Visibility, authenticity and advocacy essential for women to advance—and for the industry to thrive
Pictured (left to right): Lakisha A. Woods, CAE, CEO, NGA; Sheronda L. Carr, CEO, NAWIC; Stefanie Couch, founder, Grit Blueprint
The 2025 Women in Glass + Fenestration breakfast and panel on November 6 at GlassBuild America in Orlando brought together industry leaders and professionals for an empowering morning of candid conversation about the challenges and opportunities facing women in the glass and fenestration sector. Held at the NGA Main Stage, the event featured keynote speaker Stefanie Couch, founder of Grit Blueprint, who shared her personal journey of resilience and authenticity, followed by a dynamic panel discussion with Sheronda L. Carr, CEO of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), and Lakisha A. Woods, CAE, CEO of the National Glass Association (NGA).
The overarching message was clear: women must step into visibility, embrace their unique stories and advocate for themselves—not just for personal advancement, but as a critical strategy for ensuring the industry's future sustainability in the face of an aging workforce and evolving market demands.
From Fired to Fearless
When Couch, founder of Grit Blueprint, took the stage at a major industry conference three years ago, she was facing 600 attendees as a panelist alongside accomplished executives. But two days earlier, she had been fired from her job as director of sales. Standing before the audience with her former employer's logo displayed behind her, Couch had to make a choice: hide the truth or show up authentically.
"In my weakest moment, when I had just had the biggest failure of my career, and I literally had no idea what I was gonna do, I decided that I was going to stand up and be seen," Couch recalled.
The experience crystallized Couch's core message about visibility and authenticity. "If you want to do something big, you got to get out there and go play with the big boys and girls and do crazy stuff sometimes," she told the Women in Glass + Fenestration audience. She challenged attendees to stop "heads down thumbs up, just waiting for somebody to pop my thumb down and take me." Instead, she urged them to identify what makes them unmistakable and use it deliberately.
Her call to action was direct and uncompromising: "Choose to be seen, choose to be known, and choose to be chosen. Stop hiding your light." Couch emphasized that courage comes before confidence, and that starting before you're ready is the only path forward. "You are not an imposter, though. You're just inexperienced. So just keep showing up, and then you will be experienced."
Women's Leadership Is a Business Imperative
Carr and Woods brought decades of combined association leadership experience to the Women Leaders Panel during the Women in Glass + Fenestration event. Both leaders emphasized that elevating women in construction and glass industries isn't just about equity—it's about survival. "We need women in order for the construction and the glass industries to have long-term sustainability," Carr stated.
Woods, who has worked across multiple construction sectors throughout her 20-year career, framed the issue in stark demographic terms. "Women are 51 percent of this country. So, we are 51 percent of the working population, and if you don't encourage women to be a part of your team, if you don't make a space for them, not just to hire them into your company, but to make them feel welcome to provide an environment where their voice is valued, then this industry and all the construction industry will have a problem or be taken over by robots," she said. The aging workforce crisis makes women's participation not optional, but essential.
Both leaders stressed the importance of women advocating for themselves and building their personal brands. "When you are in a role, make sure that you're an expert in that role, so people can remember you. Your personal brand is extremely important. Whether you think that people are looking at you or recognizing you, they are so show up as your best self always," Carr advised. When asked how women should approach asking for what they want, her answer was direct: "Just do it. I mean, you have to advocate for yourself. No one's going to do it for you. No one's going to give you a handout."
Woods emphasized the ripple effect of visibility, encouraging women to share their stories publicly. "If you are promoting yourself, no one else will, and you're going to inspire someone who you don't even realize," she explained. "You're not doing it for you, you're doing it for another woman who's watching you on LinkedIn and doesn't even know that they can do this. And when they see it, then they do." Carr agreed: "The Next Generation, they are relying on your stories. We have Girl Scouts. We have other young people who need to see women in these roles in these spaces because they're going to have to replace us."