Her Story
About Shari
Shari Fenster has worked in the hospitality laundry field for about 14 and a half years. She took her current position in Charlotte, North Carolina after initially planning only to help temporarily while seeking to leave Florida. Her company focuses primarily on hospital laundry but also runs laundries for luxury hotels, including the Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte, which has 146 rooms and is more business-oriented than the resort property where she began in South Beach. Shari learned her role through on-the-job training, seminars, and guidance from Ecolab representatives and machinery technicians, allowing her to troubleshoot equipment effectively. She leads a small team and emphasizes treating her people the way she wants to be treated, drawing from her own experience starting on the floor. Shari values loyalty and honesty most in her work and personal life. She advises young women entering the field not to dismiss opportunities without trying them first, as she initially said no to her role but grew to love it after giving it a chance. One ongoing challenge she notes is keeping up with new technology and programs in the industry.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Shari
01What do you attribute your success to?
I treat my people the way I want to be treated, and I started out working this job on the floor, just like my team does. I know some of the struggles and some of the frustration of being on the floor. So I try to address that and make it just a better day for them.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't shut the door on something, even though you may think it's not what you want. Just make sure, before you shut that door, you give it a try. Because that's what I started out immediately, I said no to this job and I gave it a shot, and I ended up really liking it.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Keeping up with a lot of the technology today. I find to be challenging. Because I am not computer illiterate. But some of the things that we encounter, and some of the programs that when we get new programs, I find it more and more challenging to adjust to it.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Loyalty, honesty, those are the bottom lines, actually.
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