Female Disruptors: Diana Dobin of Valley Forge Fabrics On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
My husband and I have been together for 30 years — and there was a specific moment when I needed to make a really difficult career decision — and he gave me the best words of advice I’ve ever received. I had the opportunity to continue to work for my family business or start a new career working on behalf of women and minorities. I was torn tremendously between what I perceived as a choice between these two very different paths. He said to me, “You don’t need to choose one. Do both”. With his outlook and motivation (and huge support all these years) I have chosen to do both. I am proud of the impact Valley Forge Fabrics has had on the lives of many — especially the women and minorities who choose to trust us and join our team of dreamweavers.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Diana Dobin.
Diana Dobin is the Co-CEO & Chief Sustainability Officer of Valley Forge Fabrics, the largest decorative textile and textile products supplier to the Hospitality industry worldwide. A family-owned business, Dobin is 2nd generation leadership and partners with her brother Michael. Valley Forge is headquartered in South Florida and Massachusetts and respected for its environmental stewardship, agility, speed and adaptability to each customer.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
The path of my career is a story of the American dream wrapped in a tie-dyed denim jacket. I was raised in the 70’s and 80’s by hippie parents with a work ethic born of being the children of Great Depression parents. When I was 5 years old, my parents founded Valley Forge Fabrics and they worked tirelessly to create financial stability. I remember so many years when we worried about money, and it shaped who I am. We didn’t get an allowance or have any extra money, so I took every opportunity I had to work. I drew pictures of the neighbor’s homes and sold them. I created a library from all the books in our house and charged money to my siblings to borrow them. I babysat. And whenever possible, I worked with my parents at their office. I fell in love with business — especially all the designs and colors and textures of the fabrics. Simultaneously I embraced the freedom, independence, and trust of often being alone with my younger siblings, and this made me a very maternal and capable person. The hippie mentality of love and understanding that I grew up with become my adult mantra of embracing diversity and always speaking up for human rights. And the tie-dyed denim jacket? It was my father’s staple uniform, and he was wearing it even before I was born. I have it now and it connects me to myself and serves as a physical reminder of where I came from and where I’m going.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
In the late 90’s the stereotypical successful businesswoman was well-coiffed, guarded and respected for her demonstrated authority. When I first started working, I became aware that I was disrupting the expectations of many of my colleagues and clients. I led with my heart and my hair. I celebrated my big curly hair and never tried to tame it, just as I established my warm, transparent and collaborative approach from the very first interaction. This was, and in some ways still is, drastically different to the normative culture of business. Today my working style and approach has a name: “servant leadership”. I view my leadership purpose as promoting innovation, empowering and developing my teams to ensure the well-being of others — and yes… my hair is still big and curly and often enters a room before I do.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I was 24 years old and living in Asia in the late 90’s and typical business entertaining was done by men and with men — and the destination of choice was strip clubs. To compensate for my lack of interest in taking my clients, who were mostly male, to these establishments, I instead hosted dinners at their favorite restaurants. One night in Vietnam I hosted a group at their favorite restaurant and while I was surprised that all the food was alive when we arrived, and served freshly slaughtered at the table, I couldn’t decline the “honor” of being given the snake blood to drink. I spent the rest of the evening smiling through my discomfort as it was clear that snake blood does not agree with my stomach. The lesson here: Building authority and equality with these men, while respecting the gender dynamic and cultural dynamic, required a creative and authentic approach.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
When I was 23 years old and living in Hong Kong, a very successful, well respected business leader took me under her wing. Over the 5 years I lived overseas, she taught me to be direct and accountable. She told me to trust my instincts, but always gather facts and details and to, “always have a seat at the table”. 10 years later, I went to a meeting in the U.S. in a large formal conference room with 25 men seated around the table and about 10 men seated in chairs along a wall. The only other 2 women in the room worked for our mutual client, and they were standing getting ready to address the room. I took a chair from the wall and politely said “excuse me” as I wheeled the chair to the center of the table and made room for myself there. That was a powerful moment for me. Today, I encourage other young women to always have a seat at the table.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
My business, Valley Forge Fabrics, is rooted in creativity and innovation. What began as a mom-and-pop shop that peddled velvets to the theater industry has become the largest supplier of decorative performance textiles and services for the Hospitality Industry worldwide. For over 45 years, we have disrupted hotel design by exploring and developing custom products and services that delight clients and guests. Another positive disruption I’ve been grateful to be a part of is the focus and growth of sustainable products that benefit the earth and can improve human health and well-being.
While as a business we continue to invest and innovate in technologies to make us stronger, better and faster — I have seen how technology advancement can create disconnection. In the Hospitality Industry there are many technologies that have transformed and aided processes, but some of those same technologies could do great harm by removing the human element and creating a potential future environment where experiencing the surprise of human kindness and the joy in small gestures is diminished. For example, when you check into a hotel from your phone you bypass the team at the reception desk who is always ready to warmly welcome you. One of the things that has sustained me in my journey has been being a part of the Hospitality Industry, it’s truly a special industry that is made up of people who are dedicated to being of service. As technology continues to evolve, the industry must seek opportunities to provide personal care that provides humanity with comfort and security.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
My husband and I have been together for 30 years — and there was a specific moment when I needed to make a really difficult career decision — and he gave me the best words of advice I’ve ever received. I had the opportunity to continue to work for my family business or start a new career working on behalf of women and minorities. I was torn tremendously between what I perceived as a choice between these two very different paths. He said to me, “You don’t need to choose one. Do both”. With his outlook and motivation (and huge support all these years) I have chosen to do both. I am proud of the impact Valley Forge Fabrics has had on the lives of many — especially the women and minorities who choose to trust us and join our team of dreamweavers.
When Valley Forge was starting our sustainability journey in 2007, and we were developing and testing recycled content fibers, I had the incredible opportunity to meet Ray Anderson, the iconic Founder of Interface, one of the largest carpet companies in the world. Ray was known as “the greenest CEO in America” for his relentless pursuit of sustainability and what he called, “Mission Zero”. Ray took the time to coach me on how to build a sustainable company. I am so grateful to have had the privilege to spend time with him. Among the many things he shared, I will never forget when he told me, “Diana, there is no ‘away’”. We were talking about trash, and it was very powerful to fully recognize the consequences of the reality that when you throw something “away” — there is “no away”. The trash just gets moved somewhere else. Typically to a more impoverished place and to be dealt with by people who do not have the opportunities that I have. The clarity of that singular moment brought together for me the intersection of environmental sustainability and human well-being. Those few words have inspired my passion and action and informed so many decisions I have made since.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Often we get so focused on shaking things up that we forget that to be sustainable is to be consistent and dependable. While Valley Forge Fabrics will continue to innovate, myself and the company are committed to demonstrating our core values over time rather than simply through grand but short-term gestures. As a leader I have realized that in addition to this marathon approach, my desire to make the largest impact on people possible begins and ends with my daily interactions. I want everyone to feel like they are the most important and only person in the world. Everyone needs and deserves to be seen like this and I will be the person who sees them.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
My experience is that many women disruptors have shifted their most typical challenge of being heard into a specific advantage. Women are still underestimated — especially when they aren’t the loudest in the room. The most successful women disruptors have a quiet confidence, and they humbly recognize and take action when they see the opportunity to add a person who is smarter than they are to their team. By separating themselves from this typical paradigm, it’s their humility that gives them their power. It gives them the confidence to surround themselves with greatness as a strategy. This strategic capability and execution is a powerful combination. I have observed the power of women’s silent determination and quiet confidence in creating the strongest, most loyal, and most successful organizations.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
I recently read “Scary Smart” by Mo Gawdat. It is an amazing perspective on AI (Artificial Intelligence) that directly addresses the fears and concerns of AI potentially “taking over the world”. The author was with Google X, the innovation arm for Google and shares his experience and provides clear advice on how we humans can and must address the continued building of AI with humanity and care for others in mind. I recommend it to everyone as it will take all of us humans to do this together to ensure a better future as technology grows.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Harmony is my favorite noun. If everyone could embrace difference and celebrate unique points of view, our diversity would have transformational power. The huge challenges facing humanity could be solved. Humans have the power to protect this planet and all its species — especially ourselves. We just all need to open our minds and our hearts, collaborate within our differences, and move forward together in harmony.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. I recognize and embrace the emotional value and effect my words carry in every interaction I have.
How can our readers follow you online?
Instagram @curlyfabricqueen @valleyforgefabrics
LinkedIn @Diana Dobin @Valley Forge Fabrics
Facebook @valleyforgefabrics
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Female Disruptors: Diana Dobin of Valley Forge Fabrics On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.