This year’s Women in Auto Care Leadership Conference boasted its largest number of attendees yet with 407 women congregating in Atlanta, Georgia from February 18-20. Of that number, around 85 percent were first-time attendees. The event sold out three times before having to close registration.
Elle Lawhead, chair of Women in Auto Care and director of merchandising at AutoZone noted that they try to change up the conference every year.
“The key for the entire [Women in Auto Care] council, is that we make sure that over 50 percent of our content is educational,” Lawhead described, “and then the remainder of that's going to come from fantastic speaking opportunities about professional development, or hearing the personal stories of our eight [Women in Auto Care award] winners who received phenomenal accolades throughout their career.
“Together we are better in this industry, and we are not going anywhere.”
The importance of “You”
To kick off the conference, Kristine Frost, chief human resources officer for Standard Motor Products and Kathleen Long, chief revenue officer for RepairPal lead a fireside chat-esque opening keynote. Their discussion focused on the power of self-awareness and self-management in your leadership journey, emphasizing that the most important aspect to prioritize in your professional journey is you.
To start, the two posed the questions, “Why are we here? What do you hope to take away from this conference?” Frost responded by talking about her trepidation when first attending a Women in Auto Care event, but how she walked away floored by the community and solidarity she felt.
“I was immediately disarmed the first time I walked into a Women in Auto Care event,” Frost said. “The people, the women in this room, they will grab you, they will hold you, they will lift you up, and they will empower you.”
From there, she went on to note that she and Long wanted to help attendees think about themselves over the next couple of days — where they are now, where they're headed, making space and time for “you.”
After their talk on setting boundaries, your non-negotiables, the things most important to you that you need to do to take care of yourself, the first day continued on with speakers sharing their stories and their wisdom. From talks on taking the time to learn a trade to earn the respect of others in it to “the liking gap” and understanding that when you meet someone new it’s not necessarily true that you like them more than they like you to updates on new bills being introduced for Right to Repair, and so much more.
A night to remember - Gala overview
The first day ended with the Women in Auto Care dinner and live auction gala. In addition to the live auction, there is also a silent auction for those who either don’t wish to participate in the live auction or are unable to attend. Last year, the auction raised $84,000. However, that number was blown away by this year’s recording breaking $113, 489. Every dollar raised directly supports women looking to enter the automotive industry through scholarships, tool kits, and other opportunities.
During the live auction, amid the bidding wars, a surprise donation of $25,000 came from Synchrony, a financial services company, making a major impact on the mission Women in Auto Care is striving to achieve.
“We want to make sure that we continue to find a way to help those that want to be a part of this industry be here,” Lawhead said.
We are enough
Day two brought the conference to a close with more wonderful speakers, panels, and opportunities to network. To wrap things up, Lawhead took the stage one last time and provided a summary of the past two days, ending with these words.
“You are enough,” Lawhead said, “and nothing you have to do, or I have to do, is intended to prove that to anyone else because you alone are enough. You alone are valued, and your unique perspective is what's making a difference in this industry.”
Next year’s Women in Auto Care Leadership Conference will take place in Fort Worth, Texas from Feb. 17-19.
