Christa Collins

I attribute my success to a strong foundation of support and work ethic. My husband, Patrick Collins, has been instrumental—managing our home and caring for our kids while I travel frequently for work, often during important family moments—and his encouragement is what led me to return to this career path. I was also shaped by my parents, who came from lower-income backgrounds and instilled in me the value of hard work and sacrifice. Professionally, returning to a manufacturer’s representative role with Tarkett in a highly competitive East Coast market has been a significant achievement; thanks to the relationships I’ve built over the years, the transition felt seamless, allowing me to step in and perform at a high level while continuing to grow and deliver results.

When asked about the people who have made a great impact in her life, she highlighted first and foremost her amazing husband pairs she feels she cannot do this without him because he is taking kids to school, making dinners doing bath time and holding down the home front while she's on the road for some time several nights a week. He's a huge part of the fact that she's able to be successful in her career, and he really pushed her to get back into her career when they discussed it a year and a half ago. Her husband, patrick Collins has always been supportive, and has never been upset when she has to leave for a trip. Sometimes her work commitments fall on their children's birthdays or even their anniversary, which can be very hard but that has always been something they work through together. She is so grateful for his amazing love, support, and everlasting encouragement. She would also love to highlight her parents, who were always great examples of hard work and dedication. They both grew up relatively lower income, and they both worked extremely hard to achieve what they could and provide They're having to make sacrifices to better his family, so they truly instilled that same ethic in her. She is hoping that she is guiding her children in the same way as well, being able to share that part of their legacy and instill that dedication in her boys.

Christa will also be highlighting professors and friends who have touched her life in a meaningful way, and sharing any stories she wishes that showcase the impact they've had in her journey.

What I would say is, when I did not know what to go to college for, I grew up in a family where I was going to college, so I had to figure out what I was going to do. But I didn't have parents that went to college. My brother was in the military, he was a Marine at the time, and I was like, I don't really know what I want to do. I was always a bit more creative. I realized that I could draw fairly well, and not the way a lot of art kids can draw. I was really good at drawing buildings and architectural aspects, so I went into that design field. I would say to any young woman that wants to get into design, or thinks that she wants to be, and this is really a growing field with flipping houses and more women getting into construction - certainly those fields of design, interior design, interior architecture, architecture, construction, project management, we are really good at it because we're naturally good at managing a lot of different moving pieces. There's a lot of plates spinning every day for me. Don't be afraid to go to that school, and then turn your degree into what you want it to be. I had a design degree, but I didn't really understand it was a sales job. You have to sell your solutions, and sell your product, and sell your designs, so you kind of had to really come out of your shell. I think that women should never be afraid, like, okay, I love interior design, but I really want to be on a job site more. That's okay, because I did it. I took opportunities to go out there, hey, I don't know what I'm looking at. I would have my dealer partners meet me on a job site, walk me through if there was an issue or a question. I would meet with construction managers, and I was never afraid to ask questions. There are so many women, young women that I know that went into the design field and either are transitioning into a rep field, or some sort of manufacturer's rep role. I never even knew that this was an option 15 years ago. I had no idea that manufacturers' reps were pulling for people that had design or construction or project management backgrounds, because we have such a global understanding of what's needed. It doesn't just have to be flooring, it can be wall coverings, it could be window treatments, it could be millwork and countertops and furniture. All of these things are fields, so I would say never be afraid to take that degree if you go for interior design and make that change, or let yourself be guided by what you want to do. Your college degree is not a box, and it's not a box that you have to stay in.

Christa will be jumping in to add more detail regarding her through a journey and what inspires her and motivates her each and every day, the people who made the greatest impact in her life that she would like to highlight in more detail, the things that bring her joy including her interest and hobbies and her wonderful family, how she would like to connect with other incredible women in our network as well as inspire our readers, what her goals are for the near and distant future, any additional accomplishments and accolades she would like to shine a spotlight on, and any additional stories that she would like to include that may inspire readers or that truly showcase her passion for the industry.

She has two young boys at home who are her ages 4 and 6, who she shares with her wonderful husband. They also have a beautiful 7 year old American Staffordshire Terrier who is their wonderful little buddy. They are always navigating changes, and and joined Tight Knit Family. They enjoy being outdoorsy I'm passionate about hiking, playing in the stream, gardening and enjoying the outdoors. Her kids were able to plant potatoes at three years of age, and being able to provide them with these amazing experiences to fulfill their own creative minds and get their hands in the dirt has been wonderfully fulfilling. They also enjoy going to sanctuaries or state parks, visiting the beach just based off of the weather. They truly enjoy being a happy family, and enjoying the beauty of their own surroundings.