What do 100 women who are involved in the collision repair industry talk about when they gather for a conference of their own?
The technician shortage. Leadership skills. Customer service. Industry trends.
In other words, many of the same subjects discussed at other industry gatherings, but often from a slightly different perspective.
"It's long overdue that the women in this industry had a professional forum to get together to develop ideas, build camaraderie, get to know one another, and walk away with a new sense of confidence and awareness that they're not 'the only one,'" said Gigi Walker, a California shop owner and secretary of the Women's Industry Network (WIN), which recently held its first conference. The two-day event held in Phoenix drew about 115 people, including women involved in virtually every segment of the industry: shop owners and managers, technicians and vocational students, insurance company and vendor representatives. Organizers say the goal of WIN and the annual conference is not to compete with other industry groups and events but to offer something women in the industry have perhaps not always found at other venues.
"I think this conference has been a great showing of support for women as well as a great networking opportunity," said Geralynn Kottschade, a Minnesota shop owner and chairman of WIN's board. "There are so many women involved in our industry; they just need a place to come together to realize they're not alone."
"Now, anytime a woman comes into this industry, she won't have to reinvent everything; she'll have a resource to go to for help," said Sheila Loftus, WIN's executive director.
Among the speakers at the event was Laura Angell, a collision repair instructor at Warren Technical College in Lakewood, 
Colo. Angell offered more than a dozen suggestions for ways women in the industry can get involved with their local collision repair training programs to benefit the school, their businesses, and the industry.
Colo. Angell offered more than a dozen suggestions for ways women in the industry can get involved with their local collision repair training programs to benefit the school, their businesses, and the industry. Angell said her school, for example, has an internship program with local shops that also helps young technicians acquire the necessary tools they need in the industry. If a student saves $400 for tools during his or her internship at a shop, the shop matches that $400, and Snap-on also offers a $400 credit, so the student can acquire $1,200 worth of tools.
Angell urged the women at the conference to speak at school career days to help attract more women to the industry and to serve as mentors for any female collision repair students in their area.
"Even if you don't have or haven't had a teenager of your own, you've been one, so you know it's just not an easy time," she said. "They need some support, someone to talk to, someone to share with when they do something great in the program, someone to help them when they are struggling. It would be nice for them to know another female in the industry to learn how you've done what you've accomplished."
She also encouraged WIN attendees to volunteer for the SkillsUSA program, which gives collision repair students a chance to compete at a local, state, and national level. She said the national dropout rate for high school students involved in clubs or activities such as SkillsUSA is less than 4 percent, compared to an overall dropout rate of 22 to 26 percent.
Although much of the discussion at the WIN conference centered on topics specific to the collision industry, Susan Hood offered her perspectives on a topic of interest to those involved in any business: leadership.
Hood is the claims vice president for State Farm, a company for which she said she has worked for more than 26 years. She said anyone involved in any capacity in the collision repair industry--which she called a "truly honorable profession"--can and should demonstrate leadership by being a person with a vision, a passion, a love of learning, and a sense of caring for other people
"Those are the type of people we all turn to and trust and follow," she said.
Hood said that while at points in her career, she faced those who didn't like the idea of having a female supervisor at work, she learned that you can't let that undermine you. The right mix of humility, confidence, and demonstration of your ability will eventually win such people over, she said.
Other traits Hood said she sees among successful leaders, male and female, include a belief in planning and preparation, and a trust in the people you have working with and for you.
"Good leaders give their people room to do their job," she said.
Hood said demonstrating a "calm confidence" at challenging times will give others more confidence in you and themselves. You might not always feel calm or confident, she said, and it is valuable to have those in whom you can confide that privately.
"But if publicly you show that you are in control, your people will feel in control, too," she said.
Good leaders understand when they need to act and then do so quickly, Hood said. If you feel you have 80 percent of the information you need to make a good decision, she said, trust your gut and make it. You may not always be right, she said, but learning from your experience is another key trait of a leader.
Some of the panel discussions at the event were more closely focused on issues faced by women in a still largely male-dominated industry. Frederica Carter, communications manager for Akzo Nobel Coatings and a member of the WIN advisory board, was among the panelists during a session titled, "Things My Mother Never Taught Me About Being A Woman In Business." Carter said that like many women, she has found she sometimes needs to push herself to be more assertive than comes naturally when she sees an opportunity, for example, for a project or position in the company for which she feels she is well qualified.
Networking is another skill some women feel they lack, Carter said. If a follow-up phone call to those you meet with whom you'd like to do business is not comfortable, she suggested, sending a personal note can often be just as effective.
Another panelist, Elizabeth Stein, director of the Fix Auto network of collision repair shops, said she once went three years during her career without asking for a raise, presuming her good work would be noticed and rewarded. But sometimes you have to ask, she said, as long as you are prepared to back up your request with ample evidence of why it is deserved.
Like Hood, Stein said women should not take it personally when a customer or co-worker seems reluctant to work with a woman. Continue to look for opportunities to demonstrate your ability, she said, but remember that "it's their problem, not yours."
The panel also discussed how they have handled the experience of working for a "queen bee," a woman who has succeeded in business yet seems unwilling to help other women succeed.
Carter said in some cases, a "queen bee" may have overcome challenges in her business career and thus believes others coming up should face similar challenges. It may be helpful to ask her to serve as your mentor because you are interested in learning from her, she said.
Panelist Lillian Maimone, CEO of the six-location Marco's Auto Body in Southern California, said women sometimes do themselves--and women in business generally--a disservice by speaking too emotionally.
"Generally being direct, to the point, in a nonemotional way is most effective," she said. "It puts us in the light that we all want to be perceived in."
But Petra Schroeder, Standox product manager for DuPont Performance Coatings, said that early in her career, she received from a male colleague some business advice she found very valuable.
"He said, 'Never try to be a second-class man; always remain a first-class woman,'" Schroeder said, drawing applause from the group. "In your language, in all situations, in your behavior and dress. You have a right to exercise a different management style. That has served me very well. I say what I think, I can be very persistent, but I will always be a first-class woman."
At the close of the two-day event, shop Owner Walker, who brought to the conference several of the female technicians who work with her at her business, Walker's Auto Body in Concord, Calif., said she viewed the WIN event as a true success for the young organization.
"I think the women are walking away from this conference with a new sense of confidence and a true sense of family," she said. "I'm very proud to have been a part of this, and I'm looking forward to next year's conference."
For more information on WIN, visit the group's Web site, www.womensindustrynetwork.com.
Comment on this article
Send This Link To Friend