Empowering. Inspiring. Inaugural.

By Lauren White. 

The first-ever PNWIR event did not disappoint! 

Amidst power poses, product demos, networking opportunities and expert advice from industry professionals, the first-ever Pacific Northwest National Women in Roofing Day (PNWIR) was something else.  

The kickoff to PNWIR Day was a networking event and dinner. McKay Daniels, the CEO for the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) joined us as a guest speaker to talk about the state of the industry, share info about CTE funding and chat with everyone who made it to this inaugural event. The networking and catching up continued after dinner with everyone looking forward to what the next day held. 

Greeted with a full breakfast buffet, coffee and tea, attendees found their seats to get the day started. RoofersCoffeeShop was happy to share a table with the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC). Three women from the CRRC journeyed north from Portland to be with us in Tukwila, Washington – Sarah Schneider, deputy director; Beth James-Bourgeois, program manager; Audrey McGarrell, project manager.  

It was a full day of amazing speakers, demos and topics. Lee Lipniskis, founder and CEO of Levello Construction, started off the day with her talk of “Leading Like a Lady.” After a quick outfit change from her regular black blazer to a sequin jacket, in order to be her authentic self, she shared her journey of deciding to start her own company. She talked about what it means to not only be your authentic self, “like a disco ball” today in her sequin jacket, but also what it means to be an authentic leader – innovative and creative, empowering others, self-motivated, self-knowledge, purpose, let go of control, love.  

Four elements of what she has identified are critical to leading like a lady are: 

1. Self-awareness – Be introspective with your core values, identity, emotions and motives 
2. Strong moral code – Create a process to consistently self-regulate between your core principles and the judgements you express 
3. Balanced processing – Objectively analyze the information from all angles before making a decision 
4. Relational transparency – Be open and honest in presenting your true self to  

Her parting message to everyone, “You have the capacity to become an authentic leader. It is a life-long process, but you have been sculpted by critical life events that lead to growth and greater authenticity.” 

Part of being an authentic leader and your authentic self is taking care of your own mental health and that of your crews. Mandy McIntyre, owner of Level Up Consultants, talked about mental health first aid and the crucial role it has in the roofing industry. According to Mandy,  

more construction workers die from suicide and overdoes each year than every workplace-related fatality combined. Mental health is the silent safety hazard; it takes more than a hard hat to keep a head safe.  

She has identified a mental health action plan for companies to implement:  

1. Leadership engagement – Create a culture of support 
2. Awareness – Recognize mental health as a safety and wellness initiative and have mental health toolbox talks, offer free screening tools and support employees’ efforts to get help and promote self-care. 
3. Communicate – Reduce the stigma. Don’t be afraid to bring up issues related to stress, depression, anxiety or suicide. It could be the difference between life and death just by talking to someone and listening to them. 
4. Education and support – Provide information about free screenings from Mental Health America, mental health first aid for roofing through Level Up Consultants, and having the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline number accessible. 

Then we got our hands dirty! Multiple rooms were set up with different products from KARNAK, and Viking Products Group for us to work with. 

After lunch, the rest of the day was filled with panels and financial advice. A male panel spoke about what it means to be an ally and an advocate for women in the roofing industry. That was followed by a women’s panel of powerhouse leaders in the PNW roofing industry – Wendy Marvin, owner of Matrix Home Solutions; Rae Fistonich, director of steep-slope operations of Chinook Building Envelope Services; Lori Swanson, owner of Guardian Roofing & Gutters; Kendall Ekerson, director of marketing and events of SA Roofing. Moderated by Brittany Wimbish, CEO of Fields Roof Service, the panel covered what it means to be a leader versus a boss, how hard it is to maintain work/life balance and the importance of finding balance and setting goals for yourself.  

“A leader versus a boss is we before me,” Wendy 

“Being a leader means you’re inspiring people to want to work with you,” Rae 

In a male-dominated industry, women often feel pressured to have to do it all and prove themselves day after day. This leads to burnout. No matter what industry you work in, work/life balance is vital for: your overall health, your mental health, the health of your company and the health of your employees.   

In terms of work/life balance, the panel had these nuggets to share:  

1. Work/life balance is different for everyone 
2. Define it for you and make that balance work for you 
3. A healthy mind is a healthy body 
4. Your mental health matters more than the company 

That being said, they brought up the concept of “garbage hours.” Meaning, if you don’t take the time you need for yourself, your output will be garbage. Make time for yourself and set goals for yourself, like you normally do for your business. Those goals could be leaving your work phone in your car at the end of your workday so your attention is on your family, taking a walk, scheduling a massage for yourself, eating lunch away from your desk or something else that benefits you and helps you fill your cup. 

After some raffle prizes (I won a tool set!) and final words, the day came to a close. Being a regional event, many people drove home, but a few of us were either flying or driving out the next day or lived close enough to stay and have dinner together. Picture this, business owners, contractors, distributors and manufacturers all based in the PNW sitting at the same table and literally breaking bread – no competition, no jealousy, just kindness, support and love for each other and the industry we call our own.  

As Lee put it, “Empowered women empower women.”