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When Ashley Cavazos accepted the role of President of WOCAN and Jessica Smith stepped in as Vice President, it wasn’t just a leadership shuffle — it was a moment years in the making. What started as a 60-person luncheon has grown into a standing-room-only movement, with over 160 women packing the room at this year’s NAMAD. That scale is proof of how badly this industry needs spaces where women of color are visible, heard, and supported at every level.
Ashley and Jessica open up about what it feels like to step into responsibility that doesn’t wait for the “right time,” how faith and timing collided in Jessica’s story after she lost her corporate role, and why carrying the WOCAN mission means late nights, early mornings, and sacrifice. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s a look behind the scenes of the women reshaping automotive culture — not for credit, but for the generations coming next.
Takeaways
0:00 Intro — Meeting Ashley Cavazos and Jessica Smith at NAMAD
0:23 From four-hour event to all-day impact: the scale of WOCAN’s growth
1:09 Jessica’s podcast “Lead Like a Girl” and the power of storytelling
2:05 Selling 17 cars at 17: Jessica’s surprising first sales job
4:15 Losing everything in remodeling and starting over in automotive
5:46 Ashley steps into the presidency after years of mentorship
6:42 Behind the scenes of WOCAN’s largest event ever
7:57 From 60 women to 160: tracking the exponential growth
9:23 What it takes to lead a volunteer-run movement11:20 Timing, faith, and Jessica’s unexpected call to leadership
11:50 Why the right people show up when the timing is right
Connect with Ashley Cavazos at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-cavazos/
Connect with Jessica Smith at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-smith-leadlikeagirllab/
Learn more about WOCAN: https://www.wocautonetwork.com/
NAMAD Sessions is brought to you by Mia and produced by the More Than Cars Media Network - https://www.mia.inc/