Lori Zertuche

I grew up watching my mother work hard, provide for our family, and create opportunities through determination and entrepreneurship. I saw early what it meant to start with what you have, work for something greater, and keep moving forward when the path wasn’t easy.

Becoming a mother at a young age gave those lessons an entirely different meaning.

Raising my daughter as a single mother taught me resilience, responsibility, sacrifice, and how much you’re capable of when giving up isn’t an option.

My daughter is my why. Like any mother, I want to give her the world. But beyond what I can give her, I want to give her a strong foundation for everything she will one day create for herself.

Part of that foundation is allowing her to witness the journey firsthand.

She’s seeing the highs and lows of entrepreneurship—the long days, the risks, the uncertainty, the mistakes, the growth, and the milestones. She’s seeing that it’s okay not to know exactly how something will work out before you begin.

There is value in chasing curiosity, dreaming bigger, and having faith through the unknown. At some point, you have to have the courage to turn the vision into action.

That’s the example I hope to leave her with: to see possibilities beyond what’s expected and have the faith and determination to pursue them—even while she’s still figuring out the way forward.

My older brother, Stephen Zertuche, opened the door to an industry I never expected to enter.

Growing up, our dad was known for his charisma, positive energy, and ability to make almost anyone feel at ease. He spent much of his career in sales, but what stayed with me wasn’t simply his ability to sell.

People were drawn to him. They trusted him. Whether there was a sale to make or not, he was the same person.

Years later, while shadowing Stephen during my introduction to roofing, I recognized that same quality in my brother.

The confidence. The energy. The rapport. He knew his craft, believed in what he was doing, and had a natural way of earning people’s attention and trust.

That ignited a spark in me.

For the first time, I could see myself in this industry.

Stephen became one of my first teachers and mentors in roofing. From there, I hit the ground running. I spent countless hours learning wherever I could find the time—during breaks, after work, at night, and on weekends.

I wasn’t interested in simply learning how to sell roofing.

I wanted the knowledge behind the confidence.

I wanted to understand the products, installation, process, and the difference between work that’s simply completed and work that’s completed correctly.