Kristin Varela is a 30-year old mom of two daughters (ages 4 and 6).
She grew up with brothers, so having girls was sweet revenge. Kristin
has a BS in Zoology with a Spanish minor. Before starting Mother
Proof, LLC she was a stay-at-home mom. Before becoming a mom she was a
researcher and Spanish translator for a human resources firm. Now, she
is the Chief Executive Mother of MotherProof.com
ASK PATTY: How did MotherProof.com start?
Kristin: Mother
Proof was born out of necessity. When my daughter started preschool, I
began searching for a new family car to accommodate carpooling (I had
an Outback which would only fit my two daughters, but no more). My
first step in the process was to narrow down my options by researching
them online. I was appalled by the lack of information in 'typical'
car reviews that was pertinent to me in my everyday life as a women and
mother. Car reviews were geared toward car buffs and gear heads,
excluding the vast majority of the car buying public - average
consumers and also women.
ASK PATTY: What are the challenges for you as a women working in the automotive industry?
Kristin: My
biggest challenges aren't specific to the auto industry, but rather to
business in general. I had all the cards stacked against me: No
business experience, no marketing experience, no automotive knowledge,
no journalism experience. There was a huge learning curve for me to
ride. I've been lucky enough to hook up with incredible cooperative
networkers willing to pitch in and help me learn the ropes. The
automotive industry has been incredibly enthusiastic about what Mother
Proof is working towards. I have to say, I thought we would have been
met with more resistance, but quite the opposite is true.
ASK PATTY: Can you tell me a little bit about your job as Chief Executive Mother with MotherProof?
Kristin: It’s
a little like being the Chief Executive Mother at home, overseeing a
bit of everything. My main focus is on providing our readers with
entertaining, useful and unbiased reviews from their perspective, in
their own voice. This means that my team of mom-reviewers and I are
always driving test cars in our everyday lives as moms (kids and all in
the back), writing reviews, attending media launches, networking,
seeking out new business development prospects, maintaining the
website, syndicating our column, invoicing, billing and list never
ends. All this while juggling family life with two young daughters
(ages 4 and 6)- no day care or nanny around here.
ASK PATTY: What if any are the big changes you are seeing today in how vehicles are being marketed to women?
Kristin: The
fact that women are the largest percentage of car buyers is becoming
common knowledge. The manufacturers have picked up on this and are not
only marketing cars more towards this segment, but also designing cars
more towards this segment (I.e. Volvo's YCC, and Chrysler's new Yes
Essentials stain and odor resistant fabric that's perfect for families
with small children likely to spill milk from leaky sippy cups). Its
not perfect yet, but they're definitely going in the right direction.
The problem is that this mentality has yet to filter down to the
majority of car dealers. It’s the 21st century and I was recently told
to return to a dealership with my husband before we spoke about
financing. Its ridiculous!
ASK PATTY: How has the buying experience changed for women since informative site like Edmunds or MotherProof launched?
Kristin: Education
equals empowerment. The more the consumer knows as she enters the
dealership the less likely she is to be blown off or taken for a ride.
Mother Proof makes this education process less painful (and even
entertaining) by speaking to our readers in a casual tone, as if we're
girlfriends just chatting over coffee.
ASK PATTY: In your experience, what seems to be the top concern or need for women and moms when they are researching/buying a car?
Kristin: Well,
safety is always huge. But there's plenty of information out there to
be found about vehicle safety. Most women we've heard from feel
overwhelmed by the whole car buying process. It’s a huge decision, and
people simple don't want to make a $30,000 mistake.
ASK PATTY: Tell me about your most recent personal experience buying a vehicle. What vehicle did you buy, and why did you buy it?
Kristin: I
still own the same old Outback that I had before Mother Proof's
inception, although its quite neglected just sitting in my garage while
I test drive other cars. I haven't driven my poor old car in probably
two years. I bought it through a broker (a much less painful
experience than a dealer) and was convinced by its AWD (I live in
Colorado, so this is a necessity), fuel economy, leather seats (easy
cleanup of kiddie-spills), and its feeling of "sticking to the road
like glue" - a huge change form the big SUV I was in previously.
ASK PATTY: What is one piece of “good” advice you would give women before they buy a new vehicle?
Kristin: Don't
get sucked in by the stereotypes, "I'm having baby number three so I
have to buy a minivan or a Suburban." Families come in all shapes and
sizes, as do family cars. There's a perfect car out there just waiting
to make your daily life easier and more efficient, its just a matter of
finding it. Research, research, research, and test drive as many cars
as you can to decide for yourself which features are most important to
you. Also, try to finagle 24 hour test drives so you can make sure the
car fits into your life the way you'd like it to.
ASK PATTY: If you could give the manufacturers one piece of advice, what would it be?
Kristin: Read Mother Proof reviews to see how real women react to your vehicles.
