Glossed & Gritty – Mobilizing Collision DisruptHERs

– We’re so glad you’re here!

Polished DisruptHER: Shelly Jones

Shelly Jones did not enter collision repair through a perfectly paved career lane. She took the scenic route through waste management, sales, operations, education, workforce development, and eventually helped build one of the industry’s most ambitious technician pipeline initiatives. In this Polished DisruptHER feature, Shelly talks about career pivots, family, mentorship, student success, and the…
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Primed DisruptHER: Jaelyn Walker

Jaelyn Walker grew up around mechanics, JDM culture, loud engines, and Puerto Rican pride, but she found her lane in the cosmetic side of the industry. Now working as a non-structural body technician while training toward structural repair, Jaelyn is building skill, confidence, and a future that does not fit anyone’s outdated assumptions. In this…
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Dynasty DisruptHER: Petra Schroeder

Petra Schroeder is known throughout the collision repair world as the Collisionista, but her legacy cannot be contained in a single title, scarf, language, or boardroom introduction. With nearly six decades connected to the industry, Petra’s story is one of reinvention, curiosity, global influence, cultural fluency, and a kind of leadership that does not need…
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Breaking the Brass* Ceiling: Jaime Shewbridge Welds “Like a Girl” (Don’t You Wish You Could Too?)

In an industry often defined by grit, grease and a “boy’s club” mentality, Jaime Shewbridge doesn’t just fit in – she stands out as a master of her craft. With a career spanning 33 years, Jaime has evolved from a high school data entry clerk to becoming the first woman to earn all three of…
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Dynasty DisruptHER: Petra Schroeder

Petra Schroeder is known throughout the collision repair world as the Collisionista, but her legacy cannot be contained in a single title, scarf, language, or boardroom introduction. With nearly six decades connected to the industry, Petra’s story is one of reinvention, curiosity, global influence, cultural fluency, and a kind of leadership that does not need…
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Primed DisruptHER: Jaelyn Walker

Jaelyn Walker grew up around mechanics, JDM culture, loud engines, and Puerto Rican pride, but she found her lane in the cosmetic side of the industry. Now working as a non-structural body technician while training toward structural repair, Jaelyn is building skill, confidence, and a future that does not fit anyone’s outdated assumptions. In this…
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Gear and Glam: Pretty Tough from the Ground Up

A bad pair of work boots can turn an entire shift into a hostage situation conducted by your own feet. In this Gear & Glam feature, Glossed & Gritty takes on one of the most overlooked pieces of PPE in the shop: the boots carrying Collision DisruptHERs through concrete floors, long hours, ladders, frame machines,…
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Recalibration: Mind and Body: Are VOCs More Toxic to Women?

In the collision industry, we obsess over “OE Specs.” We verify frame alignment to the millimeter and paint codes to the shade. Yet, we consistently ignore the most critical specification in the shop: the biological spec of the technician. Working in the shop means exposure to various chemicals — we’re all exposed to potentially…
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Gear and Glam: Beyond the Clearcoat: Heavy-Duty Pants for Heavy-Duty Repairs

In the collision industry, “Gloss” is the finished product, but the “Grit” is the repair. As technicians, our bodies are our most valuable tools. We spend our days contorting into trunk cavities, bracing against frame pulls and navigating a minefield of jagged metal and hot sparks. If you’ve followed my column “Frame of Mind” or…
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