The Mom Who Gets Stuff Done: Gwen's Path to Sales Leadership

Where Gwen saw her life and career as a series of unrelated events, her manager saw grit and determination. Gwen has 25 years of coaching fastpitch and hockey, a degree in early childhood education, sales support and a decade of bartending. They’re not the credentials that typically show up on a résumé at a global HVAC company, but they’re uniquely what makes Gwen excel at her job. “My time bartending taught me listening and communication skills and teaching trained me to ask open-ended questions, which I apply in my current role to encourage customers to think differently about a problem.”  

Gwen doesn't sell. She teaches. 

“I came to realize that my job is less about selling and more about educating,” she says. “I don't walk into a customer knowing I'm going to sell them a specific chiller. I'm teaching them about what's out there: the legislation, the funding, the solutions we've implemented at 25 other schools. I get them thinking broader and bigger.” 

One example Gwen is particularly proud of is her project with Michigan’s Alpena Public Schools. The district had been assessed as needing roughly $112 million in infrastructure upgrades. After a failed attempt, voters approved a $34 million bond. The gap was enormous. 

That's where the trust Gwen had built came in. Through a guaranteed energy savings performance contract, her team brought in an additional $7.1 million in improvements, which resulted in 11 buildings upgraded and over $375,000 in annual savings — all without relying on another trip to the ballot box. "In many ways, our role went beyond that of a traditional contractor or vendor,” she says. “We served as a trusted advisor, effectively acting as an owner's representative throughout the process.” 

But Gwen’s favorite moment in the Alpena project wasn’t the large sum she helped save her customers.  

“At our first-year follow-up, a new board member came up to thank us personally. His daughter had needed sunglasses indoors, but after we put in the lighting dimming solutions, she could wear regular glasses instead. It really improved her self-esteem and helped her feel like she fit in.” 

The value of an inside perspective for deeper understanding  

Moments like that resonate with Gwen precisely because she's been on the other side of the desk. She has a unique understanding of her customers’ experience. “Having worked in education myself, I understand the pressures schools face and the impact facility conditions have on students, staff and the whole community,” she says. 

This deep understanding helps her think well past the boiler room.  

“A lot of people don’t realize it, but declining birth rates and shrinking enrollment are facility problems waiting to happen.”  

“Some schools have all these buildings and 25% less students now than 10 or 15 years ago. So, they’re faced with 70-year-old buildings that haven't been upgraded, and they still need to attract new students, who have certain expectations.” 

Gwen’s ability to see the whole picture is also why her definition of sustainability isn't the one you'd expect. “For me, sustainability means: how does a campus sustain itself? What do they have to do to keep the lights on and the building comfortable? In some districts, a closed school means kids who don't get fed.” 

A team wired to win 

Of course, none of this important work is accomplished alone. “I couldn't do this job without my sales partner, Dean Weber, and the incredible support of our development and implementation team," Gwen says. "We're wired to win." Each person plays a vital role, but what makes the team click is how closely they pull together toward a shared purpose. "Every customer has unique goals, and we take pride in working collaboratively to support them at every step. Their goals become our purpose, and their mission becomes our mission."

That collaboration is possible, she says, because of the culture around it. She credits Trane Technologies with giving her the room to succeed. “The company has supported my career through meaningful work, strong collaboration and a lot of trust,” she says. “I’ve been able to learn from experienced teammates and take on challenges and risks that have helped me strengthen my strategic thinking.” It's an environment where relationship-building, teamwork and problem-solving are valued, "and that's helped me continue to develop professionally while doing work that makes a real difference."

“I love my job. Working on projects that make a difference in a community is incredibly motivating.”