How I built Madam Towing and carved out my place in a male-dominated industry with skill, personality and the confidence to be unmistakably myself with a hint of pink.
I probably don’t look like everyone’s idea of a tow-truck driver.
I’m fine with that.
I’m French, I love my lipstick, I like being feminine and I happen to spend my working days driving a tow truck around Wānaka in the South Island of New Zealand.
When I first started Madam Towing, I definitely got a few funny looks. Towing is still very much a man’s world and I don’t exactly go out of my way to blend in. The truck has pink branding, I wear makeup and I’m not going to suddenly stop being myself because of the job I do.
Some people have been surprised. A few have been sceptical.
That’s okay.
I know there will probably be more of that along the way. I can’t control somebody’s first impression of me. What I can control is what happens after that.
I can do my job well. And, to me, that’s what matters.
I Know What I’m Doing
There is obviously a serious side to towing. This isn’t just driving around in a big truck looking fabulous. You have to know what you’re doing.
I hold Class 1, 2 and 4 licences, along with V for vehicle recovery, DG for dangerous goods, W for wheels, T for tracks, R for rollers and F for forklift endorsements.
Madam Towing is also an approved NZRA contractor and SiteWise Gold certified. We’re licensed and insured, and safety is a big part of what I do every day.
I don’t expect someone to trust me simply because I’m running a business. I want them to trust me because I’m qualified and capable of doing the job they’ve called me to do.
That’s probably been one of the biggest lessons for me.
When you’re the person who doesn’t look like everyone else in an industry, it’s easy to feel as though you need to explain yourself. I’ve realised I don’t. Once they see past the pink branding and see me as a very competent business woman.
I don’t have to win an argument about whether women belong in towing.
I just have to turn up and do the work. And I do it well, customer service is my special touch.
I’m Still Going to Wear the Lipstick
I think sometimes women feel that if we’re going into a male environment, we need to become a little harder and be ‘one of the boys. Maybe we should tone certain things down. Don’t be too feminine. Don’t draw attention to the fact that you’re different.
I’ve gone the other way. I love my lipstick. Madam Towing looks and feels like me because it is my business. There are even little pink branded keychains and pens.
They make me smile. They’re a small thing, but that’s the point. I’m not trying to make some grand statement with pink. I just don’t see why owning a towing company should mean leaving that part of myself behind.
Why would I build something of my own and then make it look like everybody else’s?
I don’t think being feminine takes anything away from my ability to do this job. I’m not less competent because I wear makeup, just as putting on work boots doesn’t suddenly make me more competent.
They’re simply different parts of who I am. I’ve also discovered that standing out isn’t such a terrible thing when you own a business.
People notice Madam Towing.
Maybe One Day It Won’t Be Unusual
I didn’t get into towing because I wanted to prove a point about women. But being in this industry has made me think about how quickly we decide what a job is supposed to look like.
We do it without even realising. We have a picture of a builder, a mechanic, an engineer, a truck driver or a CEO. Then someone walks in who doesn’t match the picture and there’s that little moment of surprise. I’ve been that surprise.
The more women we see doing jobs that have traditionally been done by men, the less interesting their gender becomes. I’d love to get to the point where a woman stepping out of a tow truck isn’t a story at all. She’s just the person who came to do the job.
We’re not quite there yet, but I am part of changing that.
My Career Hasn’t Exactly Followed a Straight Line
I certainly didn’t grow up dreaming about running a towing company. I used to work as an optometrist in Paris. Now I’m doing this in New Zealand. That’s quite a change.
But I’m not sure our careers are supposed to make perfect sense. Sometimes you discover you’re good at something you never considered before. What you used to do doesn’t fit anymore and a new path comes along and you think, Why not?
I think we’re allowed to do that. We can change our mind and become beginners again.
I choose something because I really enjoy it. I can honestly say this is the best job I’ve ever had.
It’s also the most fun. I didn’t expect that, but I’m very glad I found out.
You Don’t Need Everyone Else to Get It
If I could say anything to another woman considering going into a space where she might be the only woman, or one of very few, it would be this: don’t spend too much time worrying about whether you look as though you belong there.
Find out what you need to know. Learn it. Get qualified. Ask questions. Practice. Be prepared to make mistakes because you’re going to make them. Everybody does. Then get on with it.
There will always be somebody with an opinion. Maybe they’ll underestimate you. Maybe they’ll wonder whether you can do it. Maybe you’ll even wonder yourself sometimes.
You don’t have to solve all of that before you start. And you definitely don’t have to turn yourself into somebody else. I haven’t.
I’m still feminine. I’m still French. I still love my lipstick. I just happen to drive a tow truck as well. And it turns out I’m pretty happy behind the wheel.
So if there’s something you’re thinking about doing and part of you is saying, But women like me don’t normally do that, maybe that’s not a reason to stop. Maybe it’s a reason to have a go.
You might be surprised by where you end up.
I certainly was.
Name: Madam Towing
Bio: Apolline Faye is the founder of Madam Towing, a Wānaka-based towing, recovery and roadside assistance company. Fully qualified across vehicle recovery, dangerous goods and specialist transport, she brings professionalism, reliability and genuine care to every job, building a trusted local business with plenty of personality and her signature touch of pink.
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