How did you first become interested in cars?
My dad used to be an engine builder when he was in the workforce, and I had a small fascination then, but … I kind of believed that if my car ever had a problem, I’d be affluent enough that I could just throw money at the problem and make it go away. And then I realized that I can’t throw money at the problem because I’m the problem, so I have to fix it myself.
I didn’t start doing that until I got my first car and it just took off from there. I realized that the technology and the science behind the puzzle of diagnosis was easy to me.
Compared to traditional auto shops, what sets your business apart?
We get to help out customers that maybe don’t have the same resources that others do, with the privilege of being able to go into a dealership or even go into a shop … So if you’re at work and you have a flat, we can take care of that while you’re working. If you’re at home and you have to deal with the kids, we can take care of that while you’re dealing with the kids.
Does offering such personalized service, and being LGBTQ+, help you build trust with clients?
Absolutely. I get a lot of customers that will call me, even just for consultant work on a vehicle they’re looking at purchasing … Especially being in Bellingham, I do have quite a large LGBTQ+ clientele. [Being LGBTQ+] kind of works in my favor out here, being that this is a very forward-thinking area, and so it makes it easier. I’ve never had a negative response because of it — although I will say that I am pretty sure I’ve had people turn me down because they don’t want a girl working on my car.
How common are female mechanics, and why do you think those beliefs exist?
There are quite a few female mechanics out there. When I worked at the dealership, we actually had one — ironically, also LGBTQ. I think there’s a correlation there. [But] it seems like it’s not an industry where women are typically seen as part of it.
In the older generations, women weren’t taught automotive. That was the man’s job. And in the newer generations, really, even the men aren’t being taught automotive because it’s so computerized … You have to be able to communicate with the car on a digital level that bypasses the tools of yore, where we had screwdrivers and hammers and pliers. Life isn’t a country song anymore. You can’t fix things with WD-40 and a Craftsman wrench.
What do you enjoy outside of work?
I ride motorcycles. Just got into that recently and love it. Finally have the money to do it. I write programming. I do that for fun, but mainly now I do it for work or because I need something that I either don’t want to pay for, can’t afford or doesn’t exist.
And I play games. Do a lot of simulation games. Ironically, car mechanic simulator is one of them — it’s not accurate. It’s not accurate! If you rebuild a motor in that game and think you can do it in real life, reconsider.
