With Her Two Hands

I first met Alex when she was still in high school, just starting her journey in the automotive world. Over the years, we’ve stayed in touch, and she’s participated in all three of my All Female Builds! Alex’s passion for diesel started in a high school auto shop and truly took off when she was chosen to participate in Road Trip Nation’s “Changing Gears” series. She and two others traveled across the country, interviewing auto and diesel techs, which solidified her interest in heavy-duty engines. After graduating from the Universal Technical Institute with a specialization in diesel, Alex now works as an in-shop tech for Cummins, handling all things heavy-duty with their engines.
Make sure you check out this week’s guest and see all the awesomeness she has been up to since this aired. www.instagram.com/alexburton13
 
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Join us LIVE on YouTube every Wednesday for new episodes, and every Monday for a new archived episode!
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Make sure to subscribe and follow along on social media
Instagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/withhertwohands
 
And follow your host - Bogi!
Instagram ~ https://instagram.com/bogisgarage
Website  ~ https://www.bogisgarage.com
               ~https://www.girlganggarage.com

Though young, Bella’s experiences, passion, and knowledge reveal wisdom beyond her years. As a restoration technician in Tennessee, she brings vehicles back to their original glory with dedication and expertise. Originally aspiring to teach history, her path took a turn when she discovered a passion for automotive restoration in a high school gas engines class. After earning her degree at McPherson College Restoration, Bella explored various roles across the industry, from interning with Barrett Jackson and the Tampa Bay Auto Museum to working in speed shops. Now, she’s found a phenomenal shop where she can continue to learn and grow, pushing the boundaries of her craft. Bella’s story is truly refreshing, and her outlook on overcoming challenges is an inspiration.
 
Make sure you check out this week’s guest and see all the awesomeness she has been up to since this aired. www.instagram.com/bellyzachia
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Join us LIVE on YouTube every Wednesday for new episodes, and every Monday for a new archived episode!
Or listen on your favorite podcast platform anytime!
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Make sure to subscribe and follow along on social media
Instagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/withhertwohands
 
And follow your host - Bogi!
Instagram ~ https://instagram.com/bogisgarage
Website  ~ https://www.bogisgarage.com
                ~https://www.girlganggarage.com

In this episode, it is announced that DriveTime and Trades Lady Happy Hour are collaborating in order to grow the project of spotlighting women in the trades. Pam Fabiano and Jaimie Fischer, two incredible DriveTime team members, lead us on a tour of their huge and impressively clean and organized facility. They fill us in on what Drivetime is doing to attract and retain techs in the industry and how they are actively working to change how automotive techs are treated and to improve their experience. 
Pam, a reconditioning center operations manager, has been with DriveTime for over 9 years. After serving as a Vendor Manager, she transitioned into her current role, seeking a more hands-on, operational focus in the automotive industry, which she’s deeply passionate about. Jaimie, an Assistant Vice President, oversees retail, reconditioning centers, transportation, logistics, buyers, and titles for an organization with over 2,000 employees. With 10 years at DriveTime, Jaimie loves the fast-paced nature of the business and enjoys making a positive impact by providing transportation to people. Neither of these powerhouse women planned to be in the automotive industry, but once they found themselves in it, they fell in love. They share their stories, their passions, and their paths to success as they’ve taken on more responsibility and leadership roles over time.
 
Make sure you check out this week’s guest and see all the awesomeness she has been up to since this aired. www.instagram.com/lifeatdrivetime
 
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Join us LIVE on YouTube every Wednesday for new episodes, and every Monday for a new archived episode!
Or listen on your favorite podcast platform anytime!
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Make sure to subscribe and follow along on social media
Instagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/withhertwohands
 
Listen to the audio version of past episodes
https://www.withhertwohands.com
 
And follow your host - Bogi!
Instagram ~ https://instagram.com/bogisgarage
Website    ~ https://www.bogisgarage.com
                  ~https://www.girlganggarage.com

Brooke Shorey went from knowing nothing about cars to graduating from a local college with an automotive program. Starting as a lube tech, then an alignment tech, she now works on everything in the shop. In an industry focused on attracting and retaining skilled techs, Brooke’s story offers a fresh perspective. She shares how, at her first dealership job, she wasn’t taken seriously and her growth was stifled, leading her to leave in search of better opportunities. Now, she’s found a supportive team of techs at a new dealership who are eager to help her grow. With her determination, Brooke is well on her way to becoming a great technician.
 
Make sure you check out this week’s guest and see all the awesomeness she has been up to since this aired. 
http://www.instagram.com/the.mad.brooker
 
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Join us LIVE on YouTube every Wednesday for new episodes, and every Monday for a new archived episode!
Or listen on your favorite podcast platform anytime!
***
 
Make sure to subscribe and follow along on social media
Instagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/withhertwohands
 
And follow your host - Bogi!
Instagram ~https://instagram.com/bogisgarage
Website    ~https://www.bogisgarage.com
                 ~https://www.girlganggarage.com
 

Andrea Dello Russo's journey to shop ownership is a testament to resilience and adaptability. After six years in the Navy as an engineer, where she faced extreme hazing and sexism, Andrea left the military and initially planned to pursue an old dream of doing theater in New York. However, life took a different turn when she became pregnant, prompting her to stay on the island and raise two children. During her time on Martha's Vineyard, Andrea spent 10 years farming, which sparked her interest in working on farm equipment. This hands-on work reignited her passion for mechanics, leading her to seek out opportunities to become a mechanic. Her perseverance paid off when she became the first woman to own an auto shop on Martha's Vineyard. Andrea's story reflects the unexpected paths life can take and her unwavering determination to follow her passions despite challenges.
 
Make sure you check out this week’s guest and see all the awesomeness she has been up to since this aired. 
www.instagram.com/wrenchwench69  
 
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Join us LIVE on YouTube every Wednesday for new episodes, and every Monday for a new archived episode!
Or listen on your favorite podcast platform anytime!
***
 
Make sure to subscribe and follow along on social media
Instagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/withhertwohands
 
And follow your host - Bogi!
Instagram ~ https://instagram.com/bogisgarage
Website    ~ https://www.bogisgarage.com
                  ~https://www.girlganggarage.com

Born to a mechanic father, Chelsea Lesnoski had a natural love of cars. However, her traditional family only allowed her into the shop to sweep the floor. Adding to this, she has faced a variety of serious health struggles, leaving her future uncertain. Taking a job in retail, she bought her first car for transportation but didn’t love the way it looked. She started dabbling with paint correction and detailing, eventually selling that car for a profit. This led to a cycle of buying, restoring, and selling cars for profit. Little did she know that she was launching a career which would gain her many accolades. Today, Chelsea is the co-owner of Throttle Thrashers Garage, is a two time SEMA award builder and is the first female Top 3 builder in SEMA history. One of her SEMA cars was built solo by her, in her one bay garage in only two months!
Don’t miss the conversation with this ridiculously talented yet humble young woman as she details her journey of being self-taught and continually pushing herself and her skills to the next level.
 
Make sure you check out this week’s guest and see all the awesomeness she has been up to since this aired. 
www.instagram.com/chelc.ttg  www.instagram.com/@throttlethrashers
 
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Join us LIVE on YouTube every Wednesday for new episodes, and every Monday for a new archived episode!
Or listen on your favorite podcast platform anytime!
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Make sure to subscribe and follow along on social media
Instagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/withhertwohands
 
And follow your host - Bogi!
Instagram ~ https://instagram.com/bogisgarage
Website  ~ https://www.bogisgarage.com   
                ~https://www.girlganggarage.com

Robin Reneau, also known as Rob the Blonde Mechanic, is a shop owner and mechanic who transformed her frustration with auto maintenance into a thriving career. Initially, she felt ripped off and overcharged for car repairs, so she educated herself on auto maintenance and fell in love with the industry. Despite her passion, Robin faced resistance when seeking hands-on training, often being relegated to the role of service advisor because others thought she was "too pretty" to be serious. She excelled in this role, which provided for her and her daughter, but she wanted more. Determined, she enrolled in an automotive technology program and became a mobile tech upon graduation. Using her extensive experience as a service advisor, service manager, store manager, and tech, she finally opened her own shop.
Her shop now houses three technicians and a service advisor and includes Glam Studios, offering spa services like nails, lashes, and a massage chair. This unique business model is geared towards females, demonstrating that one can be both pretty and skilled in the trades.
Listen in as she openly describes her struggles as a high school dropout, single mom and being a female of color in a male dominated industry. Robin attributes her success to a strong conviction of self, knowing what she wants, learning from every experience, and perseverance. With a huge smile, sense of humor, and pure passion and drive, Robin candidly shares her not always smooth journey to success.
 
Make sure you check out this week’s guest and see all the awesomeness she has been up to since this aired. 
www.instagram.com/rob.theblondemechanic
 
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Join us LIVE on YouTube every Wednesday for new episodes, and every Monday for a new archived episode!
Or listen on your favorite podcast platform anytime!
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Make sure to subscribe and follow along on social media
Instagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/withhertwohands
 
And follow your host - Bogi!
Instagram ~ https://instagram.com/bogisgarage
Website  ~ https://www.bogisgarage.com   
                ~https://www.girlganggarage.com

Australian born Louise Azzopardi is a speaker, mentor and coach for tradeswomen. She started out as a heavy equipment tech apprentice at 15 and became fully qualified at 19. After spending some time in the field, she became burnt out due to her experiences with discrimination. These challenges revealed the need for support for women in male-dominated industries. This led to the creation of her mentoring and coaching business, addressing the most common issues she was seeing and experiencing. Aside from how to handle male misconduct in the workplace she also addresses women’s physical health and the role it plays in work life. She helps bring to light how women beat themselves up, catastrophize, take on imposter syndrome and the heavy mental load of home life.
Join us in a very real and open conversation as Louise shares the intimate details of her difficult journey as a heavy equipment technician and candidly discusses some of the least talked about topics that women in the trades face. 
 
Make sure you check out this week’s guest and see all the awesomeness she has been up to since this aired. 
www.instagram.com/louiseazzopardicoaching
 
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Join us LIVE on YouTube every Wednesday for new episodes, and every Monday for a new archived episode!
Or listen on your favorite podcast platform anytime!
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Make sure to subscribe and follow along on social media
Instagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/withhertwohands
 
And follow your host - Bogi!
Instagram ~ https://instagram.com/bogisgarage
Website    ~ https://www.bogisgarage.com
                  ~https://www.girlganggarage.com

Kimberly Dimmick is such a fun and adventurous woman! She is a boat technician who says “YES” to big opportunities. Right out of high school, Kim was rising through the ranks at a local hotel, cleaning, doing room inspections and also learning maintenance. With only the front desk left to learn, she was feeling uncertain about her next steps. A construction crew came to stay at the hotel and randomly, Kim jumped on a job offer to work in road construction. There was a lot to learn and the hours were long. At the end of their road work day, the 5 person crew was then responsible for repairing and maintaining their own equipment. This is where she began to shine, learning how to repair service trucks, working on diesel equipment, performed welding, and fabrication. Within seven years, Kim went from grinding gravel to lady foreman! After 10 years, she took a break, got married and became a mom. One day, when she helped her husband on some boat projects at his job, she was also offered a job and now she is a Certified Yamaha Technician.
It’s so refreshing to hear how so much of her experience has been positive and how her gender never really mattered. No doubt that Kim’s drive and mastery of any job she is given, not to mention her positive attitude, plays a role in her success.
 
Make sure you check out this week’s guest and see all the awesomeness she has been up to since this aired. 
www.instagram.com/kimberlydimmick
 
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Join us LIVE on YouTube every Wednesday for new episodes, and every Monday for a new archived episode!
Or listen on your favorite podcast platform anytime!
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Make sure to subscribe and follow along on social media
Instagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/withhertwohands
 
And follow your host - Bogi!
Instagram ~ https://instagram.com/bogisgarage
Website  ~ https://www.bogisgarage.com
               ~https://www.girlganggarage.com

Guest:  Andrea Strommen
Automotive Technician and Shop Instructor 
Meet the amazing Andrea Strommen! Andrea is a high school automotive instructor at Atlanta College and Career Academy. As a master ASE tech, her passion for automotive work began as a teenager, working alongside her grandfather on his classic cars. She pursued this passion by attending college for automotive studies and started her first shop job while still in school. Frustrated with years of discrimination and hazing, she turned to her former college instructor for a new direction. With his encouragement, Andrea found her calling teaching college and eventually high school automotive classes. She now teaches kids the skills they need, helps them find their place in the industry, and mentors them on finding and holding jobs.Join us as Andrea speaks candidly about the resistance and pushback she faced in shop life and shares how she managed these obstacles without burning bridges. She also discusses the deep satisfaction that her career brings her and her advice to those just starting out.
Make sure you check out this week’s guest and see all the awesomeness she has been up to since this aired. www.instagram.com/hotrodtechmom
***Join us LIVE on YouTube every Wednesday for new episodes, and every Monday for a new archived episode!Or listen on your favorite podcast platform anytime!***
Make sure to subscribe and follow along on social mediaInstagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/withhertwohands
And follow your host - Bogi!Instagram ~ https://instagram.com/bogisgarageWebsite  ~ https://www.bogisgarage.com                   ~https://www.girlganggarage.com