People Make Roofing - Kyrah Coker - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Kyrah Coker of National Roofing Partners. You can read the interview below, listen to the podcast or watch the video.

Intro: Welcome to People Make Roofing, a call to action led by McCormack Partners and RoofersCoffeeShop. We're tackling the industry's biggest challenges from outdated misconceptions to the widening skills gap. Our mission, to show the next generation the true potential of roofing, including the diverse opportunities, endless growth possibilities and a chance to make a lasting impact. Join us as we share unfiltered stories from industry professionals across North America, inspiring and guiding the future of roofing. This is People Make Roofing.

Luke McCormack: Hello. This is People Make Roofing. I am your host Luke McCormack, CEO of Roofing Talent America.

Heidi Ellsworth: Hi. And I'm Heidi Ellsworth, president of RoofersCoffeeShop. We are so excited to be here, to hear about how people make roofing. And we have Kyrah Coker from National Roofing Partners. Kyrah, welcome.

Kyrah Coker: Hi. Thanks for having me.

Luke McCormack: Please introduce yourself, Kyrah.

Kyrah Coker: Sure. Kyrah Coker. I'm with National Roofing Partners. I'm the CFO and president. And I love roofing.

Luke McCormack: Brilliant. Well, Kyrah, thank you for joining us today. People Make Roofing is a campaign that I hold very close to my heart. We've been running this for about three, four years now. And the goal of the entire campaign is to shine a light on amazing people like you. There's a lot of outdated perceptions about our industry, about the growth which exists in it and the goal here is to educate people, everyone outside the world of roofing, parents, teachers, career guidance counselors, young people that don't know what to do with the next stage of their career, as well as people from other professions because of course you don't just join roofing as a roofer. There's many other ways to join our industry. So it's a pleasure to have you as part of our campaign, Kyrah. And to get it started, the first question is, what inspired you to pursue a career in roofing?

Kyrah Coker: It found me, I would say. I've been in construction, accounting and operations since the early 2000s, so for over 20 years. And when NRP was looking for somebody to come in and take over as CFO because theirs was retiring, it just seemed like a good transition. I came from another specialty subcontractor that specialized in concrete and paving and so it just seemed like a natural transition. I came over here and interviewed and I met the people and that was what I feel like changed my life forever. And that's not meant to be cheesy. It's just... I walked around the building and the people here were so passionate about what they did and so passionate about providing a safe environment FOR people and keeping people dry but also being there for each other. So I don't think I would ever leave roofing now that I'm here.

Luke McCormack: Well, that's why it's called People Make Roofing, Kyrah.

Heidi Ellsworth: Kyrah, you and I were lucky enough to work together a couple years back and I was able to watch you and just see what an amazing leader you are. You inspired me all the time. I'm wondering for you, what do you find to be the most rewarding about your job?

Kyrah Coker: OH. I think it's watching growth, whether it's one of our employees on a career path and watching them grow in their career or one of our partners growing their business and transforming, even our clients, watching them grow throughout the years from where they are to where they're going and being a part of that growth path. It's very fulfilling to watch that and be a part of it and help solve a few problems along the way. So yeah, I would say that's my favorite part is just the growth.

Heidi Ellsworth: There's been so many changes over the last couple of years. I mean, when you think about technology and sustainability and everything. So you're right. I mean, that's a great answer of thinking about even your customers, how are they growing with their building facility management and relationships. Wow.

Kyrah Coker: Yeah. It's impactful to sit back and watch it when you think of it in that aspect.

Luke McCormack: And Kyrah, when I look at companies like NRP, companies like KPost, they've done a very good job of uplifting younger people into managerial positions and having that second tier management, not just older people that have been in the industry for 30, 40 years, really embracing the younger generation and giving them that career path and that management structure. So for me, when I look in, I can see all the benefits of a young person joining our industry, but there does seem to be a disconnect and there doesn't seem to be as many young people joining the industry today as what there was 10, 20 years ago. And as someone who's been in the industry for so long, Kyrah, I'm keen to hear why do you think that roofing isn't seen as a valuable career option for the younger generation? Is it misconceptions? Is it other industries? Or why do you think this is? And what would you say to those young people or the people who are influencing where these young people go next in their career?

Kyrah Coker: Yeah. That's a great question. So I have a 25-year-old and an 18-year-old, and I talk to their friends all the time and then I ask that same question. I also encourage them all to go into roofing, by the way. But it's interesting. I see almost a divide in our younger group that I think existed somewhat as we were growing, but I see it even more pronounced is that they either have a mindset of still wanting that college education career path or they want to sow their wild oats and start their own business or start their own venture.

Kyrah Coker: And so I think the part of education that I think the roofing industry has really pivoted on and I think we have to continue down that path is, A, making sure that we're a part of some sort of education, the program that the alliance is working with Clemson and things like that or we'll really move the needle to get those people that are looking for a higher level education into roofing and then I think being able to show paths, like people like you, Luke and Heidi on that entrepreneurial, what you can do in roofing so that people understand that you don't necessarily have to go work this standard 8:00 to 5:00, 9:00 to 5:00 job to be in roofing. You can start your own business or you can be a part of something like NRP where we encourage our people to not only have flexible schedules and flexible work environments, but push the needle, push change.

Heidi Ellsworth: A lot of times students or the next generation or parents, let's talk about that, are not seeing that the trades are a viable career option. And I love what you're saying about looking at all the different things. You can go construction management, so you can take the college route. You can go into a trade school with vocational. You can start... Once you get that experience as an apprentice or different things. It's very entrepreneurial. What are some of the things that you think are scaring parents and the younger generation from going into the trades? Why aren't they seeing that always as a viable career option?

Kyrah Coker: Yeah. I think it's perception and not knowing. As we were growing up and you think of a roofer or an electrician or a plumber, I think there's a generalized perception that those people don't have high income potential. And so I think being able to show both parents and children who are going through the system there's a huge potential, there is no difference between your potential of being an electrician or being a doctor or being a lawyer and trying to show them not only do you have great earning potential and the ability to impact lives, but you can save a lot of money on college tuition too.

Kyrah Coker: One of my daughter's friends wants to be an attorney, so was going to law school and it's a struggle looking at tuition in six years and everything that goes along with it. I was like, "Have you considered one of the trades? You can go for very economical and have huge earning potential?" And they're contemplating it. So I'm trying to [inaudible 00:09:01] a bit. I definitely think we have to change the perception, more things like this, showing people that education or not, you can make an impact through the trades.

Luke McCormack: Yeah. I think that's a great point, Kyrah. And I think historically there has been a disconnect between academia and the trades. And I truly do think it's revolutionary what the alliance have done with the partnership with Clemson and everything that they're doing for the roofing industry. And I hope that that will help bridge the gap a little bit. But you're so right. When kids are growing up, they've respected members of society that they see as teachers, dentists, nurses, police officers and on average when you're in the roofing industry, you're making more money than all of those different careers.

Luke McCormack: And equally, if you look at pursuing your degree, the debt that you need to get into, if you get that degree, it's very often you will not get the high paying job that you want because you don't have experience in the industry but then you won't get a low end or a more low end job to keep the wolves from the door because you're perceived as being overqualified and you're in this sort of limbo area. Whereas a few years into roofing, you can be going down estimating, project management, sales, operational management, getting in with the associations. There's so many different career paths available. And I honestly feel like roofing is the best kept secret in construction. And it's great to hear what you're saying because these perceptions are outdated and they absolutely need to be changed. If you were speaking to parents or teachers or career guidance counselors who I believe they just don't have the knowledge of what our industry can give the younger generation, what would you tell them to tell the younger generation about what this industry can give them?

Kyrah Coker: I think we almost need to show them what the return on investment is. I think as a parent when I'm looking at paying for a college education, if somebody has the ability to sit down and actually put into a drawing almost, if you will or a video or a presentation of, "Here's how much college will cost. Here's how much a trade school will cost. Here's the long-term earning potential. Here's the long-term earning potential of this position," and then also be able to show various people that have been successful in their life by going into trade school I think is also beneficial because we as people, we need to see it. We need to touch it. We need to feel it. We need to know that it really exists. It can't just be a pie in the sky. So yeah, it's such an amazing concept that I think we just don't embrace enough. But absolutely.

Heidi Ellsworth: It's so funny because I think about... Well, Luke, I think about you. Your family comes from the trades. My family came from the trades. It took us... And now it took me a little while to get back to the trades because I was going to go save the world, but I also had the same experience with my own children that they went and did their things and now they have come back into roofing and really like it and feel such a part of this community. So I just wanted to say that I think it's like we may wander, but the trades just pull you back into it whether you know it or not as you're going. But I think your best kept secret about roofing is the best thing. I'm curious what you see for the future of the roofing industry. And we touched on it just a little bit ago, the growth of customers, the growth of employees. What are some of the things that are really important and you think you're going to really change, if not grow, the roofing industry in the next five to 10 years?

Kyrah Coker: I think that it's becoming more sophisticated. It's becoming more of a true trade. I'll say although we're a national company, I see Texas a lot and Texas is an area where there is not any type of license required to do roofing. And so there's almost like a visualization that it's the Wild, Wild West and sometimes you see that. But more and more I've seen it become more sophisticated and more, I would say, truly a trade, because instead of it being just go out, get somebody dry, there is a lot harder look at, "Are we using the right materials? Are we making sure that we're safe? What are our safety ratings? Are we being compliant? Are we really, truly giving the best system?" And I think the more and more we push that and push things like pro-certification with the NRCA and just pushing the needle to make this an industry that stands out as, "Oh, yeah. This is quality product. This is not just some run-of-the-mill two chucks and a truck," if you will.

Luke McCormack: And Kyrah, with roofing being a male-dominated industry, there must be perceptions that women do not have the ability to climb the career ladder and get to leadership positions within the industry. We have seen so many successful women who are at the top of contracting firms, the top of manufacturing firms, the top of associations. And you're a shining example of that, of someone that has come in and got to the top of a national roofing business, which I think is amazing. And what would your message be to young women out there who are thinking, "I've got some interest in that industry, but maybe it's not for me."? What would you say to them?

Kyrah Coker: I would say, "Find your allies. Find those people that will advocate for you. When you don't have a seat at the table, you want the people that are going to pull up a chair for you and give you a seat at the table." And sometimes you also have to fight for that seat. I think that as women sometimes in the past, and I've seen that change a lot over the last five years especially, but we just took what was given to us instead of demanding what we knew we could be beneficial and accomplish. And so we're finding our voice.

Kyrah Coker: And more and more when I walk into rooms, there's a lot more women than there were five or 10 years ago. I spent a lot of my career being the only woman that was at the table. And now I look around and I have been in rooms where there are a few men that are sitting at the table. And so I think that we just have to keep pushing that envelope, looking for allies. I think of people like Steve Little, who is the CEO of NRP and he is a proponent of being an advocate for women, men, anyone who is the right person for the right seat. And so we have to continue to surround ourselves with those people that will speak up for us when we're not in the room.

Luke McCormack: Absolutely. And for me, entering a new market a few years ago, which was the American roofing industry, it is the people. People have put their arms around me, became a mentor, became a friend, became a client. And the relationships that I've gained throughout that has been amazing. And in a prior life, I've worked in lots of different industries, but I've never found an industry that is as collaborative as roofing. And you have been in other industries, Kyrah and how do you think the roofing industry compares to other industries that maybe the younger generation might want to be in, lie law, like tech, these other sexy industries? How do you think roofing is differentiated from these industries? And how would you say it's somewhat better?

Kyrah Coker: Well, where do I start? I came from... Originally my very first I guess career as you would call it was in payphones. So I came from technology. And I've been within other construction trades. And I think that construction as a whole is very much a bigger opportunity for inclusion. But I would say that roofing specifically, what National Women in Roofing has done for this industry to really push inclusion, words cannot express.

Kyrah Coker: When I first joined roofing was in 2017 and one of my very first weeks in roofing, I met Heidi Ellsworth. And when I say that, I sat in a room with her and she talked about what it meant to be a women in roofing and what it meant to grow National Women in Roofing, which at that time it was really still in the early stages. And I knew that I wanted to be a part of roofing. I knew I wanted to be a part of whatever it was that she was growing. And it was so impactful. And the people that were here at NRP that were in that room, most of them are still here at NRP today and that's because of organizations like National Women in Roofing.

Heidi Ellsworth: You're making me teary, Kyrah.

Kyrah Coker: Ah. It's true though. It's just an amazing opportunity that I have not seen in other industries where people come together like they do here.

Heidi Ellsworth: And empower. The thing is you have taken that to the next level with your involvement. And together we're both involved with NRCAs, the DEI committee. We are talking about that overall inclusion of the industry. And I think one of the things I love is through National Women in Roofing, I think it opened all of our eyes of, "We need to go further. We need to take that next step to really welcome diversity and all walks, everyone into roofing because it's so cool." What do you see on that, I mean, us taking that where we've been with National Women in Roofing, but really taking that next step into DEI, working with NRCAs, with ourselves, everything that we do?

Kyrah Coker: Yeah. I think it's the continual collaboration. Like the NRCA last year at IRE had the first Empower All reception, which, Heidi, you and I are both involved in and continuing things like that that take not just NRCA or National Women in Roofing or Latinos in Roofing or any of these other organizations, but bring us all together in that ability to say, "It doesn't matter who you are, where you came from, where you're going. You belong here," and truly feel like you belong. That's the key. It's not having a diversity, equity and inclusion or a women in roofing. It is having the actual feeling that you belong. And that's what I think is really cool to see just continue transform. And I'm so excited to be a part of it.

Heidi Ellsworth: Me too. Wow.

Luke McCormack: I think as well, if you look at the success of National Women in Roofing and the speed of which it's grown, I think it's been the fastest growing association in the history of the roofing industry. And that is just an absolute testament to how ripe the industry is for innovation and change and how willing it is to change. So yeah, I think we've got an amazing future ahead in this industry. And I just hope that your words do reach not just young women, but young people, as well as older people from other industries to let them know that roofing's hungry for change. It's hungry for new people. And the door's open. There's great people here that will mentor you, put your arms around you, introduce you to other people, bring you up the career ladder. And if you want stability, you want an industry which is innovating and an industry which pays well and can give you a big career path, then roofing is where to be.

Heidi Ellsworth: And the thing I really am loving right now, there's just this insurgence on where we're really making strides with the Latino culture. And for so many years it was like, "Well, 30% of our workforce is Latinos." Now what you're hearing is, "Yes. This is a huge part of our culture, but there is an up and coming young entrepreneurs from the Latino culture and Latina culture that are starting their own businesses, working..." Just it's so rich. And especially down in Texas, Kyrah, you have just such a great community there. What do you see on that inclusiveness and bringing in that younger generation of Hispanic heritage professionals?

Kyrah Coker: I think it's the same thing, seeing that there's a belonging, understanding that no matter who you are, you belong. And I see that just more and more becoming the case. I think people are gaining confidence. People are gaining the ability to understand that they can do what they set their mind to no matter where they came from.

Heidi Ellsworth: I've seen so many businesses and so many people just coming in to the thing. But I do want to talk just real quick about you have a network of over 200, probably more than that now, roofing companies out there over the United States. You see everybody on the commercial and a lot of residential companies too. I've been just intrigued watching the next generation come in, whether that's a generation with a family-owned business or whether that's young people coming in and wanting to take over the business and stuff. What are you seeing with young people really in all of your roofing businesses across the country? And how are they bringing that? How are they helping to change that image of the roofing industry and maybe bring other young people in?

Kyrah Coker: Yeah. I learn something new every day. And I have at least a few partner calls every day. And the thing that really surprises me and I've been so excited about is that the future is bright. They have great ideas. They have these plans to help provide unparalleled service nationwide for us, but in their local markets. It is just top-notch and thinking outside the box and also thinking, "How can I use software and be innovative to leverage my resources? How can I hire the same amount of people but have them work more strategically while I use things like AI and software to push the needle for me? How can I improve benefits? How can I improve work-life balance? How..."

Kyrah Coker: I mean, the list just goes on and on, but it's so funny. Anytime I ever hear someone talk about, "Oh, man. The future generation..." and there's a pause, I'm like, "Oh, no, no, no. You need to see it. It is way better than you could ever imagine." The future is very bright, and especially in roofing because that's what we see most often, but these guys and gals are taking it way farther than I ever would've imagined.

Heidi Ellsworth: That is so cool. That is so cool. I love that. So what's your advice? What are we not doing? What should we be doing to help the image of the industry and really continue to grow that professionalism so that we continue to attract all kinds of wonderful people to roofing?

Kyrah Coker: Don't be afraid to invest your time and your resources in expanding our community. I saw a quote not too long ago that said, "The cost of anything is the time that you put into it." And I also think that that is the cost of growth, and you have to be a part of it.

Luke McCormack: 100%. And just something to finish up on, Kyrah. 49.2% of American contracting business owners are baby boomers, which means in 2029, the youngest will be 60. And I think that that is causing a big ripple across the market with younger people coming into leadership positions, more innovative companies coming up, innovative ideas like a national partnership such as NRP. What opportunities do you think that stat opens up for people coming into this industry? Because these guys, they need succession planning, they need exit planning, they need to diversify. And what opportunities do you think that that is opening up for other people who are joining this industry?

Kyrah Coker: Well, hopefully, it's bringing an opportunity to collaborate with other generations in order to grow together and to come up with your succession plans together. I think the best strategy is to involve both generations or all generations, I should say, in those transactions because there is a wealth of knowledge in things that you can learn from people that have been doing this a long time, just like the new ones coming in. It's such a balance, just balance. Keep balancing it.

Luke McCormack: And it is a sort of ticking time bomb as well, because for these young people coming in, what do they want? What do they need? They need mentors. They need people that have been in the industry all their days that can say, "Listen, I've done all I set out to do in this industry. Now I just want to give back." And the industry is so full of people that want to give back. So for people that want to come into the industry, learn off absolute experts in it, the time is now. And for young people, young women, anyone who wants to join NRP or come and work with you, Kyrah, how do people go about that? How do they find you? How do they get a foot in the door?

Kyrah Coker: Well, they call Luke usually.

Luke McCormack: I wasn't [inaudible 00:28:20] for that. So thank you.

Kyrah Coker: No. So we have a fantastic human resources manager, Laurie Jimmerson, who's been in the roofing industry for I think 30 years now. And so really it starts with a conversation.

Luke McCormack: Brilliant. Well, anyone who's listening who does want to pursue a career in the roofing industry, be it in Texas at NRP's headquarters or nationally across one of their at least 250 partner companies, you know where to go. Call myself. Call Kyrah. Call Laurie Jimmerson. And if you are looking for an ally that can introduce you to people in this industry and tell you what it's all about, Kyrah and Heidi are the people for that. So Kyrah, thank you so much for investing your time into this campaign. We promise to share this message far and wide. And we look forward to seeing you again soon. Thank you.

Heidi Ellsworth: Thank you, Kyrah. It was beautiful. Thank you so much. Thank you, Luke.

Luke McCormack: Thanks, guys. Bye-bye.

Heidi Ellsworth: See you all next time on People Make Roofing.

Outro: Thanks for listening to People Make Roofing. Together with McCormack Partners in RoofersCoffeeShop, we hope to shape the future of our industry. Share this episode and keep the conversation going because people truly make roofing. Find more at rooferscoffeeshop.com.