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October 2026
Good Company. Bold Moves. All G&G.
Highlights from WIN’s Virtual Conference & the Texas Auto Body Tradeshow
What happens when women share their expertise, own their worth, and show up for each other? From WIN’s 2026 Virtual Conference to the Texas Auto Body Trade Show, we’re catching up with the people moving collision repair forward. Get the highlights on career growth, repair technology, and connections that could open unexpected doors. Then follow G&G onto the show floor, where magazines changed hands and two kangaroos shamelessly stole the spotlight. There’s wisdom to pocket, grit to appreciate, and a networking plan that didn’t account for stroller duty.
October E-News Features:
- Survey: Sound Off DisruptHERs: Call for Submissions
- Pro-Tips & Precision
- Industry Insights
- Unfiltered Font:
- Impact Report FEATURE Article (Subscriber Access Required)
Sound Off, DisruptHERs!
-Call for Submissions–
The Future is Female—and We Want Your Take
What moved women in collision forward this year? What still needs a swift kick into the future? Help shape Issue 4 by sharing the wins, lessons and changes you want this industry to carry into the year ahead.
Framechanger:
Accident to Academics: Amy Bogner Teaches the Next Generation to Keep Showing Up
A wrecked car sent Amy Bogner into collision repair. Two decades in the industry gave her skills, perspective and a few lessons she refuses to let the next generation learn the hard way. Now an instructor and workbook author, Amy talks about finding a new challenge, preparing students for real shop life and making sure the young women following her know someone has their backs.
Unfiltered Font:
Stronger—Unnecessarily
By: Chasidy Rae Sisk
“You need a thick skin.” Fine—but why? Chasidy takes aim at the industry’s habit of celebrating women for surviving circumstances they should never have faced. Inspired by Amy Bogner’s brutally accurate words, this month’s Unfiltered Font asks an overdue question: What if women became stronger through training, mentorship and opportunity instead of unnecessary bullshit?
Could U.S. Collision Shops Steal a Few Ideas from New Zealand?
A “Help Wanted” sign won’t fix a workplace that sends good people running. Women in Automotive New Zealand has released free resources to help employers rethink recruitment and the environments women enter afterward. From properly fitting PPE to opportunities for advancement, these questions travel well. Maybe the industry doesn’t need another workforce complaint. Maybe it needs to borrow a few good ideas.
Building the Network From Within
ACX Women’s Collective Creates Connections for Women in Collision
“Find a mentor” sounds lovely. Having an actual network to turn to is considerably more useful. ACX’s employee-led Women’s Collective is creating connections through community, professional development and a mentorship program opening to all employees. Its approach offers a look at what happens when support becomes part of the workplace—and women have people in their corner as they build their careers.
STILL WORTH THE READ…
Your Next Read is Ready
Issue 3: Fall 2026 is Live
Start with the Glossed Preview for a look at the women, careers and conversations driving the movement.
Confidence. Community. And plenty worth taking back to work. Explore Fall Issue 3 of Glossed & Gritty for Collision DisruptHER stories, professional development and connections that reach beyond the shop.
Fair warning: one article has a habit of becoming six open tabs.
Want to move past The Glossed and Get to The Gritty for full access to Issue 3?
Check out our subscriptions below:
Could U.S. Collision Shops Steal a Few Ideas from New Zealand?
We talk a lot about getting more women interested in collision repair, but getting them through the door is only half the battle… What happens once they get there?
A new initiative from Women in Automotive New Zealand caught our attention because instead of simply talking about the need for more women in automotive, the organization is giving employers practical tools to help them recruit women – and create workplaces where they’ll actually want to stay!
In late September, Women in Automotive New Zealand celebrated becoming an official charity by releasing two free employer resources: Hiring for Gender Diversity, a step-by-step recruitment guide, and a Workplace Warrant of Fitness, a self-assessment designed to help businesses identify opportunities for improvement. The need is particularly striking in collision repair: Women in Automotive NZ reports that women represent just 6% of the country’s collision repair workforce, and these free resources tackle everything from the language used in job advertisements and interview practices to workplace culture, career progression, appropriate facilities and whether PPE and uniforms actually fit female employees.
Obviously, New Zealand employment laws don’t apply to shops here in the U.S., but a lot of the questions behind these resources travel pretty well:
Are we unintentionally discouraging women before they ever apply?
If a woman joins the team, does she have properly fitting PPE?
Are there appropriate restroom and changing facilities?
Can she see a path for advancement?
Does the culture make her feel like a valued member of the team – or like she needs to prove every day that she belongs there?
Those aren’t New Zealand questions; they’re collision industry questions, and they’re especially worth asking in an industry that regularly talks about its struggle to find and retain skilled technicians!
Recruiting more women into collision is important, but recruitment doesn’t accomplish much if the environment they enter sends them right back out the door. Maybe we don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes, a good idea is worth borrowing – even when it comes from 8,000 miles away. Check out the free employer resources from Women in Automotive NZ!
Building the Network From Within: ACX Women’s Collective Creates Connections for Women in Collision
Finding your people can make a huge difference when you’re building a career in an industry where relatively few people look like you, but ACX is working to make those connections a little easier through its Women’s Collective, an employee-led initiative designed to provide mentorship, professional development and a stronger sense of community for women working throughout its collision repair organization.
Founded by Brandi Brydges, ACX Director of Operations, Private Insurance; Kimberley Kos, Collision Manager at ACX Kavia; and Brittany Huber, Collision Manager at ACX Venture, the Women’s Collective currently includes a 15-member committee and meets monthly, with meetings open to women across ACX. The group creates opportunities for women to connect, share experiences and build relationships with others navigating careers in the same male-dominated industry.
This fall, ACX is also launching a mentorship program open to all employees. Brandi and Kimberley are no strangers to championing women in collision either – both have been recognized among the Women’s Industry Network’s Most Influential Women – but we especially love that the Collective isn’t only looking inward. ACX also works with organizations including WIN, Jill of All Trades and Women in Trades and Technology (WITT), while engaging with high schools and colleges to introduce more young women to collision repair and other skilled-trade careers.
In other words, they’re working on both sides of the equation: showing women that opportunities exist in collision while building a network to support them once they get there! There’s something worth paying attention to in that approach.
Industry organizations like WIN have created invaluable opportunities for women to find mentors, build networks and see examples of what their own careers could become, but employers don’t have to leave all of that work to outside organizations.
Creating opportunities for women to connect with and learn from one another inside a company can be just as important. Sometimes, knowing someone else has navigated the challenge you’re facing – and having someone in your corner who wants to see you succeed – can make all the difference between simply finding a job in collision and building a career here.
Member & Subscriber Features: October 2026
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