Driven Women Magazine
When we think of the world of cars, particularly high-end cars, we probably think of a male-dominated space where women are relegated to being scantly clad accessories. In 2017 Driven Women Magazine shattered that stereotype by becoming the first Australian motoring magazine by women & for women.
While cars and motorsport are still very much a male domain over the past decade or so women have been carving out their niche within the space. In the past here at Pario we've attempted to showcase women such as Monique Ambruosi, who is leading the charge for Australian women in the drag racing space. Our efforts however pale in comparison to the efforts made by Helen from Driven Women Magazine. We recently spoke to Helen about her passion for cars & the journey creating her wonderful publication.
Petrol In Her Veins
Growing up it was almost inevitable that Helen would become infatuated with cars. Helen was surrounded by cars during her childhood because her father, grandfather & brother all loved cars. Perhaps what was shocking about her passion though was the type of cars she came to appreciate later in life with her husband & children.
"They all loved vintage cars, but very early on I realised that vintage cars weren't my thing," explained Helen. "They go really slow, they break down, & they're cold & horrible on long road trips. So I much prefer modern cars."
Although Helen's passion was there from a young age a career in car journalism was not even considered at that point in time. As such she pursued a career in Environmental Management while satiating her love for cars by reading other motoring magazines.
Sadly though the editorial direction of those magazines began to head in a direction that wasn't for Helen, or even for women in general.
"I would read car magazines, and even tried to write for a number of them," recalled Helen. "But when my favourite motoring magazine at the time moved towards something that resembled Ralph magazine it simply didn't appeal to me as a young woman anymore & I completely switched off for about 10 years."
Fuelling The Passion
During a holiday to New Zealand in 2014 Helen's passion was refuelled when she fatefully picked up a copy of the Top Gear magazine at the airport.
"There was one particular article in that magazine by Sam Philip about driving through North America along Route 66... It was so beautifully written that it made me cry. I loved it so much because it had such a profound effect on me."
From that moment on Helen was more relentless than ever to get her foot in the door of car journalism.
Eventually, Ollie Marriage, the head of car testing at Top Gear, replied with a piece of advice that would ultimately set Helen on the path towards Driven Women Magazine.
"Ollie told me to start a blog & just start writing about cars, so I created YouDriveLikeAWoman.com. Just having that acknowledgement from one of the top motoring journalists in the world was so exciting. Particularly after writing to Australian motor magazines for so long & being ignored."
Helen's drive & passion then saw her go straight to the top, when she approached the then Ferrari Australasia boss Herbert Appleroth, in the hopes of establishing herself within the space.
"I met Herbert at the Bathurst 12 Hour, explained my situation & that I would love to review one of his cars, which to my surprise he said yes to. So now one of my big claims to fame is that my first official press cars for review was a Ferrari California T & it's simply snowballed from there."
Claiming Pole Position
In 2017 the snowball that was Helen's blog grew so big that she decided to expand the scope. While Helen acknowledged the risks & costs associated with such a move, she also saw a gaping hole in the market.
As Helen explained, "I used to Google 'motoring magazine for women' & nothing would come up.'"
Now when you search 'motoring magazine for women' Driven Women Magazine dominates the results. An outcome that Helen takes great pride in after investing so much of herself mentally, emotionally & financially.
The obvious differentiating factor for Driven Women Magazine is the women-first ethos but according to Helen, there is another very important factor in its success.
"I had no journalist background when I started this journey, so I've had to pick things up along the way. My style of writing is very different to that of traditional journalists, which I think is clear to see & appreciated by my readers."
Follow Helen’s creative journey with Driven Women Magazine at www.drivenwomenmag.com
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