The world celebrates International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8th annually. It is a global day celebrating women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements and calling for gender equality. The first International Women’s Day was celebrated in 1911 and has been observed annually ever since.
Women in the Automotive Industry:
It’s no secret that historically the automotive industry has been male-dominated. This is certainly true of the more hands-on side of things, like bodyshop work and mechanics. Thankfully, this is changing as schools play an essential part in encouraging women to enter male-dominated industries. They promote inclusivity and diversity by providing education, guidance, mentorship, and role models, creating a more equal and equitable society.
Slowly, within our industry, we see change. Unfortunately, I think many places are still in the dark ages, often with a boorish, confrontational attitude, and until that changes, I can’t see why many women would want to join us. While we are aware of some female detailers and PPF installers, sadly, they are still very much in the minority.
Of course, you’ll never find a bad attitude at Auto Curators. Matt and I strongly believe in treating and representing every person equally, whether client or colleague.
We will never make assumptions about anyone’s knowledge or needs.
It delights us when we receive feedback from our female clients saying they’ve found us easy to deal with and talk to rather than assumptive or condescending. But this is a respect that all our customers are due.
We’re Celebrating IWD:
This year we thought we’d celebrate IWD by listing a few of the most influential women in the automotive business and sharing the women who help us run Auto Curators successfully. Read on for all the details…
Influential women and trailblazers in the automotive industry:
Susie Wolff.
Ex-Williams F1 test driver, Susie, has worked extremely hard to raise the issues of inequality for women in motorsport. In 2016, Susie led the foundation of ‘Dare to be Different’, a non-profit organisation aiming to increase women’s participation in all motorsport and other male-dominated industries.
Stephanie Kwolek.
Stephanie invented Kevlar fibres in 1968, these have been used in many automotive applications for strength and safety.
Kwolek’s invention of Kevlar earned her many honours and awards, including the National Medal of Technology and the Perkin Medal. She was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1995.
Danica Patrick
The most successful woman in competitive IndyCar motor racing, Danica has competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, the Xfinity Series, and the Camping World Truck Series. She became the first woman to win a race with her victory at the Indy Japan 300 in 2008. She also won the pole position for the 2013 Daytona 500, becoming the first woman to do so.
Celebrating IWD – Women who help us run Auto Curators:
Sarah Lonnon, Lindsey Spurway and Helen House:
Business Buddies (and the women behind the business name) take care of all our regular bookkeeping, payroll and VAT returns.
They are super efficient at keeping our books up to date and have been way ahead of the government-mandated switch to ”Making Tax Digital’’. I can access up-to-date reports and information via Quickbooks to help with cash flow, forecasting and identifying aged debtors, etc.
Becki Goh:
Becki is a fantastic Osteopath, working for the Victoria Tuckwell Osteopath Practice. The job we do is a very physical one, and it takes its toll. I first sought the help of Victoria some years ago, having tried sports massage and the like for back pain brought on by the work I was doing. She not only sorted that pain, but she helped to educate me on how to help myself through exercise and posture.
I visit Becki’s practice regularly for a maintenance visit, typically every eight weeks. These appointments have helped massively in general body well-being and mobility, avoiding pain in the first place!
Rachel Harris:
Business Buddies introduced us to our accountant, striveX Ltd. Established by husband and wife team, Rachel and James Harris, they have a refreshing approach to a traditionally stuffy and dry subject, albeit vitally important! Rachel is well known in her industry as AccountantShe. She uses her immense knowledge and skills to provide traditional accountancy, business advisory, and mentoring services. Rachel is regularly asked to present TED talks and is a great ambassador for equality.
Kate Coote:
Then, of course, is the marvel that is Kate Coote. Kate helps me write copy for blogs, our website, and social media. She has the patience of a saint. Kate creates excellent content ideas for us to share with our audience and then gives me a framework. Kate then turns whatever flows out of my head into useful content. She optimises it for SEO and shares it with our followers. This has been a massive help for the business, as day to day, I just don’t have time to do this effectively.
Rachel Townsend and Sarah Savory:
Rachel, my wife, used to handle all the booking keeping and HMRC returns when the business was much smaller. As the business grew and Auto Curators was incorporated, it became necessary to find external help. Rachel is a senior compliance manager within a financial institution, so she usually has more work on her desk than is reasonable at any given time without me adding my company needs to it too!
Working as part of a small team can sometimes be disruptive to schedules, needing to come in early or stay late at short notice, or when we’ve done exhibitions at the likes of Goodwood or travelled away. Matt and I are very grateful to have wives who are both understanding and supportive of this because, inevitably, it means they get put upon as well when our schedule changes, and they’ve already got lots going on themselves.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our IWD celebration. And if you’re a woman working in car detailing or another automotive industry, let us know so we can follow you on social. Or if you need car detailing services, contact us HERE.
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