, and the more physically capable I am, the better my brain operates. This isn’t just going on a walk once in a while or grabbing a salad instead of a hamburger (although that’s a great start), the goal should always be to make the top 10% or 15% of everything, made especially true for physical fitness.
The trick for me has been finding an activity that I genuinely enjoy that requires me to be highly physical and fit in order to not die while doing it. For me, that activity has been boxing. You can’t be a boxer unless you are in the weight room, doing cardio, taking care of your diet, curbing your alcohol use, etc. Neglecting any of this can leave you injured, which forces you into a mindset where discipline is no longer an option. I can’t express how much of an improvement this mindset has made in my quality of life and professional performance. Boxing is certainly not for everybody, but I believe everyone out there has an outlet that they can connect with in the same vein. Find that thing—and go live it like you’re a pro.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I’m constantly collaborating. I work with other businesses, and I have folks that I consider to be like partners in different areas of almost all of our brands, too. Arizona Car Week is a great example of this. It’s almost entirely a collaborative effort between what we do (marketing, advertising, event conceptualization and organization, gluing stuff together and putting sparkly stuff on it) and the greater Arizona automotive community as a whole. This city is filled with fabulous enthusiasts that are hardworking, passionate and care about Arizona’s economic future. There’s a 0% chance that car week would work the way that it does if it weren’t for the community coming together to work toward this common goal. If you’re passionate, driven and like to do cool stuff, you’re my kind of person. Our door is always open, and we’re always interested in hearing your ideas.
Anybody that believes that they can provide value (and of course that we can provide value for in return) is always welcome to reach out at (480) 228-1881 or send us a message through our website at MotorwerksCompanies.com
Contact Info:
- Website: Motorwerks Official Website: https://motorwerkscompanies.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darinmotorwerks/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darinroberge/
Image Credits
Rachel Tabron @ Araya Photography
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