Nancy Zafrani isgeneral manager of Oz Moving & Storage.

By Nancy Zafrani

Frequently, when I tell people I work in the moving industry, their response is, “Wow, how exciting! Hollywood!” They think I said movie industry.

Once I clarify, the look is always the same – a combination of disappointment with a splash of pity. Moving is not glamorous; it’s not a career that children, particularly young girls, dream about. It’s certainly not what I dreamed of for myself growing up in the 80s.

Moving is akin to construction and other intense manual labor fields, and therefore, for many years, a man’s world. “Leave the heavy lifting to me, sweetheart.” (Cringe). In many ways it’s still a boys’ club. That being said, here I am, for over 30 years, and I love what I do, and I love that I am a woman doing it.

I love every time I see a new hire’s paperwork cross my desk, checkmark female. I love that half our management and support staff are women, and that now more than ever women are breaking gender norms and working as movers alongside men in the field, packing boxes, pushing dollies, entirely capable and excelling.

More than anything, I love that this has always been the norm at Oz Moving & Storage, that we’ve had female leadership for nearly 30 years, have always brought onboard and promoted individuals for what they bring to the table and not what they look like.

In 1993, Avi Oz was a pioneer in so many ways; discrimination—sexual or otherwise—had no place, and it still doesn’t. He took a huge chance putting me front and center, running the show, always with 100% unwavering faith in me. My plan for change? Keep doing what we’re doing, keep leading by example, welcoming, and encouraging all genders into this community we've built.

““I love that half our management and support staff are women, and that now more than ever women are breaking gender norms and working as movers alongside men in the field, packing boxes, pushing dollies, entirely capable and excelling.” —Nancy Zafrani #PowerToChangeStories”

Nancy Zafrani is general manager of Oz Moving & Storage in New York City. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-zafrani-19a69545/ ; https://www.ozmoving.com/