Feb. 7, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Silverstar Car Wash.

Natalie Strobel was scrolling through her Facebook feed when a job posting jumped out at her.

“It just kind of intrigued me,” she said.

She applied and landed an interview at Silverstar Car Wash with the manager who would become her eventual boss – but not right away.

“He didn’t hire me,” she said. “But I liked everything he said. So I turned on notifications for Silverstar, and when they posted again, I applied again and ended up getting hired.”

That was less than three years ago, when the then stay-at-home mother of two began at the 26th Street and Marion Road location as a cashier.

“Two months later, I was trained to be an assistant manager, and then the week before my one-year anniversary, I got promoted to site manager.”

Back when she had that initial interview, the Sioux Falls native was drawn to the potential to leverage her experience in retail and telemarketing to help grow the business.

“I liked the idea that they would cross-train us and I’d learn new things. I wanted something that would challenge me,” Strobel said.

“And then it was just overall the customer service aspect of Silverstar and how much they care about their employees. They actually offer benefits and a 401(k) and PTO, and that’s really hard to find unless you have a degree, so I really like that part of it.”

While the industry doesn’t typically attract female leaders, Strobel said she has felt nothing but support for her career growth.

“At first, we had a lot of male site managers, but our regional manager Andrea is a powerhouse, and she’s so awesome and willing to learn new things it was really inspiring to me,” she said.

“I knew I would have an opportunity to move up as well. And overall, the environment has been really good. You normally don’t see a lot of women in actual management roles running their own stores in this industry, and now we have four female site managers, including myself. You’re not going to be held back.”

For Strobel, the role has had an even bigger impact. It has been nothing short of life-changing.

“For me, personally, Silverstar has helped ground me and challenge me to stay on track with my life,” she said. “I had really struggled with addiction and my mental health, and working here helps me keep the right frame of mind to do what I needed to do to grow.”

Less than three years after answering that online ad, she has become a different person, she said.

“Definitely. My parents always tell me how proud they are of me and how much I’ve changed,” she said.

Here’s a closer look at her role, in her own words:

What does your job entail?

Pretty much everything you can think of, from managing team members to hiring. We’re all responsible for the maintenance at our stores, we help wash cars and serve as a cashier when needed.

What’s the best part about working at Silverstar? 

I think it’s the people. It’s such a close-knit group of people from your own store to the other site managers. We’re all friends. We talk all the time. And you always see the owners around, and they’re always available if you need them, same with the regional managers. They’re all so involved it’s really like a big family.

What would you say to someone else thinking about applying to work at Silverstar or maybe becoming a site manager like you?

It’s probably the best thing you could do. It’s a way to constantly challenge yourself and grow not just as an employee but also a person. The amount of things I’ve learned is just insane. Even power tools. I could barely name them let alone point out a wrench. And now I’m in charge of maintenance at my site. It’s such a great company to just grow as a person.

What has been your most memorable Silverstar moment?

Our Christmas in July party, which was for the Christmas before. They gave out a bunch of prizes like a Nintendo Switch and a laptop. I didn’t win that, but I did get $150 in gift cards, which was awesome.

And just to keep it real, we’ve had people actually run their vehicles off the track, so that’s memorable. It’s rare, and we can help, but when you pull out a little ramp and get them back on track, that sticks with me.

What’s the coolest car you’ve ever washed?

There’s a really nice Camaro that comes through. It’s one of the older ones, probably a 1950s or 1960s, and in really good condition.

Be honest: What kind of vehicle do you drive, and how clean is it?

I drive a 2012 Chrysler 200. The outside is really clean, but the inside needs some work.

Want to work with Natalie Strobel or other amazing people like her? Click here to start your Silverstar career.