PBN BUSINESS WOMEN AWARDS 2020 ACHIEVEMENT HONOREE: Debbie A. Wood | Wood Boat and Motor Inc.
THE BOATS SOLD at Debbie A. Wood’s business, Warwick-based Wood Boat and Motor Inc., only go in one direction at a time. But Wood, who is commonly multitasking, is firing on all cylinders and managing multiple businesses stretched across different industries.
There’s no reason not to also own a jam company, realty company and seasonal wreath business, even if you co-own a boat sales and repair dealership with your husband.
Plus, Wood took on the annual Rhode Island Boat Show. When organizers of what was then the Providence Boat Show decided in 2018 they weren’t going to run it after three decades, Wood saw no other option but to step in.
“We’ve always participated as an exhibitor in multiple boat shows,” she said. “When they decided they were going to concentrate on other things and the Ocean State was not going to have its boat show, I thought, ‘How do you own a dealership, live in the Ocean State and not have a boat show? This must mean I need to run this. There is no other answer.’ ”
Wood, a Smithfield resident, started in banking when she worked at Citizens Bank for 27 years. Afterward, she started helping at the boat dealership that her husband, Russell Wood, started in the 1990s.
Calling herself a type A personality, Wood said she isn’t afraid to take on new challenges, systematically seeking information (regulations for jam sales was a learning curve, for example, she said) and setting about to get tasks completed.
When she learned that the state’s boat show was in need of organization – having many contacts in the marine world – stepping in just came naturally. Wood sought information and reached out to venues.
Banking also taught Wood to be organized, she said, a skill that has served her well in her business endeavors. She is also not afraid to ask for help.
She encourages others to reach out and utilize resources available to them to accomplish business goals.
“All state agencies will help you … you have to be forthcoming and tell them what you are trying to do. There are many things that are free, [such as] the volunteers at [the American Association of Retired Persons]. You can’t buy the wisdom and experiences they have gone through,” she said. “Break it down into steps. If it’s 200 steps, do it!”
