Women of the Flooring Business: Breaking Barriers

Lisbeth Calandrino Flooring Specialist and Associate Publisher and Director of Social Media for Fabulous Floors Magazine

Women of the Flooring Business: Breaking Barriers and Paving the Way

Women have long been under-represented in the flooring industry, but times are changing! More and more and more women are entering the field and making their mark as successful business owners, designers, and installers. The trailblazers are breaking down barriers and paving the way for future generations of women into the industry.

According to the World Economic Forum, half the startups in 2021 were formed by women. This is a dramatic increase from 28% starting in 2019. The year 2023 marks the third year of continued growth or WoFB. The group now has over 40% more business owners! Women talk about business policies as well as their lives. In my experience collaborating with male entrepreneurs, business has been their whole life since adolescence. Women often start with marriage and family and then decide to become entrepreneurs. Like any other business group, the conversations are about business and include personal issues.

One such trailblazer is Moriah Hale, who owns Hale Flooring in Kamiah, Idaho. Despite facing challenges and obstacles as a woman in a male-dominated industry, Moriah has persevered and proved her worth repeatedly. Although the industry is new to Moriah, she continues to provide high-quality products and outstanding customer service.

“I grew up in the flooring business with my father, but instead of going into business, I went to college. When I graduated from college and returned home, things changed. My brother worked as a flooring installer at my dad’s store, and the business looked different. My dad was about to retire, so I decided to purchase the business. Right after purchasing the business, I joined the Women of the Flooring Business, Executive Group and have been involved ever since. The group has greatly helped me with business policies and conflicts; I look forward to our Thursday meetings.”

During the first two years, I continued to get questions about the seriousness and professionalism of our group. I always thought, what could be more serious than providing a forum for women to discuss their business concerns and conflicts? It continues to provide opportunities for professional development and help women advance in their careers and succeed in business.

I always thought, what could be more serious than providing a forum for women to discuss their business concerns and conflicts? It continues to provide opportunities for professional development and help women advance in their careers and succeed in business.

Are Women Really Different Than Men?

According to McKinsey and Company, statistics tell us that more than two-thirds of women under 30 want to be senior leaders. In addition, we have more women in the workplace who intend to be leaders and business owners.

We all know that women think differently than men. If you think women’s leadership styles may differ, that doesn’t change the result. I’ve heard from male business owners that women make incredible salespeople and managers. The old stereotypes about us being more emotional, not wanting to achieve, and not having confidence is just that.

If we want women to achieve, businesses must develop a culture to support how women think and provide a career ladder for them. I remember when I went for my first job interview, they wanted to know if I planned to get pregnant! Of course, this is not a question you can ask these days, but I wonder if businesses don’t wonder whether they will lose an essential employee if she gets pregnant. Businesses need to understand how they will confront these issues and discuss them with their organization.

This is one of the things that businesses need to confront if they will retain good female employees. Cultures must support this. What can business owners do to advance these women and change their culture?

It’s essential to have regular training in diversity and inclusivity. I find that most of the training is done by larger companies, possibly they think they have more exposure. This training is important for all sizes of companies; it helps promote better teamwork, identify different groups and create a more harmonious work group.

The WoFB has experts to provide training for your company. For more information, send me an email at Lcalandrino@nycap.rr.com so we can determine your needs and plan your workshop.

■ #womenflooringindustry #womenoftheflooringbusiness #diversityandinclusivity #harmoniusworkgroups #womeninleadership If we want women to achieve, businesses must develop a culture to support how women think and provide a career ladder for them. I remember when I went for my first job interview, they wanted to know if I planned to get pregnant!