Ten years ago, after experiencing harassment over the course of their whole career, genderqueer mechanic Eli Allison wanted to transform the industry instead of quitting: ‘Once I recovered from the trauma of the experience, I was ready for a revolution,’ they say. Now a thriving shop with an all-queer team, Repair Revolution is a safe space with a focus on integrity, values and transparency: ‘We’re not just trying to fix cars, we’re trying to fix the industry,’ says Eli. ‘At the core of everything we do is building equality into a space that has predominantly been white, cis, straight dominated,’ they add. Repair Revolution also runs workshops, empowering customers to fix their own cars, and today it creates a safe space for all customers, particularly marginalized ones.
Photography by Kyle Johnson
ABNORMAL BUSINESS LESSON:
DECIEM'S TAKE
The importance of a business such as Repair Revolution showcases what changes can be made on a wider scale, when employees are not only represented, but looked after.
‘Repair Revolution’s mission, passion and experience within a traditional industry is so important to so many people,’ says Nicola. ‘Its drive and desire for social justice and commitment to making all of its employees feel safe within their working environment are things that should be a constant throughout all places of work.’ She adds: ‘Radical transparency has clearly been a driver of its success and the customer experience is better because of it.’
