Her Story
About Maria
I started my career in the kitchen cabinet industry back in 2000 with Lowe's Home Improvement when they were expanding to South Florida in the Fort Lauderdale location. Starting was challenging because as a new beginner in the field, it's not the same with your textbook or college degree as when you start burning your knees out and about on the field. I learned from good mentors, including an older gentleman who sadly had health issues shortly after I started, and from the installers who were able to guide this young and naive person through the field action part of it, which I think is the most complex or most underestimated subject in the industry. I did multiple locations with Lowe's and different positions, starting as a kitchen designer and participating in their Pioneer program in North Carolina, Winston-Salem area on their PSI, which is Project Specialist Interiors. Now I am the Territory Manager for the state of Florida with Novalina Kitchens, a subsidiary of Schuller Mobile GMBH. I've been working with them for about 6 months and officially started this role about 2 months ago as they are breaking ground in the U.S. markets with the Novalina brand. They currently only have a service area in Florida and Texas, and we're hoping as brand awareness expands, the company will expand territory on the East Coast corridor. What I do is introduce the brand to different design firms, architects, and showrooms, and I am an active board member and committee member of the NKBA South Florida chapter.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Maria
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say where I am right now. When you're young, you're full of big dreams and big goals, and life doesn't play as you thought it would be. And right now that I am, I guess, in my second teenage years, I am where I was dreaming to be, representing a well-known brand. The size of the territory and the job description that I'm doing right now is rewarding because I get to participate in both sides of the field. I get to teach, I get to sell, but I'm also still part of the designing process and make suggestions, and also field installation in some cases. It's really rewarding, being able to, in a way, play all roles. My mother was a primary school teacher, and somehow, she always inspired me to keep on going, to aim higher, and to make my dreams come true. And obviously, my children are my push.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Education is your foundation, but if you get to work on the field along somebody, or along any other mentors in this field, just suck up all their knowledge. Take advantage. You're exposed to something that school is not going to give you. One thing I never understood about the younger generation now is commitment in a way of responsibility, like showing up on time, and a little bit more of an eager for or projection of learning more. I recently mentored a young girl, great girl, bright future, but I tried to encourage her to take advantage of the place that she was working with, because she would get on-site field experience and she would continue her education. There's nothing better than real-world experience.
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