When your gas furnace, heat pump or air conditioner is keeping your family comfortable, it’s easy to forget that a team of people is dedicated to manufacturing that piece of equipment. One of these key people is Cinderella Sebit, Materials Manager for Goodman.
It may have all started in the checkout line at a grocery store, but Goodman’s Cinderella is proof that with hard work, consistency and opportunity, dreams can be achieved.
The Raw Materials
Cinderella grew up in Alexandria, Egypt with her South Sudanese parents before moving to Houston, TX at the age of 15.
How did you get the name Cinderella?
“Everyone in my family, including my five siblings, has an interesting name. My dad thought it would be unique, so that is what he named me!”
What was your first job and what did you learn from it?
“Other than volunteer work, my first real job was at 16 years old as a cashier at Randall’s Grocery. It was at the checkout line where I really learned how to interact with people. With a name like Cinderella, people would wait in my line so they would get to talk to me! I had a lot of customers who just wanted to talk with me. I hadn’t interacted with people like that before!”
What path led you to HVAC?
“I didn’t seek out to work in HVAC, but I started as an assembler at the cooling plant. I worked in that position for three years. I learned to braze (a metal-joining process) and worked on different product assembly lines. It was a great introduction to manufacturing.”
The Journey
You have worked with Goodman for 15 years. How did your career evolve from that first position? “Goodman was starting up a team at the cooling plant to explore how to improve manufacturing processes. I like to challenge myself, so I applied! I got the job and was offered a spot on the new Lean Team. We worked with engineers, observed assembly methods, and discussed ideas that would make the manufacturing process more efficient. I did that for three years and learned a lot.”
“But then Abby Lawrence (the current Vice President of Manufacturing) started a new Management Preparation Program. That program identified plant employees that had management potential. I wanted to grow professionally, and being accepted into the program gave me the opportunity for the growth that I wanted. We went through 3 months of extensive training. We attended classes to learn people skills, leadership skills, and different systems. We even went to Houston Community College to take writing classes.”
“If someone gives you a chance, you have to work hard to prove yourself.”
“At the end of the 3-month program, we had to present a process improvement project to senior management using all of the skills that we learned in the program. It was one of the best professional experiences I ever had. I used all of the information from my Problem Solving class to introduce a new air conditioner louver. The ideas were actually implemented at the plant! It was very rewarding.”
Who is your personal hero?
“Abby Lawrence, the current Vice President of Manufacturing! She took a chance on me for the management program. She taught me a lot. If someone gives you a chance, you have to work hard to prove yourself after that. If you are never given a chance, you will never have the opportunity to prove yourself. I think that I am the person I am today because of her.”
A Day in the Life of…
What is your favorite part of your job and why?
“I like being in the materials department because every day is a different day! I like that because I like challenges.”
What is the biggest misconception that people have about you?
“A lot of people think I am really tough and scary! I have had to develop that over the years. But what most people don’t know is that immediately after high school, I went to cosmetology school for three semesters. I don’t consider myself a girly-girl, but I can do hair and makeup! If someone meets me on the manufacturing plant floor, they would never know that I have that skill!”
What words describes how you work?
“Consistent! I am committed to doing a good job and try to lead by example.”
It's All About the People!
What do you do for fun?
“I have two boys, and they are my hobby! Being a working mom, I don’t have a lot of free time. But, I have tried to focus on working out four to five times a week and serving at my church. That’s the time that I take for myself. I also like to cook!”
If you could go on a trip with any person, who would you choose and where would you go?
“I would take my mom on a European trip. I haven’t been to Europe yet!”
What apps, software, or tools can’t you live without?
“Facebook! I have childhood friends and family all over the world. I like to interact with my Egyptian friends. I am also connected with a lot of people from my family’s community in South Sudan who live all over the U.S.”