Brooke Woodward
Brooke Woodward is an accomplished professional in the artificial turf manufacturing industry, currently serving as Regional Growth Manager at Fusion Turf, where she leads expansion efforts across all markets east of the Mississippi River. With a focus on identifying opportunities, building strategic partnerships, and driving scalable revenue growth, Brooke oversees a large client portfolio and manages every aspect of her territory, from prospecting and account development to installation support and strategic planning. Her work combines relationship-driven sales with data-informed strategy, enabling her to strengthen market penetration and deliver measurable results in both residential and commercial turf markets.
Brooke began her career in the turf industry three and a half years ago as a Territory Manager with Shaw, a company owned by Warren Buffett, where she broke barriers as the youngest and only female on her team. Initially covering the Northeast, she quickly built a client base of approximately 300, far exceeding typical territory sizes, and was later promoted to manage the Southeast region spanning eight states above Florida. During this time, Brooke became known for her direct approach and reliability, earning the nickname “bulldog” for her no-nonsense attitude and dedication to results. She also trained new hires and provided guidance to seasoned colleagues, demonstrating her leadership and expertise in a highly competitive, male-dominated field.
Before entering the turf industry, Brooke ran her own house painting business, honing skills in management, problem-solving, and client relations. Originally from Pennsylvania near Penn State, she brings a disciplined, straightforward approach to her work, emphasizing accountability, competence, and efficiency. Brooke’s professional philosophy centers on letting her knowledge and results speak for themselves, empowering her to build strong relationships, expand territories, and drive sustainable growth in a complex industry.
• Strategic Negotiation
• Fred Kofman on Managing Conflict
• Penn State University- Bachelor's
• Penn State Club Softball
What do you attribute your success to?
I would probably say my mom. My mom is a hard ass, but she taught me many things growing up, whether I wanted to or not. She's in a male-dominated industry too and has been number one in her company for the past couple years, with a lot of people fighting for her spot, and she just blows them all out of the water. She's the definition of a bulldog. She taught me that on Christmas, if I get a work call, you better go take that. It's not that work comes first, but if you're going to do something, you better do it right, and you better go above and beyond. My grandma also started her own interior design and decorating business, and my sister is in real estate and is number one as well with a bunch of awards. All three of them are very strong-willed, very sassy, very entrepreneurial women, but I would say that my mom is definitely the hard ass and the driver of 'you get in there and make it happen, whether you want to or not.' My mom's name is Angel, and I actually got a tattoo of angel wings on my arm for her.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received came from my mother: when you commit to something, do it right and go above and beyond. She taught me to take the call and show up, even when it’s inconvenient, because reliability and effort speak louder than words.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
When I started, there were no girls, and so I wanted to kind of pave the way for the next girl. That's why I really just kept my head down and worked hard, because I wanted the next girl to come in to not have any bad expectations from her or anything like that, just 'oh, we had a girl on the team and she crushed it.' Honestly, even though I was a female on the team and it drove me, I just wanted to put my head down, work hard, and show that I could be just as successful, if not more successful, in this business. I don't think that being a woman or a man in this business should affect the respect that you get or the amount of sales that you get. If anything, I think that the girls should sell more because we can regulate our emotions better. I can't tell you how many stories we would get on these meetings where the guys would be like 'oh, this guy was an asshole, we're not working with him anymore,' and I was like, I have a guy and all he did was yell at me, and then guess what? When we got off the phone, he texted me and apologized. If anything, I think we have the upper hand in it because we can gauge how they are and that's how we're going to respond. If I need to be sassy, or if I need to be nice, or if I need to just be 5 seconds on the phone, give you the information, get off the phone. I think women have a leg up in it. I would say just put your head down, go to work, roll up your sleeves, and don't take no for an answer. Know your stuff. You better know what you're selling, and so if you know what you're selling, nobody can tell you anything.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field is navigating a male-dominated culture that can underestimate women and limit early opportunities. At the same time, there are huge opportunities, including significant territory and client growth potential. There’s also a strong demand for skilled, reliable salespeople who earn the trust of installers and field teams, which allows those who prove themselves to thrive.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are hard work, reliability, and being direct and transparent, while always showing respect and managing my emotions to maintain consistent performance. These principles guide both my professional and personal life.