I had the privilege of speaking with Ellen Rohr, Co-founder & President of the Zoom Drain Franchise, about her story and where we are as a society, and as a woman in our industry. We discussed what she hopes to see in the future, and some advice to those looking to make strides.

When Rohr reflects on her journey into the drain cleaning industry, she acknowledges that it wasn't the path she envisioned for herself. "I was married to a plumber, like a lot of women in the industry, it really wasn't what I figured I would be doing," she begins. "We are either born into it or married into it and trying to find a place."

If you are unfamiliar with Rohr’s backstory, her husband, Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr, and his business partner owned a plumbing company in Park City, Utah. His partner was under a lot of stress and was working so hard that he essentially worked himself into an early grave. “He died when he was thirty-three, you know you go through life and you have these take away moments, and that was one. So many people give up their relationships or their good health for their business. I am not saying I haven’t sacrificed both at times, but you do want to watch for that. That’s how I got into it - I didn't really want anything to do with it at first, because we weren't making any money, it was a pain in the ass, it was a hot mess, and my husband didn't really want to do it either. And I said, well let me at least figure out the money part and see if we could get ourselves out of debt and we will go from there. And that was really the beginning of our journey.”

However, amidst the chaos, Rohr, found solace in the wisdom of mentors. "I had some great mentors along the way who taught me my asset from my elbow, how to keep score. It was like being born again. I had a degree in business administration, but I didn't know how to functionally run a business." Recognizing the importance of aligning personal aspirations, Rohr and her husband decided to pursue their own business ventures. "You have to be on the same page," she explains. "We decided to not work together; we went off to do our own thing. You have a responsibility to do what you want to do and not impose your dreams on someone else."

Rohr, taking the knowledge she had received, authored four books, "I'd written four books, really because I would have given my right arm for these books along my way." She stated, "I really like teamwork, it's just my personality." After they moved to Missouri, she still had that itch to run a bigger business. "I really wanted to see if I could do it. I have learned through the years that when you get really clear on your intention, things come from the right or left that you could not have even planned. Over and over in my life, that has been evidenced—at the end of the day intention trumps action all day long. When you know what you want, you can say no to things you don't want, and keep yourself open for things that fit. I knew I wanted to run a bigger business, but I had no idea how I was going to make that happen. And then I got the opportunity to start Benjamin Franklin, the Punctual Plumber," which started in 2001. That business grew to 47 locations in just under 2 years

Her journey has been defined by optimism and resilience. "When things are going south, I always think, oh the adventure begins," she says. "There is so much opportunity on the other side of hardship. I have a big bubbly personality, but optimism doesn't have to manifest like that. When I look at all the business owners that I know, who are successful, in their own measure, optimism is a characteristic. That is something to nurture. Do what is in your hula hoop - there is a lot to do in your hula hoop and don't spend time on things that are beyond your control. You don't have to waste time talking about things that are outside the hula hoop, it makes for a much more productive and sane way to approach it."

Rohr reflects on what it means to be a woman in a man dominated field, "Throughout my life, I have aways been a remote player, I have had family to take care of. I've never really gone to the office, in some ways, you can stay under the radar a little bit, a lot of stuff you don't have to deal with if you aren't in it all the time. I was naive in many ways, now I see a much greater responsibility on our parts to do better." She emphasized, "Just being a woman in the industry, I mean yay me… but I don't think I have done nearly enough. I don't think I have even got started on what I can personally do to help increase diversity in our industry." She went on to say, "When it comes to women in the industry - there are women out there doing much grosser jobs than cleaning a drain or sewer. Being a mother is grosser than this, being a nurse is a traditionally woman centric role, but that is a really gross job. There are a lot of parallels between nursing and drain cleaning and you aren't even attached to the person at this point, so it can be a lot less stressful, and yet the impact on our society is equally as great. You are keeping good water from bad water, preventing disease, it is honorable, profitable work."

Looking ahead, Rohr remains committed to supporting others in their journey. "For women in the industry, or anyone in the industry really, it's all about relationships," she affirms. "Be kind, be nice, be loving. Assume everyone is doing their best." She challenged a phrase we have probably all have heard at one point, "Do what you love, and the money will follow… is not true. Do what you love and figure out how to make money. Get really clear on what you want." She said she had just read an advanced copy of a new book coming out this Fall, called "No One Is Coming to Save You", by Scott Mann, which she said is a must read. "You have to figure it out, no one else will for you."

When asked for advice for women specifically, Rohr said, "Always figure out your money. What’s a balance sheet, what’s a profit and loss. Find someone who knows and have them mentor you. Pay for it, or trade for it - don't hesitate to do that. Know where the money is, know where it goes." When asked how she was aligned with such great mentors, Rohr said, “I will call anybody, I will ask them how they did it and ask what books you read? I tried to be of service, and I did that repeatedly. If I read a book and I thought it was great, I would figure out how to reach the author and get to know them, you are always six degrees from anybody. When you develop your network of mentors, you’ll help them out too. No one has everything figured out. Even if their business is amazing, there is always a way to be of service to another.” She also stated that she learned from a book "Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman", by Gail Evans, to "Understand how the game is played. If you are invited to a big meeting, just go to the meeting. Do not ask why. Just go to the meeting. Figure out how the game is played, but you don't have to play by the rules. One of the rules I changed is that I will cry every day. I don't care if people think it is professional or not. I am a crier, I am a laugher, and I don't care if anyone thinks that is inappropriate. It's just me." 

Despite being a very successful founder, president, and face in the drain cleaning industry, she still faces sexism and challenges, Rohr said, "There is still people to this day, who I will say to my partner, he is not going to hear me, because I am a woman, you will have to go in on this one. And that is too bad." Rohr believes in forging ahead and lending a hand to others. "Sexism is alive and well," she acknowledges. "It's brutal out there. There are strides to be made, it's knowing that it is happening, and not letting it become the obstacle to what you want. Just go over, under, around, or through, and then find ways to lend a hand to other women as they are coming up."

In conclusion, Rohr's story serves as a testament to the power of resilience, mentorship, and advocacy. "It is unfortunate that we are still dealing with straight out racism and sexism in life and in business," she says. "But there are moments to do the right thing inside your hula hoop. Look for that moment to do better, be better."