Let me tell you something about my grandparents.
They're who first inspired me to get curious, ask questions, teach myself, and not be afraid to try new things. They started me down that path early in life, and it's a path I've been on ever since.
Both of them were very hands-on, DIY-types of people. It was my grandpa who taught me to read. He didn't always have the easiest time hearing due to loud work at a sheet metal factory, but he did his best. He did other jobs over time, too, and then he'd come home and tinker.
And one of my first memories as a child was wanting to help him. When he was out on his riding mower, it looked like fun. I remember helping him wash it once, but he wouldn't let me ride with him because he was worried that I'd get hurt. It's a thing I understood when I got older, but try telling a five-year-old no and of course, they'll be sad about it.
He had a nice veggie garden that he let me help with, and that I loved. And I remember him fixing up an old BMX bike that someone had dumped so I could ride it when I visited. There was a specific shade of blue rattle-can paint he used that was electric and gorgeous and perfect. And he did that for his granddaughter, as he hammered out the bent pedals and fixed the broken spokes, and cleaned and lubed the chain.
And my grandma was hands-on, too. Sometimes they worked together, like when he electrified an old black and gold Singer sewing machine so she could have an easier time making clothes. She sewed, she crocheted, and she tried to teach me both of those things when I was small. She also cooked, and she loved making food with the veggies my grandpa and I grew.
They had floor-to-ceiling built-in bookshelves in their living room that my grandpa had built himself, and that were crammed with all the books they'd gathered after my mom and my aunts grew up there. That included plenty of DIY craft books written for kids, and I was encouraged to spend as much time as I wanted making whatever I found that struck my fancy. Any supplies I needed, all I had to do was ask. So I did.
Looking back, it's not hard to see how I grew into the kind of endlessly curious person I am now. And I'll never be able to thank them enough for it. They were my first advocates, my first supporters, and the first folks who helped me convince myself that I could do just about anything I wanted as long as I was patient enough to put in the work.
And that's what the folks at the Real Deal Revolution want to do for countless young women. To be their advocates and learn new skills, just as my grandparents did for me.
Welcome to the Revolution.
If you're not already familiar with Jessi Combs, who among other things was (and remains) the World's Fastest Woman On Four Wheels, then please bookmark this page. Go watch the excellent documentary about her, The Fastest Woman On Earth, and get acquainted with what an amazing person she was.
Then you'll start to understand her legacy, which is carried on by the Jessi Combs Foundation and the Real Deal Revolution.
What is the Real Deal Revolution? It's a nonprofit organization cofounded by Jessi Combs and Theresa Contreras, who wondered why they didn't see more women getting involved in the skilled trades. So they did something about it and found other like-minded women who wanted to help spread the message and empower others.
It's women sharing their knowledge with all who are interested in learning, including other women, men, and children. And it's all about showing women and girls that they can do anything, and then asking them to pass on that spark to someone else.
There's a great speech from a Season Six episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in an episode called "Grave." In it, Buffy is realizing that she's gotten things all wrong with her younger sister, Dawn. And she says,
"I want to see my friends happy again. And I want to see you grow up. The woman you're gonna become. Because she's gonna be beautiful. And she's going to be powerful. I got it so wrong. I don't want to protect you from the world. I want to show it to you. There's so much that I want to show you."
The women of the Real Deal Revolution are exactly like that. They know that you're gonna be beautiful, and you're gonna be powerful. And they want to help you step into that power, so everyone who could be a slayer, will be a slayer. Especially women and girls.
They hold workshoppes where women who are experts in their fields show up and teach whoever wants to learn about their craft. A wide variety of subjects have been covered in the years that Real Deal has been operating, including things like welding (one of Combs' specialties), silversmithing, carburetor rebuilding, and more.
At the 2024 Harley-Davidson Homecoming, the Real Deal Revolution showed up with four workshoppe options: Welding, Leatherwork, Carburetor Rebuilding, and Pinstriping.
Because I'm me, my only question was, did I have time to do them all? So, I did.
Each workshoppe is about an hour long, but depending on how things go, they might run over just a little bit. If they do, it's usually because it's such a supportive, student-focused environment. The workshoppes only take a few people at each session, so things stay relaxed and the instructors can answer any questions that the folks wanting to learn might have. And if courses run over time, it's because each person trying to learn was getting what they needed out of a given class.
Since I was a maniac and scheduled myself for all four workshoppes in one afternoon, I went in thinking that timing was critical. But once I observed how things were going, and I realized that each workshoppe was being held multiple times over the whole afternoon, I stopped stressing about it.
I did Leatherwork first, where I learned how to stamp, dye, and finish a leather bracelet. Since each step takes time and is dependent on things like drying in the sun in between stages, I ended up coming back in between some other courses to finish what I couldn't during the hour-long workshoppe. But it was relaxed and chill, and just a very nice place to be.
Plus, saddle soap smells good.
Next, it was time for welding, which I was seriously stoked about. I'd done some leatherwork in high school, but I'd never had the opportunity to try welding before.
Our teachers found gear that fit us and then guided us with the basics. We then went around the table to begin working on our projects, each taking turns since there was only one welder in the tent. Each of us had plenty of hands-on time, as well as observational time with both the teachers and our fellow students. It was all super chill, and it seemed like everyone had a good and inspiring time.
The welding course ran a bit over the hour time allotted, but since I'd had the opportunity to see how RDR worked, I was hopeful that I could just attend a later session of the next course I'd signed up for, which was carb rebuilding. Arguably, this was the most important course of the four for me right now, as I have a big project planned to rebuild the carbs on my VF500F. But I digress.
At the end of the welding course, my group was invited to lay down some welds on an art project that the Real Deal Revolution welders were crafting in honor of Willie G. Davidson. The plan was that the sculpture would later be auctioned off to benefit cancer research.
So, under the guidance of our instructors, Tamara Robertson, Hannah Stout-Ortega, and Sana Abbas, all five of the students in my group took turns contributing a weld or two to start the project. Later, we were invited to sign a Willie G. print that the sculpture was based on, which would also go along with the sculpture once it went to auction. Super cool and unexpected stuff, and I think all of us were thrilled to be part of it.
By the time our welding group was through, it was almost time for the pinstriping workshoppe with Theresa Contreras. And seriously, if you're ever having a bad day and she's around, she is the best possible hype woman you will ever meet.
Her energy is infectious.
Here, the other students and I learned about the brushes, mixing our oil-based paints with mineral spirits and the importance of maintaining consistency, and also the very important fact that you can always wipe away anything you don't like with more mineral spirits on a shop towel.
We practiced different ways of holding and moving the brushes and learned that it's a lot more difficult than it looks. With enough time and practice, of course, someone who wanted to could get good at it. But I was definitely struggling, and as a result now have an even deeper respect than I previously did for people who have the steady, sure movements to do this work well.
Master pinstripers are effing phenomenal and are clearly worth every penny.
To cap off my day of cramming every bit of new knowledge into my skull that I could, it was time for my rescheduled carb rebuild workshoppe with custom builder Bobbi Prueter. To my surprise and delight, I was the only one signed up for the last session of the day. Bonus!
She had a combination of both her own Harley carbs and some pristine new ones that Harley had donated to the cause, and coached me in unscrewing the float bowl and carefully removing the jets so I didn't strip anything. There were nice little magnetic hardware bowls at each workstation, which made it a cinch to keep track of your hardware.
No, brass still isn't magnetic, but the jets will still stay inside a bowl unless you dump it out on purpose.
We chatted a bit, and I told her about the V4 carb rebuild kits I had waiting for me at home. And then she followed me on Instagram because she wanted to see how the project turned out, so now I guess I have no choice but to do it. Accountability for the win!
Throughout the afternoon, the Real Deal Revolution was out there teaching valuable skills and spreading knowledge. But more than that, it was spreading just such a welcoming and encouraging vibe. I saw multiple young girls there with their parents, signing up for workshoppes and eager to learn.
And I couldn't help but be both happy and a little envious because I would've loved something like the Real Deal so much when I was a kid. I'm thrilled that it exists now, and that it's helping to encourage kids to try something new and hands-on.
Every single one of the instructors is one of the raddest folks imaginable. I immediately followed all of them on Instagram, and they followed me back. If you want to be part of their story, too, you should absolutely sign up for one (or more) Real Deal Revolution Workshops if you ever get the chance. What they're doing is pure magic.
Now, please excuse me while I go find a local welding class to sign up for.
