Her Story
About Sarah
Sarah Fries is a manufacturing professional based in Adairsville, Georgia, currently serving as Administrative Manager at CFL Flooring, where she oversees a small team within a warehouse specializing in hard and PVC waterproof flooring. In this role, she manages contractor coordination, spec review, and project quoting, bringing a hands-on, team-oriented leadership style to a division she has only recently joined. Prior to stepping into manufacturing, Sarah spent over three and a half years at Humana, first as an Administrative Services Coordinator and later as a Network Operations Specialist, building a foundation in administration, budgeting, and forecasting. Her career path also includes time as a Closing/Disclosure Specialist at LendSure Mortgage Corp., a Deputy Clerk with the Paulding County Probate Court, and customer service work at Reflective Apparel Factory, giving her a well-rounded background across healthcare, finance, government, and retail sectors.
Academically, Sarah is currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Management at Louisiana State University, building on an associate degree in the same field from Chattahoochee Technical College. She supplemented this formal education with management certifications earned through LSU while employed at Humana, reflecting her ongoing commitment to professional growth. Sarah credits much of her drive to her upbringing, describing her parents—especially her father, who rose through the ranks at his own company—as a lasting source of inspiration, alongside her personal faith. She holds honesty and accountability as core values, striving to lead with transparency and to treat mistakes as opportunities for improvement rather than setbacks.
Beyond her professional responsibilities, Sarah is active in her community through volunteer work with DFACS and United Way, where she focuses on supporting children and connecting families with needed resources. Sarah is a strong advocate for women entering male-dominated fields like manufacturing, encouraging them to recognize their own worth and lead with confidence. Describing herself as a team player who is both driven and kind, she approaches every role—whether formal management or informal mentorship—with the belief that hard work, resilience through failure, and a willingness to help others are what ultimately define lasting success.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sarah
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my faith and to my parents, especially my father, who worked his way up from the bottom at the same company he's been with since he was young. Even though I know I'm far from perfect, I believe God has guided me every step of the way with grace.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've ever received is to treat every day as though it's your best one, to seek out joy in whatever you're doing, and to never let your job become the sole measure of who you are. Sometimes making someone smile matters more than taking everything so seriously.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women to stay the course and to always know their worth. You are smart, capable, and deserving of any role you take on, so believe in yourself and carry that confidence with you.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field is that it remains male-dominated, which means women often have to work harder to assert their value and hold their ground. At the same time, I see real opportunity growing for women, particularly in engineering, as the flooring industry continues to expand in places like Dalton, Georgia.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty and accountability matter most to me, both at work and at home. I believe in living transparently, owning my mistakes when they happen, and taking the steps needed to correct them and keep them from happening again.
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