NWIR July 2018 Letter from the Chair - "I'd like to talk about Change"

By Shari Carlozzi, NWIR Chair.

I’d like to talk about Change …

We can view change a couple of ways:  As a noun, change is what you get back (in coinage or dollars) or the act or instance of making or becoming different.  As a verb, change is about the action of making or becoming something different, or to take or use another instead of…

It’s like the chicken and the egg quandary, which comes first? Making the change or being the change? Well, whatever it is, I can tell you that change is inevitable.  It happens whether we like it or not.

Change can be an exciting new relationship, a hairstyle, a new job, or a new spiritual, political, religious or professional movement.  Change may be easier for some than others, because it takes us outside of our current comfort zone, but it also opens the door to new and exciting opportunities and experiences we may never have considered.

Do you know what still amazes me? Who would have thought that a conversation on a beach would change so many perceptions and lives in such a short period of time?  Of course, I’m talking about NWIR. And while it seems to most people on the outside looking in, that it all developed so quickly and easily, it took years of the mainstream status-quo on the inside to manifest change by a few on the outside…and by the way, we are still growing!

I look at National Women in Roofing as a catalyst for change in our community, our industry and our world.  The changes we are making may have been daunting at first for some, and while we have been welcomed and embraced by so many women and men in this industry, there are still those who can’t and won’t acknowledge or accept it.  I hope that someday they will open their minds because our industry is changing and I hope it continues to do so.

Being a part of NWIR showed me that change manifests itself in many positive ways, from new friendships, new points of views from both men and women, to new opportunities.  After 11 years of working with a wonderful company that I love, change has come my way via an exciting new career opportunity with a wonderful new company.  And while the products may be different, the passion to start a new chapter in my career using past experiences to face new challenges ahead, are changes that I welcome!

There is no limit in time or number to the changes we can make in our lives. Change is at our own will whether we are millennials, Gen-Xers, or baby-boomers!   So whether you see your change as a verb or a noun, just remember the change you get is often determined by the change you give.

Let’s continue to embrace change together,

Shari

For more about National Women in Roofing visit us here