From “Office Lady” to Industry Advocate: Michelle Pippin on Building Confident Women Leaders in Auto Repair
About this episode
Michelle Pippen’s career in auto repair started after her car broke down in rural Alaska, leading to a chance to work at a shop—first as the “office lady,” then through management as the business expanded. Her research and experience convinced her women often enter the industry by invitation or accident, not intention. Through her nonprofit Empowering Leaders (H.E.R.S.), she focuses on mentorship that goes beyond social circles, addresses credibility-killing workplace dynamics, and builds confidence for women managers. She also ties leadership development to market opportunity and women’s decision-making power.
Michelle Pippin never planned on joining the automotive industry. A broken timing belt on a remote Alaskan highway changed everything. Now, nearly a decade later, she’s leading a movement to intentionally invite, mentor, and empower women in auto repair—and challenging shop owners to rethink how leadership is built inside their businesses.
Empowering Leaders
"Now, through her organization Empowering Leaders, Michelle is working to close the gap between opportunity and access."
Empowering Leaders is a group Michelle Pippin created to help women in auto repair. The goal is to make sure women don’t just have opportunities on paper—they actually get the support and connections to reach them.
Empowering Leaders is the organization Michelle Pippin runs to support women in auto repair. The episode frames its mission as closing the gap between opportunity (what’s available) and access (who actually gets it).
mentorship
"She discusses why mentorship must go beyond social circles, and how subtle workplace dynamics can undermine credibility,"
Mentorship means having someone more experienced help you grow. It’s not just encouragement—it can include teaching you how to handle real work situations and how to move up.
Mentorship is more than casual advice—it’s ongoing guidance that helps someone navigate decisions, build confidence, and learn how to succeed in a specific workplace. In auto repair, strong mentorship can directly affect who gets trusted with customer-facing work and leadership opportunities.
workplace dynamics
"She discusses why mentorship must go beyond social circles, how subtle workplace dynamics can undermine credibility, and what shop owners, men included, stand to gain by intentionally developing women leaders."
Workplace dynamics are the “how people act around each other” in a workplace. Sometimes that can lead to unfair treatment—like not taking someone seriously—even when they’re doing great work.
Workplace dynamics are the everyday social and power interactions that shape how people are treated and how their ideas are received. In repair shops, these dynamics can influence whether someone’s competence is recognized or whether they’re unfairly doubted, affecting credibility and advancement.
skilled trades
"“I mean, we don't talk to girls about joining the skilled trades at all in school. And we certainly didn't back when I was in school.”"
Skilled trades are jobs where you learn a specific craft through training. In auto repair, that means learning how to figure out what’s wrong with a car and how to fix it safely.
“Skilled trades” refers to hands-on, technical careers learned through training and apprenticeship—like auto repair, welding, or electrical work. In automotive, it often means learning diagnostics, repair procedures, and safety practices rather than just basic mechanical knowledge.
car stops with no warning lights
"“Maybe two hours outside of Anchorage, suddenly my car stops. There's no… it didn't make any noises. It didn't, no alarms came on the dash. There was nothing obvious. It just died.”"
If a car shuts off suddenly and there aren’t any warning lights, it can be hard to guess the cause. It often means something critical stopped working—like fuel getting to the engine or an electrical problem—and a mechanic has to test a few systems to find it.
A car that “just dies” with no noises and no dash warnings usually points to a sudden loss of power or a system that the car doesn’t monitor with a clear warning. Common causes can include fuel delivery problems, an ignition/electrical failure, or a battery/charging issue—each requires different diagnostics.
Tow truck
"And he drove ahead and called for a tow truck. [221.6s] I, meanwhile, I'm walking up and down this little strip of road, I finally get a cell phone signal."
A tow truck is a vehicle that pulls your car when it won’t run or can’t be driven. It’s how you get the car to a mechanic so it can be fixed.
A tow truck is used to move a disabled vehicle when it can’t be driven safely or at all. In remote areas, towing is often the only practical way to get the car to a repair shop.
Insurance towing coverage
"I call my insurance company and they said, [230.3s] we can tow you to Wasilla, [231.9s] which was the nearest kind of city. [234.0s] And I said, that doesn't work for me."
Insurance can help pay for towing after your car breaks down. They’ll usually suggest a nearby drop-off location, but you can sometimes request a different destination.
When someone calls their insurance company after a breakdown, they may arrange towing and specify where the car will be delivered. The key detail here is the destination choice—towing to the nearest city versus towing back toward home.
Out-of-pocket towing cost
"We have to get back home, which is Fairbanks. [240.0s] How much is this gonna cost me? [242.4s] Well, I think it was $1,800 later."
Towing can be expensive, especially from remote locations, because of distance, time, and logistics. Here the discussion centers on the real-world cost impact—$1,800—after the vehicle needed a tow.
Mechanic's shop
"[245.2s] We were in Fairbanks. [246.4s] My car was at my mechanics shop."
A mechanic’s shop is where a trained repair person takes your car to figure out what’s wrong and fix it. It’s the next step after the tow.
A mechanic’s shop is where the vehicle is inspected and repaired after a breakdown. In this story, the car ends up at the speaker’s mechanic’s shop, implying it will be diagnosed and fixed by a professional.
timing belt broke
"he told me that, well, luckily, you don't seem to have destroyed your engine, but your timing belt broke."
A timing belt is like a timing “sync strap” inside your engine. It keeps the engine’s moving parts working in the correct order. If it snaps, the engine can get out of sync and may need expensive repairs.
The timing belt synchronizes the engine’s crankshaft and camshaft so the valves open at the right time. If it breaks, the engine can lose timing and may suffer serious internal damage, depending on the engine design (interference vs non-interference).
interference vs non-interference engine design
"he told me that, well, luckily, you don't seem to have destroyed your engine, but your timing belt broke."
Some engines are built with tight clearance between the pistons and valves. If the timing belt breaks, those parts can collide. Other engines have extra clearance, so the belt breaking might not immediately destroy everything.
Whether a broken timing belt causes catastrophic damage depends on the engine’s design. In interference engines, pistons and valves can occupy the same space at different times, so loss of timing can lead to valve-to-piston contact. Non-interference engines have more clearance, so damage may be less severe.
major repair
"Yeah. So I'd have to go, and granted it was a major repair, but I'd have to go begging for a ride to my mechanic shop..."
A “major repair” is a bigger job than routine maintenance. It usually takes more time and may require taking parts apart to fix the problem and make sure nothing else was damaged.
“Major repair” usually means work that’s labor-intensive, time-consuming, and often involves multiple components or deeper engine access. In the context of a timing belt failure, it commonly includes replacing the belt and related parts and may require additional inspection to confirm there’s no internal damage.
CV axles
"[383.1s] I can't do everything now, [384.8s] but I've replaced CV axles, brakes, oil, [388.0s] basic fluid changes and things like that."
CV axles are the parts that connect the car’s drivetrain to the wheels. They let the wheels move while still turning smoothly, especially when you go over bumps or turn.
CV axles (constant-velocity axles) transfer power from the transmission to the wheels while allowing the suspension to move up and down. They use CV joints to keep torque delivery smooth even when the axle angle changes.
brakes
"[383.1s] I can't do everything now, [384.8s] but I've replaced CV axles, brakes, oil, [388.0s] basic fluid changes and things like that."
Brakes help your car slow down and stop. When people say they “replaced brakes,” they usually mean replacing worn parts like pads and sometimes the rotors.
Brakes are the system that slows and stops the vehicle by converting motion into heat through friction. In repair conversations, “brakes” often refers to components like pads and rotors, and sometimes calipers.
oil
"[384.8s] but I've replaced CV axles, brakes, oil, [388.0s] basic fluid changes and things like that. [390.5s] I had a penchant for learning."
Oil keeps the engine’s moving parts from grinding against each other. An oil change is a routine service where old oil is drained and replaced with fresh oil.
Engine oil lubricates moving parts, helps carry heat away, and supports long-term engine wear control. “Replacing oil” typically means an oil change at a scheduled interval.
fluid changes
"[384.8s] but I've replaced CV axles, brakes, oil, [388.0s] basic fluid changes and things like that. [390.5s] I had a penchant for learning."
Fluid changes are routine maintenance where the car’s important liquids are refreshed. Keeping them clean helps different systems work properly and can prevent expensive problems later.
“Fluid changes” refers to scheduled maintenance where specific vehicle fluids are drained and replaced to keep systems working correctly. Depending on the car, this can include transmission fluid, coolant, power steering fluid, brake fluid, and more.
service side
"[404.0s] Okay. [404.0s] And you started as a technician [407.8s] and then moved over to the service side. [410.7s] I started as an office lady."
Moving from “technician” work to the “service side” usually means shifting into roles like service advising, shop management, or coordinating repairs. It’s a different workflow—less hands-on wrenching and more diagnosing customer needs, estimating work, and managing repair processes.
building confident women leaders in auto repair
"It's designed to serve women leaders in the automotive industry... And you talk about encouraging women to lead but you use a key phrase on your website..."
This part is about helping women grow into leaders in auto repair. They talk about bringing people into the industry and supporting them so they can feel confident leading.
This segment focuses on how to support women leaders in the automotive repair industry through outreach, mentorship, and leadership messaging. It frames the challenge as both access (inviting people in) and culture (helping them thrive and lead).
lead with confidence rather than shrink, soften or assimilate
"...You say that you encourage them to lead with confidence rather than shrink, soften or assimilate. Why was that message in particular so important..."
This is about encouraging people to lead in their own way, not try to become “less” to fit in. In a shop setting, it can mean speaking up, making decisions, and earning respect through clear communication and professionalism.
“Lead with confidence rather than shrink, soften or assimilate” is a leadership message about maintaining your own voice and authority instead of conforming to a dominant culture. In auto repair shops, confidence can translate into clearer communication with customers, stronger advocacy for safety and quality, and more effective management.
male dominated spaces
"...Why was that message in particular so important in these male dominated spaces like automotive? If you're not used to the male dominated space of automotive repair..."
This means an environment where most of the people are men. When that happens, the culture can make it harder for others to feel respected or confident, especially in a hands-on field like auto repair.
The phrase “male dominated spaces” describes workplaces where men are the majority and norms, communication styles, and expectations may be shaped around that. In automotive repair, this can affect how feedback is delivered and how confident people feel speaking up or pursuing leadership roles.
linked lives
"“Yeah, so originally I set out to explore how women got into the automotive industry. But as my study evolved… it became clear… It's called linked lives, okay?”"
This idea is basically saying your life is connected to other people’s lives. The people around you—family, coworkers, community—can affect what you do and how far you can grow.
“Linked lives” is a concept from social research that looks at how different people and communities in your life influence your choices and opportunities. In this episode, it’s used to explain how networks (family, work, community) shape someone’s path into and growth within auto repair.
C-suite
"So I'm speaking on women making the jump to the C-suite in the automotive industry and it's for Women Automotive Network."
“C-suite” is a fancy way of saying the highest leadership jobs at a company. Think CEO and other top executives who make big decisions for the whole business.
The “C-suite” refers to the top executive roles in a company, like CEO, COO, CFO, and other C-level leaders. In auto repair and automotive businesses, moving into the C-suite usually means shifting from hands-on technical work into management, operations, finance, and strategy.
Women Automotive Network
"So I'm speaking on women making the jump to the C-suite in the automotive industry and it's for Women Automotive Network."
Women Automotive Network is the organization sponsoring/hosting the talk mentioned in this segment. It focuses on supporting women in the automotive industry, including career growth and leadership development.
Detroit Summit
"The Detroit Summit is June 2nd. There is actually a link for a discount code"
They mention an event in Detroit with a specific date. It’s connected to a talk about helping women grow into leadership roles in auto.
The Detroit Summit is an event date being promoted in this segment. It’s tied to a talk about women advancing into top leadership roles within the automotive industry.
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