Melanie Powers doesn’t believe you have to be a superwoman to succeed

The first challenge Melanie Powers faced on her way to becoming a female leader in a predominantly male industry was getting a path into the building trades. To nobody’s surprise, these types of trade job leadership positions are only offered to men. Powers was lucky she interviewed with someone in HVAC that saw the value in her technical sales skills.

Once the door opened, it would never close again. Sure, when she started as a HVAC project manager, she faced her share of male customers who refused to deal with a woman. And there were those who wanted to know if her father or husband owned the company. The best way around the issue was to keep working hard, to keep pushing forward. Continually working on education herself, Powers climbed the ladder.

In 1982, she founded Goodberlet Home Services, which stands as the premier one-stop destination for comprehensive comfort solutions. From water heater repair to drain cleaning, furnace maintenance and electrical installation, Goodberlet covers the entire spectrum of home services. As the gold standard in the industry, the female-owned company prioritizes customer relationships and approaches every job with care, consideration and meticulous attention to detail.

Today, Powers is an accomplished leader in the home services industry—an entrepreneur who continues to pave the way for female empowerment in a predominantly male industry.

Here are her thoughts on entrepreneurship today:

In what ways do you believe women entrepreneurs contribute uniquely to their industries and communities? Women entrepreneurs know how to be flexible. We spend our lives juggling careers, families and educational opportunities. This flexibility gives us a unique perspective, and allows us to act quickly in response to changes in the market.

What do you see as the unique strengths and contributions they bring to the business world today? We have emotional intelligence and intuition. This allows us to communicate with clients, employees and colleagues in a deeper way.

Have you noticed any shifts or advancements in the representation and recognition of women entrepreneurs in recent years?

Yes, articles, like this one, shine a light on active female entrepreneurs and encourage other women to get involved in entrepreneurship.

If so, what do you attribute these changes to? Women are no longer afraid to express their business ideas in the marketplace. We have seen women get promoted to positions that were once off limits to us. We are seeing the promotion of female CEO’s and women moving into positions of political power. I believe that being exposed to this representation in the media gives young women and girls the strength to say that they want that for themselves.

What advice would you offer to aspiring women entrepreneurs who are just starting their journey? Take up space. You do have something to contribute and you deserve to be heard.

What about those who are established? We need to mentor more. Established women entrepreneurs understand the business and family challenges that need to be overcome, and we have developed ways of navigating those challenges. Sharing our experiences with younger women not only gives them courage, but shows them a path forward.

How can we create a more inclusive and supportive environment for women entrepreneurs, both within the business community and society at large? We are expected to be superwoman. Society wants us to believe that it is our responsibility to “do it all.” We need to stop believing that lie, and create a more supportive environment through flexible work schedules, access to better child and maternity care, professional development and work-life balance.