Female Roofing Professionals Leading the Way - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with the previous Beacon Female Professional of the year award winners. You can read the interview below, listen to the podcast or watch the recording.

Megan Ellsworth: All right, ladies, let's get started. Hello, everyone. Welcome to Coffee Conversations. My name is Megan Ellsworth, here at RoofersCoffeeShop. I'm really excited because we're talking about one of my favorite things today and  that's women and women in roofing and the spectacular things that these ladies are doing. So a little housekeeping. This is being recorded and will be up on the site within 24 to 48 hours. So by tomorrow morning, you should be able to share it out with all your friends and coworkers and family members. And it is also being sponsored by QXO, formerly Beacon. And we are just really proud to be sharing the stories of these amazing women and the Beacon Female Roofing Professional of the year. We're going to be talking about that today. So thank you, QXO, for sponsoring and being a really amazing partner here at the Coffee Shops with us. So thank you QXO, a little more. I would like to start out by having these ladies introduce themselves. So Michelle, can you tell us a little bit about you and your company? 

Michelle Ly Hall: Yes, so I am Michelle Ly and  I'm with Hall Roofing and Construction. My husband and I started this because we were formerly catastrophe adjusters. We would travel around the US and inspect homes for damages after major storms or weather events. We've done everything from fire claims to tornadoes to hurricanes, to also simple windstorm and hailstorms. And we decided that we were hitting our 30s and ready to get off the road and maybe settle down and  started the roofing company. Since then, we started our family. We have started three bars and restaurants. I currently serve on the Round Rock City Council in my second term. And as the company, we are also chamber investors. We serve on the boards of the YMCA, the Williamson County Children's Advocacy Center and  the Rotary Club of Round Rock. So we do what we can to stay in touch with our community and  that's a little bit about me. 

Megan Ellsworth: That is amazing. I'm sure you are very busy, so thank you for being here and making time to share your story with us. I really appreciate it. Okay, next. Oh and  here's a little photo of when Michelle and Hall Roofing won the Female Roofing Professional of the year. 

Michelle Ly Hall: And that is our AAA Round Rock Express baseball team. We were able to go on the field, but they are the affiliate of the Texas Rangers. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, cool. 

Brooke Laizure: That's awesome. 

Megan Ellsworth: Super cool. And your daughter's so cute. 

Brooke Laizure: I know. Her face is adorable. 

Megan Ellsworth: Love it. Okay, so next, Brooke, can you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about you and your company? 

Brooke Laizure: Sure, sure. My name's Brooke Laizure and  I own a roofing company in Bixby, Oklahoma, which is a suburb of Tulsa. And I own that with my dad. We've owned our company for a little over nine years now. And we specialize in residential exterior, so roofing, gutters, siding, paint, that kind of stuff. I'm also proficient in Xactimate, so that really helps us with claims. And my dad's been FORTIFIED since 2018, so we're excited about doing some more FORTIFIED roofs now that we have a grant program that's live in Oklahoma. And I'm a founding member of National Women in Roofing and  I'm the current chair of the Oklahoma Council. 

Megan Ellsworth: Amazing. Love it. Yeah, the IVHS FORTIFIED program is so cool. So it's so amazing that you guys are part of that. 

Brooke Laizure: It is. I'm really excited about it. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, that is really exciting. Birte, hello. Welcome. Can you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about you? 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: Yes. Hello, everyone. Yeah, my name is Birte. The name and the person comes from Germany, in case you're wondering also where the accent is from. But I've been in the States for almost 20 years now, so trying to professionalize my American accent. Still working on that one. Yeah, so I joined Beacon, which just now has been acquired and is now QXO, roughly three years ago. I was brought into the company to help with the emphasis on commercial roofing. So I know of course residential and commercial roofing products, Beacon has sold for many, many decades. But we saw a particular opportunity to double down on commercial roofing and make it a really key priority for us. 

So we've done tons of events. We've invested as a company quite a bit in resources internally and externally. We're building tools. We're helping our sales people to learn more about commercial roofing. And we're also helping contractors who are trying to get into the commercial roofing space to learn the tips and tricks and  then hopefully supply them with the materials that they need to be successful on the jobs. So I'm fairly new to roofing still with Beacon. I came into the roofing industry. I was in construction broadly with a company called Hilti that make hand tools and anchors and stuff like that. So I'm still learning. I'm a proud member of National Women in Roofing as well and  I met these ladies through that and  then of course through this amazing award that both them won. So very happy to be here today. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yay. This is just so exciting. I love talking about women in roofing, so yay, thank you, Birte, for being here. Here's another quick photo of ... I believe this was the Women- 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld:  Yes, this was our ... So at Beacon, now QXO, we hold annual women's forums. So this was an internal event. So you see a lot of Beacon women here, very strong Beacon women, but Michelle joined us as well. She was a panelist. And I mean, these events always have so much energy and so much so fun. You see some male colleagues as well who are allies for us. But really fantastic events that Beacon puts up. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, that's amazing. Okay, well, I'm going to stop share. And we're just going to start chatting. So Birte, I would love for you to tell us a little bit about the Female Professional of the Year program. How did it start and when did it start? 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: Yeah, so it goes back a couple of years and  2021 was the first year where we awarded someone with this great recognition. And it was really a realization ... National Women in Roofing at that point was probably five years old, something like that. Beacon was involved in the initial founding process as well. And we realized, "Hey, there are not a lot, but there are some really strong women out there that are doing fantastic stuff in the roofing industry and  they really deserve to have an award to be recognized for everything that they do." 

It's sometimes and  I'm sure we'll get to this throughout the call, it's not easy sometimes to be the only woman in the room or on the roof and stand up to all these big guys out there that maybe are doubting that we can do it too, but we can. So this was 2021. Every time we do this, we have hundreds of submissions. And we'll talk more about the process I think at the end, but it's always really, really great to see. I'm typically on that committee that screens some of the submissions that are coming in. And it's always so heartwarming to see all the great stuff that women are doing in this industry. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, I think that really goes to show just how many applications you get or submissions you get, just the support of women in roofing. We're all this very tight-knit group in community and wanting to support one another. I think that's beautiful. So Brooke and Michelle and  Brooke, let's start with you, I'd love to know, what did it mean to you to be recognized as the Female Roofing Professional of the Year? And what year did you win that? 

Brooke Laizure: Okay, so I won it last year for 2024 and  it was a really big surprise to me. I found out when I was a finalist, which was pretty cool. I was nominated by several people, an adjuster and someone in our office, which was really nice. And it's just nice to be recognized in the industry for all the stuff we do through our local councils, our community. And it's really cool that Beacon, QXO puts this award out just so women that are interested in joining the roofing industry, they know it's a possibility. So I don't know of any other supplier that does that. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, that's true. Michelle, what did it mean to you to win? 

Michelle Ly Hall: I thought this was such a wonderful recognition. First of all, it's nationwide. It's international, because Canada is included as well. So it was a really neat opportunity for me to be able to read about other women from other parts. I know, being in National Women in Roofing here in central Texas, I know we have a really tight-knit group. We text each other all the time, like, "Hey, ladies, this is going on." But just to see it on a national and international level of what women are doing around is truly inspiring to me. 

And I was really blessed to win this. 2023 was the year that I won this recognition. And I was up for re-election in 2023, so I was coming off of campaign mode. May was our election. And I had just found out that I did win my seat back. And then they told me that same ... I believe it was even the same week, but they were like, "Hey, you're a finalist for QXO, Beacon's Female Roofing Professional of the Year." I was like, "Oh my goodness, how in the world? Of all the women everywhere, there's no way that they want to recognize me, little Michelle, in Little Round Rock, Texas." So I was just blown away. I just couldn't believe I had made a short list of that. And so it was truly inspiring just to see other women throughout the US. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, yeah, that's amazing. And like you said, you can come from a little town in roofing and be recognized; same with you, Brooke, a little town outside of Tulsa. So that's really cool. Michelle, I'd love for you to share a little bit of your journey, how you got into the roofing industry. 

Michelle Ly Hall: So I talked to you a little bit earlier about coming from the insurance side. Eric and myself, we were insurance adjusters. And we saw the good and the bad of roofers. We would climb roofs all over the US. And we know what aggressive roofer tactics are, but we also know what it takes to be able to effectively communicate with insurance companies, insurance adjusters, all aspects of the insurance side, because that's the side we were on. 

And when we decided to get off the road and start this roofing company, Eric is the big dreamer. He jumps, he gets an idea, he jumps and goes for it. And I am the one that is more reserved, but I try to pick up the pieces and fit in where his shortfalls are. And I mean, honestly, I probably would've never jumped. I probably would've stayed and collected my pay check, but because he jumped, I jumped with him. And it was what got us where we are today. 

And I think that just starting in this roofing industry, I was able to see what not to do as a roofer. And as an insurance adjuster, I remember one time I went to a house. It was the middle of a huge hailstorm. And there were six roofing contractor trucks that pulled up behind me as an adjuster. And I am a fairly petite woman, so pulling up to this home ... And it was a corner house. I'm sure they were using it for training, they really want a sign in the yard. But I was like, "I have six trucks pulling up behind me and  this is really intimidating for me to set up my ladder and get up on this roof. And whatever I say will not be enough for this group of people." So just being in that position, I know that that is not the way to win the heart of an adjuster. And we just try to be honest and work with integrity and be truthful in our word when we're communicating with others. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, wow, that's such a good point and  what a poignant story as well. Brooke, how did you fall into roofing? I know you started your business with your dad. Can you tell us a little bit more about that? 

Brooke Laizure: So like a lot of other people, I fell into roofing on accident. It was a complete accident. I was going to college at OSU, go Pokes. Anyways, I was home for the summer. And my dad's a sales manager for roofing and  I was kind of interested in that and decided to just ride along with him, spend some time with him. He got me up on the roof and  I decided it wasn't as scary as it looked. And then started working at that company over the summer and  I just fell in love with it. I fell in love with the insurance process. Like Michelle says, it's kind of its own beast, but it's definitely fun to learn Xactimate. 

And then about six months later, there was some business practices I didn't really love at that other company. So me and my dad took the leap. I was the one that leaped first.d my dad followed, so that was really awesome. And that was about nine years ago. So it's been a whirlwind ever since, which is the name of our company. And it's just really awesome. I get to work with my family every day, which is really cool. I get to work with my dad. My mom's our marketing manager, so that's really cool. My brother loves to do rock climbing, so he gets on those really steep scary ones that I don't like to do. So it's just really awesome to have a family-owned company. I just never imagined that for myself and  it's really cool that it came to light. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, that's amazing. I love that. I love working in a family business and  can relate. Birte, I know you talked about working at Hilti. How did you get into roofing? 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: Yeah, it was, as I guess everybody here on the call, it kind of just happened. So Hilti had asked me to move back to Europe. As I said, I'm from Europe originally, but they had asked me to move back for a job. And my family actually was not very happy back in Europe. We had reverse culture shock. So at some point I asked Hilti, "Hey, I need to get back to the States." And they were very nice and found me a job, but it was an okay job. So then when Beacon came around and was like, "Hey, there's this massive opportunity to accelerate things for commercial roofing in the US," I was like, "All right, that sounds like a great challenge. Let's jump onto it." 

And that means getting to know a different industry. Some things are similar, the type of contractors have some similarities, but the roofing industry is quite encapsulated, I would say. So I've been very, very fortunate and happy to get to know this particular part of the construction industry and get to know all of the amazing people in them. And they have been all super welcoming. I mean, if I can say one thing about the roofing industry, it's that people are super open and friendly and they're helping you to learn. So my very first couple of weeks on the job, I had actually some women from CertainTeed ask me, "Hey, do you want to come and we show you how to lay down a commercial roof?" And that's what I did and  I will never forget. I have some really fun pictures from that time. So yeah, it is just fantastic to get to know the roofing industry. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's really cool. I love it. Okay, ladies, so we're going to dive into the more challenging here. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced early on in your career and how did you overcome them? Michelle, do you want to take this one first? 

Michelle Ly Hall: Sure. I would say the biggest challenge is getting people to trust you. When you walk up to someone's house, whether you're an adjuster or you're a contractor and you are a woman, you automatically have a downfall because they're like, "Why did they send a woman?" And you have to first get them to trust you enough so they know that you have the knowledge to do the same job that your male peer can do. So that's something that I've had to overcome, is knowing that someone that I have trained can walk up to that same house and be two steps ahead of me already. But I, with more knowledge and more experience, still have to get that customer or get that homeowner to understand that I know what I'm talking about. So luckily, I can usually explain or show or demonstrate my knowledge fairly quickly and so I can get that buy-in. 

The other thing is when I started as an adjuster, women adjuster have that same shortcoming, is they walk up to the house and they're like, "Oh, she's not going to know what she's doing." But I did everything that every man was offered. So we had steep and high training, so I got steep and high certified. I wasn't going to let them say, "Oh, well, you're a girl," or, "You're not big enough, strong enough," whatever it is. It's like, "Nope, I'm going to learn it. I'm going to figure it out. I'm going to set up this two-story ladder. If it takes me a little bit longer, that's fine, but I will do it." So I think that was a big challenge I had, was already steps behind someone in the same position that happened to be male, simply because this is a physical job and you don't always get that automatic buy-in because you are a girl. 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: Yeah. I had a very similar experience actually. This credibility piece, I think that's where you really have to double down very fast, because the perception is always, "Oh, okay, there's a woman, she's the assistant," or she's the, I don't know, maybe finance or marketing or something like that. I had it once, unfortunately, I didn't have it often where it was so pronounced, but I was in a sales pitch meeting when I was at Hilti. And I was a sales director, so I was actually the superior of several of the Hilti people in the room. But nobody had introduced me. So I came in and one of the contractors said something to the effect, "Oh, you brought the newest intern. What's her name," something like that. 

So to the point, the first impression is always a little bit different, but it is an opportunity for you. You stand out, at least for me in a lot of meetings and a lot of conversations, I'm the only woman. That makes you stand out. And then if the next thing that you say is smart or is something that brings value to the conversation, that's when people are like, "Oh, okay." But you are always seen as a little bit different, at least in the beginning. But then when you've proven that your stuff, then I think things become easy. 

Brooke Laizure: Yeah, I agree with that too. I started in the industry when I was 26, so me pulling up with my ... I had a Jeep Grand Cherokee at the time; didn't show a whole lot of credibility. But I will say once people know that you're educated, you know what you're talking about ... And honestly, we're most of the time more knowledgeable than our men counterparts because we're detail-oriented, we do the trainings and everything like that. Once you prove that you're the smartest person in the room, it's just really cool to see that flip of a switch in a homeowner or someone that you're talking to on the phone go, "Oh, I want to talk to Brooke. She's the one that knows her stuff." 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, absolutely. I have a follow-up question to that, going off of what you said, Michelle and  then we have lots of good questions coming in from the audience, so thank you. Keep them coming. But have you ever had an opposite reaction where you're working with a fellow woman or you're pulling up to a home and it's a woman that is greeting you and they're like, "Oh, thank God"? Have you ever had that kind of experience? 

Michelle Ly Hall: I think that maybe not initially, but I have had ... So we worked in this area, it's called Sun City. It's a retirement area. But there are older women there. So we do get women that are like, "Oh, I just think a man is going to try and take my money and run with it." So there is that comfort in that I have a softer demeanor, I have a softer voice even. And so women that are in vulnerable positions typically are like, "Oh goodness, I feel comfortable with you. I feel not intimidated by you." And so that definitely can help their perception as well, in the credibility and the trust. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. Thank you. Okay, so what role would you say the Female Roofing Professional of the Year program award plays in advancing visibility for women in the trades? Maybe Birte, you can start. 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: Yeah, I was about to say, but please, Brooke and Michelle, chime on in if this is actually a reality or not. Yes, I do believe it plays a part. I mean, it plays a small part, but sometimes the small things is all that you can do at any given time. What it does bring is, as Michelle said, it brings national recognition. So Michelle came out, Brooke came out, you're getting opportunities to network with others across the nation, maybe talk about some best practices, things like that. But it is really also just to give a signal that some of what women are doing is harder for them, as we just discussed. And this is a little bit to offset it, to give them just a little bit of an additional push. Also, there's a small monetary piece attached to it, which hopefully can lead for some of you to take maybe a leadership course or to do something to help you develop in the industry. 

So I think it's a small piece what we're doing in the industry, but I feel like it's something really nice. And hopefully it is helpful for women to get also maybe a little outside of, as you said, their local circle and network a little bit more broadly. Ultimately, a lot of success in business comes from networking and  you know the boys networks and boys clubs or whatever they're called. Women have a little bit of that as well, I think is great. And National Women in Roofing is another forum which I find extremely fantastic to help with these connections. 

Brooke Laizure: Yeah, I think the award has been huge to put a spotlight on women and that we're involved and  basically you can choose us to be on your roof. I've had quite a bit of people reach out to us since the article came out. And we've gotten a lot more business off of that just for me getting on the roofs. And also, women want to talk to women. So there has been quite a few people, like Michelle said, where they've had a previous roofer out that's kind of bullied them or tried to be aggressive with them. And they're actively seeking out women to get on the roofs. And before the Beacon award, there was also ... National Owner Roofing has a directory, so I got quite a few people calling me directly because I was a woman, which is really awesome. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, that is really awesome. We have a really great question in here from Gary or Jerry. "What can an ally do to support more women to excel in the industry?" And then Lorna Rojas, hi, Lorna, also had a really good point: "There's just not as many women in the trades in general." And my counterpoint to that is how do we get more women in the trades? What brought you in and  how would you recruit women into the trades? So let's start with that ally piece and  then we'll go to the next one. But so what can male allies do to support women in this industry? 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: I mean, I can take a start here. I think the main thing that men can do is to not assume. So I've had it a million times where I've heard stories where someone, a boss or someone in a company or in a business transaction, was assuming that the woman wasn't interested in taking this job, in doing this business deal, in X, Y, Z, because that's just the stereotype about women, they want to not be on a roof. But let's not assume, right? Whenever there is and  I've been mostly in the corporate setting, but when there is a job opening, let's think, "Well, who would be qualified, generally speaking?" And it doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman. Then let's ping them. 

There are studies that women are sometimes not as aggressive. They're sometimes hesitant to apply for jobs if they think that they don't fulfill 100% of the requirements. So make it a point to go out to that woman and say, "Hey, I think it would be great for this job and  why don't you apply?" Sometimes they might feel insecure and not sure whether they should apply or not. So I think that's a really big piece that men can do, because men are hiring managers in a lot of the jobs that we're interacting with. So just open your mind and  if you see a woman that has the qualifications and maybe just 50% of the qualifications, go ping her and see if she might be up for the challenge. And you might be surprised. 

Brooke Laizure: I also think something that would be really great if men are wanting to actively reach out is to teach us. My biggest teachers in life have been men. My dad has taught me a lot about construction, which is really nice. We have local manufacturer reps like Jim Silver, who's taught me everything about ventilation I could ever want to know. Any hands on- 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: And more. 

Brooke Laizure: Yeah and  more. And then there's also just really good hands-on training. I know women sometimes don't want to use power tools. Teach us how to use power tools, a saw and that kind of stuff. That would be really helpful. 

Michelle Ly Hall: And the last piece I would add is, I mean, those are great points, is also participate. Brooke, Birte, I mean, we've been involved in the National Women in Roofing and  there are women contractor groups as well in a national level. But if men show up and be in that room where the women are talking and the women are expressing what our challenges are and what our strengths are and what our shortcomings are, I mean, if men are in that room listening and participating, then they would know how to step in and support women and get them involved in the trades. And it's not just roofing, it's all the trades that women are not represented in, but could be. 

Brooke Laizure: Yeah, so that's funny you mentioned that. We had a National Women in Roofing meeting locally and  that's actually how I met my Beacon, QXO rep. He came to a meeting. He was the only man that came. 

Megan Ellsworth: Love that. 

Brooke Laizure: Yeah, his name's Steve Lightfoot. He's really great and  he actually introduced me to Beacon, QXO, so I'm just really grateful for that connection too. 

Megan Ellsworth: Love it. Another great example of QXO and Beacon supporting women. I love it. Okay, so to the second question, I mean, we kind of touched on this, but let's dive in deeper. How do we get more women into the trades, into roofing? Does it start with training opportunities at your business? Brooke, Michelle, Birte, what do you guys think? How do we get more women here? 

Brooke Laizure: I think something that's really popular right now is Build My Future. We've been involved into it before. I think it started in 2020 here locally. We have one in Oklahoma City and one in Tulsa every year around the fall. And that would be a really good way to get involved. It's national, so you should have one close to you. But basically it's a trades fair for high school kids. So what they do is they pull all the high schoolers and they bring them into one central area. And then they have electricians, plumbers, roofers and  we all do hands-on activities with the kids and explain to them our jobs and  pretty much, you can be a manufacturer rep, you can be a supplier, you can be a roofer, you can be off the roof if you want. And I think that's really cool and  something in our local chapter with National Roofing has done for the last five or six years. And it gets bigger and bigger every year. So it's really awesome. 

Megan Ellsworth: That is awesome. 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: Yeah, I think it is important to start early. And to Brooke's point, I mean, there are these programs at schools. And it can be as small as when your child has one of them, the parents come and speak about their jobs. I sometimes go and I talk about what I do and  it is a little uncommon. I'm not a nurse. I'm not in a female traditional industry. I've always been in construction or in places where there are not a lot of women. But just talking about that and saying, "Hey." And there are ways how you can do this without having, I don't know, cut short hair. I mean, I'm not saying that it's not a bad thing to have short hair, but I mean, you don't have to look like a man to do these kinds of things. I always show up as pretty feminine when I do these kind of things. 

And yeah, I think it's role modeling. It's like you can do it. And when you talk to friends, family or others that you meet, just saying, "Well, you could do it." And to the point of power tools, I mean, that was one of the key things at Hilti, we always have these videos of where you show someone doing it the manual way. Typically, it's a guy that's a really strong. And then you have a woman that takes it power tool and does it faster, right? 

Brooke Laizure: I love that. 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: Because if you have the right tools at your fingertips, you can do almost anything that you want. So just doing it, showcasing it, role modeling and talk to the young people. This is for everyone. 

Brooke Laizure: That's cool. I'm going to have to do a video of my dad doing it and then I doing it [inaudible 00:33:15]. 

Megan Ellsworth: Love it. I love that idea. 

Michelle Ly Hall: And I would also add mentorship to that. I have several opportunities to mentor others and  I know NWIR also has just started a mentorship program. So signing up for those types of things and helping people that are just getting their foot in to see if they even like this. But in that, we also offer training. I have some girls that work in the office and  "Hey, I'm going to take you to IRE and you're going to get some hands-on experience training here." And does she need that for her daily job? Probably not. But does she have the opportunity to see if that's something that she would want to look into further? Then that gives her more knowledge and more empowerment to do so. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, that is huge. Yeah, bringing the people behind you up and sharing experiences like that is so important. Okay, we have another really great question from the audience from Mark DeFriedas. Hi, Mark. "If you were to go back to when you started your company, started your career, knowing what you know now, would you advise other women to get into this wonderful industry? What lessons have you learned of what to do, not to do?" 

Brooke Laizure: I would- 

Michelle Ly Hall: I could jump in. 

Brooke Laizure: Go ahead. 

Michelle Ly Hall: I would say yes, I would. It's definitely given me lots of opportunities in my life because Eric jumped and did this and  I jumped too with him. But for me, it was just like the biggest things is learning what you're doing. I had the roofing knowledge. I was confident in the inspection part. I was confident in estimating. I was confident in so much, but what I wasn't confident on are the mistakes you learn as a small business. 

And just knowing that when you start a business, know that there's out there for you to start that small business. Yes, you can read online and research, but until you're actually in the seat doing it, there's so much learning about leadership strategies and strategic planning for the future and what mistakes to make. Who do you reach out to for taxing advice and  things like that. So it was a small business part that until I was in the seat, I did not know what I was going to struggle with. So if I went back in time, I would ... and I mean, each business that we start since then, I feel like, "Oh, okay, we've already made that mistake. We're not going to do that one again." So that would be what I would take back, is, "Hey, there's a lot of things you need to learn about the business side of things, not just the roofing side." 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. Yeah, that's a good point. 

Brooke Laizure: Yeah, I would agree with that. I would just say jump in and learn everything you can. Like Michelle said, you do have to learn business things more than just roofing things. So lean on your local REI programs, go to all the manufacturer trainings you can. Your supplier is going to be your best friend, especially with pricing differences. And just lean on other people that are smarter than you and learn all that you can. That's what I would tell my younger self. Just learn everything you can as fast as you can. 

Megan Ellsworth: Love it. Birte, anything to add to that? 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: I didn't found my own company, but I think I would just echo some of the things that Michelle and Brooke said. I think the curiosity to learn and the willingness to just jump in with two feet. I think I did that for most of my career, but sometimes there are also phases where I wish I was a specialist in something. But this pushing yourself to continue to learn and asking the questions and not being shy to also ask for help: "Can you teach me how to do this? I actually have never done it myself," those kind of things. I've been very fortunate that I had quite a bit of trainings and mentors or teachers throughout my career. But yeah, I think that willingness to learn, I think that's one of the most important things to always remember. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah [inaudible 00:38:02]. 

Brooke Laizure: Well and  with what Birte was saying too, when you're going to these trainings, ask all the questions you can, because the person that's done the training has probably done it 20 times. And they're going to thrive off your questions too. So don't be afraid to ask 100 questions, because if anyone's been in any trainings with me, they know I ask a lot of questions. 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: That's good. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, that is good. I feel like too, asking questions, if someone else is asking questions, it gets the ball rolling. So if someone else in the room is feeling timid or not wanting to look like they don't know something, having someone else like you, Brooke, that's just bang, bang, bang, asking a ton of questions, is actually for someone like me that I'm kind of nervous to ask questions, that is so nice. So keep doing that. Thanks for the mes in the world. Okay, so we have another really great question from Katie Climber. Hi, Katie. "How do you handle a male counterpart or business partner that doesn't accept you as their partner or boss, for lack of better words?" 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: Yeah, I can maybe take this one because this is probably ... I think the question came up when I told my story. I just ignore this, frankly. So when the comment was made, "Oh, she's an intern," I was like, "Okay." Because it's embarrassing for people then later on and  that's actually what happened in the situation. I just ignored it. We started the meeting. At some point, someone introduced me. And then that contractor got flushed and was red because he realized he had made an assumption that was wrong. But I wouldn't be the one saying, "Oh no, I have this title," or something like that. 

I think it is about showing up as a person. And sometimes you just have to have blinders on. And to Michelle's earlier point, there will be a time where you can speak and where you can make your points and where people then see what you bring to the table. And I think also for business deals or things like that, that's ultimately what it comes down to. I don't get taken aback by it. I just push forward. And when the time is right, people will then realize what I bring as value to the compensation. So don't get discouraged. And I mean, I think I made the point earlier, I sometimes think it can be an advantage to look different. I know it's sometimes uncomfortable for yourself, but whenever you say that first thing, people are going to listen, because they are curious what you bring to the table. So that's how I would do it. 

There's also one thing I want to mention and  I hope a lot of companies have this out there, if there is truly behavior that is not acceptable. Beacon, now QXO, has a program that's called Beacon Has Your Back. So when someone and  we have instances like this where contractors make derogatory comments or stuff like that in our branches, there will be consequences. So our branch managers will address that with a contractor. They will say, "Hey, that's not cool. She is part of our team. We stand behind her. If you say this again, you're not welcome anymore." So of course, if there's stuff like that where it's truly not okay, then it needs to be addressed. And Beacon does that. 

Megan Ellsworth: I love that. 

Brooke Laizure: That's awesome. 

Megan Ellsworth: That is amazing. That is amazing. Michelle, Brooke, anything to add? Have you ever had this experience? 

Brooke Laizure: I haven't personally had it because I work with my dad. So we love each other. I have had it happen a couple of times with manufacturer reps coming into the office and assuming I'm an office person. But here's the good news, you don't have to work with them. So just keep in mind that you have the power of who you work with and who you don't work with. And sometimes you just make that decision for yourself. 

Michelle Ly Hall: I like to kill them with kindness. I am not the extroverted type. I am not the one that, like Brooke, will be asking all the questions. I tend to sit back and listen and analyze. I like to absorb the information. And then when the time comes that my comment will be effective and thought out and kind also, but also making a point, I will make that point. So to me, it's more you have to make sure they understand that their assumption is not taken lightly and  we make a difference. And our male counterparts should know that. The ones I work with here do know that, but you run into that across the whole industry as a whole. 

Brooke Laizure: I mean, the good news is it doesn't really happen very often. I feel like most people in the industry, we're a big industry, but it's kind of like a small town. Everybody kind of knows everybody. So I mean, most people want you to succeed. So that doesn't happen that often, just a couple of times in 10 years, which is pretty awesome. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, absolutely. So going off of that, I would love to get your guys' take on, have you ever felt like you're not being taken seriously? And this goes back to what you said, Michelle, at the very beginning with homeowners. But have you ever felt like you're not being taken seriously by your male counterparts? And how have you addressed that? 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: Well, I think we touched on it earlier. I mean, sometimes the first impression of me or others that look like me, "Well, she doesn't know what she's doing" ... probably. Do they verbalize it? Often not, which I think is also good, Brooke. I mean, I've had conversations with women who've been in the industry for a long time. There was a woman, I forgot her name, who passed away when we founded this award, who had been in the industry for many, many years. So just imagine being in the roofing industry in the 1960s or something like this. There are some and  I'm sure they had a much, much harder time than we had because I'm sure there was sexual harassment, I'm sure there was a lot of derogatory comments. And nobody said anything. So I think things have already gotten much, much, much better. 

And if it still happens, I mean to what we said earlier, keep a good face and prove your value and tell them what's in it for them if they work with you. And if they say something stupid and somebody else will call them out later, they will look stupid in the end. So I always say, don't be phased by things like that. Even if there is a first impression that is unsure of you, you always have the benefit of you look different. And when you say something, at least for the first couple of times, people will hear you, which sometimes males don't have. If you're a soft-spoken man in a meeting, people talk over them too. So I would just say ignore it for the most part, unless of course it's super something out there that needs to be actively corrected. But I would just say, go do what you do, be yourself and  then good things will happen. 

Brooke Laizure: That's a great point. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. Great answer. Okay, so we have a more technical question here, someone wanting to transition from residential to commercial. And I was just wondering if, Michelle or Brooke, you have any advice on best way to do that as company owners? 

Brooke Laizure: Sure. So I'm residential only, so I'm not probably the best person to ask, but if I wanted to go into commercial, I would lean into all those manufacturer trainings and make sure I know my stuff. A lot of times, commercial, they have to have their own license in your state, so just check that out and  increased insurance and all the things that come with it. And just partnering with a crew that knows what they're doing and maybe go on some of their jobs and do some roof walks and make sure that everything's up to par. That's what I would suggest. 

Megan Ellsworth: Nice. Michelle? 

Michelle Ly Hall: Yeah, I think the training part is key, because a lot of residential, you're working with, I mean, for the most part, shingles. You have some metal roofs out there as well. But then when you move into commercial, you're looking at all sorts of flat roof materials, which means there's penetration; and a flat roof is never a good combination. I don't understand it. But when you move into commercials, you have to know how to combat what problems could arise. And then just getting to know TPO materials, like what is it that could happen? 

There is a lot of, on the business side, taxing is a little bit different on commercial sides for some states and things like that. But it's the knowledge piece. Get the knowledge first before you move into commercial and then start that. I would say with our company, Eric and I are in the community, so predominantly that we started getting commercial jobs because we are out there and people reached out to us. And Eric is a learner too, so he was like, "You know what? We're going to figure this out." We knew the roofing side of it. We did a little bit of adjusting on the commercial side, but let's really dive deep into this. And he learned about it. We figured out the materials. Manufacturers offer training. Our sales rep at QXO, he told us, "Hey, this product's available now. If you need this, let me know. I can price it out for you." So it's just getting that knowledge before you get started and jump into it wholeheartedly. 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: Yeah, actually, we have an initiative right now at QXO where we're helping residentially-focused contractors to get into the commercial space. So feel free to reach out to me. I actually have a presentation, I have to ping someone on my team, but where we talk a little bit about the tips and tricks. Lien rights are a little bit complicated. We can bring you in touch with someone from our credit team who can talk about that. The vendor trainings are amazing. 
There's also, I have a trainer that I know who's doing an estimating training. I think it's a two-day course. It's not free. I mean, you would have to pay for it, but if you're serious about getting into it, there are some pitfalls in commercial roofing. Because it's longer time periods, it takes a while until you get paid, those kinds of things. So you have to make sure you understand your risks as you're going into it. I cannot see who posed the question, but feel free to ping me on LinkedIn or I don't know if we can share email addresses here, but feel free to reach out to me and I can probably get you in touch with a couple of resources. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, absolutely. I can share your email with her as well, Birte, so we will get you connected. 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: Thank you. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yay. Okay. Wow, this hour flew by, y'all. This is crazy. So I want to wrap up with the Female Roofing Professional. There are some details on when the next one's going to be announced and how to apply. But before we get to that, I'd love to just hear what leadership or mentorship opportunities have been most meaningful to you ladies and  you've really taken something and applied it to your career. 

Brooke Laizure: Mine has been National Women in Roofing, personally, because I started in the industry in 2016 and got into National Women in Roofing in 2018. And just learning from all those women. Any question you have, there's somebody that knows how to answer it, that's really important and  then local leadership too. And we all get to share ideas. Also, Build My Future has been really awesome because you see those kids light up. All they're doing is cap nailing or putting a shingle on and  they're videotaping it to put on their social media and  they're so excited. And then you see those people come back next year and they're wanting job opportunities. So you just never know who you're going to touch in the industry. So it's really awesome. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, absolutely. 

Michelle Ly Hall: I would say that in my position, I hold a leadership role in the company, but I also hold a leadership role in the community. So with that, I have used my outreach to really make sure that I am doing good. I serve as an elected official, but to me, I will only continue doing so if I am effective in that position. Once I become non-effective or there is somebody who will be a better fit for that time and that role, then that's my time to step away. But for me, it's being able to make those connections and reach out. 

The National Women in Roofing is a great opportunity. And we lift each other up in that group. Some of us are direct competitors and  we can still text each other and say, "Hey, I am trying to get this information. Does anybody have it or Are you able to help me with this?"And there's never hesitation. There's always just wanting to jump in. It's like, "Yes, let me help you." 

And then I would say that because I have a voice in the community, I also have a way to voice opinions in the community. And in Texas right now, there's a house bill that questions, should we license roofing contractors, should we not license roofing contractors? And that's also a good way to get plugged in, is be involved in those decision-making opportunities. That's going to affect roofers all over the state of Texas. So why not be involved in that conversation? Sure, license us, that's fine, but make sure we're part of that conversation, because the way that it's written now does not make sense for it to work effectively. So that's just one thing that I personally find that there needs to be mentorship. I mean, people that are making the laws should know what we are going through. And that's a conversation that needs to be had on a much larger level than just mentoring at the inside level. But as a leader in my company and as a leader in our community, I'm accessible. I've had the same phone number since 1999. People know where to find me [inaudible 00:53:58]- 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: We'll call you, Michelle, don't worry. 

Michelle Ly Hall: I know. It's impossible for me to hide at this point. So the mentorship is near and dear to my heart. I am here to help whoever it is that is willing to be helped. 

Megan Ellsworth: Amazing, amazing. Birte, anything to add? 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: Well, I think we mentioned it earlier. I mean, I mentor women inside of Beacon, but I also, at these events, I mean just like now, if someone has a question, "Hey, how do I get into commercial roofing or how do we do X, Y, Z," just reach out. Certainly, I would consider myself a connector, so reach out and I'm happy to help. I do believe that mentorship and everyone doing their part to give back is super important. Within your company, whenever you see someone struggling at an event, I had this a couple of times where others would ... and not only women, but also men, would come up to me and say, "Hey, you look a little lost. Let me introduce you to X, Y, Z," or, "What questions do you have?" Just be a nice human being, help each other out. I think that, as Michelle said, I mean, yes, we're competing sometimes with each other, but we're also just humans on this earth together. So let's help each other out. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. And that's another great tip for male allies. Bring your female counterparts into the seam and help them get initiated. So Birte, how can someone nominate a woman for the next year's award? I believe 2025 has closed, but for 2026, how can someone nominate? 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: Well, still this year you can do stuff. So we have the voting period coming up very soon. So yes, we have received the submissions. I've already gone through a lot of profiles, which looked amazing. There will be voting May 27th to June 10th. So watch our social media and  cast your vote so that the most deserving woman gets the prize. And then, yes, for next year, for 2026, you can nominate whoever you would like. You can also nominate yourself. But more typically, we get nominations on behalf of others. And for some women, this year, for example, for some women, we've gotten up to five submissions. So people were so impactful in their community that up to five people submitted them independent of each other. I don't know, maybe they talked to each other, I don't know. But they were separate submissions. So of course that carries quite a bit of weight. So yes, so we will announce the winner on June 18th, but again, voting May 27th to June 10th, so please go out and vote. And then for next year, think already about who might be a deserving candidate that you can submit. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yes. And so for those candidates, are there parameters? Do they need to be using QXO? Do they need to be a contractor? Any parameter like that? 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: No. Anybody can be nominated. You don't have to buy from us. Would be nice if you did, but you don't have to. No, anybody can be nominated, as long as impactful women who do great stuff. That's pretty much the criteria. I know there's a write-up somewhere that gives you a little bit more professional what I just said. But yes, please nominate the women around you. 

Megan Ellsworth: Amazing. Okay, so everyone stay tuned on when you can vote for this year's Female Roofing Professional. I'm so excited to see the finalists. Thank you, ladies, so, so much for chatting with me today and just sharing your stories. This has been absolutely fabulous. 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: Megan, thank you so much for having us. This was really fun. 

Michelle Ly Hall: Thank you. 

Brooke Laizure: Yeah, thank you so much. This was fun. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yay. I'm so glad. Well, we'll have to have you ladies back on. I would just really like to thank QXO for bringing this topic to us and just being a really great place for women in roofing. I love that you have the Beacon Has Your Back program. That was really powerful to me, so thank you for sharing that, Birte. And Michelle, Brooke, thank you for sharing your stories. 

The next coffee conversation is going to be on the labor shortage and how Smarter Roofing Solutions can help you save time and labor on the roof. So definitely check that out. It's going to be sponsored by Hunter panels. We have a really great panel, so everyone can go to the coffee conversations navigation on rooferscoffeeshop.com to register. And ladies, thank you, thank you, thank you. This has been fabulous. 

Brooke Laizure: Thank you. 

Birte Von Schwarzenfeld: Thanks, everyone, for tuning in. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yes, thanks, everyone, for tuning in and  we'll see you on the next one.