We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kristen Lee. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kristen below.

Kristen, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Professionally, I never want to settle. I never want to be in a position where I am not actively trying new things, overtaking new challenges, and learning new skills. I set new milestones for myself and set out to surpass them, and I think that is what has led my successes so far.

I know there’s always room to grow and learn, so I say yes to as many opportunities as I can because every single one can be turned into a learning experience. I don’t consider myself too good for any job or task, so I am able to keep myself sharp on all aspects of my role.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am an automotive journalist, which means I test and review cars for a living. I attend auto shows, go on drive events, interview automotive executives, and more so I can bring my readers the most up-to-date and honest views on a car they might be interested in. Behind a house, a car is typically the second most-expensive thing people buy, so I see it as my duty to arm my readers and shoppers with as much information as possible from the access I am granted.

There isn’t a straight path to this job like there is in medicine or law, so getting here involved making it up as I went and being willing to do and try everything that might get me closer to landing a job. I’ve always liked cars and I’ve always had a talent for reading and writing, so I thought combining those two things couldn’t lead me astray.

The automotive media industry has historically been very white and male, but I am glad to be a part of a new generation that’s far more diverse and female. Women make up more than half of the car-buying population, so we should be represented in the media aspect of it, too.

Recently, I started as a Senior Features Editor at MotorTrend, where in addition to writing and editing, I’ve also taken on many video roles. Being on camera is a new skill for me, so I jumped at the opportunity. I enjoy the challenges and rewards of presenting my thoughts in a different medium.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Out of college, I was convinced I’d get a job at an automotive publication. After all, I showed up, didn’t I? But after many emails and shaking hands at an auto show, no one was hiring, and if they were, they didn’t hire me. It was massively disappointing, and I felt like I failed myself.

But rather than abandon the dream, I stayed on the sidelines and waited for my opportunity. I took a job in automotive PR to see how I would like it (I didn’t), but the whole time, I kept my eyes open for other chances. It became a waiting game, and forced me to seek out things to write about to keep myself sharp. I wanted to stay marketable and in practice, so I worked on my writing on my own time.

When I eventually did land an interview at Road & Track, I had an updated body of work ready to go.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Being a woman in a male-dominated field, I sometimes feel pressure to be extra knowledgeable because women are held to a higher standard than men. Our mistakes hurt us more than a man’s would. As a result, I always want to be as prepared as I can be. Whether on a video shoot or a launch to drive something new, I make sure to do all the prep work, do all my reading and studying, so that I am informed.

I strive to be unerringly professional so others know they can rely on me. It’s a small industry and people talk, so it’s important to have a good reputation!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.motortrend.com/features/the-women-who-tell-motortrends-stories-kristen-lee/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenleeeeeeee
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kristenlee
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi3bdofoQXw&t=5s

Image Credits

Ben Stanziale, Dave Burnett, William Walker, Darren Martin, Fox 5, MotorTrend