Vaughan Automotive, a new-car dealership with locations in Houston and Boerne, Tex., is helping women be more aware of the outstanding career opportunities and benefits available to them in the automotive industry, from sales to service.
“The automotive industry provides engaging, rewarding careers for women that provide far-reaching opportunities, and I am living proof of that,” said Carolyn Liotta, Vaughan Automotive director of people and culture. “My vision is to use my position as a platform for reaching out to females and influencing them to join an industry in which their horizons are practically unlimited.”
For the past three decades, Liotta has held various positions in automotive sales and finance, including stints as a sales manager and a customer relations manager. In her current position, which she has held for three years, Liotta manages Vaughan Automotive’s entire staff, from new hires to long-term employees. She believes she is ideally positioned for outreach and active recruitment of women into the industry.
Vaughan Automotive Dealer Principal, Executive Manager, and CEO Shawn Vaughan noted that women drive 70-80 percent of automotive sales decisions industrywide.
“Bringing more women on in key positions throughout the dealership, from sales to service, makes good business development sense,” he said.
In addition to stepping up her own efforts to hire and mentor women within the Vaughan family of dealerships, Liotta plans to reach out to guidance counselors at the Houston and Boerne Independent School Districts, hoping to speak directly to high school girls, share her own experiences in the industry, explain why they should consider its career potential, and work with them on career development and advancement topics.
“If you want to be treated like a professional, you have to act like one,” Liotta said. “That’s the best career advice I’ve ever received and the best I can offer to others. Whatever your craft, strive to be the very best at it. That demands determination, discipline, and commitment. Always know your options. Jobs are easy to get, but careers must be developed.”
As part of the leadership team at Vaughan Automotive, Liotta is respected by her coworkers and has a job she loves, where her voice matters, and she is appreciated. Throughout her career, she has mentored many women and men who needed advice and encouragement. Her message is the same to everyone.
“The road to success is paved with determination, discipline, and commitment. Are you willing to put in the work required to be the best?” Liotta said. “I will always look back on my career and take pride in knowing I took the path less traveled by women. I have tried to influence, hire, and mentor women who will enjoy the same opportunities, growth, and financial success I have enjoyed in my automotive career. I am where I am today because people believed in me and gave me opportunities. I want paying that forward to be my legacy.”
