Single moms in the flooring industry balance the demands of family life while excelling in a dynamic and competitive field. These women often bring exceptional organizational skills, empathy and creative problem solving to their roles. Their unique perspective allows them to connect with customers on a personal level, fostering trust and building long-term relationships. Despite challenges, single moms continue to break barriers and redefine what success looks like in the flooring industry.
So, how do single moms juggle it all? FCNews managing editor Megan Salzano-Birch sat down with five single moms to talk about their struggles and strategies to making it all work—and how others can, too.
Desarae Doerr
territory sales rep, residential soft surface
Tarkett Home
Co-parenting two sons, 12 and 14, and winner of the 2024 Salesperson of the Year award
What does your travel schedule look like and how do you balance that with your home life?
I travel, on average, three to four nights per month covering Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, northern Iowa and western Wisconsin. Finding a company to work for that makes my work/life balance more achievable is something I am very grateful for. With my large territory, it makes it more manageable as I am able to do most of my overnight travel when the boys are not with me. [Flexibility is key.]
And I am very open about the fact that I am a single parent, making a lot of my customer accounts part of my work family. They are continuously asking about my kids, and some are friends. My kids will also get involved with some of the preparations for work, such as organizing the storage unit I have for work, putting together client gifts, staining carpet swatches, etc. And at home, there are nights where we are all sitting around the kitchen island doing computer work (or homework) while dinner is cooking. When dinner is done, all electronics are turned off for an open conversation held when dinner is served. [We make time for each other.]
What sacrifices have you made as a single parent?
Often people ask me how I can put so much windshield time in but it’s a balance that works for me. On my overnights, I go to dinner, get in a walk to help stretch my legs and then spend the rest of the night working on my computer. Do I want to flip on the TV in the hotel and unwind sometimes? Absolutely, but at the end of the day, I get a better night’s sleep knowing I got work done. Socially, I have adapted.
What advice can you give for other single moms in the industry?
1) Set a goal. Imagine that goal and dream about it every day. Try to navigate your day to day with the dream in your vision until you start to see it become a reality. 2) Surround yourself with loving, supportive people who you will not be afraid to ask for help because, let’s face it, everyone needs help at some point. 3) Practice self care. Find something you enjoy doing for yourself and practice it—because everyone needs a recharge.
Erin West
director of commercial, buying groups
AHF Products
Single mom of son, Palmer, since 2019
What was one of the biggest initial challenges you faced?
My first and biggest challenge was mom guilt. I want to be present at everything. I want to be a rock star employee but I also want to be present for the school talent show and the hockey games. So the guilt of not being able to be there was my biggest struggle. And then I was just trying to be everything for everyone, and I found myself over-committing. I really just had to prioritize mom life and working life. It took time to get over that.
What are some of the biggest sacrifices you’ve made?
The biggest one is my dating life. I don’t have a lot of downtime. I’m an employee, I’m a mom, and there’s not a whole lot of flex time in between. So yeah, it’s definitely taken a toll on my dating life.
Talk to me about the importance of self care.
I truly believe that a happy mom is a better mom. Whatever it is that I do for myself or for my career, I think my son sees how important it is and how happy it makes me. And when I’m home, I’m actually a better parent because of that. You can be present as a parent, physically present, but if you’re not emotionally present, it’s not helpful.
What came out of your experience during the pandemic?
When it came to the pandemic, you just had to get through it. But we did and we created a very special bond. I’m big with photo books. So he looks back and he remembers that we did “Word of the Day” with me dialed into a conference call. And I think that has given him a lot of respect for me. And I think it set a really good example for him and the type of man that I want him to be. Him seeing a mom be able to do it and knowing that he can do it all too.
What advice can you give to others?
In the beginning, I struggled with the shame. The shame was a big thing—I don’t have dates to events and I don’t have a partner and I don’t have a ring on my finger, and I always thought that I wasn’t enough. But it’s becoming OK to talk about. There’s more support out there nowadays—supportive people, supportive companies, support groups and tools. Use them, because when you can take that shame part out of it, I think that you can just do anything.
Kelly Stout
territory manager
Surface Art
Single parent to Ruby, 10, and Mahlyc, 7, since they were born/adopted
Tell me about your initial experience as a single mom.
I was a single parent on purpose. I had Ruby by donor sperm when I was almost 40. Mahlyc is adopted. So knowing I was single going into it, I was very fortunate to set up a structure around me that was very supportive. A lot of women find themselves as a single parent unexpectedly. My heart goes out to those women because it’s very different than setting up your entire life to accommodate it.
Why does a sales role fit the needs of a single mom so well and vice versa?
I think that the role itself aligns with the hustle that you have to have when you’re a single parent. And there’s the obvious stuff—the flexibility. If I have to turn on a dime, that option is generally there. I’m pretty diversified in my business channel, but my primary business channel is the retailer channel, and I think it’s uniquely suited for parenting because most of my clients are small business owners and family people.
From the sales perspective, I personally have been in hiring positions many, many times in my career. When you’re looking at somebody who’s a salesperson, you need somebody who’s organized. You need somebody who has their act together, who understands how to juggle multiple things at a time, who is able to cut through the bullshit, so to speak, and just get through to the root of what needs to get done. And I just don’t find that there’s anybody out there more suited to that than a single parent.
What are some of the unique sacrifices you’ve had to make?
In 2023, I was offered a promotion, and I took it. It did not last very long because it was an extensive travel schedule, and it was about six months in that I was like, “Yeah, this isn’t going to work.” We quickly realized that my kids, specifically my youngest, were just not adjusting to that amount of travel—I was traveling every week at that point. And my boss was awesome and let me step back into my former role.
How do you handle that kind of sacrifice?
I had kids so late in life that I truly felt like I had professionally accomplished enough that I felt very fulfilled. I didn’t think I was going to need to climb the corporate ladder, so to speak, at this point. But what I did find I was missing and what I really needed was the mentorship side of that role. So we found a way where I could still mentor younger staff and get my needs met.
What advice do you have for other single parents?
1) Trust your customers and lean into your customers, because I think that part of being successful at this is really having that partnership and relationship with your clients, and I think they’re more interested in your success than sometimes we give them credit for. 2) Lean into it as an asset. The skills that are going to make you successful as a single parent are almost the exact same skills that are going to make you successful as a salesperson. So use it to your advantage. Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed about it. There is no plan B. So, use that as selling point. Don’t be afraid of it.
Debbie Kelleher
territory manager
Shaw
Single mom of Maya, 16, and Sienna, 12, for 7.5 years
Talk to me about the importance of having a flexible employer.
It’s a blessing in many ways because you can do your work whenever you want—early in the morning, late at night, on the weekends. You don’t have to miss anything—except for when you travel. When you travel—I was just gone for eight days—it’s difficult, but if I had a 9-5 job, it’d be so much harder. Honestly, this is a great job for a single parent. It has been for me, for sure.
Talk about some of your initial challenges as a single parent.
I’ve been with Shaw for 16 years and I’ve had two babies in that time. Being pregnant was hard, and not something I think people talk about. Building displays is difficult. And even just going back to work. I had to go to sales meetings and bring the breast pumps and all that. It was really a challenge. I still can’t believe I did that—but you do what you have to do.
What was the pandemic like for you?
I don’t know how any reps did it—but some of the guys didn’t really understand what it was like for me. I’m the only female. Sometimes I felt like they thought I was a slacker because I couldn’t leave the house. That was the hardest part, feeling bad about myself, not being able to be all I wanted to be. One of the hardest parts is that your self-esteem goes down because you can’t do it all—you want to do it all, but you can’t.
Any advice for other single parents?
Keep doing it, one day at a time, but it does get easier. When Maya got a car, for example, a weight lifted. As they get older, things change. It’s not always as hard as it is in the beginning. And also, get your kids involved. I used to hire my kids, especially during the pandemic. I would be home getting hundreds—hundreds—of sample packages a day. And I would hire them to help me with that. They’d even help me build displays. And the customers actually really liked it.
Hillary Buss
general sales manager, Midwest region
Daltile
Co-parenting daughter, Rosie Perl (RP), since her divorce in 2023
Everyone’s situation at home is different. What does yours look like today?
Our daughter was born in 2020 and recently turned 4. My college sweetheart and I were married 10 years prior to splitting up in early 2023. We remain good friends, and we co-parent very effectively. We have split 50/50 custody of Rosie. As we coparent with Rosie’s best interest in mind, we make things work by adjusting the “normal” schedule as best we can.
What about at the office?
I broke into the flooring industry with Daltile eight years ago and haven’t looked back since. I started with an entry-level position as a design consultant. After a short stint in the design world, I moved into sales. I was recently promoted to my current role as general sales manager of the Midwest region. My reps are scattered throughout [seven states].
So you deal with a pretty heavy amount of travel. How do you find a balance?
Time management is always a challenge, but after becoming a single mom it took on a whole new meaning. When scheduling my travel, I try to look two-plus months ahead. My time with Rosie rotates weekly, which is a blessing and a curse. The blessing is working with a set schedule. Realistically, I could schedule six-plus months in advance because my time with her is very structured. And on the other side, if my travels take me away from time with Rosie, I need to call in for backup. With the exception of my sister, the closest family member is 300 miles away, which brings its own set of challenges. Luckily, I’ve been blessed with the most supportive set of parents and siblings, who are ready to jump (fly) in and help when needed.
Talk to me about sacrifices.
Sacrifices are a fact of life—the difficult part is deciding which sacrifices are worth making and at what cost. I’m a big believer in a high quality of life. When contemplating a sacrifice both professionally and as a mom, I ask myself, “Does this have the potential to improve our quality of life?” At times, my career has taken me away from my family and on the other side, being a mom has led to sacrifices I’ve had to make in my career. But in each case, I always come back to the decision that will improve the quality of life for myself and my family.
What have you learned about keeping balanced?
I’ve learned to lean on my people and ask for help. As a Type A/Enneagram Three personality type (workaholics/productivity level 100 sufferers say “aye, aye”), this has been difficult, but it has also been a complete game changer.
What advice can you give to other single parents?
Regardless of marital status, as moms, we need to learn to give ourselves grace. I know this is easier said than done, but it’s important to remember that we’re doing our best and that warrants the grace that is overwhelmingly needed. If you want something badly enough, you’ll find a way. It’s possible to be a successful professional and a present mom at home. Are there challenges that come along the way? Of course, but some sacrifices are worth it. Sink or swim, and if you get tired, float!
The post Making it all work: Single moms in flooring talk struggles, triumphs appeared first on Floor Covering News.