Exploring Diversity in the Industry - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Susi Lee Massey Batista from Latinos in Roofing Associated (LIRA). You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast!

Megan Ellsworth: Welcome to Roofing Road Trips, the podcast that takes you on a thrilling journey across the world of roofing. From fascinating interviews with roofing experts to on-the-road adventures, we'll uncover the stories, innovations and challenges that shape the rooftops over our heads. So fasten your seatbelts and join us as we embark on this exciting roofing road trip.

Hello everyone. My name's Megan Ellsworth here at rooferscoffeeshop.com, back for another Roofing Road trip episode. And today I am chatting with Susi from LIRA. Hi Susi. How are you?

Susi Lee Massey Batista: I'm wonderful. How are you?

Megan Ellsworth: I'm doing so well. I'm so excited to hear about Latinos in Roofing Associated, and everything that you guys are doing over there. So let's dive right in and have you just introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about how you got started with LIRA.

Susi Lee Massey Batista: Absolutely. Well, first of all, thank you. It's an honor and privilege to be here with you. I know Roofer's Coffee Shop has been one of the pioneers for the [inaudible 00:01:06] especially in the roofing industry. And so thank you, number one, for allowing us the opportunity. My name is Susanna Batista. Usually go by Susi, most people know me as Susi. I'm the second oldest of 12 children, so I have seven brothers, and so that may explain a little bit of how I'm in the industry that I'm in. But grew up just pretty rural poor experience. One thing a lot of people don't know is that I was actually raised in a cult and we weren't allowed to be taught to read or educated as women or go to college or anything like that. So I had to teach myself as a young adult, teen and young adult.

I started light years behind everyone else. We were super isolated, pretty much cut off from everything and so I really had to find a trade where you could go from zero to a thousand as quickly as possible. And roofing happened to be that fit. So I started off in a little family business and kind of learned all the different systems on commercial roofing. And then my career just kind of went up from there. Different opportunities came along and I've been very blessed.

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. Oh my gosh. Talk about culture shock also coming into... Wow, that's amazing. I had no idea and congrats for getting out of that. It's crazy.

Susi Lee Massey Batista: Thank you. It takes a long time when your whole childhood is that. It takes a long time, but there's good people out there. And when people ask me about it, I just tell them, "Read. If you've had that background or anything like that, people that are struggling, read and travel. Those are your two best friends."

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, absolutely. Oh, that's so true. It makes you think about privileges that not everyone is afforded. Kind of going off of that, what inspired you to continue to pursue a career in roofing once you had that first job?

Susi Lee Massey Batista: Necessity. It was just something that I needed to do to support myself, and I had three children. I became a single mom when my kids were teenagers, so it was kind of at that time that I began to expand. I had already done roofing part-time with a small business, but then I really began to expand and learn more and learn the estimating and marketing and kind of the admin side jobs. So it was really necessity.

Megan Ellsworth: Absolutely. Can you share maybe some unique challenges you've faced as a woman in the roofing industry?

Susi Lee Massey Batista: Yeah. I think we hear this so much. It's some male-dominated industry, and I have had some bad experiences, but overwhelmingly they have been positive. I mean, don't get me wrong. There's challenges, especially with poor Johns on job sites, and that stuff can be hard to navigate. And finding clothes that work for climbing a ladder and bending over and all that stuff. But I think so many organizations have done great work to shatter that glass ceiling. And that idea that it's a male-dominated industry, yes, I have heard some nasty things. Who hasn't? We all have. But the overwhelming majority have been mentors, have been people that have encouraged me and that's why I love this industry so much. It doesn't matter where you start or who you are. If you want to make something of yourself, you can. And people will come along to help you.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, amazing. So you all started LIRA, Latinos In Roofing Associated. How do you see diversity impacting the future of roofing? More women, more Latinos. I mean, it's already so full of Latino culture and I think celebrating it more is just so important. So how do you see diversity impacting the future of roofing?

Susi Lee Massey Batista: That's such a great question, and I think the diversity is already here. As you mentioned, 80 to 90% of the field labor is Latino. But when we pivot to look at the C-suite, the executive level, the voices of power within the industry, we do not see that represented. There's a great disparity. And I look back at what organizations like National Women in Roofing have done to shatter the glass ceiling for women. For a long time, we didn't see women in those positions. Now we do. So LIRA is that hope and that prayer to address that disparity, but also just the human crisis, that is a lot that goes just hand-in-hand with the immigration breakdown that we have. And it's generated a lot of exploitative abusive work experiences and just human crises. And this is so not a political thing. This is a human crisis.

And because my husband is Bruno Batista, I hear these stories all the time. They feel secure to reach out to him and tell their stories. So many, if they're even caught somewhere along the line with their paperwork, GCs will exploit them and sometimes just not even pay them. And they have no recourse. And from the Department of Labor Statistics says that by 2028, 7.4 million new Latinos will enter the construction industry. So I think that's a huge opportunity for us to get out ahead and learn how to partner and serve. LIRA's goal is to be able to build those bridges not only nationally, but to just connect people with their local chambers of commerce, their local businesses to become leaders in their own community. Because every contractor you talk to is dying for labor. They can't get labor. So it's a big goal, but it's time. It's definitely time.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, it's such time. And I'd love to hear what LIRA's mission is. Like, your mission statement and maybe some things that you guys are planning on doing to kind of help ease this and bring more people in.

Susi Lee Massey Batista: So, LIRA's mission statement is to empower the Latino roofing community through education, advocacy and community. And if you look at each one of those three pillars, there are organizations stepping forward out of the shadows to help. So for instance, English as a second language, small business training, safety training. There are people coming to do that on the education front. So many organizations and manufacturers and contractors are already doing these things. So we just want LIRA to be that gathering place and that one point of connection. The community part, as I mentioned before, goes all the way from local levels with local chapters, to nationally. National events. And then that the advocacy part is just that there's a seat at the table, there's a voice.

I mentioned the disparity between how many Latinos are out there on the roof right now, and you don't see them represented across the c-suite, the executive teams. That's where we need that advocacy because this is an incredible sleeping giant, and it's such an incredible opportunity for people to partner together. We have got to go at this together, and that is where LIRA is going. And for the people that are coming forward to help, it's just a win-win. There's not too many situations in life that are truly win-win. This one where we are helping serve a marginalized community that is already there to fill a tremendous need for labor, but to see it done in a way that is right, not exploitative. And there is that voice that's represented throughout leadership as well.

Megan Ellsworth: Absolutely. That's so important, seeing people that look like you in all roles across company.

Susi Lee Massey Batista: Yes. And we're getting there. We're getting there.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, we are. It's true. So would you say you have any advice for Latinos or women or Latino women looking to enter or advance in the roofing field?

Susi Lee Massey Batista: Well, I wouldn't presume to speak to the Latino struggle. I know a little bit about it through my husband's experience, so I won't presume to speak to that. But I will say as a woman, stay curious, stay humble and just keep after it. There's going to be doors that shut. There's going to be windows that open. Just keep at it. If you are a woman and you're entering this field, learn your trade, outwork everybody in the room and you won't have to worry about it. Just keep after it. One foot in front of the other, don't stop.

Megan Ellsworth: I love that. I also love the sentiment of staying curious and always learning and gathering more knowledge.

Susi Lee Massey Batista: You have to, because the field of roofing has evolved so much. You've got to stay curious and always open, because if you're always a student, a teacher will always come along and you will learn so much just through the kindness of mentors and people that want to help you.

Megan Ellsworth: Absolutely. So what are some initiatives, I know you kind of touched on this already, but what are some initiatives or changes you think are needed in the industry to promote further diversity and inclusion? Maybe why LIRA is here.

Susi Lee Massey Batista: Absolutely. I think the main thing that has to happen is for leadership to be represented by the field labor. That is really the main thing that is going to begin to change this diversity problem that we have where we have 80 to 90% higher in some areas of field labor and then they're not represented throughout the leadership. So that's a big one. As far as initiatives, we are trying to follow kind of the local chapters, local connections. That's going to be really important too. And just for us in the roofing industry that have not really wrestled with it, to really begin to think through how are we going to be proactive? And there's companies and manufacturers out there. I'm not going to drop names, but they're doing a great job already.

So there's a lot of people out there doing great work in this space. Follow their lead, do what they are doing. We were at a contractor's not too long ago. Bruno and I visited a contractor who actually had an English is a second language program that they ran and it didn't cost the employees anything and they had a graduation ceremony [inaudible 00:13:44]. And that is the kind of thing that I think we need to be embracing instead of this, "Oh well, you need to come here and learn to speak our language," and so on and so forth. Yes, there's that willingness and there needs to be that hand out as well a hand up to say, "We're here. We're here to embrace this." Because that 80 to 90% that is our workforce, that is a sleeping giant. And there are the numbers there that they need to be represented, have a seat at the table in their own voice to address their own struggles.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, well said. I mean, that's so true. And whoever that contractor is, good on them. That's so great to have that kind of program and to offer that to your employees.

Susi Lee Massey Batista: Yeah, creative thinking outside the box and doing something good just for humankind. Just be good-hearted towards our fellow men. And this country is so ripped apart right now. If you believe the headlines, I'm telling you, there's so many good people. People want to help. They want to do the right thing. A lot of them just don't know how or what to do. And LIRA hopes to be that guideline to say, "Here's something you can do. Here's the step you can do. You can support LIRA, you can become a member, you can partner with the other nonprofits that we're partnering with." And again, it's evolving very fast. So it's a work in motion, but there is going to be so many avenues for people who want to help and have that heart. And I'm telling you, there is no community like the roofing community. They're great people.

Megan Ellsworth: That's so true. Well, yeah, shout that from the rooftops, man.

Susi Lee Massey Batista: Absolutely.

Megan Ellsworth: What are some of maybe the misconceptions that people have about women in roofing, Latinos in roofing and how is LIRA addressing them?

Susi Lee Massey Batista: So as far as misconceptions about women in roofing, I think so many of those stereotypes have been shattered. I have had experiences where you've run into that nonsense. I just don't pay, I don't focus on negativity. So I have a hard time even remembering some of those events because I just don't focus on them. As far as the Latino community, one of the huge issues again is the language barrier. But also our immigration system is broken. It is so broken to a point that it has allowed a human crisis to happen. And here's the thing that people don't always think about with roofing. For every other trade, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, you have to go and be certified through your local community college, internship, journeymen, whatever it is. You have to get that certification for the other trade. Not roofing. We're the wild, wild west.

So there isn't even that secondary kind of safety net. That has allowed this pop-up industry for abuse and exploitative labor practices. I think that is one of the biggest hurdles as to where we begin to police ourselves as the roofing industry, and we say, "We're going to make sure that our subs are being cared for, that those people are being treated right." That's something every contractor can do right now. Make sure that there are subs, because everybody's using subs right now. And another thing is so many of these sub crews now are second generation, and they want to develop their own shop, their own... Put out a shingle, literally. So clearing those roadblocks to allow people access to the American dream that my Irish family had years ago, that they faced the same obstacles.

And there are organizations out there that are already doing so much in this space, and LIRA's goal is to bring them all together in one place, to be that one-stop shop where if you want to take training from this company or this company or you need help through this nonprofit or this one, that there's one place where all of these things kind of live and are easily accessible. And the community part of it, local chapters. So I think the roadblocks are something that this community themselves will take care of. They just need for us to get out of the way more or less.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. I love that. And then I'd love to hear kind of lastly, just looking ahead, what's in LIRA's future? What are you guys planning, and how are you planning on building up this diversity and representation in the C-suites of companies and everything we've talked about? Just to round it out.

Susi Lee Massey Batista: Honestly, platform and voice. We have had a fantastic group of people come together to be our board of directors. We are the first and only nonprofit in this commercial roofing industry, roofing industry in general, that has been formed for that express purpose to empower Latinos. And our board of directors, they come from mega companies, little companies. They have a huge heart for people, and they are helping us guide and craft the next steps. Obviously, we will be at events. You'll start to see us pop up events. As we are able to continue to grow the membership sponsorship across corporate levels and individual memberships, that is going to be important. There are manufacturers, distributors, everybody along the entire logistical chain are saying, "We're willing to offer a discount to somebody that gives us their LIRA card." So it is so that big and there's so much, but the people are stepping forward and it's happening. So that's what's really exciting. It's a huge challenge, it's a huge mission, but the people of this industry are up for it.

So look for us at events. Come visit our website. It's www.LIRA, and then the word Ruferos, R-U-F-E-R-O-S. Liraruferos.com. So you could find us there and join our newsletter. And as you come back to our website, it's still a little baby website right now. There's not a lot there, but we do have help developing it. I am not that person. That is not my [inaudible 00:20:50]. It's sad. We would get further with smoke signals if it's up to me, but we are getting help with our website, and it will eventually be just that meeting place of all those different resources.

Megan Ellsworth: I love it. That's amazing. And people out there listening, you can also find information on LIRA, on their directory on rooferscoffeeshop.com. You can find their website there. We will post it in the show notes below. And then also, what shows are you going to be at? FRSA maybe in the future?

Susi Lee Massey Batista: FRSA. Oh, goodness. See, Bruno is in charge of this.

Megan Ellsworth: Western States?

Susi Lee Massey Batista: Yes. Expo Contratista.

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, amazing.

Susi Lee Massey Batista: Be there. So yes. I'm just trying to think through.

Megan Ellsworth: Awesome.

Susi Lee Massey Batista: Yeah, we do have quite a few that we'll be at. I can actually, why don't I just get you a list of where we're going to be?

Megan Ellsworth: Perfect. We'll put it down in the show notes.

Susi Lee Massey Batista: [inaudible 00:21:50].

Megan Ellsworth: Perfect. We'll take this out. Well, Susi, thank you so much for this great conversation and shining a light on everything that needs to change in the roofing industry and everything that is so beautiful and amazing about it already. We're so excited to [inaudible 00:22:09].

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