Her Story
About Holly
Holly Gilman is an HVAC Business Development Manager at The Granite Group, focused on sustainable growth across Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Southeastern Massachusetts. She entered the industry in an entry-level role and quickly advanced through inside sales, territory management, and ultimately business development leadership.
Her rapid progression reflects her belief that success is not defined by where you start, but by how willing you are to learn, take risks, embrace challenges, and build success through persistence, patience, and strong relationships.
Today, Holly specializes in strategic market development, contractor relationships, education, vendor partnerships, and identifying opportunities for long-term growth. Her approach is intentionally relationship-driven. Rather than focusing solely on transactions, she works to understand the needs of contractors, customers, manufacturers, and internal teams, bringing them together around opportunities that create lasting value.
Since joining The Granite Group, Holly has helped expand HVAC business throughout her market by developing new and existing accounts, strengthening manufacturer partnerships, increasing contractor engagement, and creating educational and training opportunities for customers and sales teams. Within her first several months, her efforts contributed to more than $3 million in new and expanded business across multiple accounts.
She views those results not simply as individual wins, but as evidence of what happens when education, communication, strategy, and execution are aligned. For Holly, sustainable growth takes time, and trust is earned through consistency, credibility, and follow-through.
Entering HVAC without a traditional industry background required her to learn quickly, ask questions, seek mentorship, and become comfortable operating outside her comfort zone. Those experiences continue to shape how she approaches leadership and business development.
As a woman building her career in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Holly believes influence is not defined by a title, it is earned through credibility, relationships, results, consistency, and helping others succeed. Leadership, to her, is demonstrated through action: showing up, following through, sharing knowledge, and creating opportunities for the people around you.
Her career is still evolving, and that is an important part of her story. Holly continues to challenge herself, learn from those around her, and create opportunities for customers and colleagues. She hopes her journey reminds other women that they do not need every step mapped out before pursuing an opportunity.
Sometimes growth begins by being willing to walk through the door, learn the business, do the work, and refuse to stop growing.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Holly
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to resilience, curiosity, accountability, and a willingness to take risks. When I entered HVAC, I didn’t come from a traditional industry background, so I had to become comfortable not knowing everything. I asked questions, found people willing to teach me, learned the business from multiple perspectives, and put in the work to earn credibility. I also learned early that relationships matter, but relationships alone aren’t enough—you have to follow through and deliver. I believe competence builds confidence, and consistency builds trust. That combination has allowed me to turn challenges into opportunities and continue growing.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve received is to never stop being curious. Ask questions, listen to people who know more than you, and don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t know something. Some of the most influential people in my career taught me that you don’t need to have every answer—you need to know how to find the answer and be willing to learn. I’ve also learned that competence creates confidence. The more I understand my business, my customers, and the market, the more confidently I can walk into any room and trust the value I bring.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Learn the business. Ask questions. Find mentors. And don’t be intimidated if you’re the only woman in the room. Knowledge is a powerful equalizer, but so are preparation, authenticity, and the willingness to speak up. Don’t feel like you have to know everything before pursuing an opportunity—you can learn what you don’t know. Most importantly, understand that you don’t need permission to belong. Earn your credibility, know your value, and take your seat at the table.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the greatest challenges—and opportunities—in HVAC right now is the pace of change. Technology is evolving, electrification and heat-pump adoption are reshaping the market, and contractors are being asked to understand increasingly sophisticated systems while still running profitable businesses. That creates a tremendous need for education and strong partnerships. I don’t believe training should simply be an event or that business development should be about chasing the next transaction. The opportunity is to help contractors understand the technology, apply it successfully, and build sustainable businesses around it. The companies that invest in education, communication, support, and execution will be the ones that earn long-term trust and ultimately grow the market.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Trust, integrity, accountability, resilience, and authenticity are the values that guide me both professionally and personally. I try to bring those values into my career, my relationships, and the way I show up for the people who matter to me. Success means very little if it comes at the expense of who I am.
I’m incredibly proud of the career I’ve built, but I’m most proud of my son—the man I raised and the woman I became while raising him. He has had a front-row seat to the hard work, sacrifices, setbacks, and successes that brought us here. More than anything, I’m proud that he has been able to see firsthand that where you start does not determine where you finish, and that anything is possible when you’re willing to put in the work.
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