Her Story
About Sonya
Sonya Fryar is a trades coaching and training professional with more than 30 years of experience in the skilled trades and more than a decade with CertainPath. Currently serving as a Client Success Manager and Trades Coach, she works with professionals and businesses across the electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and roofing industries. Her areas of expertise include business coaching, client success, customer relations, pricing, financial decision-making, safety practices, and professional development. Through her work, she helps trades professionals strengthen their businesses and translate training into practical results.
Fryar's approach to professional development is strongly influenced by mentorship, continuous learning, and the willingness to accept constructive feedback. She credits the people who invested their time and knowledge in her development as an important part of her success. In turn, she emphasizes reinvesting that knowledge in others, believing that receiving mentorship carries a responsibility to help develop the next generation. Her coaching philosophy incorporates structured feedback and practical application, encouraging professionals to listen, remain open to change, and turn guidance into measurable improvement.
Beyond her professional responsibilities, Fryar is actively involved in Women in HVACR and has been recognized for her contributions to the industry, including the 2026 Influencer & Advocate Leadership Award in Women in HVACR and recognition as a 2025 Top 30 Most Influential Woman in Women in HVACR. She also supports philanthropic initiatives involving the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Folds of Honor and participates in efforts to educate high school students about careers in the skilled trades. Her career reflects a commitment to mentorship, professional growth, and creating greater awareness of opportunities within the trades.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sonya
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the great people who have been willing to invest in me and train me when there were things I did not yet know. Having mentors and leaders who are willing to share their knowledge is incredibly valuable, but I also believe that success requires being willing to be trained, remaining open to change, and accepting feedback.
I believe that when someone invests their time in you, you should not simply take that investment for yourself. You should demonstrate what you are going to do with what you have learned and then reinvest that knowledge and time in someone else. That philosophy has become an important part of how I approach coaching and training.
We even practice this during training by creating opportunities where the coach gives feedback and the person receiving it simply responds, “Thank you.” The goal is to truly absorb the feedback rather than immediately justify or defend yourself. For me, growth comes from being teachable, putting feedback into practice, and then helping others grow as well.
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