Discover what true success means to you beyond job titles and paychecks. This article challenges you to define your own version of "more" and build a meaningful life aligned with your values and priorities.
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I've kept one business card from every position in my 18-year career. They're not just paper, they're reminders of the woman I've become along the way.
Rebecca Flores-DeLeon · In Her Own Words
Her Story
About Rebecca
Stronger people build stronger organizations, and stronger organizations create greater opportunities for their people.
It's a philosophy that has shaped Rebecca Flores-DeLeon's 18-year career in the automotive industry, one that extends far beyond any single title or department.
From collision repair and insurance to manufacturer operations, dealership groups, and business development, Rebecca has developed a unique perspective on what drives organizational success.
Known for connecting people, strategy, and execution, she has built her career around identifying opportunities, bridging gaps between departments, and turning organizational objectives into meaningful results. Her experience spans workforce strategy, operational improvement, business partnerships, and leadership development.
Today, Rebecca serves as Area Sales Manager at Quality Collision Group, where she brings that cross-functional perspective to building relationships and expanding business opportunities.
A proud mother to Mason, Matthew, and Livia, Rebecca is deeply family-oriented and values the relationships and traditions that bring people together. She enjoys creating memorable experiences, event planning, and spending time surrounded by family and friends.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Rebecca
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute much of my success to the leaders who have advocated for me throughout my career. In a traditionally male-dominated industry, I've been fortunate to have mentors who championed me, gave me a seat at the table, and invited me into rooms I may not have been ready for.
But I also knew those opportunities came with responsibility. I made it a point to listen, learn, and challenge myself so that the next time I walked into those rooms, I wasn't just grateful to be included. I had earned my place at the table.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
It wasn't so much advice as it was a challenge from my current Chief Revenue Officer, who originally hired me into the collision world in 2009 and whom I've had the opportunity to work alongside again.
Early in my career, I was ready to walk away from a dealership partnership that seemed impossible to develop. I wanted to hand the account to someone else, but he challenged me to figure it out rather than give up.
At the time, I wasn't particularly thrilled with him! But that experience taught me the importance of perseverance, especially when walking away feels like the easier option.
Seventeen years later, we're working together again, and that lesson has stayed with me throughout my career.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be confident in your abilities and don't be afraid to speak up when you need assistance.
Automotive is a challenging industry, and learning when to stand your ground and when to listen and learn is equally important.
I genuinely believe we're losing the art of hard work. We live in a world where instant gratification has become an expectation, but meaningful career growth doesn't happen overnight. It takes consistency, accountability, and a willingness to put in the work, even when the results aren't immediate.
Throughout my career, I've worked hard to establish and maintain a reputation built on trust, commitment, and results. That reputation has created opportunities and given me the professional flexibility I value today.
My advice is simple: Work hard, remain teachable, and don't expect opportunities to be handed to you. Build a reputation that makes people want to give you those opportunities.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges facing our industry today is the financial pressure on consumers.
When a vehicle is damaged but still drivable, customers are sometimes faced with difficult decisions. Do they repair their vehicle, or do they prioritize their mortgage, utilities, and groceries?
As an industry, we have to recognize that these decisions aren't always about whether someone wants to repair their vehicle, but whether they can afford to prioritize that repair.
I believe there's an opportunity for our industry to lead with greater empathy, understanding that behind every repair estimate is a person or family navigating their own financial circumstances.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity, without question. To me, integrity means staying true to your values, doing what's right even when it's difficult, and holding yourself accountable for your decisions.
It's something I emphasize both professionally and at home with my children. In an industry where relationships, business interests, and customer expectations often intersect, I believe it's important to never lose sight of doing what's right for the people who place their trust in us.
I carry that same philosophy into my personal life. Whether I'm making decisions as a professional or raising my children, I want my actions to reflect the values I stand for.
At the end of the day, integrity isn't just what you say you believe in. It's what you consistently demonstrate.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Rebecca
What’s Your More?
Defining Success on Your Own Terms in a World That Wants to Define It for You
Let me ask you something.
Have you ever looked at your life and thought, "There has to be something more than this"?
Before you quit your job, update your résumé, or decide you're moving to a beach somewhere, give me five minutes.
I'm not necessarily talking about more money, a bigger title, or another promotion.
I'm talking about your more.
Maybe you want to run an entire organization someday. Maybe you want to leave the office at 5 p.m. without feeling guilty. Maybe you want the financial freedom to book a vacation without checking your bank account three times. Or maybe you just want to make it through a Tuesday without somebody scheduling another meeting that could've been an email.
I respect all four. But here's my question.
How many of us are chasing a version of success we never actually stopped to define?
Congratulations! You're an Adult. Good Luck.
In 2024, I had the privilege of delivering a commencement speech to graduates of Universal Technical Institute.
Imagine a room full of graduates, proud parents, faculty members, and people preparing to enter the workforce.
And there I was, standing at the podium, asking everyone:
"What's your more?"
Not your parents' more. Not your instructors' more. Not the version of success your friends are posting on social media. Yours.
Because here's something nobody tells you when you graduate. There is no magical instruction manual for adulthood.
I've checked.
Adulting is a lot like assembling IKEA furniture without instructions. You're fairly confident you know what you're doing until you realize you've got three extra screws and something is leaning.
And your diploma?
It's not a golden ticket to having everything figured out. It's proof that you've earned the opportunity to figure out what comes next.
Plot Twist: I Was Supposed to Be a Teacher
Seriously.
I wanted to teach, enjoy my summers off, and take some fabulous vacations. Instead, I found myself working in a call center in the automotive collision industry.
Not exactly the original plan. But that call center became the beginning of a career I never imagined.
I went on to work across collision repair, business development, manufacturer operations, dealership groups, and talent acquisition.
I've helped organizations grow, developed partnerships, built teams, and had opportunities to sit in rooms I once never imagined entering.
And do you know what some of those experiences taught me?
Sometimes the opportunity you need doesn't arrive looking like the opportunity you wanted. Sometimes it arrives disguised as a challenge. Sometimes it's a position you're not entirely prepared for. And sometimes it's a leader telling you to figure something out when you'd much rather hand the problem to somebody else. Ask me how I know.
Everybody Wants the Opportunity. Let's Talk About the Work.
Now, here's where I might lose a few people.
I believe we're losing the art of working hard.
There. I said it.
We live in a world where instant gratification has become an expectation.
We want the promotion, the salary, the flexibility, the recognition, and preferably all of it by Friday.
And listen, I love ambition. But ambition without action is just a very enthusiastic wish list.
You cannot fast-forward through the process of building credibility.
You cannot download experience.
And you certainly cannot expect people to trust you simply because you've decided you're ready for the next opportunity.
You have to show up. You have to learn. You have to be accountable. And occasionally, you have to admit you don't know what you're doing and ask somebody who does.
I've spent 18 years building a reputation based on relationships, trust, commitment, and results. And I'm still working hard to maintain it. Because the work doesn't stop when you become successful. The responsibility grows.
Now, Let's Complicate Things. You Have a Life.
Imagine this.
You finally land the promotion you've been working toward. Better salary. Bigger responsibilities. New opportunities.
Congratulations!
But now you're answering emails during dinner, missing important family moments, and wondering when you're supposed to enjoy the life you're working so hard to build.
Was that your more?
Maybe it was.
Maybe the professional challenge genuinely fulfills you, and you're perfectly happy with the trade-offs. Or maybe you're beginning to realize that what you wanted five years ago isn't what you want today. That's worth thinking about.
As a mother of three, I've had to ask myself that question throughout my career. And when I stood before those graduates in 2024, I shared my answer.
My children are my more. They're a huge part of why I work hard, why I continue to grow, and why I've spent years advocating for meaningful careers that allow people to have meaningful lives outside of work.
But don't mistake that for a lack of ambition.
I still want to grow. I still want to accomplish things. And I still have goals that have absolutely nothing to do with being somebody's mother.
Because here's the thing. You can love your career and love your life. You shouldn't have to apologize for wanting both.
Your Turn. And No, You Can't Say "All of the Above."
Let's play a little game.
Imagine I take away your job title. Your salary. Your professional accomplishments. Your LinkedIn profile. Yes, even that impressive headline you've rewritten six times. Now tell me.
What does success look like to you?
Is it being financially independent? Building a business? Having the flexibility to attend your children's activities? Traveling? Finding purpose in your work? Or having enough peace in your life that you no longer feel the need to prove anything to anyone?
Maybe your more is something entirely different.
And here's the best part. You're allowed to change your answer.
What success looked like at 25 may not be what it looks like at 35, 45, or 55. That's not failure. That's growth.
One Last Question
When I delivered that commencement speech, I wasn't asking those graduates to have their entire futures mapped out. I was challenging them to think beyond the diploma, the job offer, and the paycheck. To work hard. To stay teachable. To create opportunities. And most importantly, to define success on their own terms.
Two years later, I'm still asking that same question, both professionally and personally.
Because your career will evolve. Your priorities will change. And the things you once thought would make you successful might surprise you.
The goal isn't to have more of everything. It's to make room for more of what matters.
So, before you close this article and go back to your regularly scheduled chaos, I have one final question.
What's your more?
And this time, don't tell me what sounds impressive.
Tell me what actually matters.
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