Exploring confidence, balance, and life lessons in our Women’s ERG
Driven’s Women Employee Resource Group (ERG) hosted a panel with senior women leaders to learn from their experience.
The Women’s Employee Resource Group at Driven Brands hosted a panel discussion where four of Driven's senior women leaders responded to questions submitted by employees.
The panel included Missy McKinley, SVP of Operations at Take 5 Oil Change; Karen Conrad, SVP, CIO at Driven Brands; Sabrina Thring, President of Driven Collision; and Hannah Whitesides, SVP of Revenue at Maaco.
Early career lessons
There were several key lessons the panelists learned early in their professional journey, and they detailed how these insights helped them reach their current positions.
Karen explained, “Early in my career I didn't really understand that every company has a different culture and a different way of making decisions. I had to learn that through experience.”
As her career grew, Karen found that understanding a company’s culture and decision-making process allowed her to step more confidently into leadership roles.
Missy piggybacked on the idea of confidence and explained how her “superhero mentality” made her feel like early in her career, she had to approach problems alone.
“Probably my greatest learning early in my career was understanding the value of collaboration and the value of cross-functional partnerships,” Missy said.
Balancing act
The panelists also addressed the balancing act many women feel pressured to walk in the workplace.
“It's tough, regardless of the industry you’re in,” Sabrina noted. “I think if you're overly assertive as a woman, you get coined a certain way. If you're not aggressive enough, you get profiled as well.”
Sabrina shared that she had to find a “groove” that helped her take a firm but fair approach to most situations. However, she stressed the fact that being assertive did not mean a lack of compassion and empathy.
Hannah added that she felt the best way to walk this fine line was to first determine your leadership style and live that out. “You have to be authentically yourself. People can see through it when you aren't,” she said.
Navigating a male-dominated industry
When the panelists were asked how they carved a path for themselves in a male-dominated industry, several noted the importance of confidence.
Sabrina passionately believes that all leaders need to “own their stuff, know it well, and do the best they can.” This is the mentality she encourages from her own team – regardless of gender. She also expressed gratitude for the men who have mentored her – they never made her feel like the only woman in the room.
Hannah found confidence outside of Driven through her work with WIN: Women’s Industry Network, a volunteer group committed to enhancing the role of women in the collision repair industry.
“I stay connected with other, like-minded women who are looking to grow and broaden their horizons,” Hannah explained. “That continues to motivate and help me understand how to continue to grow.”
Advice to the next generation
One of the final questions posed to the panelists was: “What advice would you give to your younger self?”
With careers that spanned many years and industries, there were countless pieces of counsel they wished their younger selves could know now.
For one, Sabrina would tell herself to embrace the journey. She originally went to school to become a CPA, but because she allowed herself to adapt, she found her true calling in the automotive industry.
Having balanced full-time work with motherhood for most of her career, Sabrina would also tell her younger self to embrace all parts of life – not just the career. However, she wishes she could have slowed things down a bit as her three kids grew up really fast. For working moms, especially those early in their careers, she thinks it's important to find that work-life balance.
Missy had strong words for the importance of adapting to unexpected situations. “Always take the curve in the road because it's going to help you grow,” she encouraged. “It's going to open new doors and opportunities for your career growth and personal growth that you could never possibly imagine.”
Similarly, Karen would advise her younger self to embrace all career progression, even if it doesn’t follow the traditional trajectory.
“Many young people look at a career path as upward movement, and I’ll tell you, that's very narrow,” Karen said. “Sometimes you feel like you're making a change that's lateral, but it's really not. You're looking at a structure, not the knowledge that you are gaining and the growth of what you can be and what you can do.”
To conclude, Hannah reflected on coaching advice that she received midway through her career that she wished she had known earlier: “Being nice is not in your job description.” It became part of her personal mission statement, and she believes all young professionals should find and define their own mission statement to guide how they show up in work and life.