How long have you been in this industry?  
I’ve been in the home improvement industry for 12 years. I’ve been working in the marketing/communications industry for about 19 years.

Did you have another career before this one?
Yes. I worked in the pharmaceutical industry for about five years prior to joining my husband at the family business 12 years ago. I also taught public speaking at the University of Delaware while earning my master’s degree in marketing.

What appealed to you about this industry?
I absolutely love fixing up houses. I love the vision, the teamwork and the beautiful end result of transformation. Lucky for me, I found a guy who shared the same passion and was pretty handy himself. We loved talking about it so much that we decided to take on a flip house together early on, and that’s how we really got to know each other. Both of our families strive for excellence in all that we do and aim to leave anything we are involved with better than the way that we found it. From the marketing perspective, I also sought to bring a more professional branding approach to the local remodeling industry, particularly my husband’s company.

What did you find most challenging as you worked your way up in the industry?
Hands down, the most challenging thing I’ve ever done is work with family, namely steering a company with my best friend and husband. We both agree it’s the most challenging, yet most rewarding, thing either of us have ever taken on in our lives. Although it is challenging, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. We are both great at what we do for the business, and together we believe there’s nothing we can’t conquer.

Who has been your biggest inspiration?  
In case you haven’t figured it out by now, my biggest inspiration in business has most definitely been my husband. His skill set is completely different than mine, so I greatly admire how he manages people, motivates our team and his amazingly accurate, thorough and effortless action-reaction planning to negotiation and all of our business ventures. He has the ability to hone in on exactly the information needed to make a successful, informed decision for the business and our family. Then, he patiently and methodically repeats this process over and over again for hundreds of decisions every day.  

What is the most rewarding thing about what you do?  
The most rewarding thing about what I get to do at Ferris Home Improvements is enacting immediate impact with everything I touch for the business. Instead of being a number that has to navigate tons of red tape to yield a result that usually looks way different from the intended goal, I get to work with a large team that hasn’t lost sight of our small business setting.  

As a young female working in corporate, I often felt my opinions and ideas were dismissed because of my age or perceived lack of experience. Now, it is flattering to hear people’s disbelief that our young family’s diligent teamwork has yielded exponential success.  

What are the most important habits for business success?
Culture! Culture simultaneously sets expectations while uniting a team. And at Ferris  Home Improvements, our team and culture is second to none. We attend each other’s family barbecues, celebrate each other’s life milestones and support each other during setbacks.  

How do you unwind after a stressful day?  
Snuggling my four babies, my fur baby and my husband of course.

Ferris Home Improvements, Newark, Del., (302) 998-4500, FerrisHomeImprovements.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 18, Issue 12 (June 2018). 
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