Anchor: John Helterbrand

by Chasidy Rae SiskACCESS-Public Preview, Anchor Feature, Current Issue, Featured DisruptHER Stories-Magazine, Issue - Summer 2026, Male AllyPosted on No Comments

John Helterbrand’s influence in collision repair is not built on ego, noise, or performative leadership. It is built on mentorship, consistency, humility, and the belief that people grow best when someone is willing to actually invest in them. As National Program Director for the Collision Engineering Career Alliance, John has helped shape educational pathways, support instructors, strengthen industry partnerships, and create opportunities for future technicians entering a field that desperately needs them. This Anchor feature explores what allyship looks like when it moves beyond slogans and becomes daily action.
John speaks openly about the importance of treating women as capable professionals, not symbols, side notes, or marketing props. His approach centers on preparation, respect, accountability, and building environments where students and technicians can succeed because the structure around them is strong enough to support growth. In an industry constantly discussing the technician shortage, John’s story points to a bigger truth: we do not just need more people. We need better mentorship, better leadership, and better places for talent to stay.

Anchor-Mike Anderson: Stability for the Pull, Space for the Future

by Chasidy Rae SiskACCESS-Archive, ACCESS-Subscriber, Anchor Feature, Archive, Archived Issue Articles, Featured DisruptHER Stories-Magazine, Issue - Spring 2026Posted on No Comments

Mike Anderson has spent decades teaching, challenging, and energizing the collision repair industry, but this feature looks beyond the microphone, the stage, and the reputation. In Glossed & Gritty’s inaugural Anchor feature, Mike is recognized for something deeper than industry fame: his willingness to stand firm, hold the line, and use his platform to make room for women in collision repair.
This article explores how Mike’s approach to hiring was never about tokenism or checking a diversity box. It was about finding the best people for the job, and again and again, he found that women brought the detail, discipline, communication, procedure-following, and quality-focused mindset that made shops stronger. He speaks openly about the powerful women who shaped him, the female leaders inside Collision Advice who helped build his legacy, and the moments when he chose principle over profit by shutting down disrespect toward his team.
But this piece is not just about Mike. It is about what real allyship should look like in this industry. An Anchor does not speak over women, rescue them, or make himself the hero of their story. An Anchor provides stability so women can apply force, reshape the structure, and lead. Mike Anderson shows what happens when support is not performative, but structural.