When thousands of people gathered on St. Armands Circle for the Exotic Car Show this September, the polished exotic vehicles lining the Circle may have been what first caught their attention. But for Sage Auto Studios owner Alex, the heart of the event was never simply about the cars. It was about using something his company loves to bring people together for a purpose far bigger than horsepower.
This year marked Sage Auto Studios’ eighth year participating in the event and its second year serving as organizer. Behind the scenes, the Sage team helped coordinate vehicles, clients, sponsors and vendors while promoting the show throughout the community. The goal was to create an event people would genuinely enjoy while keeping its charitable mission front and center.
That mission was Flight to the North Pole, an organization that creates a special Christmas experience for local children and families facing difficult circumstances. For Alex, the cause carries added meaning as a father.
“As a father, anything involving children and families hits close to home.”
The event raised more than $20,000 for Flight to the North Pole this year, giving the organization additional support to continue creating meaningful holiday experiences for local families. For Alex, seeing thousands of people gather around a shared love of automobiles while ultimately helping children is what gives the show its greatest value.
For the Sage team, the day represented what happens when passion, business relationships and community support are directed toward something that can genuinely help others.
Cars have always been central to Sage Auto Studios, but community involvement has become just as important to the company’s identity. Alex credits Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch with supporting Sage’s growth and believes that success creates an opportunity to return that support.
Over the years, Sage has contributed to causes including Vette for Vets, Wounded Warrior Project, Hand Up for Victor, Combat Veterans, Take Stock in Children, the Denis V. Cooper Foundation and Seeing Eye Dogs. The company also supports local schools and sponsors youth sports teams. Its giving spans veterans, children, families, education and other community needs.
Alex says the experiences involving children are often the ones that stay with him most. Meeting families directly and seeing the people behind a nonprofit’s mission can quickly put business concerns into perspective.
That perspective also shapes how Sage chooses where to get involved. The company gravitates toward organizations where it believes it can make a truly meaningful local impact, particularly those focused on children, families and education. For Alex, philanthropy is not intended to function as a marketing campaign. It is part of what he believes it means to operate a local business responsibly.
Working alongside nonprofits has also changed the way he views success. He has seen how much work happens quietly behind the scenes and how many volunteers and organizations dedicate significant time to helping others. Revenue and growth matter in business, he says, but they are not the only measures of what a company can accomplish.
That makes the theme of gratitude especially fitting for Sage this November.
Alex says he is most thankful for the company’s employees, clients and community. He is quick to point out that Sage’s growth and its ability to give back have never been the work of one person alone. Employees who care about their work, clients who continue to place their trust in the business, families who support the team, and community relationships built over time have all made the company’s outreach possible.
Looking ahead, Alex wants Sage’s philanthropic efforts to expand alongside the business. He hopes to create and support more events that allow the company to use its reach, relationships and resources to make a measurable difference for local families and organizations.
And while he is proud of the reputation Sage has built for its work, the legacy he hopes to leave has less to do with awards than with people.
“I’d be even prouder if people remembered us as a business that treated people well, supported its community, and used its success to help others.”
For Alex, that would mean more than any trophy on a shelf. It would mean the company’s success had been measured not only by what Sage built, but by what it gave back.
“As a father, anything involving children and families hits close to home.” Alex Nodel
“I’d be even prouder if people remembered us as a business that treated people well, supported its community, and used its success to help others.” Alex Nodel