Marcie Rojas

I attribute my success to the foundation my father gave me from an early age. He constantly taught me that women can do anything and showed me how to do things like change oil and learn any skill a man could learn. He was an extreme introvert who learned to do everything himself just to avoid dealing with people, and he passed that self-reliance on to me. I also learned from my grandparents on both sides, who were entrepreneurs themselves. They were farmers who grew cotton and cattle, and watching them work taught me the value of hard work and determination. As a single mother, I've had to embody that sink or swim mentality, and I chose to swim because I was afraid to drown. I bought my first home when I was young, and even though my husband was diagnosed with cancer and I had 5 strokes myself, I refused to let those challenges define me. I've learned that if you believe you can do something, then you can do it. I tell my own children, including my daughter who is autistic, that if she can do it, then anybody can do it. Success comes from not letting anyone or anything intimidate you, from maintaining confidence that grows through experience, and from always being willing to learn. The mentorship I received early in my career, like the one-on-one training with industry leaders in orthodontics, also played a huge role in showing me what was possible.

The best career advice I ever received came from my father, who constantly reminded me that women can do anything and that I could learn every skill a man could learn. He didn't just tell me this, he showed me by teaching me hands-on skills like how to change oil and do things for myself. He never said 'you can't do that' to me. His belief in my abilities gave me the confidence to step into industries where women were underrepresented and succeed on my own terms. I was also deeply influenced by my entrepreneurial grandparents on both my maternal and paternal sides, who were farmers growing cotton and cattle. Watching them work and persist taught me that success comes from hard work, determination, and believing in yourself. Those early lessons shaped everything about how I approach challenges in my career. I also learned the importance of finding the right mentorship and mentors in any work environment, people who will help you grow and advocate for you. The mentorship I received in the orthodontic industry, including one-on-one training with leaders like Leanne Panici in the Invisalign field, showed me how powerful it is to have someone invest in your development and believe in your potential.

My advice to young women entering HVAC, logistics, or any male-dominated industry is simple: don't let anyone intimidate you. Don't let the weight of things intimidate you either. Yes, it can be a little bit of a workout physically, but I think you come out stronger, not just physically and mentally, but overall your confidence just boosts really high. Men can be intimidating sometimes, but you cannot let that stop you. Women pay a lot more attention to detail, which is actually a strength in these industries. If you have the strength for it, a lot of the work, especially in HVAC, is not that much straining and is pretty simple. It opens doors to a lot more women because it provides job security. If it's warm out, you're needed. If it's cold, you're needed. So if you're up for a challenge and you're looking for decent pay and possibly one day opening your own company, which is what I like to promote, being self-employed, then eventually you're gonna get there and you will. You just have to give yourself that opportunity and be willing to learn that aspect. I believe that if I can do this, and if my daughter who is autistic can do it, then anybody can do it. Finding the right mentorship and mentors in any work environment is also crucial. You need people who will help you grow and advocate for your advancement.

I believe one of the biggest challenges for women in HVAC and logistics is simply not letting intimidation stop them. These industries are still mostly male-dominated, and men can be intimidating sometimes. Women might doubt whether they have the physical strength or capability to do the work. But the reality is that a lot of the work, especially in HVAC, is not as physically demanding as people think. It's pretty simple once you learn it. The real challenge is mental, it's about not letting anyone make you feel like you don't belong or can't do the job. However, I see tremendous opportunities right now. These industries offer real job security because the work is always needed, whether it's warm or cold outside. There's an opportunity for women to open doors for themselves, earn decent pay, and eventually become self-employed and open their own companies, which is what I like to promote. Women bring valuable strengths to these fields, particularly attention to detail. As more women enter these industries and prove themselves, I think we'll see the landscape continue to change. The key is being willing to learn, finding good mentors who will help you grow, and believing in yourself enough to take that first step even when it feels intimidating.

Customer care and making sure people are always happy is at the core of everything I do. Even if we sometimes lose money, it's okay, because we want to make sure that our customers get what I call Nordstrom quality service. We're trustworthy, and most of our business comes from word of mouth rather than advertising. Honesty and integrity are essential, especially in an industry where people, particularly women and the elderly, can be taken advantage of because they don't understand the technical aspects. That is not why we went into this business. We went into the business to help. My brother is also a pastor himself, and he's an amazing person who has helped a lot of churches and done pro bono work for them. Community service is incredibly important to us. We focus on helping elderly people and disadvantaged families, making sure we work within their budgets rather than trying to sell them things they don't need. We don't want to tell someone they have to replace their whole system when there are more affordable solutions. Faith is also central to my life and has helped me through the hardest times, including when my husband was diagnosed with cancer and when I had 5 strokes. Every day is a journey and a battle, but I teach my girls that they need to learn how to do things themselves because you never know when you'll have to rely on your own strength and knowledge.