Meet Brittany Hamel, a trailblazer in her early twenties who runs her family auto body shop, started by her grandfather and his brother over fifty years ago.
Susan Conena, her Auto Damage Appraiser instructor nominated Brittany and stated, “Not only is she embracing her career of Auto Damage Appraising, she is also representing diversity of how women are now achieving big jobs in non-traditional fields.”
Brittany’s journey started at South New Hampshire University when she began her studies to become an elementary school teacher. Eventually, teaching shifted to business and she reevaluated her situation. With no gas money or prospects in sight, she was ready for options and accepted her father’s offer to work part-time at Hamel Brothers Auto Body Shop in Lowell where she practiced her business skills and continued her education. She loved the work and decided she wanted to manage the shop.
Fast forward, she enrolled in Susan Conena’s Auto Damage Appraiser class in Spring of 2018 and we met up with her this past June.
When asked what it takes to be a successful young woman working in a traditional male career, she replied, “Thick skin and people skills.” The combination of her confidence and ability to educate others allows her to explain how the appraisal process works so she can talk her customers off the ledge. Brittany builds trust with her customers by being helpful, using positive words, and relating to real world information.
Clearly, successful adults blend their interests and passions when navigating a career. Brittany has combined her love of education, business, and cars and paving the way for others.
