By Donna Heiderstadt
The first full-day of the third-annual Women to Women Leadership Conference in San Antonio featured a robust schedule for the 118 women selected to attend this year. The program encompassed a motivational question-and-answer session with an advisor panel of seven high-achieving women in the kitchen-and-bath industry, breakout sessions designed to foster learning and problem-solving, and an inspirational keynote address by Laura Kohler, Chief Sustainable Living Officer for Kohler Co. Adding balance to the day’s schedule was a chance for attendees to socialize and relax by enjoying a range of activities in historic San Antonio.
After being transfixed by Kohler’s morning keynote, which earned her a standing ovation, the attendees turned their attention to a panel of eight advisors, chosen for their unique career paths and accomplishments, often in male-dominated fields. Each answered a question from moderator Heather Shannon, Senior Vice President of Strategic Growth for NKBA | KBIS, who then opened the floor for additional questions.
Patty Dominguez, Vice President of Business Development for Cosentino Americas,was asked about pivoting from the hotel business to a 17-year career with the then male-dominated stone surface brand. She related how she was hired rather unexpectedly to “build relationships with designers” that the company was lacking. She says she did that by “listening to feedback — that’s what I had to offer, the ability to listen” in order to fix perceived problems with the product and share that information with the company’s leadership, who were traditionally numbers men not focused on client relationships.
She also related how she cried when she herself was promoted to a leadership position. “I told them, I don’t think I can do this,” she recalled, “but they believed in me.” The one man who did not — he said “I will never work for a woman” — was soon history. “He was right,” she said. “He never worked for me!”
Mary Putman, Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President, Marketing and Brand, for GE Appliances, was asked what qualities she looks for in an employee that would make them a good leader. “The number-one thing is attitude,” she said. “Are they super positive? Are they passionate? Do they want this? Can they take something forward and transform it?” She said she wants to know their vision and what they can bring to the table. Putman also noted that she also has to be willing to take a chance on someone who she thinks can make a difference in the company’s business.
Kristen Elder, Vice President, Showrooms, Residential Builder & Digital Commerce at Ferguson Enterprises, was asked when she knew she was ready to be a leader. “It happens around you,” she said. “It’s about connecting with people and getting to know what needs to get done.” She added that leadership is about “empowering the team to grow the company.”
Chas Daniels, President of Acero Bella, Inc., a Houston-based kitchen-and-bath showroom, was asked how she has coped with a having a chronic medical condition and running her own business. “I’m constantly learning how to stay healthy,” she said. “None of it is an excuse to fail. You need to constantly drive yourself forward.” Daniels said she continues on her journey to be mentally and physically healthy so that not only she — and her ex-husband, who remains her business partner — but her 18 employees can continue to be able to earn a living.
Sherry Qualls, Consultant, M2 Consulting, was asked if she had female mentors early in her career. “I had cool women in my life,” she said, noting that both of her grandmothers were highly educated and working decades before it was the norm. She also took inspiration from her Campfire Girl leader, who told her group of 12 girls that if they wanted to visit New York City they had to raise a total of $2,000 to cover their and their parent chaperones expenses — in 1968. “And we did!”
Qualls went on to admit that once she entered the workforce there weren’t many women mentors, but there were some very amazing men. “These were guys who didn’t have egos, but who were sure of themselves and didn’t always need to take the credit,” she said, adding that they spotted her self-motivation and gave her the opportunity to do things that mattered. “You can find mentors in many different places,” she noted.
Marcia Speer, President, North America, Poggenpohl U.S., was asked about what is has been like to work over the course of her career for three different male-dominated German luxury kitchen brands — including 15 years on the management side. As the sales arm of the companies, she explained, she was able to move up the ranks by focusing on what she knew and did best, while the men focused on the manufacturing end.
Deb Webb, Vice President, Operations & KBIS, for NKBA | KBIS, was asked about coping with the ongoing changes in business, having worked for 30-plus years for trade show company Emerald before joining NKBA | KBIS. “We have to be increasingly strategic and visionary,” she said, noting how many retailers were ahead of the curve with the current Longshoremen’s Association strike affecting East Coast shipping ports, having ordered excess inventory in advance in order to have it on hand for upcoming holiday season.
Questions from the audience
When the audience was tasked with asking questions of the panel, several topics were top of mind:
How do I scale up my business? Ferguson Enterprises’ Elder ran though several options, including finding local resources such as design and trade schools to supply interns, upping staff gradually by adding part-time workers, and taking a risk on a “powerhouse” employee that you can’t afford not to hire because of what they will add to the company. M2’s Qualls also suggested looking into local city and state grants for women-owned businesses.
How do I ask someone to be my mentor? Cosentino’s Dominguez said that mentorship can often go two ways, giving as an example a man at her company that she singled out. “He had so much to give, but he was like a wall,” she explained of his lack of emotional intelligence. “You haven’t gotten to know other people,” she told him, “and I need you to teach me how to be more business minded.” The result? They helped each other and became lasting friends.
GE’s Putman also related how she once approached “this guy I thought was really cool” and she said, “I want you to be my mentor and here’s what I will do for you.” Currently, she said, GE Appliances has an active mentorship program. “Listening to people is key — they are trying to give you something to help you grow.”
M2’s Qualls suggested forming a “personal board of directors” comprised of “the three people that you would like to bounce ideas off.”
The day winds down with fun activities — and a dinner with live music
All work and no play? Not at W2W, where all attendees were able to enjoy some downtime by opting for one of three late-afternoon activities: a yoga session, a pickleball tournament, or a sightseeing tour by boat along San Antonio’s famed River Walk.
In the evening, the networking and empowerment continued over a three-course dinner and a performance by the local Grammy-winning Tex-Mex music band Los TexManiacs.
Now in its third year, the Women to Women Leadership Conference continues to inspire and create lasting industry connections, thanks to the generous support of this year’s three sponsors: GE, Ferguson, and Fortune.
