Women In Automotive

"I almost did not register for my first WIA conference. I told myself I was too busy, that my team could not handle it, that I would catch the next one. I went. I came back with three new mentors, two partnerships, and a completely different perspective on what my career could look like. Austin is 41 days away. Do not talk yourself out of it."

Weekend Challenge: Send one message to a woman in automotive you admire but have not talked to in a while. Check in. Share what you are working on. Invite her to Austin. The best conferences are the ones you attend with people you already respect. Who is your first message going to?

The most dangerous career challenge isn't always burnout.

Sometimes it's forgetting why you started.

In this inspiring new Women In Automotive article, Stephanie Dean shares how years of chasing goals, managing pressure, and striving to be indispensable slowly disconnected her from the passion she once had for her career.

Her upcoming WIA 2026 breakout session, “Ignite Your Spark: Rekindling Passion in Your Automotive Journey,” helps women:

✔ Evaluate the pressures they're carrying
✔ Reconnect with forgotten goals
✔ Invest in themselves without guilt
✔ Lead with greater purpose
✔ Rediscover the excitement behind their work

If you've ever felt successful but strangely unfulfilled, this article will resonate.

📖 Read the article now
https://womeninautomotive.com/post/how-to-rekindle-your-passion-in-automotive

📍 Then join Stephanie this July at the 2026 Women In Automotive Conference in Austin.

🏨 Book inside the room block if you can. Yes, the hotel two blocks away might be a little cheaper. Book the room block anyway. The elevator chats, lobby run-ins, and late-night debriefs with women you just met — that's where so much of the WIA value lives. Proximity is part of the product. 👟 Pack layers and comfortable shoes. Ballrooms run cold, hallways run warm, and you'll log more steps than you expect between sessions, the expo floor, and evening events. A blazer you can throw on and take off will save you all day. Small choices. Huge difference. 💛

This week’s spotlight is on Sarah Vantine. 💙

Sarah has become a recognized voice in the automotive industry through her leadership, creativity, and commitment to helping dealerships grow and evolve.

As Vice President & Co-host of Ted Ings’ Fixed Ops Roundtable, she helps lead important conversations around innovation, customer experience, leadership, and the future of fixed operations.

An Automotive News 40 Under 40 honoree, Sarah continues to inspire others through her passion for the industry and her dedication to creating meaningful impact.

Thank you, Sarah, for the leadership and encouragement you bring to automotive every day. 👏

For the women who have already registered for Austin: What are you most looking forward to? The sessions? The networking? The city? The energy of being in a room full of women who understand this industry? Drop a comment. Your answer might help someone else decide to join you.

What if the hardest thing you've ever gone through didn't disqualify you from leadership?

What if it helped build it?

In this inspiring new Women In Automotive article, Cate Ojala shares how years spent navigating adversity taught her resilience, perspective, boundaries, and an unshakeable belief in her ability to keep moving forward.

Her upcoming WIA 2026 session, “From Survival Mode to Sales Leader: How Trauma Built My Unshakeable Edge,” offers practical tools and honest conversations around:

✔ Building resilience
✔ Setting healthy boundaries
✔ Finding confidence without external validation
✔ Using adversity as a source of strength
✔ Showing up authentically, even on difficult days

If you've ever felt like you were carrying more than anyone around you knew, this article is worth the read.

📖 Read the article now: https://womeninautomotive.com/post/from-survival-mode-to-sales-leader
📍 Then join Cate this July at the 2026 Women In Automotive Conference in Austin.

We are not just bringing speakers to Austin. We are bringing women who have actually done the work. Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing you to the voices you will hear on stage. Women who have led teams, transformed dealerships, and built careers worth paying attention to. Stay tuned.

We are not just bringing speakers to Austin. We are bringing women who have actually done the work. Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing you to the voices you will hear on stage. Women who have led teams, transformed dealerships, and built careers worth paying attention to.

46 days. That is not a lot of time to plan, book, and get your mind right for the biggest gathering of women in automotive this year. If you have been waiting for a sign to register for Austin, this is it. The room will be full of women who are building the future of this industry. The question is whether you will be in it.