2025 Women in Automotive Conference Recap
Leadership Lessons & Takeaways from Nashville
The 2025 Women in Automotive Conference in Nashville offered more than networking opportunities. It provided fuel for personal and professional growth. Our Dealer Image Pro team — Roxanne Doche, Eva Love, and Hailey McHone — joined hundreds of women across automotive retail to share insights and build real momentum for change within the industry.
Unlike many conferences, this one did not rely on passive keynotes. It focused on practical lessons that can be applied inside any dealership, department, or leadership style.
Leadership Lessons from Women in Automotive, for Everyone in the Dealership
1. Own your ambition. No one can support goals they can’t see.
Whether managing a sales team, running recon, or building your career, one message was repeated: If you want to grow, say it out loud. Write it down. Commit to it.
Promotions and project ownership rarely fall into place without intention. Dealerships move fast. If you wait quietly, you may get passed over. Show up for the job you want, not just the one you currently have. Confidence and clarity signal readiness.
Our Takeaway:
Don’t assume your manager knows you are ready for more. Speak up.
2. Personal branding is not about perfection. It is about consistency.
Branding was reframed as reliability, not popularity. In a dealership, a personal brand might be:
- The salesperson who always follows up
- The recon tech who documents every before-and-after
- The manager whose team feels supported
The real question is simple: Are you showing up with intention, or leaving your reputation to chance?
Try this reflection:
What do people remember about you after a meeting or interaction?
What do you want them to remember?
Is there a gap between the two?
Our Takeaway:
Consistency is more powerful than polish. People trust what they can count on.
3. Conflict is not the problem. Communication is.
One of the most practical sessions focused on conflict, something every dealership experiences across departments.
Key strategies:
- Stick to facts, not interpretations.
- Avoid escalating sensitive conversations through email or messaging platforms. Bring them into real conversation.
- Do not allow “emotional” to be used as a dismissal. Emotion signals investment, not weakness.
Our Takeaway:
Conflict becomes productive when communication is clear and respectful.
Reflections from the Dealer Image Pro Team
“The energy in the room was something else, full of incredibly smart, inspiring women. I left feeling really lucky. Lucky to be in that room. Lucky to learn from so many great conversations. And lucky to work for Dealer Image Pro, a company that invests in its people and genuinely wants to help move the industry forward.”
— Roxanne Doche, VP of Marketing
“I’ve was extremely lucky to spend my time in Nashville at the Women in Automotive conference. I walked away with a new found confidence in myself, my leadership abilities and my team as a whole. It was an amazing experience to collaborate with a group of driven, goal-focused women who all share roles in Automotive.”
— Hailey McHone, Product Training Manager
“It was inspiring to come together with women from across the U.S. to grow both professionally and personally. I left feeling empowered, stronger, and with a deeper insight into our collective capabilities.”
— Eva Love, Director of Sales and Business Development
Where Women in Automotive Is Taking the Industry Next
Women in Automotive is not just about representation. It is redefining how leadership looks and feels inside dealerships.
Whether you are running the store or just getting started, the message was clear:
Speak up for what you want
Show up with intention
Lead with clarity
Our team left Nashville committed to putting these principles into action.