‘Hard work pays off’: Anna Stout’s journey at Take 5 Oil Change
Anna Stout’s hard work and dedication led her from a lube technician to a Take 5 Oil Change District Manager.
In 2021, Anna Stout was sleeping in her car in Pace, Florida.
She had moved to Florida with a plan, but that plan hadn’t worked out the way she imagined. So, she went in search of a new one, sending out a flurry of job applications in the hope that she would find a match and a new path forward.
One of those places was Take 5 Oil Change. That application would change her life.
The team at Take 5 Oil Change saw something in Anna, but when they offered her the job as lube technician, she hesitated at first. She assumed it was a male-dominated field and wondered if there would be opportunities for her to grow and expand her knowledge within the company: “I didn’t want to hop around. I really wanted to find a career that I could stick to and give my all. I’ve always had the, ‘I have your back. You have my back,’ mindset and was looking for that in a job.”
She decided to try, accepted the job, and quickly found out that Take 5 offered many opportunities for anyone willing to put in the work.
Three years later, Anna’s hard work and ‘I have your back’ mentality have paid off, and she now serves as a District Manager for Take 5 Oil Change in Columbus, Ohio.
Taking the leap into leadership
Anna’s managers noticed her dedication to learning and perseverance early on. Within a month, she was promoted to assistant manager. A month later, she was offered the opportunity to manage a shop in Panama City, Florida.
Although she never held that type of management role before and was nervous about her abilities, Anna credits Take 5 leaders, including Brandon Lemoine, Tiffany Eldreth, and Aleck Manzo, with giving her the confidence to make the leap.
“I’m so grateful to Brandon and all the other Take 5 leaders. They saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself,” Anna said. “There were definitely struggles when I was managing the Panama City shop, but those challenges and that time period helped shape me into the person and leader I am today.”
Embracing growth through challenges
Soon, Anna got the opportunity to step into a new role in a new city, and it took her career to a new level. While in Panama City, she accepted a Certified Training Manager position in Hampton, Virginia. After moving, she decided to dive in and fully embrace her personal and professional development.
“Being out there alone, away from friends and family, pushed me to grow. I became a sponge, absorbing leadership podcasts, books, and any advice I could get my hands on,” she said.
She relied heavily on her mentors during this time, including Brandon, who helped her understand the importance of humility and adaptability: “I used to think, ‘This is who I am. I can’t change.’ But I was wrong. Brandon challenged me to grow, and now I can see how far I’ve come as a leader.”
Working with Brandon and other Take 5 leaders helped Anna embody a core leadership lesson: people work for people, not companies.
This mindset became a driving force in her own growth and development as a leader and helped propel her into her current role.
Finding balance and driving results
As District Manager, Anna oversees multiple shops and helps guide new leaders. One of Anna’s biggest areas of focus is fostering a culture of collaboration. Recently, she organized a shop manager training day when leaders came together to run car challenges, share best practices, and even compete for prizes.
“It’s a demanding role,” Anna said. “I’ve never been pulled in so many directions before. But I love my job. I’ve worked really hard to get here, and I’m determined to succeed.”
She is still finding balance in her new role and establishing a new routine, but if Anna has learned anything in her time at Take 5, it’s to work hard and enjoy the journey: “Hard work pays off. It’s about doing the small things every day, even when they don’t seem to matter. Over time, those little things add up to big results.”