Car Crazy Saudi Woman

I spoke to Badia a 'Car Crazy Girl' from Saudi during my recent trip to the Dubai Motor Show, who interestingly went to school and lived in the US for 8 years. Badia is thirty-one, has a degree interior reconstruction and design and an international drivers license and LOVES to drive and can drive anywhere outside of her own country, at home she owns a Hummer and has a personal driver to get her around. She owns and publishes a popular car tuning magazine in her home country, a very unusual role for a Saudi woman where they are not allowed to drive cars at all and it's all about Badia's love of cars!

In the beginning getting advertisers was tough, but she is one tough car girl and at the three year mark she is near to tuning a profit at 50,000 subscribers.  This is a very unique role for a Saudi woman and spending time with her I can attest to the combination of her tremendous drive, energy, charisma and great sense of humor that managed to break though the barriers and succeed. Badia sporting a BIG beautiful Tiffany watch, mentioned she collects them and is addicted to designer watches; badges of courage and a testament to her success.

Tires and Women - Goodyear's Joseph Viselli Has a Vision

I had a great opportunity to meet with Joseph Viselli, Director Goodyear Brand, Consumer Tires North American Tire recently during the SEMA Show 2007 in Las Vegas. This is a very likeable, amiable man in a key position in the male dominated tire business who truly has vision when in comes to marketing to women. Joseph's vision for women tire buyers comes from his many years working in his relatively recent past life in the women's retail products world. He has only been with Goodyear about three years and brought this new vision to Goodyear to wake up and go after the majority consumer shopper -  women, in an otherwise outdated "marketing to men" brand. It was refreshing to meet such a like-minded man when it comes to marketing to women, in the automotive world!

He gave me a personal tour of the inspired marketing and advertising programs coming together to help Goodyear attract, educate, inform and help women make good tire buying decisions.

He shared with me about the Goodyear Tire Buying Guide, which is one cool tool created to help women chose the right tire for their vehicles, how to know when you need new tires and learn about tire care......yes, you do need to care for those tire treads, too!

Download Goodyear_tire_buying_guide.pdf

If more than 50% of all vehicles are purchased by women these same women will be buying replacement tires as well and an educated , savvy buyer will need to get information at some point to buy the right tires at the right price. Information found on the  Goodyear Tire Buying Made Easy Guide and the informative Goodyear website, is designed to help!

Who Is Running GM in the Middle East, Latin America and Africa? A Woman!

Meet GM's first lady Maureen Kempston Darkes, GM president, GM Latin America, Africa and the Middle East who hosted the world premier of a new GMC crossover named the Terrain during the Dubai Auto Show this week and gave the Middle East their first glimpse of the Chevy Volt electric concept car.

After the press conference we sat down over a cup of coffee to chat about her career and her role with GM and her perspective on women working in the auto industry.

Maureen's calm quiet demeanor belies the grace and composure needed to become the top women at GM and successfully run three regions with 86 countries and 10 time zones. Few women hold such key positions in these parts of the world in any industry, and she has navigated successfully in the male-dominated auto industry where she also sells cars in some countries where women aren't even allowed to drive!

An Interview with Elaine Masters, creator of Drivetime Yoga

Elaine Masters first learned about yoga a little over thirty years ago when she started meditating. She got "serious" about yoga about six or seven years ago. She tried many different styles and studios, and studied with some incredible people. When she moved to the San Diego area, she found herself commuting a lot. With a 45 minute drive just to get her son to school, she left the house before she could do her stretches. Eventually, she started stretching in her car. And then she ran across others who stretched in their cars, too. After talking to a yoga instructor, and her ergonomic consultant/ physical therapist sister, Julie, she embarked on making Drivetime Yoga a reality.

Drivetime Yoga is a collection of movements and breathing techniques to help drivers relax and become fully present in their senses while in the car. It starts with breathing exercises, the core of yoga. Instead of distracting yourself with reading, eating, grooming or talking on the phone, you do less in the car. You pay attention to what your body is telling you.

Elaine introduces Drivetime Yoga by asking drivers if they are frustrated with the amount of time they spend in the car. She asks if they've encountered aggressive drivers, or felt like being one. And she questions if drivers feel stressed or stiff after driving, especially if they get in the car before they've exercised that day. I could answer yes to every one of those questions, even though I don't drive quite as much as I used to. My commute used to be 10 minutes in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. Now it's a more reasonable 15 minutes each way. But I probably could have used some breathing and stretching exercises when I was gridlocked 5 days a week.

AskPatty Presents a Female Friendly Car Buying TeleSeminar at WomenCorp

Did you ever go to a car dealer to buy a car...   and they talked to your male partner?  or they talked down to you?   Did you ever feel like you got "taken" just because you were a woman?

Well, WomenCorp is here with the answers! Join us for a very special teleseminar with Jody DeVere on Tuesday, October 2, at 12pm ET, 11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT at Womencorp.org.

Jody DeVere, President of www.AskPatty.com is THE expert on women and cars.  She will answer your questions about women-friendly cars, what to look for, how to get a great deal, and even how to get car reviews that are from a woman's point of view.

Grab your seat now at http://www.womencorp.org/seminars/jodydevere.php

Interview With Cheryl Catton: Director of Marketing for Chevrolet

Ask Patty: Tell us a little bit about your job with General Motors and your day-to-day experiences with General Motors.

Cheryl Catton: I’m the Director of Marketing for Chevrolet cars and small utilities, and my job is really to manage all of our car products as well as our small utilities, and all four elements of the promotional plan. So with all of the products we’re looking at how our products should be contented, what our volume should be, how we price it, what our incentive levels are, and how we go to market from a promotional perspective.

While I do not craft the actual advertising, we actually work on how we want to position the vehicle, who we want to sell it to, what’s important to them for us to be able to know them well enough to emphasize the right elements of the vehicles, and then we work with, obviously, a group of Chevrolet dealers across the country, and our job is to understand what’s happening when the vehicle actually hits the dealership, give them all of the best training possible on the product, and help manage and monitor the sales of the product once it hits the dealerships.

Ask Patty: Awesome. Sounds like fun!

Cheryl Catton: It is. It’s fun. It’s crazy.

I'll Do It Myself !

Glenda has cerebral palsy. A lack of oxygen at birth meant she would not be able to walk, her hands would not function well and her speech would be almost impossible to understand. Her parents were advised to institutionalize her. She wouldn’t amount to anything, the experts said.

Yet, this gutsy redhead proved them wrong. Glenda was integrated into a regular classroom long before mainstream was a buzzword. She went on to earn the Canada Cord, the highest award in Girl Guides, and the Outstanding Junior Student Award. The girl who could not walk won a gold medal in horseback riding!

How did she do it? Glenda Watson Hyatt shares her experiences in her book " I'll Do It Myself" on living with cerebral palsy. In her book she motivates and inspires others to think about how they perceive their own situation and their own world around them. She does all this by typing with only her left thumb!

Interview with Jackie Headapohl – Editor of Voices of Chrysler

Chrysler has jumped on the blog bandwagon with their new Voices of Chrysler blog, edited by Jackie Headapohl. Jackie recently gave an in-depth interview to Diva Marketing Blog and filled us in on the background, history, the why and the where of Voices of Chrysler. We just love all the stuff over at Diva Marketing Blog that we wanted to post some of this recent juicy automotive interview!

Toby/Diva Marketing: Chrysler’s step into an open social media conversation (as opposed to the media only Firehouse blog) sends a strong signal that business at Chrysler will not be business as usual. How will the culture of blogs and social media complement the culture of the “new” Chrysler?

Jackie Headapohl: The culture of The New Chrysler is the same as the old one—scrappy, innovative, risk-taking.  The people that work here are passionate and love the car culture. We wanted to start out fresh by opening a conversation with our customers, also passionate people who love our products and cars in general. If we win some new customers over, too, that will be great! Also, even though we’re now a privately held company, we want the world to know that communication remains a high priority.

Interview With Danny Mayers of LuxuryAutoBids.com

Ask Patty rousted up Danny Mayer and interviewed him about his unique company aimed at women, LuxuryAutoBids.com.

Ask Patty: Tell us about what you do.
Danny Mayer: Well, I’m in the car business and I’m the general manager at a large metropolitan automobile dealership in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.

What is your day-to-day job?
The obvious answer would be that I oversee the day to day operations of the dealership, and that would be true. However, I feel the job is much more than just looking a sales figures, etc. A good deal of my (our) time is spent being involved in the community. I spend a lot of my day developing new and creative ways to market our products and our services.

What is the biggest complaint you hear from women when it comes to shopping for and buying a car?
Allow me to answer your question in this way. I think it was 1986 when I read an article in Woman's Day magazine regarding ‘women and the automobile purchase. That article had a profound effect on my thinking and my approach to selling and servicing automobiles, and it is still with me today. The article simply stated that 86% of all automobile purchase decisions are made by women. The reasons were simple then and they still apply. She is buying the car for herself and she is single; or she is married and controls the household budget. The later is certainly true in my house! The remaining 14% are either single men or men that will soon be single. Just joking!

Since that day I have always tried to impress on my entire staff that we MUST NOT ignore the female market and this is especially true if she happens to be there with her husband, father or a male advisor. This is a long answer to a short question but if there has ever been a "biggest complaint" from women it would be that they we either ignored or treated as though they were not smart enough to understand how to buy a car and would be asked to return with their husband. How insulting that must be.

What is the biggest mistake car dealerships are making when marketing or selling to women?
That is an easy question...thinking that she does not have the ability or intelligence to make a major purchase.

Ask Patty Interviews Charly M3 Foden of Second Life's Racer's Island

Ask Patty has told you all about our place in Second Life… but we have only featured a few of the amazing people (avatars) we have met in world. Today we want to showcase Racers Island and the guy who runs it, CharlyM3 Foden. Patty Streeter (that’s Patty in Second Life!) interviewed Charly recently.

Patty Streeter: Why did you build Racer’s Island?
CharlyM3 Foden: Racer’s Island was a place that was built out of a dream and out of love. It’s a place for real life (RL) and Second Life (SL) racers to come and share. I am bringing SL racers and RL racers together in just one place. You might not even know that a professional race car driver could be right next to you in SL.

Patty Streeter: What made you launch something like this in SL?
CharlyM3 Foden: I am not here for the money. I handle that part in RL! I am here for what I believe in and to support racers.

Patty Streeter: Are you an RL racer?
CharlyM3 Foden: Yes I am. That’s why the tracks were built the way they were. I do both street and autocross.

Patty Streeter: They are very realistic. Are you bringing autocross to SL?
CharlyM3 Foden: I want to bring it to SL, yes. I am already hitting RL forums to get support. People are loving it so far!

Patty Streeter: Ask Patty is currently sponsoring NASCAR driver Deborah Renshaw, the highest ranked female professional racecar driver.
CharlyM3 Foden: That is awesome. She should come into SL. I can be her host. We’d love to have her on Racer’s Island. Racers like her are inspirational to those of us at Racer’s Island.

Patty Streeter: Do you have a pretty good following at Racer’s Island?
CharlyM3 Foden: I have a lot of people who are loyal friends to the sim and come by often. They are really what runs this sim, not me. They ARE the sim.

Ask Patty Interview with Amanda Shinji of Second Life's Pontiac Motorati Island

Ask Patty has been spending a lot of time in Second Life on Pontiac’s Motorati Island. On the island we have met some awesome car-lovin’ gals! We interviewed Amanda Shinji of the Parkade nightclub about her car customizing hobby.

Ask Patty: How did you get interested in designing cars in SL? Have you always loved cars?

Amanda Shinji: I've been interested in cars since my parents first took me out and I saw all the different wheels that they had.   I used to point to the wheels of a car and be able to identify it from them alone.   I'm a bit of a tomboy when it comes to cars and I have a particular fondness for Japanese cars, especially the Mazda RX7 FD, which is my dream car and the one that one day, I will own.   

I found out that Scion had a virtual dealership in SL (alongside Pontiac, Nissan and now Mercedes Benz) and bought myself a tC, but I found it boring to drive, so I set about learning how to modify scripts and bodywork and it sort of went from there.   The beauty of modifying a car in SL is that you can do what you want.  Okay, there are limitations with making a certain number of objects (aka 'prims') move, but there are ways around that.

AP: How long have you been in SL and how did you learn to built cars in SL. Tell me about your building studio in SL

AS: I've been in SL since December 2006, when I joined to see a virtual concert by a band that I like and then stayed as it looked like fun.   I learned to build by literally playing with prims; seeing what button did what, and how I could manipulate them and then when I discovered cars in SL. Everything just felt natural for me to start building and modifying them.

My studio is based around a small workshop, situated just down the road from the AskPatty.com site actually.   It's a small place, nothing fancy, a bit grubby but you can tell it's mine as it has a string of Pontiac Solstice GXPs parked outside, all displaying modifications or custom graphics that I've made.   I also have a high-altitude building platform, where I've recently been working on newer cars, like my Pro Stock Solstice GXP and the Ultimate Drift Spec car too.

Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) VP Tony Molla Interview

Tony Molla is the Vice President of Communications for the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) in Leesburg, VA. With over 35 years experience in the automotive service industry, Tony has held positions at all levels, including technician, service manager, parts store manager, new car sales and automotive technical editor writing service manuals for the Chilton Book Company. He has authored more than a dozen technical and car care manuals. Prior to joining ASE in January, 2000, Tony spent nine years as the Editorial Director of Motor Age magazine and Automotive Body Repair News (ABRN).

ASK PATTY: Can you tell us a little bit about your job and your position at The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)?
Tony: I am responsible for all Corporate, external and internal communications at ASE. This includes things like press releases, industry presentations, trade shows and our website content. I also manage our Consumer Outreach efforts, which include free articles sent out to consumer publications like newspapers and magazines across the country. I also manage our outreach programs which involve our sponsorships in several areas. The largest is our participation in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where we sponsor Ted Musgrave's No. 9 Team ASE/Germain Racing Toyota Tundra. We also have smaller sponsorships with the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team, with a presence at air shows across the country, and a sponsorship of three Professional Bull Riders in the PBR Series. We also have a grassroots racing program called Team ASE which involves our ASE certified professionals who race their own vehicles. I am also the publisher of the ASE Tech News, our Corporate publication which goes to over 500,000 subscribers consisting mostly of ASE certified professionals and our industry supporters.

ASK PATTY: What does it mean to be ASE certified?
Tony: ASE Certification works like any other professional certification. Auto and truck professionals must take and pass an industry-developed competency test in one or more areas of expertise to become certified. There are eight tests in the auto series, for example. If an individual passes all tests in a series, they achieve Master Technician status. Being ASE certified means you have demonstrated the knowledge necessary to be proficient at a given task, plus have at least two years of hands-on repair experience. ASE also certifies parts professionals, service consultants, machinists, alternate fuels technicians, transit bus technicians, truck and collision technicians. It's important to note that ASE certification is a voluntary program, so the individuals who have achieved it have also demonstrated a pride and professionalism that goes above and beyond the norm. These are the individuals you want working on your car.

ASK PATTY: Why are you promoting automotive careers to women? Are more women needed in the automotive field?
Tony: ASE has continuously promoted the value of an automotive career to both men and women, but the demand for women in particular has risen in recent years. This rise in demand has several reasons, not the least of which is the growing shortfall in qualified technical individuals available, but women have been proven to be particularly effective in the role of service consultant. As more and more women assume the role of primary caretaker of the family automobile, it's becoming more important to improve the communications process at the service desk--and it's been shown that female service consultants are very effective in that role. It's also important to note that traditionally, women have made up about one percent of the technician workforce as well. In fact, there are a few shops out there that are exclusively staffed by women.

ASK PATTY: Can you tell us about your speaking program at schools? How are you educating and inspiring young women to consider a career in automotive?
Tony: I participate as a speaker in several Career Day events around the country each year. It's really more a question of being invited back rather than a formal program by ASE. That said, I consider my time in front of young people some of the most important work I do. I speak with kids from the elementary to the high school level and always make it a point to spotlight the opportunities for women within the industry. Some of the best automotive diagnosticians I've met have been women, and the opportunities for a woman with a good technical background in the automotive industry is outstanding. These presentations I mention also use some brochures ASE has developed which outline some of the opporutnities within the industry for both male and female candidates.

ASK PATTY: Are women aware of the opportunities available to them in the automotive industry?
Tony: Actually, I'm continuously surprised at just how few women and men are aware of the wealth of opportunities available. We in the industry work hard to keep both Guidance Counselors and parents informed of what a great career choice it can be, but it's clear we have some work yet to do to get the message out more widely.

ASK PATTY: What other types of jobs are available in automotive that aren’t service or mechanic’s jobs?
Tony: The possibilities are almost limitless. What I find interesting is how a technical background can open doors down the road in ways most never even imagine. I myself started out as an auto technician and worked part time while I went to college. Once I graduated, I found the earning potential much better in the service bay. In fact, it was largely my technical background, along with a degree in Journalism, that led to my current position. Along the way, I've held positions writing service manuals and as Editorial Director of two national trade magazines for auto and collision shops. But I'm just one example. There are opportunities in the automotive industry in sales, marketing, engineering, design, manufacturing, human resources, advertising, the list goes on and on. If you think about it, the automotive industry is a lot more than just selling and fixing cars.

ASK PATTY: What are some resources to women who are interested in starting a career in the automotive industry?
Tony: Perhaps the best resource is your local Technical Training program at either high school or junior college level. Getting involved in the automotive program can provide a deeper insight into the possibilities. There are also several initiatives within the automotive industry to recruit young people into the business. You can find out more by contacting the University of the Aftermarket, the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, or some of the dedicated technical colleges like Universal Technical Institute or Wyo Tech, just to name a few. You can also contact us here at ASE with any questions. We'll be happy to help in any way we can.

Thank you for the great interview Tony!

The Ask Patty Staff

Interview with Terry Kohl - President of Media Management Marketing and Automotive Publicist

We recently interviewed Terry Kohl, an automotive publicist, who addresses life after job loss in her new book – “Lost Your Job? Now What!” 

The phrase “job security” is almost an oxymoron these days, provoking wistful smiles, frowns, or smirks over frequent news reports of company downsizings and relocations. People are being forced out of jobs and into career changes or early retirement in near record numbers.

In her new book “Lost Your Job? Now What!” Terry Kohl takes what most people see as a depressing, negative situation and shows them how losing a job can change their lives for the best.

Kohl’s book is available for $9.95 on line at www.LostYourJobNowWhat.com. Now let's sit down and see what makes her tick!

Media Management Marketing is a full service PR company solely dedicated to the automotive industry. President, Terry Kohl, prides herself on bringing imagination and creativity to her clients needs. Attention to detail, comprehensive follow-up, extensive media contacts and professional expertise combine to produce solid results. After all is said and done, results are what the client looks for.

ASK PATTY: What are the challenges for you as a women working in the automotive industry?

Terry: Obviously, making headway in a male dominated industry would be a concern for most women, and a logical one at that. I have been more than fortunate and very blessed in having male mentors and guides along my way. I may be biased but I think the automotive industry is unique, in that, respect for each other and what we do to make the industry what it is today usually goes above any sexual discrimination.  The challenges I have had to overcome are no more, or less, than anyone owning their own business.

ASK PATTY: Can you tell me a little bit about your job with Media Management Marketing? How are you involved in the Automotive Industry?

Terry: Media Management Marketing is a PR firm solely dedicated to serving the automotive arena. As founder and president I made the decision right out of the gate to devote my time and energy to this industry. My father was a “car guy” and I grew up, in part, hanging out at his gas station. As a PR firm, networking is the name of the game and it is a pure and delicious delight to work with the editors, publishers and media people in this industry. Whether it’s representing clients who are bringing a new product or service to market, or the continued branding of an established company, it is both a challenge and a satisfaction to see the results of a campaign come to fruition.

ASK PATTY: How did you get involved with SEMA?

Terry: I became a SEMA member as soon as I established my company. I don’t feel you can successfully navigate in the automotive industry without being a SEMA member! The opportunities and services SEMA provides are an absolute necessity. I have been involved in the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN) for 7 years and have had the honor of Chair for two of those years. I also compile a mentoring column for SEMA News that is made up of some of the most savvy, top-notch leaders in the industry today.

ASK PATTY: What is the most exciting project you are currently working on?

Terry: It's amazing how diverse this industry is. Each company is a piece of the larger picture and each product and service brings something to the consumer that often goes unnoticed or is taken for granted. Every one of my clients is a wonder to me. The imagination, creativity and productivity is astounding and each project I work on - while some are more challenging than others - is a little miracle all by itself.

Teen Drving Tips in "This Girl's First Car" by Stephanie Esterline

Stephanie Esterline is your average 17-year-old high school student with dreams of college and a career. What makes her a little bit different is that she is hoping to have an automotive career! She has been learning about cars from her dad for years and instead of keeping all that knowledge to herself, she wrote a car maintenance book for teens! Ask Patty interviewed her on her book and her automotive career aspirations.

ASK PATTY: What made you decide to write a book about car maintenance and tips?
Stephanie: Well, I've always loved to write, and my dad thought it would be a good idea to write something small to learn about the publishing process. He came up with the topic of car maintenance for teenage girls, so I got to work. I thought it was a great idea because my dad has been teaching me how to take care of my car ever since I started driving, but a lot of girls don't get that opportunity.  This Girls First Car makes it easy to understand how to take care of a car, and then if an emergency ever comes up, the book is right there to refer to.

ASK PATTY: Do you think teens get a bad rap for their driving skills?
Stephanie: Yes, but that's because a lot of teens really are bad drivers. Most of us can drive fine, it's just a few that are totally inconsiderate of others. However, there are rude and inconsiderate drivers of every age group, not just teenagers. Also, most teenagers tend to drive like their parents. If the parents drive fifteen over the speed limit, run red lights, and cut people off, their teenager will probably be just like them. But, if the parents are cautious on the road, their kids will see that and realize that it is important to be careful when they are driving.

ASK PATTY: What is one of the most important tips you give in your book?
Stephanie: I don't think that there is one thing that's more important than all the others. It's best to have a basic idea of how to take care of a car. If your battery dies but you only know how to change a tire, that doesn't do you much good. However, if you know where the battery is, and you have a pretty clear idea about how to change a tire, you're twice as prepared for an emergency. The best thing is to gain a basic idea of everything by skimming over the book, and then toss it into your glove box for when it is needed.

ASK PATTY: Do you think the average teenage driver knows enough about car safety and maintenance?
Stephanie: No, I do not. Some teenagers know a lot about cars, but many of them don't even know how to open the hood. Even a lot of adults don't have a clue about what they should do in an emergency. Often times, big problems are very easy to prevent, (such as an engine seizing from lack of oil), but the drivers don't have any idea of how to prevent them.

ASK PATTY: What do you love about your Saturn? Is there anything you would change?
Stephanie: I like that my car is a stick shift. It's fun to drive and made for an interesting ride when I was first learning. There are a few things that I would change. It's a used car, and the people that had it before me didn't take very good care of it, so it's pretty dirty. There are some stains that absolutely will not come out, and it smells kind of funny, but other than that it's a good first car.

Interview with Tiffany Nabozny - General Chair of the 2007 Northwood Auto Show

Ask Patty likes to interview some of the up and coming ladies in our industry and  our chat with Tiffany Nabozny wasn't an exception. She is a bright young star in the automotive world and we are here to introduce you to her and watch with us as her star keeps rising!

ASK PATTY: Tiffany, tell us about Northwood University and what you do with the school.
Tiffany: I am currently a Junior at Northwood University studying the Automotive Marketing/Management program. Northwood University is unique because of the major it offers focusing on the automotive industry. Northwood is a small, private school with about 2,000 students. It is located in Midland, Michigan in a quite rural location, making the Fall the best time of the year to hold the Northwood University International Auto Show.

Perhaps the most unique and exciting part of NU is that the student body puts on the Nation's largest outdoor auto show, which plays host to about 50,000 visitors. As the 2005 NUIAS General Chair, I am currently planning the 2007 show which is September 28-30th. This three day weekend is a great opportunity for families to come out and enjoy the beautiful scenery at NU, while checking out various models of new cars from virtually almost every manufacturer possible!

Interview with Melissa Montisano - General Manager for Goodyear Light Truck and SUV Tires

Ask Patty sat down recently with Melissa Montisano, General Manager for Goodyear Brand Light Truck and SUV Tires. Melissa has an interesting story about her career in automotive and her start in the industry.

Ask Patty: Tell us a little bit about your job. What do you to from day-to-day?

Melissa Montisano: I am General Manager for Goodyear Brand Light Truck and SUV Tires. My responsibilities include bringing to market the pickup and SUV tires that consumers want and need. I am concerned with offering tires that provide relevant benefits to consumers – such as safety and peace of mind for SUV drivers, and confidence and toughness for light truck drivers, so they can take on all-terrain situations. Every day is dynamic! I typically work on growing the Goodyear brand in this product segment, enriching our Wrangler and Fortera sub-brand equities, leading and developing my team, and addressing daily business issues. I am daily involved in many planning meetings, working with anyone from marketing, engineering, consumer research, scheduling, communications, manufacturing and various other business groups.

AP: What made you want to get involved in the automotive industry? And what challenges have you faced in this industry as a woman?

MM: Graduating from college with an engineering degree, I started my career in the automotive industry as a mechanical engineer, designing Goodyear tires for Toyota and Lexus vehicles. After a few years of working in product design and development, I was eager to learn more about the business, in particular, sales and marketing. I have now been in a marketing role for more than five years, and have experienced a host of opportunities that I don’t believe would have been offered to me in other industries. Certainly, the automotive industry is a male-dominated field, but I have never looked at that as a hurdle. In terms of being a woman in the automotive industry, I believe that all jobs are challenging, regardless of sex or race. I am a firm believer in what doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger!

Interview With Courtney Caldwell: Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Road & Travel Magazine

Ask Patty gets the wonderful delight of interviewing some of the most extraordinary  women in the automotive industry and Courtney Caldwell, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Road & Travel magazine is certainly no exception.

AskPatty: Tell us a little bit about your job. What do you to from day-to-day?
Courtney Caldwell: I’m the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Road & Travel Magazine, a 19 year old magazine aimed at in-market consumers with a slant towards upscale women. I founded RTM in 1989 as a print publication and then converted it to online only in 2000 because we recognized then that the Internet was going to become a very valuable, convenient, and time-saving medium for women. Today, women have surpassed men online.

Trying to tell you what I do from day to day would take days in itself so suffice it to say that I oversee all editorial direction and design of the magazine, as well as produce, write and host the International Car of the Year Awards show (ICOTY), which is an annual event presented as an Academy Awards style black tie event. ICOTY is also televised as a TV special airing on opening weekend of the North American International Auto show. I work with CBS Detroit to co-produce the TV special. ICOTY is the largest auto awards show in the industry, which takes the better part of a year to produce. Additionally, I’m hired throughout the year as a spokesperson to do radio and television media tours on the women’s market, or appear as a guest on national shows such as The Today Show, The Early Show, CNN, or Good Morning, America, mainly to address women’s auto or travel issues. 

AP: What made you want to get involved in the automotive industry? And what challenges have you faced in this industry as a woman?
CC: I started Road & Travel Magazine to help educate women consumers; to arm them with information from which they could make informed decisions about car buying. Our initial goals were to provide new car reviews and talk about issues important to female buyers supported with articles on safety, the number one women have when buying a new car. No other magazine was addressing women’s concerns when it came to car buying, which were completely different than those of men. We eventually added car care tips and advice, negotiating with dealerships, repairs and maintenance and questions to ask, used car buying, leasing, and personal safety on the road.

The reason I started RTM, to be totally blunt, was because I was pissed off at the way I was treated at dealerships. As a single mom who worked two jobs to support 2 children, it baffled me as to why I was treated so differently than the way male buyers were treated. After all, my money was just as good yet I had to deal with inappropriate comments about my body or fend off unwanted invitations or deal with salesmen who assumed I lacked knowledge about car buying, often suggesting I bring back a husband or boyfriend who could help. I soon learned other women experienced the same treatment and were equally angry. I finally got angry enough to do something about it so I started RTM as a local Southern California newsletter at the time and within a year it grew to a full color 32-page magazine, which we were distributing nationally. By our last edition in 1999, we were a 48-page magazine. Anger can be a great motivator if used in the right way.

Getting to know Ollivier Jacq - ClassicRallies.com

AskPatty recently met Ollivier Jacq, of ClassicRallies.com. His community-based website is focused on Vintage cars and classic motorsport events such as racing and rallying. ClassicRallies.com is an international site, and many of their events are outside the United States, though they have a strong female audience, and have a number of events especially for their lady members. He shared some of his time with us, and we've compiled his interview here. We hope you'll check out his site and its many female-friendly activites; who knows, maybe your own vacation or business travels will allow you to participate in some of these events!

AP: What is ClassicRallies.com and what do you do?
OJ: Our aim is to promote the classic motorsports as Classic Racing and Rallying, and to provide all classic motorsports enthusiasts with a clear and informative Racing and Rallying database without membership costs. The philosophy on which ClassicRallies.com was created, is based on providing the best website possible, assisting Vintage car owners with their specific needs and wishes, making dreams come true. ClassicRallies.com is just the best way to keep you posted on any interesting Classic cars stuff you might be interested in, thanks to an online magazine, a forum, a calendar and also a free classifieds section.

AP: We see you have a Ladies events section. How did that begin and why are those events special?
OJ: Classic rallies are a great way to enjoy driving your classic or vintage cars. There are rallies for classic sports cars being held in nearly every region of the world. And as there are events for ladies only, we created this ladies events section. Some classic rallies and historic races for women are special.

For example the goal of the "Venus Rallye" (France) is to discover through stages from 100 to 150 km maximum per day, roads of dream in the North of France, and the latest innovations about wellbeing. The Princess' Rally has become one of the finest regular races in France. Women come from all over Europe: England, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, and even the U.S.A. You'll note that those events are all named Princess, beauties, Venus... The idea is always the unique fusion of passion, elegance, and fun.

Interview with NADA 2007 Vice Chair Annette Sykora of Ask Patty Certified Smith South Plains Dealership

Annette (Smith) Sykora started her career in the automotive industry in 1982 as title clerk at Smith Ford Mercury. By 1989, she had been the Finance manager and took over as General Manager. Shortly thereafter she purchased controlling interest in the family dealership.
Annette has been active on many factory committees, such as chairing the Ford Dealers Advertising Fund for Greater Texas, and serving on many other Ford committees as well.

Currently she serves her fellow dealers as the National Automobile Dealers Association Director for Northern Texas, a position she has held since 1999.  On the NADA board she has held many committee positions, most currently serving as Chairman of the ATAE committee, member of Executive committee, Trustee for the National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation, and as Industry Relations Ford Chairman. As Chairwoman of the NADA Public Affairs committee in 2000 and 2001, the Code of Ethics was written and adopted by a number of state associations and was also well received by the dealer body.  During her tenure the NADA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration partnership on National Child Booster Seat Campaign was also formed.

Mrs. Sykora has served on the Slaton Chamber of Commerce Board and was named Chamber Member of the Year, 2005.  She and her husband Patrick also have another dealership, Smith South Plains Ford Lincoln Mercury Dodge Chrysler Jeep in Levelland Texas, which is one of Ask Patty’s Certified Female Friendly dealers! We chatted with Annette about her position as Chairwoman with NADA and working day-to-day in a dealership!

ASK PATTY: How did you get into the automotive industry as a career?
Annette: My family owned a Ford Mercury dealership (Smith Ford Mercury) growing up. I worked in the dealership as a teenager with my father and grandfather. I realized in my early twenties that I LOVED the car business. I like the interactions with customers and employees; this is really a people business. Customers use their vehicles to make their living, take their kids to school and a host of other destinations. 

ASK PATTY: What motivated you to work with cars and trucks?
Annette: I love being part of the American dream and playing a role in customers transportation needs is a huge part of the American economy.   

Interview with Dara Dubois - SkillsUSA

Ask Patty is a great supporter of SkillsUSA, a partnership of students, teachers