The cleaning and facility services industry is changing—and women are driving much of that change. From the factory floor to the C-suite, women are filling leadership roles across manufacturing, distribution, building service contracting, and everywhere in between.

At a recent roundtable conversation, Lauren Belskie, marketing operations manager at Imperial Dade; Ashley Fubini, vice president of sales at Clorox Purell; and Kelly Orchard, category manager at Network Distribution, offered candid thoughts on their careers, their habits, and the advice they wish someone had given them earlier.

Each brings a different background and perspective, but all three share a common passion for work and a commitment to investing in the people around them.

A job worth loving

Before diving into the harder questions about leadership under pressure, each woman was asked a simpler question: What do you love most about your role?

The answers came quickly—and without hesitation.

Fubini, who has spent 23 years in the industry, with a decade at GOJO Purell and now Clorox Purell, said her greatest source of energy is with the people she leads.

“I get the pleasure and luxury of leading sales directors in our organization who manage our front-line sellers,” Fubini commented. “No two days are alike. There’s always something exciting and something new to do. And there’s always growth opportunities, for the team and myself.”

Orchard, who has been in the industry for 16 years and joined Network Distribution nearly four years ago, described a similar fulfillment, one rooted in results that extend beyond her organization.

“All of that work that I put in daily drives business results, which ultimately can positively impact the lives I interact with,” Orchard mentioned. “The fact that I can bring value to those, not only in my organization, but also to our external partners, really is what keeps me going.” She was part of the 2025 ISSA Emerging Leaders class.

For Belskie, who joined Imperial Dade in 2019 and leads B2B content marketing strategy, it comes down to education.

“We produce a lot of blogs, a lot of videos, a lot of social content, a lot of web content,” Belskie said. “It’s really promoting the products and solutions we sell … that directly affect the health, safety, efficiency, and so much more of our customers and end users.” She was part of the 2024 ISSA Emerging Leaders class.

Defining moments

Each leader was asked about the moments or decisions that shaped who they are professionally. The answers shared a common thread: growth almost always came from discomfort.

Orchard recalled a stretch early in her career when she faced rapid leadership turnover in a new role. It could have stalled her development—but she chose to see it differently.

“I actively chose to change my mindset to think of the positive outcomes that could come with all of this change,” Orchard said. She took on projects she might not have been ready for, and in doing so discovered something that stayed with her: “Leadership isn’t just about your title. You can influence. You can support those around you as an individual contributor as well.”

Belskie seconded that idea. “Sometimes I think we underestimate ourselves, but we are capable of a lot more than we think,” she acknowledged.

Fubini pointed to a lateral career move—one she made by choice—as a pivotal moment. She walked away from a large national account she had grown to love to pursue people management, a direction she had always wanted to pursue.

“Looking left, looking right, just constantly engaging with new opportunities and not being scared of change … what makes you happy, what makes you get to where you want to be is what’s important, whether it’s lateral or up or any direction,” Fubini said.

The habits that hold it all together

When the conversation turned to personal habits and leadership traits, three distinct—but complementary—answers emerged.

Belskie named adaptability, proactivity, and consistency. In a marketing role defined by constant change, including the rapid rise of AI tools, she pointed out, “It’s too slow to be reactive.” Showing up every day with the same energy and focus, she added, is a lot easier when you love what you do.

Fubini spoke candidly about the challenge of managing a demanding career alongside raising three daughters, all under 13. Her answer: ruthless time management. She keeps a rolling to-do list organized by 15-, 30-, and 90-day horizons.

“I force myself to look at what matters on a daily basis and allow myself to say no when there’s an event or a request that does not generate a return on my time investment,” Fubini explained.

For Orchard, the most transformative professional shift came when she stopped improvising and started preparing.

“The minute that I stopped winging things and running fast, and I started really sitting down and preparing, was when I saw a shift in my personal and my professional development,” Orchard said. “The more you prepare, the more comfortable you become. And that ultimately helps you grow your own confidence.”

Staying grounded under pressure

High-stakes decisions are part of any leadership role. All three women were asked how they stay confident and grounded when the pressure is on.

Fubini credited her leadership team at Clorox Purell for creating a culture where experimentation is encouraged, one where pilot programs and new ways of working are welcomed, not punished. That environment, she said, gives her the confidence to take on the next challenge.

Orchard returned to the theme of mentorship. Network Distribution has a formal mentoring program that she participates in. She is also active in ISSA Hygieia Network and is part of the ISSA Emerging Leaders program as a member of the 2025 class. Her advice: Use the resources around you.

“Seek mentorship if you have that opportunity … just running questions off of other leaders will help you in the long run,” she suggested.

Belskie tied it back to purpose. “The work we do, whether you’re a distributor, manufacturer, or a business, we’re all supporting a healthier community,” she said. When the pressure rises, returning to that foundational question: How are we going to help the people we’re serving?—is what reorients her.

Pieces of advice

The final question was perhaps the most personal: What is one thing you wish someone had told you earlier?

Orchard called positivity “a cheat code.” In an industry that is large in scope but tight-knit in culture, she explained, the impressions you leave matter—and a positive outlook compounds over time in ways that are hard to overstate.

Belskie kept it direct: Advocate for yourself and your ideas. “Don’t be afraid to speak your mind,” she advised, regardless of where you are in your career.

Fubini offered something more expansive. She said she would tell her younger self to focus on what could be rather than what is—and to ask the hard questions that help bridge that gap.

“Looking at every day as a learning experience … changes the mindset of how you address people around you by seeing them as potential teachers,” Fubini said. “Constantly trying to learn something from everyone that’s around you will make each day interesting and will also make you really fulfilled at the end of the day.”

Women in the cleaning and facility services industry have come a long way in leadership roles. They are breaking barriers with their passion for work and commitment to investing in the people around them.