Today we’d like to introduce you to Brianna Goodwin.
Brianna, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Ver-Tex was started in 1985 by my father, Matthew Goodwin. Matthew has a true entrepreneurial spirit so creating and building his business came naturally. His genuine care and respect for others and his desire to make a difference were the key ingredients to the successful growth of Ver-Tex over the years.
I started working at Ver-Tex almost 13 years ago, as a 20-year-old “kid”. I came in at the ground level, as an assistant to his assistant, with no desire to develop this venture into a career. However, once I gained some more responsibility and moved into a Bid Sales position (selling/negotiating contracts with General Contractors), a passion was ignited within me. Over the next 13 years I worked my way up the company into different leadership roles and, as each year passed, my heart and soul became more and more connected to Ver-Tex and my amazing colleagues, clients, and vendors.
I had the opportunity to run the company as EVP under my father’s guidance and supervision in 2016 and much of 2017 and in September of 2017 I officially moved into the role of President & CEO. Of course, I could say my hard work and dedication got me to where I am today, and that is true, but that is one, very small piece of the puzzle. It was a combination of hard work, my father’s inspiration, my colleague, Mike’s undying support and guidance, and the intensive, but great (and much needed), leadership coaching from my mentor and coach, Jan Smith.
Over the years I learned that there was so much more to business than selling and making money. Business is a community, a team, a family – if you want it to be. Leading a business of 65+ amazing people is the most difficult yet rewarding thing I have ever done. Since my first day at Ver-Tex, my heart has grown and my ego has shrunk. I practice leading with care, respect, and compassion every day. I learn from and admit my mistakes (many times publicly), and I allow myself to be vulnerable – A LOT! This is how I got to where I am today and I couldn’t be more proud about it!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has absolutely not been a smooth road, but what else is to be expected! If it were a smooth road I certainly wouldn’t be the leader I am today. Many of the struggles I faced along the way were rooted in the fact that I was the bosses daughter and, for many years, we were a small(er) “family business”, which inherently comes with struggles!
Also, being a young girl in a man’s world (the construction industry) introduced a whole other layer of challenges. Gaining the respect from my colleagues and clients, and constantly trying to prove that I earned my job and wasn’t handed the “Golden Ticket” from my father were always top of mind. Now, looking back, I’m grateful for that because I truly believe that those experiences directly influenced who I’ve become!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Ver-Tex CSI – what should we know?
I am most proud of the people that work at Ver-Tex. My father, Matthew, started the company and laid the groundwork and our amazing people make it what it is today. We have a group of some of the most dedicated and caring people out there and they are Ver-Tex. That is what sets us apart. I am honored to work side by side with my colleagues, building a business together, and making a positive impact on our community.
Ver-Tex started as a window treatment company in Massachusetts back in 1985. Since then we have expanded into many other areas. Today we service all of New England as well as Southern Florida!
Our core business is commercial work through General Contractors, providing and installing stretched fabric acoustical systems, miscellaneous specialties (lockers, toilet partitions, wall protection, marker boards, etc), and window treatments. We specialize in motorized and automated shade systems that integrate with lighting control systems.
We also have a long-standing “Direct Sales” department that works directly with commercial end-users and facilities/maintenance people. This arm of the business provides and installs the same products as the GC Bid department.
In addition to this, we have a shade Experience Center (showroom) in Fort Point Channel in Boston that services high-end residential clients, designers, and architects, as well as complimentary design-assist consultations for commercial designers and architects.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Wow, just one thing!?
My personal response to this is care, compassion, and vulnerability. I also posed this question to my Executive Team, father, and leadership coach and this is what they said:
-Vision
-Energy
-Compassion
-Ability to pivot on decisions after assessing them
-The fact you can do 50 things at the same time.
-Your commitment to your employees and their well being
-Passionate
-Don’t take things personally
-Your openness & deep care for people
-Thirst for learning & growing!!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ver-tex.com
- Phone: 781-332-3030
- Email: info@ver-tex.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/vertexshading
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vertexshading
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/vertexshading
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ver-tex-construction-specialties-inc-/?trk=ppro_cprof
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
