One of the most difficult things I’ve had to do in the past two weeks was decide on a title for this article. Where I landed, unfortunately, kinda reminds me of bad Playboy magazines in the 80s and Snap-On Tools’ annual calendar—but it’s efficient. They are after all, the women of Twisted Road.

Some of the women who work for Twisted Road—like Yvette, Clare, or Cherish—you may have spoken with; they might have helped you out, made something better or easier for you. Others, like Melissa, don’t communicate directly with the community, but still have a significant impact on everything we do. I want to take the time to recognize these female thinkers and doers, to highlight their skills, and acknowledge that our company couldn’t be where it is today without them.

Yvette - Well, Yvette does a little bit of everything. It’s like asking what job a mom does — all of them. When she started at Twisted Road, she was reviewing each motorcycle as it was listed on our site and helping with daily ride approvals. Since then, she’s moved into a marketing role. She works with writers to prepare our content, creates every email we send, and sometimes assists with graphic design (an area where she really shines; check out her company www.flypaperdesigns.com). When she isn’t working with us, she can be found puttering around the Chicago suburbs on her Honda Metropolitan (I know, I’m trying to get her on a motorcycle, convinced she’ll never go back to her scooter).

Christina - Christina brings a wealth of marketing expertise to our team. Her background in writing automotive articles for other websites really helped us when we started preparing our own motorcycle pieces. She reviews every article written to make sure that we are being recognized by Google’s search algorithms, and she also prepares content for our site. Her ride of choice? Well, because she traded in both of her bikes—a Ural and Triumph Bonneville—to buy a car, her “ride” of choice is sadly a 2014 Porsche 911. Luckily, Twisted Road is here for those days she just really needs to be on two wheels.

Cherish – There’s nobody on this list who loves motorcycles more than Cherish. If you ask her what her three favorite things are, she’ll say: “bikes, bikes, and bikes.” Followed quickly by “oh wait—and tacos.” Cherish helps us manage our extensive community of riders and owners, and just loves connecting with them all. If you want to find Cherish, there are two places you can look. She’s either working at the Harley Davidson shop in El Cajon, or she’s out riding her Sportster! Whatever she’s doing, it’s always with a positive attitude.

Clare – There is a ton of work that goes into running the daily operations of Twisted Road, from making sure that dates and insurance are all properly scheduled, to helping out renters with their rides. Need a trip extension? Clare will help. Got a flat? Contact Clare. Bad weather and need to reschedule? Straight to Clare. She doesn’t ride yet, but she grew up in a family of riders, and her coffee mug sports the Harley-Davidson badge. Now we just need to get her a Twisted Road mug!

Melissa – Wow. Melissa. What can I say here? Melissa is the best CFO I’ve ever worked with, because she thinks like a business owner. Where most people in her role would be trying to control costs, she is helping us offer better insurance, discounts, and partnerships to our community to help improve the company. She also comes from a family of riders, and used to ride a Harley but sold it when she couldn’t justify the costs of owning a bike given how infrequently she rode. If only Twisted Road were an option when she made that decision!

Pamela – Pamela clearly has the most difficult job at the company, as she’s married to me, which is already a full-time job (and definitely doesn’t pay enough)! But at her core, she’s a very talented writer (she’s the editor at another Chicago-area start-up) and she reviews and edits every article that appears on our site. Pamela doesn’t ride, and is actually afraid of getting on my motorcycle with me, so that’s not going to happen. Don’t try to convince her. Trust me, I’ve tried. But what she lacks in her love of motorcycles, she makes up for in her love of everyone she’s met in the moto community.

Gwyn – If you’ve ridden with us, you’ve heard from Gwyn. She texts every single rider to ask them how their ride is going and to request pictures from their ride. Her ability to work closely with our community adds a point of contact that people (and she) enjoy. Gwyn is currently in college, and her parents won’t let her get on a motorcycle, but then again, neither did mine…

Ceci – as the newest member of our team, Ceci is helping us improve our online store for Twisted Road shirts, hats, and other merch. Because of the work she is doing, we will soon be offering more apparel options and a much cleaner-looking store. Ceci is still in high school (so you know she’s got the fashion scene on lock) and is assisting us as part of a school project. She’s never been on a bike either, but if you’ve read our member profiles, you’ll know that it’s never too soon to learn.

When I started Twisted Road, I didn’t think about much more than building a website and connecting riders with bikes. That’s it. Then slowly, we started hiring people. I’m so proud that we have found such talented and diverse women to help us grow our community.