Mayce DelValle & Missy Washam on Leading Boldly Without Waiting for Permission
Mayce DelValle & Missy Washam
Owners - Mpactful Messages and Women In Automotive 2025 Keynote Speakers
You know that moment when you’re in the sales meeting with a brilliant idea about reaching female buyers—who make 80% of vehicle purchase decisions—but everyone’s talking over you? Or when you’ve diagnosed a complex service issue, but the customer wants to “speak to one of the guys”?
That’s exactly the kind of gear-shifting mindset Mayce DelValle and Missy Washam brought to the Women In Automotive 2025 Conference stage. The dynamic duo behind Mpactful Messages didn’t just deliver a keynote—they ignited a movement, reminding every woman in that room that leadership isn’t about the title on your business card. It’s about how you show up, right now, exactly where you are.
“Leadership isn’t about being in charge,” they told the packed auditorium. “It’s about showing up and bringing others along for the ride.”
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re “ready” to lead, whether you have enough authority, or whether you’re “too much” for your workplace, this conversation is about to change everything. Mayce and Missy sat down with me to unpack their revolutionary approach to leadership—one that combines five powerful attitudes with seven connection-driven principles to create what they call “leadership from the inside out.”
The Power of Not Waiting for Permission
Here’s what struck me most about Mayce and Missy’s message: they’re not interested in helping you fit into old leadership molds. They want you to shatter them entirely.
When I asked them about the “old rules” women in male-dominated industries need to rewrite, their answer was refreshingly bold. “Don’t be too much,” I was told. “Here’s the thing—you will always be too much for some people. We like to say, then, those aren’t your people!”
Think about that for a moment. How often have you dimmed your enthusiasm, softened your voice, or held back your ideas because you were worried about being “too much”? According to these powerhouse speakers, that’s exactly what’s holding you back from authentic leadership.
“True leadership is all about being authentic,” they added. “When you show up every time, true to who YOU are, you won’t believe in playing small but playing out exactly who you are meant to be. Bringing your full, authentic self each and every day will invite others to do the same.”
Simple Tools, Immediate Results
What makes the Mpactful Messages approach so revolutionary isn’t its complexity—it’s its simplicity. At WIA 2025, Mayce and Missy deliberately focused on practical, actionable tools that attendees could implement immediately.
“We know how easy it can be for leaders to fall into a trap of complacency or to make excuses for their attitudes based on other people’s behavior,” they explained. “We wanted to offer very simple, practical action items that the women can take home right from the session, put into action and see immediate results.”
Their philosophy? Leadership doesn’t have to be complicated; it has to be intentional.
Leading From the Inside Out: Where Attitude Meets Connection
The heart of their WIA 2025 keynote centered on a powerful framework: five attitudes paired with seven connection-driven principles. But how do these elements actually work together?
“We want to make sure we deliver tools to not just lead people, but for the women to become the type of leader that people want to follow,” Missy explained. “When you can rise above average, lead with a positive attitude and display passion all while doing so, you are able to cause a ripple effect.”
Picture this: You walk into your dealership, your office, or your service bay tomorrow morning. Your energy sets the tone. Your attitude becomes contagious. Your passion sparks innovation in your team. That’s the ripple effect they’re talking about—and it starts with you, not your job title.
“Who you are as a leader will set the tone and help build the culture inside the organization,” Mayce added. “We want the women to be at their best so they can lead stronger with little resistance. Their team will feel it; their customers will feel it and bottom-line results will follow.”
The Game-Changing Mindset Shifts Every Automotive Professional Needs
Throughout their work with women across industries, Mayce and Missy have identified key mindset shifts that transform careers. Two stood out as particularly powerful for automotive professionals:
1. Slow Down to Go Fast
In an industry that moves at breakneck speed—where quarterly targets, daily service goals, and constant innovation demand our attention—this advice might seem counterintuitive. But hear them out.
“When we are rushed and busy, we often don’t take the time we need to ask the hard questions,” they shared. “What went well? What didn’t go well? What could I have done better or differently? Great leaders know that slowing down—even just five minutes a day to reflect—actually helps things move faster in the long run.”
Imagine taking five minutes after that challenging customer interaction, that team meeting, or that project deadline to actually process what happened. What would you learn? How would that wisdom compound over weeks and months?
2. Everyone Deserves to Be Led Well
“Everyone deserves to be led well, and that does mean everyone,” they emphasized. “That can sometimes be hard. Some people don’t want to be led and sometimes there are people that we don’t want to lead…but regardless of the situation or circumstance, everyone deserves it!”
This principle challenges us to look beyond the easy wins—beyond leading only those who make it simple. It’s about bringing your best leadership to every interaction, every team member, every situation.
Personal Gear Shifts: Learning from the Leaders
Even leadership experts have to shift their own gears. When I asked Mayce and Missy about their personal transformation moments, their vulnerability was refreshing.
Mayce shared how she had to release her need for all the answers: “I had to let go of the idea that I needed to know how. I am very detailed, and I like to have answers before I start something new. I have learned over the years, quite frankly due to my partner in crime, that just slows you down! Now I take the first, easiest step, to gain momentum. Then the rest of what I need to know appears over time.”
For Missy, the shift came from her transition from educator to leadership developer: “My biggest gear shift came when I realized being a leader wasn’t about having the right answers—it was about asking the right questions. As a former educator, I was used to being the one with all the answers. But stepping into leadership development, I had to retrain myself to listen first. Now I lead with curiosity, not certainty. And that’s changed everything…how I train, how I connect, and how I help other leaders grow their people.”
Breaking Through the Biggest Barrier
After working with women across multiple industries, Mayce and Missy have identified a consistent barrier that holds women back from leadership—and their solution is revolutionary in its simplicity.
“Sometimes women think they have to wait to be invited to sit at the table,” they observed. “We want to encourage women to bring a chair if there isn’t one there already for them.”
Stop and let that sink in. How many opportunities have you missed because you were waiting for an invitation that was never going to come?
“Most women already have what it takes to be who they want to be,” they continued. “We would love to see women stop asking ‘who will let me do this’ and flip the script to ‘who is going to stop me from doing this?'”
That’s not just a mindset shift—it’s a complete reframe of how you approach your career in automotive. Whether you’re eyeing that service manager position, considering a move into sales leadership, or dreaming of opening your own dealership, the question isn’t who will give you permission. The question is: who’s going to stop you?
The Power of Partnership
As co-owners of Mpactful Messages, Mayce and Missy have mastered something many of us struggle with: leveraging different strengths to create unified impact. Their secret? Forget balance—embrace harmony.
“Well, one thing we know is that balance doesn’t exist, ha! Maybe that was an old rule we should have chosen,” they laughed. “Life is all about harmony. For us, we recognize the strengths we have, and we really play into our strengths.”
After a decade of working together, they’ve learned to focus on their individual strength zones. “There are things each one of us is stronger in and we really do focus on working in our strength zone. And…if neither of us is strong in that area, we have no problem spending money or using other resources that we can find to fill in the gaps.”
This approach offers a powerful lesson for women building their careers in automotive: You don’t have to be everything to everyone. Find your strengths, own them completely, and build strategic partnerships to fill the gaps.
Leadership Icons and Lasting Lessons
When asked about the women who’ve shaped their leadership journeys, both Mayce and Missy chose icons who embody the very principles they teach.
Mayce looks to Sara Blakely, Spanx founder: “She started with $5,000 and zero business experience…and built a billion-dollar brand. What I admire most? Her mindset. She embraced failure as fuel and never waited for permission. She’s a reminder that resourcefulness beats perfection every time.”
Missy’s inspiration? Dolly Parton: “She’s proof that you can be kind, funny, wildly successful, and fully yourself—all at the same time. What I’ve learned from Dolly is this: Don’t trade authenticity for approval. She leads with heart, humor, and grit. And let’s be honest, no one forgets Dolly.”
Both choices reflect a crucial truth about leadership in automotive and beyond: The women who make the biggest impact aren’t the ones who follow the rules perfectly. They’re the ones who write new ones.
The WIA 2025 Impact: From Stage to Action
As you think about returning to your dealership, your service bay, or your office, here’s how to immediately apply Mayce and Missy’s principles:
For Sales Professionals: Tomorrow, instead of waiting to be assigned the next up, proactively engage that customer browsing the lot. Bring your unique perspective to the sales meeting. Share that idea about reaching female buyers.
For Service Advisors: This week, propose that process improvement you’ve been thinking about. Don’t wait for someone to ask for your input on customer communication strategies—offer it.
For Parts Managers: Next team meeting, share your inventory optimization idea. Stop assuming someone else knows better just because they’ve been there longer.
For Finance Managers: Take the lead on that compliance training you know the team needs. Create the process improvement, don’t wait for corporate to hand it down.
For Aspiring Leaders: Stop waiting for someone to tap you on the shoulder. Express your interest in leadership. Ask for that stretch assignment. Apply for that position even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications.
The Road Ahead: Your Journey, Your Rules
As I wrapped up my conversation with Mayce and Missy, I couldn’t resist asking them one final question: If they had to take a cross-country road trip in any car with one song on repeat, what would it be?
Their answer was perfect: matching black Volvo SUVs (they both drive them in real life!) with Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” on repeat.
And isn’t that the perfect metaphor for women in automotive? Sometimes the journey is long. Sometimes you’re driving the same road that others have traveled, but in your own vehicle, at your own pace, with your own soundtrack. The key is to never stop believing—in yourself, in your vision, in your ability to shift the gear and change the game.
Mayce and Missy’s message at WIA 2025 wasn’t just about leadership—it was about liberation. Liberation from old rules that no longer serve you. Liberation from waiting for permission in an industry that’s ready for your leadership. Liberation from playing small when you were meant to drive change.
“Lead with passion and purpose and others will want to be a part of what you are doing!” they reminded us.
So, what’s your next move? What gear will you shift tomorrow when you walk into your dealership? How will you change the game in your corner of the automotive world?
Remember: The automotive industry doesn’t just need more women—it needs more women who lead boldly, authentically, and without waiting for permission. Your customers are waiting for your perspective. Your team is waiting for your leadership. The industry is waiting for your innovation.
The only question left is: Who’s going to stop you?
We are excited to share a bonus freebie with you: The Manager Reset Guide. This resource is designed to help you regain control, refocus your team, and reclaim your time—starting TODAY!
We believe it will provide you with even more practical tools for your leadership journey.
You can access your bonus freebie here: https://go.mpactfulmessages.com/wiam
Ready to shift into high gear and accelerate your automotive career? The Women In Automotive community is here to fuel your journey with resources, connections, and opportunities designed specifically for women ready to lead. Visit Women In Automotive today and discover how you can transform your career from the inside out. Connect with other women who’ve brought their own chairs to the table, share your gear-shifting moments with #ShiftTheGear #WIA2025, and access the tools you need to drive change in your dealership and beyond.
Your chair at the table is waiting—or better yet, bring your own. The automotive industry is ready for your leadership. Are you?