In Real Life with Christie Fisher—Breaking down barriers with a wrench and growth mindset

In the United States, less than four percent of professional auto mechanics identify as women. It’s no wonder most people Christie Fisher encounters in auto enthusiast circles are surprised she “wrenches on her own truck”—a reaction she hopes to help change. Watch our short interview to hear from Christie and see some of her work in action.??

As a chief of staff at Microsoft, she manages a business unit by day—budgets, timelines, deadlines—so in her free time, Christie likes to change into her “greasy coveralls” and problem solve in different ways.??

On the anniversary of her beloved dog Buster’s death, Christie bought an original era Land Rover Defender, the storied British off-road vehicle. She named her Defender 90, “Buster,” after her dear friend, and started learning how to keep it running—because, as she told me, there was no other choice.????

“Anybody who knows anything about Land Rovers knows that they require you to be a mechanic, because they're always breaking down. But they tend to not leave you stranded because usually you can figure out how to fix them,” Christie said. “I had to learn trial by fire when I bought my first Land Rover.”??

In addition to the basics—oil changes, fluid top offs—Christie’s learned to fix everything from a stuck door to a stuck throttle, and just about every other piece of the Defender along the way. She’s yet to find a challenge she can’t unravel, and that’s part of the joy of the hobby for her.??

“I appreciate that I get to bring my logical problem-solving skills and growth mindset to a mechanical challenge, and eventually get rewarded with the sound of the engine coming back to life,” Christie told me. “This is not a common hobby for women, and most of the enthusiasts I meet are men, so I take special care to try and break down barriers and stereotypes whenever I can.”??

Christie has taken Buster on some amazing adventures, including the Backcountry Discovery Route that connects Oregon to Canada, solely on mountain roads. But the main adventure revolves around community, camaraderie, and knowledge-sharing. She’s built a network of friends who teach and learn, troubleshooting issues and celebrating successes together.??

“I've had some amazing teachers who never let me say ‘I'll just watch,’ and shared with me their experience and expertise. I've since done a head-gasket job, torn down an engine completely for rebuild, and diagnosed multiple 'problems-of-mysteriousness' together with this small enthusiast community that I love,” Christie said.??

When I asked her what she hopes her legacy will be, Christie told me she hopes it’ll be around continuous learning and self-development. “My grandfather was learning new things all the way into his 90s, and that inspired me to have a hunger for knowledge, always be curious, and give new things a try. I hope I can have a legacy half as grand as his.”??

As a Defender fan myself, I hope to see Christie and Buster around the Microsoft campus in the future!?