Greta Bajrami, 31

Founder

Golden Group Roofing / Westborough, Mass.

2020 Revenue: $6.5 Million

A Transformative Moment: 

Realizing I was going to be a mother my freshman year in college shifted everything. I was no longer responsible just for good grades: I was responsible for raising a life. We were on welfare, living paycheck to paycheck, and there were moments where my partner and I didn’t think we were going to be together. Roofing saved me because it was the only industry that allowed me to blend in. Nobody really cared that I was a young mom.

Roofing saved me because it was the only industry that allowed me to blend in. Nobody really cared that I was a young mom.

The biggest turning point came one day in 2012. There’s a lot of stigma against women in the trades, and I was tired because people used to call me names, saying I wasn’t smart and that’s why I wanted to open a roofing company. Somebody had made a comment to me that day, 'Oh, I can’t believe that you failed again, just like when you thought you were making it because you were going to college.' That was the day where I decided to make my flaws a part of my story and own it. I’m doing incredible work. I’m worthy of this industry. I was able to let everybody know that they no longer held that power over me. The only name they could call me was my name, Greta Bajrami.

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