When a business remains in the family for generations, you will likely feel a mix of pride and pressure to take over the company. After all, you probably have the same entrepreneurial drive and it can be a great way to jumpstart your career path. Should you start your own company or take over the family business? Both come with their own sets of pros and cons.
With more than 20 years of experience in the elevator industry; Veronica Querales has continued to demonstrate her expertise and passion for the business as Co-Founder and President of Kohtler Elevator Industries, Inc.
In 1993, Veronica began working in her family’s elevator service company while still in high school, working in many different positions from cleaner to general manager. Her current role as president, CEO, and co-founder of Kohtler Elevator Industries sees her take on many responsibilities, including providing strategic leadership for the company, working with management and employees, and establishing long-term goals, plans, and policies. She also identifies marketing opportunities and participates in educational opportunities and professional organizations.
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is how to face my fears, be grateful, and always go for your dreams. I now know I can achieve anything by asking questions, being creative, and working closely with the right people. I love new challenges — they’re opportunities that will help me grow and learn more.”
While continuing to work in the elevator industry, Veronica obtained a B.A. degree in Business Administration Management and Accounting and an Electrical Engineering degree from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico, along with an M.B.A. degree in Business Administration International Management from the University of Phoenix.
Throughout her professional career, Veronica’s biggest inspiration has been her father. While it was difficult to get over his passing, she has faced her fears of overtaking the company and has since become a successful businesswoman by following his example. Kohtler Elevator Industries is exporting their products to all USA, Caribbean and Virgin Islands. We received the certification of Nationals Women’s Business Enterprise and the nomination for the 2017 TOP Entrepreneurial Awards by Miami Chamber of Commerce’s.
What inspired you to take over the Kohtler Elevator Industries? What was going through your mind on that day?
My father was and continues to be my greatest personal, professional inspiration and inspiration for everything I do. Despite not having him with me physically, his light still shines my way.
Our dream was always to have an elevator manufacturing company in Miami. When my dad died, in my mind, there was a war of thoughts between what I should do and my stepping out of my comfort zone. It was between throwing away all the sacrifice of so many years or keeps fighting for that dream and move forward. One day I was about to close down the business. But then something clicked in me… more determined to keep the dream alive I could not be. Every negative thought that came to my mind transformed into positive. Every obstacle, I saw as an opportunity to learn to grow and learn even more of my industry. That moment was like Monique Hayward describes in her book “Divas Doing Business” as “
In your own words, what do you do?
My current role is President CEO and Co-Founder. I am responsible for providing strategic leadership for the company by working with the management and employees to establish long-range goals, strategies, plans and policies. I identify marketing opportunities by detecting consumer requirements and making sure that our clients receive the best quality in our products. I participate in educational opportunities and conferences and am a member of several professional organizations. I am always looking for new technologies to help us in manufacturing of our products. This enables us to work at our highest capacity and give our customer the best quality combined with the best lead time.
What fulfillment does being a business owner give you?
Balance in my life! I’m the owner of my time and that is the best thing ever! With me as a business owner and my husband as Field Manager in an elevator transactional company, we have been able to create that balance we need so we can be with our kids as much as possible. It is amazing how slowly I discovered that I could handle everything. I wake up early every morning (
What makes Kohtler Elevator Industries special?
We offer custom-made and standard elevator cabs, entrances, and doors of the highest quality in a wide variety of designs, structural variations and finishes.
What makes us special is that we can provide a faster lead-time in drawings and manufacturing time, delivering quality and easy to install products to our consumers. Our previous experience in the field has allowed us to be acquainted with the best manufacturers of quality products in the industry.
What are your goals currently? As in vision and mission? What problem are you trying to solve?
Every year we set new goals. For the next 4 years we want to increase our sales to 7-10 million dollars. Instead of have two work shifts, we will have a new 25,000 sqf space where we will have a single work shift. The vision of Kohtler Elevator Industries is to remain committed to providing the highest level of service to independent elevator contractors and design professionals, always remaining vigilant to produce the highest quality and safest product at the most competitive price with the best lead time. Our philosophy is to put our customers first and make sure they feel confident that they are buying a great product. Right now we are working on our marketing strategies to be able to get all the companies that provide service and install elevators and elevator inspectors to know our product and its high quality.
Who are your clients?
Kohtler Elevator Industries clients are mostly elevator companies that provide service and install new elevators. We also have some architecture and design companies. We deal business to business and always ensure that the final client is satisfied with the end product. We have many transnational companies and local companies all over the United States. We ship our products to all of the United States and export all over the Caribbean and Virgin Islands.
‘’A country that was not mine in an industry led by men full of paradigms towards women. There is that you have to fill with knowledge and know your product fully’’
Can you tell us what how you went through this? How do you see Kohtler Elevator Industries solving this issue?
I’ve come to realize that I should never be afraid to be a part of what is known to be “men’s work” and that I will gain respect based on
As Sharon Handary, the former executive director of the Center for Women’s Business Research once said: “Women business owners are changing the face of business, both literally and figuratively. The dynamic growth and expansion of women-owned business is one the defining trends of the past decade, and all indications are that it will continue unabated.”
What is your favorite part of being an entrepreneur?
Being a business owner has brought me many benefits. The most important one, I was able to create that balance of being a mom, wife and business professional. I have the flexibility to schedule my work. Participating in those important family events as a family means the world to me. Although I have to work long hours, but being self-disciplined, this is not a problem. I can make my own wealth, I determine my income. It takes a lot of hard work, but that hard work has paid off. I can work from almost anywhere and that is a huge benefit. I can work from almost any part of the world as long as I have access to the internet. Creating new products/services or processes to do things easier. One of my favorite benefits of being an entrepreneur…I love the brainstorming for new ideas, products, and services.
What 5 steps would you advise and give our ladies who starting their own business?
My 5 steps that I can give to those ladies starting a new business are:
- Define your WHY….why do have or want a business? Why is it important to you? Knowing this will help you be clear in every step of building your business.
- Set GOALS for your business
.. It’s really important those goals need to be specific, measurable and have a time limit. Setting your goals will help you create a solid plan to conquer your goals! - Have a plan for your Money… Businesses are made to make money… this not a hobby. Be careful when you risk your personal finances. It is imperative you know how much money you are willing to spend on the business before it funds itself.
- Get Operational—know the logistics and platform of your business. Think through the logistics. This will help to run it efficiently.
- Design your marketing strategies…. You need to know your branding and customers, think how do you want your customers to
know you. Who are your customers? This is your target market.
Have you always been entrepreneurial?
Yes!! I’m always thinking entrepreneurial. My mother tells stories about all the things my sisters (all who are entrepreneurs in this industry) and I would do as young girls to sell things from around that house so we could make money.
Tell us about your first entrepreneurial experience as a kid?
I sat down with my mom and sisters to come up with
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
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