Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurina Esposito.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
After spending nearly two decades working in retail, feeling unfulfilled and like I just wasn’t pursuing passion- a company-wide layoff left me with two options. Take a job with one of the kingpins in retail running the entire Las Vegas Market for Coach, or switching gears and joining my dad in the family business- a nearly 100% male-dominated industry of classic car restoration, more specifically focused on Porsche’s.
I opted for B, and a couple of months later I was trading in my heels and high-end attire for grease and dust, jeans and calluses. And quite frankly, I’ve never been happier.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
While business today is thriving, it certainly hasn’t been all roses and sunshine, however. Only four months after I started with my dad, he fell gravely I’ll and was out of commission for over a half year- and the business and its future fell squarely on my less than experienced shoulders. Yes I have the knowledge, skill and ability to run a business but I was in no way prepared for the battle I was embarking on, fighting my way through a wall of men refusing to acknowledge me as a leader in the industry and often not even wanting to hand me their checks because I was sporting breast’s instead of male anatomy. I had been highly naive, after working in the female-centric world of high end fashion, and had no idea how difficult it would be to have men constantly calling me “doll”, patronizing me with comments of “wow, you know a lot for a girl” and questions like “so you answer the phones here? Where’s the man in charge?”
But rather than let it get me down or taint my spirit, I focused on proving myself through knowledge and skill, and I kept my attitude positive, smiles through the frustration and chose to prove my worth through good old fashioned hard work and grit. And let me tell you, the reward is so much sweeter when you know it was fully and richly earned.
After a few years I’d worked myself into a niche, with people seeing me as the new Espo, and from this place- Women In Porsche was born.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Women in Porsche & EspoResto – what should we know?
EspoResto is a full-service Auto Body and Mechanical shop, on 36k sqft of space in NoHo. We have a staff of 15, a mechanical shop, body shop, paint shop and fabrication/frame and metal shop, I have a full-time design and media manager, office staff and apprentices. We serve as a one-stop-shop for mainly Porsche of all years and status- from the rawest of restorations to the modern mechanical tune-ups, our staff offers the Porsche fanatic a place to bring their car that is trustworthy and also offers you the chance to he part of a family- the Espo Fam. We provide an environment for our clients and staff that feels like home away from home that stems from my deeply rooted need to be a traditional Italian mama 🙂
I feed my guys homemade lunches daily, and we have a family meal every Friday that our customers are also welcome to be part of. It’s a source of pride and something we are deeply motivated to maintain.
As I worked as the only woman in this industry, i was always seeking other women who had a similar passion and was surprised to find that there weren’t any social media outlets that catered specifically to the female PCar community- at least not one that wasn’t focused on sexy women laying across the hood of a car. And so- Women In Porsche was born. Dedicated to sharing the stories of the women who love, build, drive or just simply admire the Porsche Car, our community is booming and is filled with women who know how to drive stick, turn a wrench, change their oil and have more knowledge than many men! It’s supported by some really amazing guys who encourage the group and we are working towards an international membership club that will allow local chapters to form, and social clubs to host meetings and gatherings just like the PCA or the like.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I believe that a happy staff is the key to any business’s success and my focus is to ensure my team feels loved, respected and appreciated at all times. When they do- they’re always eager to be at the shop, giving it their all. As a result, our work is some of the best in the world and our name is now growing in notoriety. I couldn’t be more proud!
Contact Info:
- Address: 7360 Varna Ave
North Hollywood CA 91605 - Website: Www.esporesto.com
- Phone: 8182077934
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @womeninporsche @espo.porsche
- Facebook: Facebook.com/womeninporsche or espoporsche
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