Today, few people know how to change a tire, but Sarah “Bogi” Lateiner is fixing the world by fixing cars. Standards say a female auto-mechanic is an oxymoron, but Bogi proves this assumption to be complete bogus. Car-savvy Bogi followed her passion for revamping cars to ultimately open her own full-service, auto repair shop– 180 Degrees Automotive.
After transforming her own Volkswagen in 1974, Bogi fell in love with overcoming the fear of a giant piece of metal in front of her. Graduating in three years with a plan to attend law school and be an advocate for women, Bogi took an alternative route to fight stereotypes. Despite scoffs, Bogi worked many mechanic jobs, specializing in service for BMWs and other European cars. This self-declared overachiever was confident in her skills and opened up 180 Degrees Automotive in Phoenix in 2006.
Skeptical at first, people continue to frequent her shop because of her extensive knowledge and integrity to never take advantage of customers, a practice familiar to many in this industry. Impressed by her work, customers continued to praise Bogi, inspiring her to teach weekend car care classes that are female-friendly. “It became a passion for me to take that empowerment I got from fixing cars and teach it to other women,” says Bogi. Her classes are wildly popular and are encouraging women to take charge of the unfamiliar and even pursue careers in mechanics.
Seeing the joy in women of all ages when they are empowered through education about cars, assures her that she is changing the world in a truly unique way. So, rev up those engines, fuel your dreams, and race to that finish line GFs!