By Lindsey Anderson
Produced by Women in Motorsports North America, Women with Drive II was held last week as an event to bring together women working in motorsports – many who are very successful and influential people in the industry – to discuss ideas, needs and opportunities within the sector. Our president, Kristin Labonte, invited me to join her at what I hoped would be an amazing experience of learning, networking, and growth for me! Here is our story…
Kristin and I represented Breaking Limits at the Women with Drive II – Driven by Mobil 1 conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway along with about 300 other women – and men!
In the words of conference co-chairs Lyn St. James and Cindy Sisson, “This event is designed for industry experts to share their stories of how and why they chose motorsports as a career, share best practices of what works (or doesn’t), and discuss ways the industry can make improvements.”
Oh, how empowering the room at The Speedway Club was over the two days! Both ladies and yes, some gentlemen joined for the two-day event. If you could see inside my notebook for the conference you would see notes upon notes upon notes! I learned so much and the presenters and panelists inspired so many ideas! The truth is that I could not write fast enough during most of the sessions!
My mind is now filled with the wisdom that flowed throughout the room and I would like to share some of the quotes that inspired me from some of the most brilliant and passionate minds in motorsports. These quotes are only a fraction of the knowledge and encouragement I will take with me back to work and life. Some are so simple in words yet so complex in meaning and application for me and my role at Breaking Limits!
Three themes stood out to me and really hit home: Passion – Network – Visibility
“The Driving force of everything is PASSION.” – Gill Campbell
“Success for me is what I can do to help others in the sport succeed.” – Alba Colon
“Be the biggest voice in your head. Make it a Positive one.” – Connie Nyholm
“I can be anything and I can be everywhere.” – Gill Campbell
“You need to be your own advocate.” – Cindy Lucchese
“Take your seat at the table.” – Jill Gregory
“Respect is the key to gain trust!” – Nicole Longhini-McElroy
“Lean into failure, that is where you fuel success.” – Beth Paretta
“Be a good member of your own network!” – Gillian Zucker
“Don’t downplay your accomplishments.” – Victoria Thomas
“Authentic and unapologetic – be authentically you – be clear – end with Thank You!” – Heyward Wagner
“If you see someone hungry with passion, support the passion!” – Jimmie Johnson
“Women need to be invited; men just show up. It’s all about perspective so flip the script.” – Heyward Wagner
“Be what you want your children to see.” – Kelly Earnhardt Miller
“You don’t know what you don’t know.” – Shea Holbrook
“You can’t be what you can’t see.” – Linda Lindquist-Bishop
I found Linda Lindquist-Bishops words and presence so inspiring and captivating. She is a World Champion Sailor in offshore yacht racing, and she has sailed on more than one hundred competitive and professional teams over the last three decades. The passion she has for sailing radiated throughout the room. I feel the same passion from my colleagues here at Breaking Limits. Our mindset and culture are derived from the fortitude of the champions that founded our company: Bobby and Kristin. Champions set big goals and believe they can accomplish them. At Breaking Limits, we believe in ourselves, and our leadership believes in us. Kristin has the passion for inspiring our entire team to be the best we can be, both individually and collectively. She shines a light on each of us to remind us that if we are focused and determined, each of us can accomplish great things, no matter how big our goals are for ourselves or our agency partners.
I can imagine that Linda has been an inspiration for many young women over the years. She is an example and inspiration of a woman that forged her career path with sheer grit and determination and accomplished what very few thought was actually obtainable. By sharing her experiences, life lessons and accomplishments, she continues to encourage women of all ages and professions around the world. Everything in her life is built on the foundation of how she saw herself accomplishing dreams she had only seen in her own mind. Her message is to see your dream in your mind’s eye and with determination and a real-life mentor or role model, you can achieve that dream. “You can be what you SEE!”
To be honest, I can imagine that at some point we have all looked in the mirror and wanted something more out of our careers. We have all battled the voice in our own minds – the one tells us to just say in the comfortable place and don’t go against the gain, or question if an idea or dream is too far out of reach. The voice that asks, “What happens if you fail?” But Linda inspired me to hear the voice that should be asking “What if you succeed?” My biggest takeaway from the Women with Drive event is: What if I changed my mindset, embraced myself for all that I am, embrace my passion – can I revolutionize my life, my industry, and my future? What happens if you Break the Limits that are holding me back?
That sounds like breaking the limits of my future. At that is exactly what this conference has empowered the women of the motorsports industry to do!
At Breaking Limits, we are passionate about our work:
We Build lasting Relationships that stand the test of time.
We Excel passed the traditional paradigms and boundaries of marketing.
We are Authentic individuals, Knitted together by our love people and for our work and common goals.
We are Intelligent and wise beyond our years because we have done our homework and we are eager and continual learners.
We have surrounded ourselves by a Network of professional allies that love to achieve success as a team.
We believe in the power of Loyalty.
We do everything with the highest level of Integrity.
We are inspired to Mentor to future generations.
We are focused on Increasing brand awareness and hold ourselves to delivering ROI for partners.
We are a team and Teamwork is what we do best.
Like Champions, we have the heart for Seeing a vision of what is possible in our minds eye and the grit and determination to follow it through to the glorious, finished product for our partners!
We are BREAKING LIMITS!