In 2019, PHCPPros launched the “Millennials On The Move” honorary listing. The listing was created to shed light on what is now the largest generation in the workforce, while also starting bigger conversations on topics such as industry recruiting, talent retention, leadership development and more. 

We recently expanded that conversation outside of the annual print feature with our monthly “Millennials On The Move” e-newsletter, showcasing the spirit and drive from young professionals in the PHCP-PVF industry all year round. 

Although these monthly spotlights are usually only available online, we wanted to give our print readers a peek at some of the stories we’ve shared recently. In this month's issue, we introduce you to four individuals – each uniquely making their mark. 

PHCP Millennial On The Move Jessica Schussler
showroom manager at The Kitchen + Bath Design Studio,
a division of Lion Plumbing Supply Inc.

PHCPPros: How did you get into the PHCP industry?

I love when people ask me what I do and I tell them, “I sell luxury plumbing.” They look bewildered at my excited smile and sparkle in my eyes. But for real, unless you’re “in the biz” and you get it, there really isn’t a whole lot that the average person thinks is glamorous about the PHCP industry. Usually people assume I’m related to the owner or in the family, but the truth is I just got incredibly lucky. One of my best friends got me an interview after finding out that Lion was looking for someone to help with answering phones and managing light clerical work. Within my first year of working for Lion, our Showroom Manager Loly Becerra — an industry icon, especially in Southern Florida — decided she wanted to retire. So, they asked if I wanted to give the showroom a try. I hadn’t ever even been inside of our showroom and I was not a salesperson, but I was grateful to learn something new and have an opportunity to cultivate what has now, nine years later, become a career I don’t ever see myself leaving.

PHCPPros: What have been some of your career highlights so far?

Last year’s featured article on Millennials On The Move for PHCPPros is the biggest and by far the most humbling for me, as well as when I helped start the NextGen group within Luxury Products Group (LPG), which is probably thanks to my first article in The Wholesaler as part of the Generation: Next! feature back in the beginning of 2015.

PHCPPros: Are you affiliated with groups and organizations in the PHCP industry?

We are very proud to be a member of both LPG and the American Supply Association (ASA). I’m incredibly fortunate to be a part of ASA’s Women In Industry program.

PHCPPros: Do you have any mentors in the PHCP industry or otherwise?

Oh, for sure! For helping me cultivate my passion for this industry and for my career, I have to thank our vice president at Lion Plumbing Supply, Sheri Newman. She’s the epitome of a #BossBabe and #GOALS. She is so much more than a mentor, she’s just a great human, friend, and boss, too!

For my love of all things showroom and #PrettyPlumbing, I have to thank my predecessor, Loly Becerra. She taught me almost everything I know about my actual job — from selling and managing the showroom to so many of the industry introductions she’s made for me over the years. I’m forever grateful for her friendship and all of her help.

And finally, for opening my eyes to bigger horizons and exposing me to the decorative plumbing world beyond my showroom, Jeff MacDowell, the director of LPG. Jeff has been so helpful and motivating, as well as always warm and welcoming to me, from Day 1. His plate is so full and he is so busy, yet he always makes time for the biggest or smallest problem you have, and he will give you sarcasm or a joke and a smile to go with it. I think most of us in the buying group want to be Jeff when we grow up, so that’s definitely a mentor, right? 

PHCPPros: Do you consider yourself a mentor?

I never really thought about it, but I guess I am. I think with my help bringing the NextGen committee to LPG, I inadvertently became the name and the face that the others associated with it. I suppose I helped mentor some of the less experienced members. 

Last spring, we were very fortunate to find Bernabeth Blanco (Berna) who has spent the last year becoming a plumbing rockstar, and by that I mean she can sell your shoes back to your feet to you as an accessory for your bathroom. I am not a sales-driven person, but I love what I do and where I do it. My passion for this industry and what we do has been contagious with Berna, and it’s been fun and rewarding (both personally and professionally for our showroom) to watch it unfold — but I don’t think it’s something that can be taught. Once you see that spark in a “newbie,” you’re just as excited to help cultivate the perfect long-lasting flame!

PHCPPros: What does it mean for you to be featured as a PHCP Millennial On The Move?

Grateful. Honored. Humbled. This was the first accolade I was nominated and chosen for, and I couldn’t have been featured with a better group of people. I am so fortunate to have the opportunities I’ve been given to network and become true friends with so many wonderful people who have helped me in my career and afforded me so many opportunities like the PHCP feature. I am so blessed

PHCP Millennial On The Move
Lexi Sullivan
kitchen and bath design expert for Immerse 

PHCPPros: How did you get into the PHCP industry?

I grew up in the industry with a master plumber for a dad, who owns several companies in the St. Louis area. I went to college in Chicago at the Art Institute of Chicago for Design. Obviously, Immerse was the perfect fit for me. After all, plumbing is truly both form and function.

PHCPPros: What have been some of your career highlights so far?

Being featured in STL Design Magazine for a project with a female architect, Ann Wimsatt with Cite-Works Designs, and being featured on the cover of The Luxury Report magazine in June 2019.

PHCPPros: Are you affiliated with groups and organizations in the PHCP industry?

Yes — Luxury Products Group (LPG) and LPG NextGen FLEX (Future Leaders and Entrepreneurs Exchange) as well as the Decorative Plumbing & Hardware Association (DPHA). 

PHCPPros: Do you have any mentors in the PHCP industry or otherwise?

My mentor would be the leading expert in the kitchen and bath industry with decades of experience, Immerse founder, Leigh Suffian. She grew up in the industry in her family’s company, Atlas Supply, and is the third generation to run the successful company. Leigh lives her philosophy, strict business to business sales. Involvements and achievements include such honors as 2020 Top Women Business Owner - St. Louis, sitting on the LPG Advisory Board, and Waterworks Showroom of the Year for 2017 and 2018. When I asked her what her biggest accomplishment was, she stated she feels most proud of assembling such a respected group of individuals that have made such an impact on the greater St. Louis designer and builder businesses. Her advice is to be ever evolving; Immerse was born during the recession in 2011 and has continued to thrive during the pandemic of COVID-19.

Anne Kelleher is another mentor who has played a huge role in my success in the industry. I started off as her assistant and learned everything I know from her. She is one of the most talented sales people I have ever encountered. She worked beside me, helping me to help her. Not only was I working my butt off, but I was being combed into what my company needed. Like the Karate Kid, “Wax on, wax off.” She never made me lesser than her, but instead an extension of her success.

PHCPPros: Do you consider yourself a mentor?

As a member of LPG NextGen, we work to aspire and educate ourselves and other people breaking into the industry. Our mission is to shape the future of the luxury plumbing, lighting, and hardware industry by empowering the next generation(s) of emerging leaders. We provide fresh and valuable insight to help educate new and veteran professionals for the members of LPG. 

PHCPPros: What does it mean for you to be featured as a PHCP Millennial On The Move?

For me, being featured as a PHCP Millennial On The Move means another platform to inspire others to be a part of such an amazing and forever-thriving industry. In this day of instant gratification, the younger generations are switching jobs every one to three years — but why? While generations before us are retiring with 20-plus years with the same company. I think promoting and growing such an essential career path is extremely important. 

PHCP Millennial On The Move

Brandon Goldstein
general manager of  Woodhill Supply Inc.

PHCPPros: How did you get into the PHCP industry?

My entry into the PHCP-PVF industry is a long and winding road to which fate ultimately played a key role. I grew up spending time hanging out in my grandfather’s local hardware store where I learned the value of hard work. I got into music and entertainment, where I spent the next two decades conquering the audio industry. Playing in bands, getting an entertainment degree, touring the world with superstars, record labels, studios, and much more. I had my fun, learned lots and decided I needed change in order to start a family. I simultaneously got married, had a child, started grad school for business, and changed careers into the PHCP-PVF industry, joining Woodhill Supply Inc. as a third-generation family supply house. From my family’s local hardware store to a regional wholesale distributor, I was destined to be here.

PHCPPros: What have been some of your career highlights so far?

My entire journey thus far has been a highlight, as I have been passed the torch and tasked with honoring our 62-year heritage of serving our customers. I have been extremely proud to reduce our carbon footprint while simultaneously growing the organization and rebuilding our brand.

PHCPPros: Are you affiliated with groups and organizations in the PHCP industry?

Yes — American Supply Association (ASA), North Central Wholesalers Association (NCWA), Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC), Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), IMARK, and Luxury Products Group (LPG).

PHCPPros: Do you have any mentors in the PHCP industry or otherwise?

My team, first and foremost. Customers, vendors, and even other supply houses have all been paramount in my career. I have a passion for learning and find inspiration and mentorship from my entire peer network. Outside of the industry I look to family and friends for guidance. The best mentorship is not always business related.

PHCPPros: Do you consider yourself a mentor?

Absolutely, we are all mentors and must represent ourselves as such. Often, we are unaware that we are even mentoring, however that is usually when it matters most. I always try to be my best self. I would describe my mentoring style as servant-leadership.

PHCPPros: What does it mean for you to be featured as a PHCP Millennial On The Move?

I am honored to have been nominated by my peer network for my contribution to the industry. I strive to do both good for our professional community as well as promote good practices to sustain our advancing world. I hope my leadership approach shows that we can experience success and use sustainable business practices while leveraging technology and a traditional business approach, so future generations will benefit from our accomplishments. 

PHCP Millennial On The Move

Kevin Schink
Saniflo regional sales manager for the Northeast U.S. territory 

PHCPPros: What is your current professional role?

I have been a regional sales manager for five years now and have worked in many areas around the country. I recently settled in the Northeast — where I’m from, where I’m currently based, and where our products have great success. 

PHCPPros: What have been some of your career highlights so far?

The year 2020, although difficult in many aspects, has been a bit of a career highlight for me, as well as our company. We were directly involved in the COVID-19 emergency response, where our products were used to transform expo centers and convention halls into alternate care facilities for coronavirus patients.

Specifically, I helped add 30 wash centers in the NJ Expo Center in March and April, using some of our uniquely capable pumps. We also aided in adding bathrooms in temporary housing that was established for medical staff in the Northeast. 

It was chaotic and unconventional in how things were done, but we were able to scramble to assist in the treatment and recovery effort. It was good to be able to feel like a part of the solution. We have adapted well to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, and Saniflo is showing strong growth. I’d like to think that has something to do with the groundwork we’ve laid in the previous years, as well as having some outstanding leadership and products!

PHCPPros: Are you affiliated with groups and organizations in the PHCP industry?

I’m affiliated with multiple Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC) chapters in my territory, as well as the Modular Building Institute (MBI). The MBI meetings and shows are always a highlight for the year, with lots of great and innovative stuff in the modular industry. I’m also a member of a couple of Facebook groups for plumbing industry professionals — mostly plumbers and contractors. It’s great to see what they deal with daily, and it’s helped me learn a lot while also allowing me to help them with Saniflo-specific issues. 

PHCPPros: Do you have any mentors in the PHCP industry or otherwise?

I promise this isn’t sucking up, but I would say our senior leadership at Saniflo: CEO Regis Saragosti and West Coast Regional Sales Director Chris Peterson would be my mentors within the industry. They formulate strategies, implement them, and follow up. This has helped me tremendously in doing the same in my territories. They are still young themselves, so maybe they won’t want to be dubbed as mentors (think Mr. Miyagi), but I was very young when I started, and that aspect was influential for me: Like, “Look where they are now. I can be there soon if I follow their lead.” 

Also, I’ve worked with many great reps across the country that I learned a lot from in terms of this industry and in general. 

PHCPPros: Do you consider yourself a mentor?

I do not consider myself a mentor at the moment, but I’m not sure that’s for me to decide. I’ve only recently had someone within Saniflo working under me, and I try to pass along as much knowledge as possible to him and share what was passed down to me. But, I consider myself more of a leader than a mentor. I think a mentor title has to be earned; I hope to be considered one in the years to come. 

PHCPPros: What does it mean for you to be featured as a PHCP Millennial On The Move?

It means a lot because my superiors thought to nominate me. I believe that is a significant honor. In terms of the millennial part, I hope to be judged by the scope of my work, what my coworkers and reps think about working with me, and not by my age. 

It is not a millennial-dense industry, so I understand I may be representing more than myself when dealing with people. But I don’t really think about it, and I try to be myself. Any recognition, although not expected, is always nice, and it does feel good to be featured!