An Interview with Julia Milch of Laundrylux
Julia Milch is the vice president of growth strategy for Laundrylux, based in Inwood, N.Y.
Prior to joining the company, Ms. Milch spent three years with Microsoft as a CRM solutions specialist and in business development.
She completed her college undergraduate work at Duke University and holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
What piqued your interest in the laundry industry?
I was born into it. My grandfather, Bernie Milch, was one of the pioneers of the industry. I grew up hearing stories of how he helped build the commercial laundry business in America. My father, Neal, took over the business, and we would always talk at the dinner table about the opportunities and challenges he was seeing in the market.
At college, I became interested in technology, which led me to work at Microsoft after graduation. I enjoyed my experience there but wanted to do something more entrepreneurial. Before enrolling in a program for my MBA, I came to Laundrylux for about eight months to “try it out” and see if I could find laundry interesting. I was happily surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The industry is dynamic and engaging, with so much opportunity to bring what I learned in the technology world to the space. I took my time during business school to hone my management skills so that I could come back to the family business and bring my unique perspective to not only the company, but also the industry.
What do you consider the most valuable resources to learn more about the industry?
Today, I believe the most valuable resource to learn more about the industry is talking to people. I find people across each sector of the business – manufacturers, distributors, store owners, and customers – are approachable and willing to share their experiences with you and help you learn. By picking up the phone or stopping by a laundromat, you will find someone willing to talk to you and answer your questions.
In addition, the Coin Laundry Association produces a lot of great content for those interested to learn more, while also providing an opportunity to connect with others. I’ve also found social media groups, such as those on Facebook and LinkedIn, to be useful resources for asking questions and learning more.
What do you enjoy most about working in the laundry industry?
The passion! Again, I was so pleasantly surprised to see the passion that people in our industry bring to their work. People across every stage of the process really care about the value they’re bringing to their customers and their communities. In every aspect of the business, I see people bringing new process improvement ideas to the table, collaborating and learning from others, and going the extra mile to deliver the best experience to their stakeholders. People take a lot of pride in their work and are always striving to do better.
What do you find most challenging?
The industry is constantly changing and evolving. The most challenging aspect is navigating that change when you have a clash between the old way of doing things and the new way. At Laundrylux, we have the luxury of being flexible and nimble, so we can adapt to these changes. However, even for us, it’s challenging to shift directions when the ship is already in motion. It takes time to get things done, executed, and visible in the market so we can receive that valuable customer feedback. That being said, I’m so proud of the progress we’ve made and continue to make, and am excited by all of the changes I’m seeing in the industry – from technology adoption to chain businesses and so on – which bring us new and exciting opportunities to work on every day.
What advice would you give to other women looking to enter this industry?
In terms of getting into the industry, I’d recommend the resources discussed above – talking to people, the CLA, and social media groups. For women specifically, I’d recommend talking to and connecting with other women in the industry to get that “inside look” into what to expect. I would encourage more women to get into the industry. I’ve found it to be a great place for women to learn, grow, and succeed in their careers. The women I work with have brought an incredible process-driven and human-first approach to their work. They’re respectful, driven, and efficient. Over the last couple of years, I’ve seen many women promoted within the industry, which is encouraging to see. I see that trajectory continuing as the business evolves and professionalizes.
If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?
I entered the business during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, so I do wish I’d had the opportunity to go around the country meeting more people across the landscape of the industry at the beginning of my time here. There was a bit of “catch up” since I wasn’t able to be in the field as much in the beginning. I would encourage people starting out now to get into the market and talk to people, feet on the ground, to observe and learn more about the challenges and opportunities our customers are facing.
What can be done do to encourage more women to enter the laundry industry in more male-dominated roles – such as store ownership, engineering, R&D, distributor/manufacturing management, and so on?
So many things! At Laundrylux, Aubrey Pollesch, our regional business development manager, is leading an initiative to focus on this exact topic. It’s in the early stages, but we’ve been discussing four key pillars: mentorship, visibility, recruitment, and allyship. Within these categories, there are a number of ways to attract women into the industry, while simultaneously lifting up those already in it to take on more responsibility and leadership roles.
I would extend this not only to women, but also to people of color and diverse backgrounds. These pillars and opportunities to connect people apply to diversity of all kinds. I’ve experienced how diversity within our own team strengthens our customer insight, product development, marketing and more.
Where do you see the industry heading in the next five years?
Coming from the technology world, I’m very excited to see where technology takes our industry in the next five years. As the business evolves from a hardware-focused offering to both hardware and software, I’m excited to explore the additional flexibility and opportunity that it will provide for our customers.
During and now after the pandemic, we’ve certainly seen an influx of different types of investors considering the laundry business. It’s been exciting to work with experienced business leaders from other industries who’ve come into ours and brought their differing experiences and expectations. That has brought a new wave of excitement and idea generation. And, certainly, I see more women entering the business and rising to leadership positions, which is exciting to witness and be a part of.
