The Mini Mechanic Journey - About The Creator

At the age of 16 I received my driver's license and like most young girls, I had no clue about cars. I also had my fair share of car troubles. After years of dealing with shady auto repair shops and even shadier car salesman, it started to take a toll on me. I was 17, taking college classes and working my first job. My first car would not go into reverse. I had been sold a car with a transmission that was hanging on its last leg and losing gears one by one. My second car actually caught on fire while driving. It happened pulling into work of all places. The fire department had to show up to put the fire out. There was an oil leak paired with an electrical issue that was a match made for disaster. My third car would not start if the car was parked at any sort of incline, the fuel float was damaged along with other issues. Eventually that car just stopped running all together.

At the age of 19, I leased my first car that seemed to be in great running condition. Four years later, the car would suffer from a leaking head gasket and began overheating. I pulled into a small mechanic shop as soon as I noticed the temperature gauge on my car rapidly moving hotter while driving one day. The auto shop held my car for almost a month and charged me over $400 for a new radiator and a thermostat, they never even mentioned that the problem was the head gasket, something I would not find out until much later. When I picked up my car from them, I was led to believed that the problem was fixed. Months later my car would overheat again damaging the cylinder heads on the engine. A friend towed the car home and took a look at it. It turned out that the auto shop never replaced the radiator or the thermostat. They just simply removed the thermostat and left it out completely, poured a temporary head gasket sealer in the engine that could be bought at any parts store for less than $30, and rigged the car long enough to get my money. That had been the final straw for me.

At the time, I was married and expressed to my husband on multiple occasions that I wanted to take automotive classes. I had always been good at repairing small things at home but was too afraid to work on my own car. My husband turned out to be my biggest critic. He felt that women had no place in a man's occupation, that we were incapable of becoming mechanics, and he simply just did not want me to go. This was coming from a man who knew nothing about cars himself. He disparaged me to the point that I almost gave up the idea. I spent months terrified of the thought of joining an automotive school that would be filled with nothing but men who held the same beliefs. I searched and searched for any auto classes that were aimed towards women and could not find anything available. My divorce later that year gave me a sense of strength to finally take the leap and apply to automotive school. My mother attended the open house with me giving me the extra boost of encouragement that I needed. It was intimidating, I was attending a trade school filled with nothing but men and one other woman in my class.

In 2013, six months into school, I landed a job at a large chain automotive shop. While the job came with it’s own set of struggles, I enjoyed my time there and learned quite a bit. In 2018, while I was pregnant with my daughter, I came up with the idea to start Lavette's Garage which would eventually become The Mini Mechanic. I got to work creating my first children’s book with no experience, no money, and little help. Just a laptop, pencil and paper, and Photoshop. Through a series of books, games, toys and interactive educational materials I wanted to teach children about automotive repair while also bringing representation to the world of automotive. I wanted young girls to feel inspired. It dawned on me that there were many women, and men, who did not know how to check their own oil level, let alone knew how to properly put air in their tires. I didn't want any other young drivers to go through what I went through.

Our children will one day become drivers themselves. They'll experience shady car salesman and shady mechanics, they'll experience cars that wont start and flat tires on the side of the road. The Mini Mechanic is my way to share the knowledge I learned over the years while bringing a sense of confidence. Help me in the journey of breaking the barrier, teaching our children valuable life skills, and creating confident mini mechanics along the way.