Kelly Johnson
What caused you to/when did you to enter the HVACR industry?
AC BY J was a small family business. I started out helping with phones and customer service while going to college. After graduating, it became my career and passion.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of working in HVACR?
The most rewarding thing for me is the people. I love working with our AC BY J team and building our culture and growth by providing an upbeat, stable, and happy workplace. I love interacting with our clients and building on our relationships with them as their service provider. We want to build lifetime clients and do this by delivering quality service, consistent performance, and standing by our values and mission. When they need us, we will be there.
I also enjoy learning and growing in our industry with my involvement in our partnerships, industry organizations, and trainings.
Describe the proudest moment in your career.
My proudest moments come from others’ achievements. When I see someone new come into the HVAC/plumbing trade, I love witnessing their growth, success, and excitement. Additionally, I find it rewarding that in our company, we have an attitude that we are always learning and growing, no matter how much experience we have in our industry. We can always be better, and this helps us successfully adapt to the changes in our company and the industry.
What challenges do women face in this profession? Can you give a personal example?
I try to focus less on the challenges for women in this profession and more on the opportunity within the industry. I think the more we introduce the opportunities to women and give them the education, training, and tools needed to succeed, the more we will see the trades be a place for women to enjoy prosperous careers.
How can we increase the number of women in HVACR?
Introducing women to the trades and all the opportunities it provides is essential for our industry. We are in desperate need of qualified, exceptional individuals to help the home service businesses thrive and hope that women see it as a viable career. When women see the potential, their numbers will continue to grow, and their acceptance will as well.
What does your day-to-day job entail?
My day-to-day job is never the same, and that’s why I love it! There is never a boring day in the service business. My days are always filled with regular meetings, trainings, and working with our team. I also enjoy getting to know our clients better and working to improve and expand our business. Company culture and building up our team, education and training, client retention, marketing, and growth are my daily aspirations. I like to focus on the people side of things because that is what I feel is most valuable to our growth and success.
What remains on your HVACR bucket list — what do you aspire to do that you haven’t accomplished yet?
We have been blessed by our involvement in the trades. My goal is to continue to bring people into the trades and show them how they can build a career in the industry. I also want to continue giving back to our community with the services we provide and show people that they can trust service companies by providing honest, quality service to those that need us.
What advice do you have for females who are considering entering the HVACR field?
Go for it. Ask about the opportunities out there in the trades. Work hard, show initiative to learn, and be open minded to the possibilities for you in the HVAC, plumbing, and electrical trades.
