“The future is female — and here we are!”
That’s how Khadija Head, CEO of Heads Plumbing, started her introduction, and the packed auditorium certainly responded to that energy as Pantheon 2024 began in style — with a roundtable discussion about Championing Women in the Trades.
ServiceTitan’s Chief Legal Officer Olive Huang hosted the discussion, featuring:
Emily Chin, EVP of Business Growth Strategy at Wells Fargo
Khadija J. Head, CEO of Heads Plumbing
Kristin Gallup, VP of Women in HVACR and Director of Product Management at Carrier Enterprise
Vanessa Gonzales, co-founder of Albuquerque Plumbing, Heating and Cooling
The session focused on the various journeys for each of the women on stage, the importance of mentorship and so much more.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without mentorship,” Gallup said. “It’s about paying it forward and leading by example. I have 5 mentees right now, and all I ask of them is that they pay it forward. Because everyone needs a mentor.”
“Mentoring is what you make of it. It’s a two-way activity,” Head said. “I have a personal board of directors — they know Khadija the person. But I think it’s also important to provide value to my mentor as well. I want to make sure their cup isn’t empty.”
Chin seconded that notion. “It’s hard to ask people for help, or mentorship,” Chin said, “You have to create a connection that works two ways. You have to build a safe space, where you can ask the tough questions. But it starts with … what can I do to help you?
“Mentoring relationships sometimes rely on just taking the first step — what do I want to have a conversation with this person about? And how do I bring value to them?”
“All my mentors, all of whom happen to be male — they made me feel comfortable being myself,” Chin said. “You need to be a safe person and create a safe space — to talk about things like the challenges and pressures of balancing family and work life. To the male allies, it’s OK to open that door.”
Gallup gave the background of Women in HVACR. “We’re a 22-year old non-profit organization. We started out talking about bringing more women into the trades — and here we are, 22 years later, and we’re still talking about it.
It comes down to three core pillars — networking, education and mentorship,” Gallup said, ”We’ve seen a 37% growth in women receiving promotions or who have grown into other roles, based on their participation in our program.
“Look at all the women organizations we have in this room,” Gallup said. “We’re stronger together.”
“This is my first Pantheon, so I created this narrative in my mind,” Head said. “I challenge everyone in this room to be confident and cocky. There’s a reason this session is kicking off Pantheon … we are the spark that’s going to ignite another amazing year.”
“Be mentors for each other. I’ve gone out of my way to be a mentor for women,” Chin said. “Provide the courage for someone who is struggling to find their own. Create a safe space to lift them up — and push them to where they can be!”
“Show up for each other,” Head said, “We are all the CEOs of our personal lives. When you see someone doing a good job — tell them!”
“Be vulnerable too,” Gallup added. “Sometimes we are afraid to ask for help. But that’s how we grow, and how we get better.”
Gonzales delivered a full-circle moment to wrap up the session. “Tom Howard was up on stage in 2017 at Dispatch (the predecessor to Pantheon). I said to myself, ‘I want to be on that stage, and make an impact on others.’
“It can happen. But be careful about what you tell yourself. Be careful about what you put out there. If you see someone who looks phenomenal — tell them. There’s not enough positivity and positive feelings out there in the world — let’s do that for one another.”
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