Women in Restoration 2017: An Open Letter to Fellow Women in Restoration

Annissa Coy, 2016 Best of the Best Winner, Recognizing Women in Restoration

June 8, 2017

They say if you do what you love you will never work another day in your life.

Well, I don't exactly know if that statement is accurate as I have put in some pretty brutal 21-hour days working CAT losses and trust me, it was work. But, I loved every minute of it. I feel so fortunate to be able to do something I am truly passionate about and love being a part of an industry that helps others the way the restoration industry does.

The emotional side of restoration has been pushed aside traditionally, and I feel this has shifted as of late. In large part I feel this is due to the influence of women in our industry.

It is so awesome that there are more women who have become influencers and strong leaders in the past few years by becoming educators, business owners, and innovators in restoration. Women are nurturers and add an emotional element when helping someone process and go through the steps of a loss. And for some, the loss is huge.

I have learned so much over the past 16 years, and the most important thing is that it is definitely not about the stuff. It’s not about the walls, the carpet, or even her wedding dress. That’s right. Her wedding dress is not what’s important.

Maya Angelou said it best:

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did,

but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

The feelings that are attached to the wedding dress are really what matter to her. Helping her process the grief over having lost the dress due to a fire is where the magic happens. That’s where you make a real difference for your client. That’s where women in the industry can expand the perspective and have a unique ability, I believe, to help create a great experience out of an otherwise bad situation. Women don’t hesitate to address the emotions and help work them out.

The first time I had a homeowner tell me she was glad the fire had happened or she never would have met me or my crew, I knew there was an opportunity to make a difference. I became an advocate for the industry and became an educator to help others see the need for companies and team members who could help their clients process every aspect of the claim including the emotional side.

We do see more of these emotions when dealing with contents processing for sure, however the structural side of things is not immune. That’s why it’s great to see more women actually running the restoration company, not just the contents division.

The Recognizing Women in Restoration Program that R&R has created is simply awesome! I was honored to be recognized as the inaugural year winner of the “Best of the Best Woman in Restoration” and it is not something I take lightly.

I have always pushed the status quo and will continue to do so with the hope that as a community, we can all continue to grow and reach even higher than we thought was possible.

The exposure from winning the 2016 award has allowed me to reach more people and have a greater impact in this industry that I love so much. And for that, I am grateful.

My hope is this program will encourage more women to reach out and contribute. To step outside their comfort zone and be creative, offering up their insights, perspectives, and unique abilities so that we all can benefit from them.

I am excited to continue this journey and see where “breaking the glass ceiling” will take us in the future.

With the highest respect,

Annissa Coy

2016 Best of the Best Winner

Recognizing Women in Restoration