Growing Up in the Automotive Industry

I grew up in the automotive industry. My childhood was spent in dealership showrooms and service departments. Spaces filled with the smell of motor oil, the sound of air guns, and men talking shop. Men surrounded me. It was my normal, and to be clear, I don’t c...

There’s a silence that follows success.

After spending decades living inside the rhythm of an industry, it shaped my identity. For me, that was the automotive industry. It’s the world I grew up in and the one I lived in for more than twenty years. Selling our dealerships shook the foundation of who...

Several years ago, I was invited to speak at a Women in Automotive conference in front of a room filled with professionals and peers from across the industry.

My first instinct was to decline. I was terrified, convincing myself I wasn’t ready, and allowed self-doubt to set in.

“I’m too young.”

“A...

Executive presence is often misunderstood. Many assume it requires the loudest voice in the room, a dominant personality, or a high-ranking title. But the kind of presence that truly commands respect and earns trust has nothing to do with volume.

Executive presence is quiet, grounded confidence tha...

We all wear masks, but for me, the unmasking process came through loss.

Everyone goes through periods of ups and downs, unleashing some self-reflection. I think it can become more prevalent after the loss of a loved one. When my brother and father passed away within one year of each other, I found ...

What happens when women stop waiting for permission, take full ownership of their success, and start living a life by design, not by default?

I have pondered this question for a while, especially as I examined the moments in my own life when I found myself doing what I was “supposed” to do. Showing...

You’d expect success to silence self-doubt.  After all, isn’t that the point of climbing the ladder, to feel powerful and in control?

Unfortunately, for many high-performing women, the more we accomplish, the more doubt creeps in. We’ve been taught to stay humble.

You question whether you’re quali...

There’s a distinct line between women who gain traction and those who are spinning out of control.  Those who remain stuck tend to argue that it’s a matter of potential, talent, or luck.  Those who are moving forward are the women who are willing to look in the mirror and hold themselves fully accou...