Roofing pride and authenticity

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how businesses can empower their teams by creating inclusive and supportive workplaces. 

Last month, we hosted a special Pride Month edition of Coffee Conversations, sponsored by Tremco WTI! In the episode, Megan Ellsworth spoke with a panel of roofing experts and advocates from across the industry for an enlightening conversation about inclusivity. The panel included Kristin Crandall, Tremco’s northeast regional dispatcher and fleet administrator;, Josh Adams, longtime contractor and founder of Roof Scout; and Janette O'Shaugnessy, founder of  Resonating Brands . 

The conversation  highlighted the importance of supporting LGBTQPIA+ employees, during Pride Month and beyond. In discussing the positive impact of organizational support, Kristin shared, “Support from your company and support from people around you can really make you develop into an amazing person and grow both personally and professionally.” Josh added, “Good business is about creating spaces that see people on merit and talent, not labels. And talent is in all groups, no matter their identity. By being more inclusive, a company will be able to find the best person for the job and develop their talent.” 

So, how do you make sure your company is inclusive and supportive of all people? The first step is making space for empathy and normalization. Kristin elaborated, “Making it a point to show empathy and grace as you make it a safe space for someone to be open is key. And once people are open, you have to show them that you support them regardless of which community they're part of, it doesn't change who they are on the inside of a person.” This is something that has to happen both on a company level from management and a personal level from coworkers. Janette explained, “Allies play a big role because they normalize and validate marginalized or LGBTQ+ community members by affirming that people in marginalized groups aren’t actually that different, that we’re all just humans doing the best we can.” 

At the end of the day, building a space where people can authentically and honestly be themselves is the goal, so that they can do their best work and feel valued. Josh put it simply, “The majority of people in marginalized groups just want to feel like they're not marginalized. It doesn't mean that somebody needs to put them up in a castle of rainbow flags and blinking lights. It's just saying, ‘Hey, don't drag everyone to filth if they're just being authentic.’ And I think that's a big difference that we all can probably support.” 

Read the transcript, Listen to the conversation or Watch the episode for more about building a stronger roofing industry through inclusivity.