Heidi J. Ellsworth, President, HJE Consulting Group & Current NWIR Chair

I have enjoyed sharing the NWIR news and progress in the last couple of newsletters. We are getting so much done with the work of amazing women from across the country and the roofing profession. The councils are forming locally and regionally. Women are empowering each other professionally and personally every day. It is an exciting time!

With that thought, I want to share an example of the strength of women working together. This month I had a health scare. I was diagnosed with Pulmonary Emboli. Luckily, it was caught early and with the help of blood thinners, I am fine and dandy. But, at the time, I did not know what was happening and it was scary.

As other women and men from the roofing industry heard about what had happened, the offers of help came pouring in. Since I am a business owner and actively involved with NWIR and other industry associations, I was not sure if I would be able to meet all my commitments and keep the business running. Right off the bat, I found out that I was grounded from flying for four weeks. I knew I would need some help since I had commitments that were already in place across the country.

As soon as I reached out for help, there were women stepping up to handle speaking engagements, write articles, work on projects and a lot more. I could not believe it and I was humbled by the love and support that I received.

One of the NWIR executive team members, Jennifer Stone, simply said, “That is what women do Heidi. We see the problem and we step in to help. Together we can handle anything.” With that in mind, I want to share again the importance of empowering each other. It may be helping when someone is sick or just down on their luck. It may be helping someone find a job or simply saying a good word, compliment or encouragement that will strengthen their day.

However you reach out or empower other women, take the time to do it and even more so, appreciate it. I work with amazing women every day in my businesses, overall industry and of course in NWIR. They give me energy, support and inspiration. It starts with kindness and empowerment and from there we can go anywhere!