Binswanger Recognizes a Rising Star on International Women’s Day

The team at Binswanger Glass couldn’t be more proud to recognize Riley Robinson, Binswanger’s Dallas/Fort Worth customer care center manager for 2022 International Women’s Day. “When the job was first presented to me, I was nervous,” says Robinson. “It was something different. It kind of worried me at first. After the first week or two, it was a complete game-changer.”

“It wasn't anything that I was expecting,” says Robinson. “I love having the opportunity to work from home. I'm at the branch one or two times a week, but I get to spend a little bit more time with my family because I live 90 minutes away from the Dallas area. It is working out great and has made life much simpler working from home.”

Finding a flexible job

After graduation, Robinson started her career at a local call center and then moved to become a service advisor at a Mazda dealership. “That was a wonderful job; however it was too much time, and my son was only one. I wanted to find a more stable job where I could spend more time with my family.”

“I was introduced to the automotive industry through Mazda before I came to Binswanger in September 2016,” says Robinson. “My dad and uncle have been in the glass industry most of their careers and they liked it. My dad was an employee of Binswanger at the time. I wanted a fresh start somewhere more challenging than the industry I was in.”

Being part of the team

“We have to do a lot of problem-solving,” says Robinson. “We brainstorm solutions on how we're going to quote the job or how the job's going to be set. You have to be a hard-working person who is dedicated to learning new skills. You must be self-motivated, especially working from home. Even though I am the manager, I still take care of phone calls and daily sales as well. I set my goal for the day, and I need to meet it. If I don't meet it, I ask myself ‘What can I do differently in order to achieve my goal?’"

Robinson believes you're never going to be able to get anywhere if you don't have teamwork. “I have a strong team that works with me. You succeed in life through working with other people, not just trying to do everything by yourself.”

“I want to better myself and go further in my career,” says Robinson. “That's what I'm here to do. I want to continue to move up the ladder. I don't want to just be stuck in one position. I've already played a lot of different roles throughout the company in customer service rep, auto glass, and contract administration. I’ve even presented to the board of directors.”

Women leaders in the industry

“Tiffany Brown and Jennifer Brereton are great examples of the many woman leaders throughout Binswanger,” says Robinson. “This is not just a man's industry. This is something that anybody can do if they are willing to put in the hard work and dedication to the job. Binswanger's doing a great job of recruiting more women.”

“I try to make things better for everyone throughout the company, especially if there are problems that may occur,” says Robinson. “I want to make sure that I go above and beyond to help all of our branches to work together as a team and not against each other.”

“Having Riley as an up-and-comer in our organization is exactly what we need,” says Jennifer Brereton, director of marketing for Binswanger Glass. “Our industry needs more women like Riley and her positive attitude helps attract other positive women. She embodies leadership values and inspires others to step out and try something new. Sometimes you have to take a chance and put your neck out there, even if you're nervous to get to that next opportunity.”

“People may think that women are less knowledgeable than men,” says Robinson.
“Men and women both want to succeed but you feel like you have to work harder to prove yourself. As a woman, especially a younger woman, it is hard to sometimes, because I haven't been in the industry a super long time. Acceptance, trust, and building out that trust amongst some of the older generation is a big deal.”

“Even if it's more of a male-dominated industry, I’m not going to let that stop me,” says Robinson. “I can do anything I want to do as long as I put my mind to it and I put in the hard work that is required to get it done. The industry is opening up more to have more women leaders.”