Don’t be afraid to ask questions; you can learn and do anything if you have a true passion for it and you enjoy what you are doing. There are many opportunities, from marketing to chemistry. I firmly believe there are many opportunities for anyone in this field.

There are numerous opportunities in this industry in which women would be a great fit, and companies need to hire for these various positions — from field technicians to salespeople to office operational staff.

I am most fulfilled when I am training, speaking, coaching, and helping other contractors thrive in their businesses. I absolutely love an opportunity to make an impact and help others experience the success and joy that I’ve found in the industry.

Over time, I proved myself as a valuable asset on the counter — not only to our customers but also to my teammates — and after that, many customers would call and only want to talk to me.

To increase the number of women in the industry, we have to gain more respect as an industry as a whole. When society stops looking down on blue collar workers and tradespeople and looks at this industry as another noble profession, we will start to gain more interest from all groups at all levels.

You need to learn the basics to become a master. Do your best at whatever you’re doing, even if you don’t always understand how your day-to-day efforts fit into the bigger picture, and you will be planting the seeds for future success.

I know many brilliant women engineers in HVAC. And even if you aren’t technical, you can bring something amazing to the team. Each of us have different strengths to contribute to our roles. Together, the technical experts and creative minds can collaborate to form an outstanding team.

In order to recruit and retain quality technicians, it needs to be more than just money. They need to feel they are a part of something and wanted to be rewarded for their hard work.

The word on the street is supply chain issues are going to get worse instead of better for the rest of 2022 — and even well into 2023.