From "I Must" to "I Want": Carmela Russo's Journey with Her Mentor Michela Fabbri

Transformational Journey

An experienced automotive professional with over five years in manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain roles, Carmela thrives in fast-paced environments where precision and performance are key. Her strengths lie in analytical thinking, adaptability, and a results-driven mindset. But despite her capabilities, she needed something more to bring her full value to her team with authenticity.

That's what led her to the FIA Women in Motorsport mentorship program, where she was matched with her mentor Michela Fabbri.

Finding the Right Guide

Michela is a professional counselor based in Italy with a long motorsport career path. She integrates her skills and experience to support people and inspire their personal growth and professional development, focusing on emotions, resilience, and promoting empowerment and work-life balance.

For Carmela, having a female mentor in the motorsport world was essential - someone who could provide a safe space to discuss specific challenges that only another woman in this field can truly understand.

Their match began on August 29, 2025. What started as a three-month program proved valuable enough to be extended in November, continuing until February 14, 2026.

Working on Communication

The most important part of Carmela's mentorship path was working on communication. Michela helped her analyze how she talks to her manager and colleagues. Together, they focused on three main points that transformed Carmela's approach.

First: listening to herself. Taking the time to understand her own needs rather than constantly focusing outward on what others expected.

Second: putting herself at the center. Learning to look at her work with less judgment, recognizing her own value rather than defaulting to self-criticism.

Third, and perhaps most significant: shifting from "I must" to "I want."

"This was the biggest change," Carmela explained at the event. "I stopped saying 'I must be perfect' and started saying 'I want to communicate my ideas clearly.'"

That shift changed how she showed up in her work.

A Journey of Two Kinds of Growth

"It was a journey of both professional and personal growth," Carmela shared.

For Michela, watching that transformation unfold brought deep satisfaction. "It was amazing to listen to her and see the progress she's made during our mentorship journey together. I feel truly proud of her."

Being able to support other women gives Michela a deep sense of meaning in her life. She sees it as "the perfect bridge between my past career in motorsport and my current role as a counsellor and mentor."

The WOW Women Motor Event

The setting for Carmela's public reflection on her mentorship journey was fitting. WOW Women Motor 2026 is held at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola, dedicated to women opening new paths and creating value within STEM, the automotive world, and everyday life.

As Michela described it: "The focus on gender equality, innovation, and meaningful networking truly helps open new doors and generate real opportunities. Having the chance to be part of this event and contribute by sharing reflections on mentoring and the role of emotions has been absolutely fantastic - and deeply inspiring."

What Made It Work

The mentorship succeeded because Michela provided more than technical advice. She created that safe space where Carmela could examine her communication patterns without judgment, discuss the specific pressures women face in motorsport and engineering, and build change gradually through focused work on concrete skills.

Carmela, in turn, showed up willing to do that work - to listen to herself, question assumptions about perfection, and shift her internal dialogue from obligation to intention.

Moving Forward

Carmela's public sharing at WOW Women Motor 2026 demonstrates how far she's come. Standing in front of an audience and articulating those internal shifts shows the professional and personal growth she described.

For women in process engineering, motorsport, or any male-dominated field who recognize that feeling of constantly having to prove more than others, her story offers a roadmap: find mentors who understand your specific challenges, create safe spaces for honest communication, listen to yourself, and shift from "I must" to "I want."

The transformation is about finding your own voice and bringing your value to your team with authenticity.