Q: Please tell us a bit about yourself and your family.
I grew up on Long Island and moved to Bucks County when I was 14 years old. I graduated from Pennsbury High School and went to Indiana University of Pennsylvania for college. I have been married to my husband Stewart for 25 years. Right out of college I joined an organization that reconnected people from school. We weren’t really friends, but we knew of each other. One night we went to Isacc Newton’s and found our mutual love of Broadway shows. The story has 2 versions, but my version of the story is that he spilled a drink on me and that sparked our conversations. He called me after that to invite me to a show, and the rest is history. We dated for 4 years before getting married. We live in Newtown now. We have 2 boys, Ryan is 21 and Ethan is 18. Both boys are in college right now. It was an adjustment for sure having both boys away at school this year.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career.
I have been working in flooring for 26 years. I have a degree in interior design with a minor in fine arts. I also used to be trained for the national kitchen and bath association. After college I started looking for a job, but of course had limited experience. I found a job in Bryn Mawr that was looking for someone that could read blueprints, and had an eye for design and color. I gained a lot of great experience there. After that, I switched to another local company and worked there for about 7 years gaining even more experience. I went on to a third flooring company after that and loved it! I would have never left, but unfortunately the owner passed away and the widow did not want to keep the company. At my very first job I gained a lot of commercial experience. My second job gave me experience in home construction. I was going out and taking measurements a lot of the time. At my third job I got to do a little bit of everything. I worked with the builders, the new home constructions, commercial, residential, everything! This gave me so much valuable experience for my current job working in sales at Floor Coverings International. I started there in 2010. Now I get to work one on one with clients and often get to go into their homes to see the full picture. I love getting to educate clients on different products and walking them through these big decisions. We have special programs that let people virtually see the floor they want into a photo of the room to get an idea of what it will look like. It is cool to see the whole story click for people or helping them play with different looks.
I am involved in several networking groups. I sit on the Women in Business committee at the Lower Bucks Chamber. I am on the sub committee for events the Women in Business committee has. I am also the co-chair for the contractor committee of the Lower Bucks Chamber. I am on the membership committee of a business networking group called BNI, Bucks County Women’s Round Table, and more. I am passionate about meeting people, networking with people, and making connections for people in my network.
Q: What do you love most about what you do?
I love that I have so much flexibility in my job. As a mom I loved being present for my kids games and different events while also working full time. I have a fantastic boss who allows me so much flexibility and also plays to my strengths so I can do what I am best at. I love creating a whole package for a customer and walking them through their decision making. I will often help them by bringing paint samples to our meetings so we can get the full picture of the space. This also ties back to my interior design degree.
Q: What is a “Must do” for someone visiting our community?
We love Tyler State Park in the summer. I love to hike on the weekends. I also love the towpath in Washington Crossing. Every once in a while my friend and I will walk the path all the way from Washington Crossing to New Hope. It is a distance, but we make a day of it by getting lunch and enjoying New Hope for a bit while we are there.
Q: What are your favorite local restaurants?
I love Chinese food. Our favorite place to go is Hong Kong Pearl in Langhorne. I also like going into Philly and trying places in Chinatown. We also enjoy the Mexican restaurant Cancun in Langhorne. That is our family go to.
Q: Where is the best place you have traveled and where are you dying to go?
We are a big Disney family. It is my favorite place in the world! We go every other year and have been since my youngest was 8 months old. We also love cruises. I really want to go to Israel, Egypt, and Greece at some point.
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
I love a good sitcom. I love Friends, Big Bang Theory, and shows like that. I like a show to make me laugh and not be too heavy. I also really enjoy Hallmark Channel and Rom Coms.
Q: What are some of your hobbies?
I love going to the gym. I try to go 4ish times a week. I also love cooking. I will sit down on a Saturday and just watch cooking shows for hours. I cook 6 nights a week and I love it! Cooking to me is my sacred time where I decompress.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
Never say no, never take no as an answer. Even though never saying no can wear yourself thin, by never saying no you are open to so many opportunities and adventures that you have not had before.
Q: What is your favorite band or music genre?
I love country music. My favorite country artist is Garth Brooks and my favorite song is Friends in Low Places.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
I will probably still be working at that point. Hopefully slowing down at least a little bit.
Q: What is something interesting that even your friends or family may not know about you?
I hit the glass ceiling at work. I was the first woman in company history since 1978 to hit over a million dollars in sales in a single year. I was also the first woman sales person to make it to the president’s circle and get the president’s award at convention. These are both things I am very proud of.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My kids. I want my kids to see me succeed because it will drive them to want to succeed. If they see me pour my passion, time and dedication into something hopefully they will be inspired to do the same.
Q: What are a few of your favorite smells?
Freshly cut wood, strawberries, and the beach.
Q: What words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Gatherings, family, and coziness.
Q: Where can people find you or your business?
Floor Coverings International of Cherry Hill
5 North Olney Ave, Suite 100A
Cherry Hill NJ 08003
(o) 215-757-3377 (c) 215-901-6221
jennifer@cherryhillfci.com