Itʻs A Womanʻs World

My dad, who’s a pilot, used to take my sisters and me with him on the jumpseat in the flight deck flying all over the world. I think it was at that point I fell in love with aviation and decided I wanted to become a pilot myself when I grew up.

Even though the aviation industry is male-dominated, with only about 5% female working as commercial pilots, I’ve never been treated differently from my male colleagues. That said, I still meet people questioning my ability to be a pilot. I’ve had passengers tell me they feel safer when a man is behind the controls. I’ve had others peek into the flight deck after the flight to thank us for landing safely even though there was a woman flying. Having a considerable following on social media unfortunately also comes with its share of sexist and misogynistic comments. So, I’d like to see a more diverse flight deck. Having diversity in every industry is important because it means having different kinds of people working together that brings in new ideas and perspectives, and that’s essential for making better decisions.

Flying is a great and unique career. However, it’s an expensive education and a dynamic industry that’s constantly changing, so if you want to join, do your research before you invest your time, money, and energy. But I can assure you it’s all worth it when you get your own wings.

Getting ready for the first F1 Academy race of 2024 is like working on a big project, which I call “Project Bia.” It’s amazing how much support I’m getting from my team. Sometimes I wonder if I deserve all this help, but they believe in me, so I’m learning to believe in myself, too. We’ve had some great tests before the season, especially being the fastest in Jeddah, and that’s given me a lot of confidence.

Being the first female driver for McLaren in a sport mostly dominated by men is pretty cool. I also feel more prepared with McLaren’s support, which covers everything from on-track performance to mental coaching. It’s great to see more women in different roles in motorsports, and I hope to inspire not just drivers but all women who want to work in this field. I’ve learned a lot about myself as a driver, especially the importance of staying confident and finding happiness beyond just winning races. This year, I’m here to fight for the championship and I’ve got every single variable with me in my favor to go in there to perform as best as I can.

I started in the liquor industry by working in restaurants, then landed in the wine world, and eventually found myself working in marketing for Anheuser-Busch. Almost 40% of bourbon drinkers are women and as a bourbon drinker myself, I saw an opportunity to create the brand I wanted to drink that didn’t exist. I know women wanted a more contemporary experience—a bourbon that was full-bodied, smooth, and with a bottle design that would look great on any bar cart. Hence, Happenstance Whiskey was born, and is still Nashville’s only 100% women-owned bourbon company.

Being in a male-dominated industry is simply a great opportunity to do something differently than it’s always been done. Other women can join in by working in hospitality: bars, restaurants, and hotels are great opportunities to learn the business from the ground up. I’d love to see more women in this space, and I believe that’s the way to do it. There’s ample room for us to create new experiences that don’t yet exist in this business.