Episode Overview
The cards were initially stacked against Lacey Coleman. She was going to school, working full time, had become a new mom and was dealing with postpartum depression.
It wasn’t exactly the right time to go into business with her father. But that’s what she did, eventually taking over the family business to become CEO of Coastal Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning in Salisbury, Maryland.
In the beginning, gender bias was omnipresent. Customers could be hostile and downright dismissive.
It might have been a dealbreaker for some, but Coleman was resolute. She grew into the job and today has seen annual sales rise from $2 million to $10 million.
In the initial face of adversity, Coleman always took the high road.
“It doesn't matter what someone did to you or what they said to you,” she says. “How you respond is more important.”
As she stood her ground and learned the HVAC business inside and out, she learned valuable lessons.
“The pursuit of excellence means you're constantly evolving,” Coleman says. “If there's one thing that's inevitable, it’s change.”
She started her career as a self-taught businessperson, but now has a broader view of how to keep evolving.
“I think collaboration happens at the top and competition happens at the bottom,” Coleman says.
These days? She says the tables have turned and her gender has become a positive for business.
“Before, I had people who wouldn’t use the company because they didn’t want to listen to a woman in charge,” Coleman says. “Now, people tell me they love that it’s a woman-owned business.”
Lacey Coleman recently joined ServiceTitan’s Jackie Aubel on the “Toolbox for the Trades” podcast, which included Coleman’s thoughts on:
[07:44] The biases that Coleman encountered and how she dealt with them
[12:13] The importance of turning negative experiences into positive opportunities
[15:38] Navigating transition of power in a family business
[21:13] How building a strong work culture can lead to success
[28:01] Discovering work-life balance
To hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to “Toolbox for the Trades” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, or anywhere you get podcasts.
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