Her Story
About Barbara
Barbara Bennett is the Executive Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Bennett Motor Werks, a Dallas-based automotive repair and sales company specializing in European vehicles, including Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW. After more than three decades in commercial real estate, Bennett transitioned into the automotive industry to partner with her husband in growing the family business. In her current role, she oversees business operations, financial management, marketing strategy, customer growth initiatives, and organizational improvements.
Before joining Bennett Motor Werks, Barbara built a successful 36-year career in commercial real estate, specializing in commercial leasing, tenant representation, business development, and marketing. She held leadership roles including Vice President at Thompson Realty Corp and Vice President of Business Development at Truss Holdings, Inc., where she developed industrial real estate databases and helped streamline tenant leasing processes across the Dallas-Fort Worth market. Throughout her real estate career, she became a trailblazer as one of the first female brokers at her company, earning recognition through persistence, determination, and a strong work ethic.
Barbara holds an Associate’s degree in Business/Commerce from Tyler Junior College, where she was involved in campus organizations including the Apache Belles Drill Team and Sans Souci Sorority. Her expertise spans operations management, marketing, commercial real estate, contract negotiations, financial administration, and customer relationship development. She is recognized for her ability to adapt to new industries, build strong business relationships, and bring strategic leadership to organizations undergoing growth and transformation.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Barbara
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to persistence and working twice as hard as everyone else. I was the first female broker at my company and had to prove myself by taking on the challenging buildings nobody else wanted. The owner advised me to work harder, and after five years I was in the top 5 for production. I also learned on my own to always look professional and successful even when starting out with no money.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received was to work harder and never take no for an answer. Be persistent. As a woman in a male-dominated industry, you have to work twice as hard. I also learned to dress professionally and look successful to gain respect and clients.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be prepared to work twice as hard. Keep a good attitude and stay professional. Dress professionally, not sexy. Separate your personal life from business. Learn to steer conversations away from inappropriate topics and cut it off if needed. Be diplomatic but assertive in performance discussions. Maintain a sense of humor because in a male dominated work environment, no one wants to walk on eggshells, fearing that they may insult you, or worse, live in fear of being sued for harassment.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is working on HR issues. I have to handle performance conversations and HR because I understand the difference between personal and business. Communication with our employees is vital. We need to ensure production to pay the team, and I look at the money every day to drive the business.
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