October 27, 2014
2014 Outstanding Women in Business: Susan Mailman, President, Coghlin Electrical Contactors and Coghlin Network Services
Susan Mailman is the fourth-generation owner of a family business that's 130 years old. She's also actively involved outside the office: a trustee for Reliant Medical Group, and board memberships at the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce and Worcester Business Development Corp. In 2012, she was elected to the board of directors of the foundation at Quinsigamond Community College.
Who is your most influential role model, and why?
My mother's mother, Helen Logan, was an influential figure in my life. She had a strong personality: She worked at the statehouse in Rhode Island, she was up to date with current affairs, she would engage in conversation around current affairs. She acted like it mattered. I always recall thinking that she was interested in what I was thinking. ... When I was 8, I did not understand that she was teaching those lessons. Grandparents have the wonderful position of being somewhat removed, able more to see the big picture and not get caught up in the day-to-day mistakes of young people.
What has helped you achieve success in your career?
Lots of mentors at the office and in the community. When I came to work in the family business, I did not do so with the eyes of running the business. I came to Coghlin's for a job. ...
Since then, many have helped me, supported me and encouraged me. People that I worked with at Coghlin's of my dad's generation were supportive of my efforts to succeed. There were probably one or two that inserted roadblocks, as they would tell you they were concerned about a woman in our industry, that she had an uphill climb. These are standard roadblocks. (But) far more people at Coghlin's and in the community were road builders: helping me personally and ultimately helping my company to the next level.
What's your primary motivator; or if there is one thing that makes you tick or ignites a passion within you, what is it?
I believe that all of us have to engage around being part of something bigger. Coghlin Electrical Contractors via various names has been in Worcester since 1885. ... We are proud of the work we do and the professionalism of our employees. ...
What roles have you played in your organization's efforts to give back to the community? Also, how do you give back to the community?
I've been fortunate to have been asked to do lots in the community, and I believe the act of saying yes when asked is how you give back. Our family has been involved with lots of different organizations – so, as each family member becomes engaged with the community, then we find our niche. I'm interested in technical training (and) ... in women's leadership development. So the YWCA has been an important organization for me. One of my first volunteer opportunities was with the United Way. I'm interested in being part of the effort to be efficient with the delivery of services that are so desperately needed.
When the stress level gets too high, how do you ease the pressure?
Take a walk. Have lunch with a colleague. Enjoy dinner out with my husband. Go into the office for 8 a.m. instead of 7 a.m.! ... I relieve stress by spending time with people that give me energy: my artsy friends, my artsy husband (although I'm not sure he'd agree with that title). I am not artsy at all, but I gravitate toward those imaginative types.
How have you tried to balance your career and your personal life? Please give an example or two.
My son Jeff died in 2007. He was 21. Coping with his death taught me a lot about balance.After such a traumatic event, you are not so capable of functioning at the level that you are used to – at home or at work – so you learn to balance what you are capable of and what you are not so great at. You learn to delegate and prioritize; you learn to lean on others.
Now, seven years later, I've done my best to hold onto some of that balance.
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