The first full-time female member of the Berg Performance crew, Cassie Burt brings more than just gender diversity to the company. She’s a Jill of all trades with an infectious enthusiasm, and fortunately for both her and Berg, the constant on-the-job learning is what keeps her energized.

A self-described accounts receivable equivalent, Cassie’s role might be better titled a fixer, because her main purpose is making everyone’s life at the shop a little easier. Sometimes, that’s cleaning and organizing to make the day run smoother, other times, it’s mounting and balancing tires, picking up/dropping off parts, and painting or doing drywall.

She and Berg first crossed paths when she brought in her first car, a Volkswagen Beetle. Whenever she visited for maintenance from there, Cassie felt welcomed and informed as the team took time to show her what they were replacing and gave her a solid understanding of each part’s importance. A routine oil change turned into a conversation with Aaron and then a job offer to help out around the shop. December 1, 2016, was her first day reporting for duty at Berg, a place she has since considered her home.

With a car knowledge base that’s always growing, Cassie went from being your average driver, to now being able to recognize something like a weird shake or noise and diagnose where on the car it’s coming from. She goes home daily with her brain still working on and considering all the variables that can contribute to a problem and finds it completely thrilling to reach a solution.

Clearly a gear head in the making, Cassie never suspected she would find herself passionate about German cars but now couldn't possibly envision any other profession. After learning so much, her bucket-list ride has changed several times, but she is sticking to her established criteria: a ride fit for Cassie’s garage must be 1. Manual 2. All wheel drive. Beyond that, she has a fascination with smaller cars and would buy another VW Bug in a heartbeat. She also appreciates the Audi TT and Golf R. Cassie’s current car is an Audi A6, which combines all her favorite components and satisfies the daily driving requirements while adding a luxury aspect (even if it is a bit on the bigger side).

When she’s not honing her mechanical knowledge and abilities, Cassie loves the great outdoors, and in particular hiking, camping, running and going to see live music at venues across Colorado. Berg has even introduced some variety to her favorite activities, adding to the repertoire shooting, off-roading and driving in the snow. That last one has been an especially rewarding lesson and one of her greatest feats living in Colorado's cold, winter climate. Learning to drive her car in icy conditions really helped Cassie to understand the proper way to keep any car under control in different, and potentially dangerous, scenarios. She has really come to value and appreciate knowing how to keep herself and others safe in less than ideal conditions, and takes from this experience something that’s equally applicable to life in general: the importance of self-awareness and properly preparing yourself for the worst conditions.

Reflecting on her time working at Berg Performance, personal growth stands out to Cassie. She has gained confidence in her abilities as a driver, a determination to never shy away from a problem and exhaust all options until finding a solution, and a sense of empowerment knowing, as the first female employee, she gets to set an example for other women venturing outside their comfort zone. Cassie wants to encourage and inspire other women who are at the threshold of a career in a male-dominant industry to never let that be a deterrent and to see it as an incentive instead.

In addition to all of this opportunity for development, Cassie also loves getting to know the customers, something she sees as akin to building a family. For those new to Berg, or new to meeting her specifically, she makes sure to show her bubbly personality as she inquires about their days, cars, kids, pets, and anything else worth sharing. While her knowledge of cars is still cultivating, her knowledge of Berg is vast, and she uses that to help customers feel more at home, like she does, and know that their car needs are in the very best hands.

This might not have been what Cassie imagined as her dream job, but now calls working at Berg Performance “nothing shy of a dream come true for me.”