How to Become a Changemaker: Straight Outta Crumpton

Straight Outta Crumpton with Greg Crumpton focuses on the ways that building relationships is valuable both in business and in life.

Change is hard, but today’s guest Gwen Smothers has been a trailblazer in facilitating it. As the business systems manager of Piedmont Service Group, a technical facility and energy-efficient solutions company in Raleigh, NC, Smothers maintains all business systems, trains users, and supports process improvements. She owes much of her success to defining the “why.”

“When I first started at Piedmont 20 years, the person who trained me never explained why we did things that way. I soon learned after being on the job, but the why was never addressed. Now that I’m in that position, I always lead with the why,” Smothers stated.

Smothers also discussed her involvement with Women in HVACR, a trade group dedicated to women in the industry. She joined years ago and has been able to attend several conferences where she met a young lady in need of support. “At an HVACR conference, I met a young lady whose father owns an HVAC business, and she needed some guidance about how to change and grow. Since that meeting, the President of HVACR contacted me and asked if I would be a mentor,” Smothers shared.

All the work that Smothers has done on behalf of her company and for the industry, in general, is immense, and she even calls herself a “change agent.” That’s no easy job in any industry, but Smothers attributes much of this to success. “Change is hard for everyone. I have some great support from my leadership team. They provide me with ideas to try in the real world,” she said.

Learn more about Smother’s career as a change agent by listening to the podcast.

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