Lisette Fiol, 35
Regional Sales Manager
Electri-Flex
Lisette started her career at Electri-Flex in 2014 in what was supposed to be a temporary receptionist position. “I was looking to make a career change after being in retail management for several years,” she recalled. “My thought was to be with Electri-Flex and answer phones for a little while until I determined what was next for me—not even knowing what flexible electrical conduit was!”
After a few months, Lisette started taking on more customer service responsibilities. “The more time I spent here and got to know the culture of being part of a family business, the more I enjoyed coming to work every day,” she said. “After a year or two, I became a customer service rep with a few domestic territory responsibilities in addition to handling all customer service and inside sales for our international business. As time went on and I worked more and more with our industry partners and learned what a great industry this was to be a part of, the more I wanted to stay.”
Lisette eventually moved into a dual sales and marketing role, taking on and assisting in marketing collateral and social media marketing before moving into a regional sales manager role in 2020. “I was able to travel into a couple of my territories for a few short months before the world shut down due to the pandemic and I had to learn the new position via Teams/Zoom,” she said.
Today—nine years after starting her “temporary” job—Lisette is responsible for a territory of 15 western states, and what appealed to her about Electri-Flex in those early years still rings true: “Electri-Flex values the people we work with, not just in our own organization but in the industry as a whole—it’s easy to see,” she noted.
Asked about a challenge the industry is currently facing—and potential solutions to it—Lisette pointed to the age/generation gap and the opportunity for diversity.
“I truly believe that if you invest in education and training and you are open and honest about possible career paths for these team members, we can slowly change and fill these gaps,” she said. “I do my best to communicate my history with Electri-Flex, how I have moved and climbed to where I am now. I take the time to speak with my warehouse/factory team, other customer service reps, as well as younger inside team members I may meet along the way in other organizations. Taking the time to learn about what motivates these team members and explaining the possible career opportunities can be crucial in ensuring growth and diversity, not just in a warehouse, but also in a front office. I bring up this industry when I meet people in restaurants and retail stores and talk to friends of friends. I have also become a part of Electri-Flex’s recruitment and retention committee to be able to do the same for my own organization as well, and I work toward paying forward everything my company has invested in me. It may seem small scale sometimes since I am only one person, but my hope is that the word will spread, and I might see this change or growth slowly but surely.”
As for her career goals, Lisette said her vision of her future with Electri-Flex is constantly changing. “I see so many ways I am able to learn and grow,” she explained. “For now, I will continue to do my best in every task I take on, continue to challenge myself to learn anything I can in my current role, and try to keep the orders coming in!”
What would Lisette tell someone just coming into the industry? “There is really a future here,” she said. “This industry doesn’t need to be just a ‘job’ you go to, but a place to build a career for yourself. The path may not be clear, you may not know everything right away, and future positions may not exist yet, but as the industry grows and changes there are multiple doors that you may be able to push open.
“There are a lot of great people in this industry,” she added, “and I’ve been lucky to have built relationships professionally that have turned into friends over the last few years. If you can find a mentor or someone to even just bounce your thoughts/ideas off, there are endless opportunities that you may be able to create for yourself as this industry continues to change for the better.”
Outside of work, Lisette can be found “spending time with family and friends trying whatever new restaurant has opened in the city, hanging by a pool/Lake Michigan, checking out whatever summer street fest is happening, or going to a baseball game (Go Cubbies),” she said. “Being from Chicago, we only get about three good months out of the year. During the cold months I enjoy traveling to a tropical location or somewhere where the sun is still shining!”
Each year tED magazine recognizes 30 of the industry’s best and brightest under the age of 35. Please visit tedmag.com/30Under35 for nomination information and updates about the 2024 program. Questions can be sent to tED Editor Misty Byers at mbyers@naed.org.
Tagged with 2023 30 Under 35, 30 under 35, people