Power Women 2021: April Broderick
Owner, A&A Fire and Safety Company
Sherwood City Council
What’s your secret to success?
Extremely hard work and persistence, but also assembling a team of folks who play a pivotal role in our company’s growth. I always look to partner with team members who are more talented than I am in certain areas to help me move the company in the direction I want to go. I would argue that any sustainable success for a business is strongly based on contributions from all employees within the company. A large part of A&A’s success is due to the collaborative efforts of our dedicated and talented people.
What attracted you to your career?
My dad started our company as a side business to his firefighting career in the mid-‘90s. I grew up watching the highs and lows that come from being a small business owner. In 2014, I knew I wanted to build on what he started, so I took over majority ownership of the company. It was his grit and determination that instilled a powerful desire in me to conquer the challenges that we faced in our industry. From my perspective, the bigger the challenge, the more enticed I was to make that conquest a goal. It is certainly true that the harder you work for something, the more success you feel from the achievement.
How did you get started in your field?
I began working for A&A Fire and Safety as a college student on my summer breaks. I started at the ground level and did the tasks that nobody wanted to do. As time passed, I began working each aspect of the business including payroll, billing, inspections and customer service. That is when I realized my love for strategically planning for growth and expansion. When I took over majority ownership in 2014, the company had never recovered from the hardships of 2008. I had big plans, but there was a long way to go before they came to fruition. I am still working towards my goals with A&A.
What do you love best about what you do?
I love working with all kinds of people and I love finding solutions to problems. For me, it is the perfect combination of those two things that has driven me to continue to expand A&A’s customer base and influence across Arkansas. I enjoy the freedom of being able to strategically look for the right building blocks or opportunities for A&A to continue to scale upward.
I also love helping the citizens of Sherwood. I grew up in Sherwood. It is a wonderful hometown, and that is where my husband and I decided to stay and raise our five children. In 2018, I decided to run against an incumbent for a seat on Sherwood’s City Council. I won the election, but it was one of the hardest things I have ever attempted. I knocked on every door in my ward. My favorite thing about being an elected official for Sherwood is merging my love of people, my love of my hometown and my business knowledge to try to give back to the community that has given me so much.
Which of your accomplishments are you most proud?
I am most proud of the fact that I have been able to grow a business, overcome challenges and be elected to the Sherwood City Council, all while raising five children with my husband. I am proud that I can model for my children the value of hard work and perseverance in a complex business market.
Do you have a favorite quote?
“Well done is better than well said.” — Thomas Jefferson