Roberta Roman

I attribute my success to resilience, believing in myself, and always being confident in what I do. The strategic and emotional intelligence that women bring to business makes a real difference. People tend to brief women as too emotional, but this is actually good for the industry. That's what gives us the strength to take everything to the next level. I've had to balance career growth, motherhood, and rebuilding my life as an immigrant all at the same time. There were moments where I had to lead teams professionally while also navigating major personal transitions, and it's not easy, but the experience taught me emotional intelligence, adaptability, and how to operate under pressure. I always think about people first and put my team's needs first, because we depend on every single person who works here, and that's what makes our company strong. I also learned from my mentors, Elson and Steve, who had the patience to understand that we all have time to grow and learn together, not just one person teaching another.

The best advice I ever received was from my mother, Rosanna. She would tell me, 'You're gonna get there, you're a strong woman,' but back then I wouldn't listen. I would just say, 'No, mommy, I can't do it.' I lost my mom when I was older, but I really feel that I need her all the time, especially with my kids. Now, looking back, I see she was right. There was a lot of growth, especially personally. If I could give advice to my younger self, I would say exactly the same words she used to say: 'Never give up, you know? You will get there at some point.' When you're younger, you're so hard on yourself, but you have to trust that you're gonna get there. It may not happen the way you think it will, but it will happen.

Equipment rental is very male-dominated, and it is very hard for us, especially being an immigrant, a woman, and a mother of two. There's a lot that we have to prove, right? We have to prove double of any man that comes to the industry every time, all the time. We always need to prove ourselves more than any male out there. But I would say that you have to believe in yourself. Always be competent in what you do. The strategic and emotional intelligence of women in business makes a real difference. People tend to brief women like, 'Oh, they're too emotional,' but this is good for the industry. That's what gives us the strength to take everything to the next level. You need to be hardworking, resilient, and always prove yourself, but at the same time, be very confident in your work. Don't be afraid to advocate for yourself and be resilient through it all.

One of the biggest challenges right now is keeping up with how fast everything is changing. Customers expect faster service, better communication and more efficiency than ever before, so operations have to constantly evolve too.

At the same time I think this industry has a huge opportunity for more women and immigrants in leadership positions. Construction and equipment rental are still very male dominated industries, but things are changing and I think different backgrounds and perspectives make companies stronger.

Technology is also creating a lot of opportunities, but at the end of the day this is still a people business. No matter how much systems evolve, relationships, trust and good communication still matter the most.

I truly believe women can lead strong businesses without losing their humanity. I think we have to think about people first, you know? I always put my team's needs first, because we depend on every single person here that works here, so I think we have to think about the others all the time. That's what makes our company strong. My journey has been about balancing resilience with ambition, and I've learned that emotional intelligence and adaptability are crucial, especially when operating under pressure. I feel it's the most important thing to support each other as women. When I help women transitioning from the system, I want them to feel appreciated and heard, to know they're human beings again. It's very emotional work, but it's about giving them some love and a motive to restart with their integrity as a woman.