Reflections on growth, leadership and community

By The Coffee Shops®. 

In a recent letter, Christine Mockenhaupt shares firsthand insights into taking the leap and pushing yourself further.  

For many roofing professionals, growth often comes with a difficult decision: Staying comfortable or taking a chance on something new. That reality is something National Women in Roofing (NWIR) chair Christine Mockenhaupt knows firsthand. 

In 2025, Christine made a significant career move, leaving a long tenure in distribution. And earlier this year, that journey brought her to a new opportunity — joining Maven Roofing and Exteriors as chief operating officer. While she was thrilled to reach what had long been a personal goal, making the transition required stepping outside of her comfort zone and embracing the unknown. 

Reflecting on this, Christine wrote in a recent letter that taking that leap meant stepping away from the playbook. She shared, “One thing I’ve learned over these first three months is that leadership doesn’t always come with a playbook. Some days there’s a clear answer, and other days you have to rely on your network, trust your experience and figure it out together.” 

For roofing contractors, this lesson is as familiar as it is valuable. Whether navigating labor shortages, managing customer expectations or responding to unexpected project challenges, success rarely comes with a clear roadmapand instead depends upon having a strong network of industry professionals to lean on. 

Another lesson that Christine noted in her letter was the fact that “no company succeeds on its own.” It takes having all your employees, customers, manufacturers, distributors, subcontractors and service partners aligned with common goals and values to build a successful business that can deliver exceptional service and long-term results. At Maven Roofing and Exteriors, that central, uniting company value is simple — “Do good in all ways, always.” 

While simple on the surface, that principle reflects something many successful roofing contractors understand. It is easy to uphold company values when projects run smoothly and customers are satisfied. The true measure of a company's culture is revealed when problems arise. How a contractor responds to a warranty issue, supports a struggling employee or handles a difficult customer interaction often defines its reputation far more than a flawless project ever could. 

Those same values are reflected throughout the roofing industry, particularly through organizations like NWIR. As Christine put it:  

Our organization has grown because people continue to show up for one another. We mentor, volunteer, answer questions, make introductions and celebrate each other’s successes. We may all work for different companies, but we’re connected by the same belief that our industry is stronger when we lift each other up. 

Overall, Christine emphasized through this letter that importance of reflecting on your progress, and knowing when to take the leap. Her message is simple: Growth requires taking risks, leadership requires humility and success is rarely achieved alone. By embracing change, living out company values and supporting others in the industry, roofing contractors can continue building businesses — and a roofing community — that are stronger than ever.