Women Shifting Gears with Amanda Busick - Season 1, Episode 2: Mercedes Lilienthal - Owner/Founder Crankshaft Consulting | The New York Times Contributing Writer | Freelance Journalist

Season 1, Episode 2: Mercedes Lilienthal - Owner/Founder Crankshaft Consulting | The New York Times Contributing Writer | Freelance Journalist

03/31/21 • 40 min

Mercedes Lilienthal uses her writer’s podium to shine a light on “women who are unseen and notable” in the automotive world through her stories for the New York Times, Tread magazine, Toyota Cruisers, and Trucks, and the communication platform “Crankshaft Culture” she shares with her husband, Andy Lilienthal. Her Twitter handle, “@WriterWithGrit”, captures her determination to focus on life’s great journey. Her travels include the Alcan5000 Arctic rally in a RHD diesel through -40 degree temps, the grueling and competitive Rebelle Rally, and a pandemic-2020 thirteen-state cross-country journey.

She shines a light on women who inspire seizing opportunity, including one of her she-roes, Jessie Combs, whose “go get ‘em” attitude and competitive spirit she came to greatly admire during their interview conversations.

Mercedes chooses to focus on women who wrench cars, work in diesel, rally, and get out there in the left seat -- oftentimes behind the scenes but mission-critical roles.

Mercedes believes that “if you aren’t uncomfortable, you aren’t learning”.

Her faithful and loyal travel companions include her husband Andy Lilienthal and her beloved stuffed bunny, Bert, who’s traveled the world with Mercedes. Their choice of road trip music: “we let the road speak to us”. What a perfect motto for this engaging and strong woman who uses her positive energy to develop her life story.

Mercedes chooses to focus on women who wrench cars, work in diesel, rally, and get out there in the left seat -- oftentimes behind the scenes but mission-critical roles.

Mercedes believes that “if you aren’t uncomfortable, you aren’t learning”.

Previous Episode

Season 1, Episode 1: Waving the Green Flag on Women Shifting Gears with GSEvents' Cindy Sisson and Theresa Gilpatrick

Welcome to the first episode of “Women Shifting Gears”, where Amanda Busick gets GSEvents’ founders Cindy Sisson and Theresa Gilpatrick in the driver’s seat, talking about women and cars, empowering women with cars, the collaborative conversations that need to take place to grow the automotive space, and how they see GSEvents creating that platform.

Why GSEvents was founded
How Theresa and Cindy met, and why their unique partnership works
Where they see the future of GSEvents and what they want to achieve
Connecting the dots on their careers and how it’s all coming together to serve the automotive community
How they see their Women Shifting Gears brand serving their community
Inspirational and motivational moments
Pivotal experiences Cindy and Theresa remember that drive them to create opportunities for women to grow their voices in motorsports and car culture

Come along for the ride as Amanda navigates through one of the best road trips ever in a ride full of partnerships, friendships and great adventures -- including road snacks!

Next Episode

Season 1, Episode 3: Lyn St. James - Professional Race Car Driver, Indy 500 Rookie of the Year, Philanthropist and Motivational Speaker

Amanda talks with the legendary Lyn St James in an extraordinarily candid interview, covering topics as wide ranging as Lyn’s first meeting with Roger Penske, the core of a good race strategy, and how empowering it is to step into a race car.
Lyn shares what it’s like to mentor up-and-coming racers and some of her proudest career moments. Amanda explores what it means to Lyn to be celebrated, and how Lyn is wearing her Amelia Island Concours 2021 Honoree mantle.
As always, Lyn steps up to demonstrate to her friends, her teammates, her mentees and to her efforts at the FIA/ACCUS what it means to demonstrate the Spirit of the American Woman.