We are happy to announce that we have started the Women of Restoration Builders Spotlight!

Once a month we will spotlight 3-5 amazing women from Restoration Builders. For the month of May we have selected these women to answer a few questions so you can get to know them better.

“The Women of Restoration Builders Committee are so excited to recognize the wonderful women of Restoration Builders. Thanks for all that you do! Your hard work truly makes a difference for our customers and Restoration Builders. We appreciate you!”

– Yolanda Armalis, Committee Chair

May Spotlight Questions

1. What do you enjoy about working for Restoration Builders?
2. What are some things you have learned about working in this industry as a woman?
3. Who is a woman you’ve looked up to?

Restoration Builder’s Spotlight

Jordan Lee
Restoration Consultant – Texas

Meets with clients, inspects properties, assesses the damage, prepares estimates, and gets contracts signed.

One thing no one knows about me: I can balance two forks and two tooth picks stacked together on a salt shaker!

 

Carolina Carranza 
Staff Accountant – Texas

Helps the accounting manager with any issues.

One thing no one knows about me: Very few people know that I play the clarinet. My parents enrolled me in lessons when I was in elementary school. I played all through high school in both marching band and concert season.

Kim McQueen
Oversees customer service and A/R Team – Indiana

Kim is a problem solver and is put in departments whenever they need to get their issues resolved

One thing no one knows about me: Nothing really, I talk about everything with my friends. Something you may not know that’s silly is that I’m afraid of the dark.

Keana Dunn
Customer Account Specialist – Colorado

Helps oversees file management and customer accounts. Also helps with customer work contracts, prep and contract meetings, and permits for productions.

One thing no one knows about me: There’s not a lot that people don’t know about me, I’m an open book.

 

Angeles Garcia
RPA – Illinois

Accepts work orders when they come in and negotiate with insurance companies and increase margins.

One thing no one knows about me: Many people don’t know that I have a twin sister. We are only 5 minutes apart and have been told that we look so much alike.

 

What do you enjoy about working for Restoration Builders?

KM: I like the people I work with and being part of the growth that we’ve consistently been in since I came on.

 

KD: Absolutely, I LOVE my team! our Colorado office has some of the best people working in it. I have learned so much and I’ve been offered so much support from the guys. It’s nice to be around people who are constantly building you up and having leaders who actually want to see you succeed. I love the little family that we’ve become.

 

AG: I really love that everyone is always willing to help each other. I see how people from different departments work together to solve an issue. How people don’t mind taking some time to answer questions others have. I think that having a team that is willing to help each other is an important thing in a successful company.

 

Yeah Similar to Angeles I think my favorite thing about working for Restoration Builders is the sense of camaraderie we all share. We all spend so much time together, it really feels like a family.

 

CC: For me, I enjoy the diverse group of people I get to work with on a daily basis.

 

AG: Yes! As a Restoration Project Analyst I am always learning new information. Not only from the RPA team but also from all the other people in the different states I work directly with. I like that I can expand my knowledge every day, which only helps me further my career.

What are some things you have learned about working in this industry as a women?

AG: There is this misconception that this industry is only for men, but that isn’t true. Anyone who wants to be in this industry can be in it. It’s all about wanting to learn how everything is done.

 

JL: I completely agree. One of the most interesting things I have learned about working in the roofing industry is how inclusive it is for women. Although, that might not have been the case in the past, it is certainly the case now. There is genuine mutual respect from my male counterparts as well as my male customers.

 

KD: I would also add that you do still sometimes have to prove yourself and work a little harder to gain respect and trust. There have been times where I have showed up to a home with a male Restoration Consultant and the homeowner completely disregarded everything that I said and kept asking the Restoration Consultant questions. There were a few questions that even my colleague didn’t know that I knew. So, I had to make sure that everything I said was clear and made sense that way the homeowner would realize that I knew what I could handle their needs.

 

AG: Absolutely I’ve experienced that too. I started working in this industry about two years ago and at first it was different than what I was used to. Not because of the job itself but because of the way others perceived me as. Being a woman in this industry I would be treated by others as if I didn’t know what I was talking about. I learned that sometimes I had to talk in a more assertive way to be taken seriously. That it wasn’t always as easy as if a male coworker were to deal with that same situation. It is a little upsetting dealing with that, but I also see it as an opportunity to show them that as a woman I do know this industry and can do my job as well as my male coworkers.

 

KM: Honestly, I’ve found men are a lot more sensitive and emotional than I had thought. Working with so many in the variety of capacities I have. It’s been very enlightening.

 

CC: It’s true! In the almost 13 years of being in this industry, I have learned many things but to me one of the most important has been learning all the opportunities this industry offers to women coming from all different backgrounds.

 

JL: It really is amazing to be female in this industry today where women were not a part of in the past. The realization that there is genuine inclusion today is a strong reminder to practice gratitude for the women that fought to help normalize women in construction or predominantly male related trades.

 

Who is a woman that you’ve looked up to?

AG: A woman that I look up to is my mom. Growing up my mom has shown my sisters and I the value of hard work. I have always seen my mom as a hard-working woman who would never let any obstacle set her back. My mom is not the type of woman to give up so easily, and that is one of the many lessons she has taught me. She would always tell me that being a woman shouldn’t stop me or scare me from pursuing what I want. She not only told me that, but she showed it to me as well. She was always leading by example. Showing me that I could be an independent woman.

 

KD: I would also say my mother. She is a hard-working woman who has worked her way from the bottom to the top, without a high school diploma. Just good old fashioned elbow grease.

 

CC: yeah, I would also have to say that I look up to my mother, Martha Carranza, because in my eyes she is a perfect example of selflessness, strength, and kindness. Throughout my life, she has nourished me spiritually and has taught me the true meaning of life. I am grateful to have her as my mother.

 

KM: Oh this is a difficult one for me to answer because I look up to so many different women, for very special reasons, it’s hard for me to identify just one.

 

JL: I would have to say: Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was a force of nature. RGB understood exactly what kind of change she wanted TO MAKE, and what kind of change she wanted TO BE in the world. Probably because she experienced it so personally. She defied all stereotypes and beat the odds to make her mark. If it weren’t for women like here, I likely wouldn’t have the opportunities that I do today.