Brianna Pone has developed Phoenix Window & Door into a family company. Owned by family, the firm hires families, too – husbands and wives, fathers and sons, cousins, aunts, and moms, said Pone. “In my experience, honest, hardworking people come from honest, hardworking families,” she said. “Phoenix Window & Door exists because of what I have been fortunate enough to learn from my parents’ experiences in business and life and I manage my business from the unique experiences that my life has given me thus far.”
Phoenix Window & Door specializes in residential window and door distribution and installation for multifamily and build-to-rent products in the greater Phoenix area. According to Pone, the firm is not a corporate entity. Instead, it’s a place where different people come together and invest their time every day to make something work well.
“My entrepreneurial path is my life, heavily influenced by my parents and some life and death personal tragedies that have shaped my philosophies on business, the economy, government and personal responsibility,” said Pone. “My mother raised me to find something I loved and work hard at it, but above all, become financially independent, and even though my mom has been gone 21 years, I keep her life lessons and goals mindful and try to find ways my business can be a foundation for personal growth, not just for me, but for our employees.”
These goals have prompted Pone to provide equal pay, covering 100% of employee healthcare premiums, offering a retirement plan with contributions and a helping hand so employees can overcome personal issues and grow to be independent. “We train and promote within to provide career paths,” she said. “We focus our charity and donations inward to our employees when they need it: personal loans, debt forgiveness, medical bills, addiction recovery, moving assistance, free company vehicle for use when needed, and holiday meals and holiday gifts.”
Under Pone’s leadership, the company has grown from three employees to 70 and has experienced significant growth – doubled three years in a row – during difficult times, including COVID, inflation and relocation.
According to Pone, a successful leader must be open to change, especially those that are external and unrelated to the industry. “Because we are all experts in our own trade, changes to internal processes and procedures are part of our daily lives as business leaders,” she said. “A successful leader can quickly assess the changes that need to be made and incorporate them into the business.”
