Today I was able to sit down with Rosella Aiello, co-owner and office manager of Bronxville Auto Collision, an auto body shop in Bronxville, NY.
As an office manager of an auto body shop, she is responsible for interacting with insurance companies with regard to following up on payments, bookkeeping, and payroll. She also manages the office staff and is in charge of certification programs and renewals at Bronxville Auto Collision.
The auto body shop industry is a field of work traditionally run by males. Rosella says that she interacts with far more males than females on the day-to-day basis:
“I’ve found that my male employees actually fear me, maybe because I’m the only woman,” Rosella said.
“Being a woman in a male-dominated industry, I often feel like I am not taken seriously. People often go to my partner in this business because he’s a male. I try my best to be well-informed about the industry so that people have to eventually take me seriously.”
When asked if she has any advice for women wanting to go into this field, or a male-dominated field of any kind, Rosella offered some great insight:
“I think it is so important to do what makes you happy. Despite the field still being dominated by males, there are many up-and-coming auto body shops owned by females. Anyone can do it; however, I think patience is key for being a woman surrounded by men in her field of work. I’ve faced far more hurdles in this job than I have in past jobs deemed traditionally female. I have just had to work hard, and be patient.”