Good Neighbor Podcast: Cobb County
Bringing together local businesses and neighbors of Cobb County. Good Neighbor Podcast hosted by Milli M. helps residents discover and connect with your local business owners in and around Cobb County, Georgia.
Is your business serving the residents of Cobb County? Then, we need to talk! Visit gnpCobbCounty.com to schedule your free interview.
Good Neighbor Podcast: Cobb County
E53: Beyond the Surface: Finding Enchantment in Unexpected Places
Step into a world where floors become magical canvases through the skilled hands of Helen Altamirano, owner of The Enchanted Floors. What began as admiration for her brother's flooring craftsmanship blossomed into a thriving business that's challenging industry norms and transforming homes across Georgia.
Helen's journey defies expectations at every turn. After moving to the United States in 2013 and working at Family Dollar, she made a bold career pivot into the flooring industry—a field where she was repeatedly told women couldn't succeed. "A lot of people said, because you are a female, you are not going to make it," Helen reveals with quiet confidence. Those early estimates where customers expressed surprise at seeing a woman instead of a man now seem like distant memories as her reputation for excellence has flourished since establishing her business in 2017.
The Enchanted Floors offers comprehensive services from hardwood restoration and installation to custom designs that breathe new life into homes. But Helen's story goes deeper than business success. When faced with the devastating loss of her father while juggling multiple project commitments, she found strength through community support and her father's enduring advice to "keep going, keep working." This resilience shines through in every project her team—which she affectionately calls "the genius pro flooring"—completes.
What makes Helen's story particularly compelling is how she's built her business through genuine community connections, from regular posts in the "Cobb Women" Facebook group to the relationships she's formed with customers who appreciate both her craftsmanship and authenticity. Her parting words perfectly capture her business philosophy: "We create magical floors. The genius pro flooring is gonna bring the enchanted back on your floors."
Ready to experience this magic for yourself? Connect with Helen on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, at theenchantedfloorscom, or call 404-513-1462 to transform your home with The Enchanted Floors.
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Millie.
Speaker 2:M. Hello everybody, welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. I'm your host, millie M. Are you in need of some fabulous flooring? Well, some might be closer than you think. I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor helen altamira merano, of the enchanted floors. Hope I didn't butcher that up too bad how are you?
Speaker 3:I'm good.
Speaker 2:Thank you, millie, for introducing and taking care of us absolutely, we're excited to learn all about you and your business. Tell us more about the enchanted floor.
Speaker 3:Okay, yeah, the enchanted floor is this small business established in 2017. We're excited to learn all about you and your business. Tell us more about the Enchanted Floor. Okay, yeah, the Enchanted Floor is a small business established in 2017 in Cobb, the state of Georgia, dedicated to bring the Enchanted back on the floors, and the job is performed by the genius Ralph Lauren, which is the name I refer to my team, to my prof flooring team. The company offers different services, from restoring existing hardwood, sanding unfinished new hardwood floors installation, buff and re-coat, installing steps, sand unfinished floors, sand unfinished handrails as well, and general installation like laminate engineer floors and LVP.
Speaker 2:Awesome. So how did you get into this business? What made you decide to choose flooring specifically? Can you hear me, ms Helen? What made you decide to choose flooring, ms Helen, can you hear me? Hello, ms Helen, can you hear me? Hello, can you hear me? Are we having a connection issue? Can you hear me now? I hear you now. Okay, awesome. So what made you decide to get into flooring specifically?
Speaker 3:Well, when I moved to the United States, I moved here in Georgia in 2013. And my brother he was the one who was working in the flooring industry since 2004. Okay, when I saw him working on all of those nice floors with design and custom from the customers and all the requirements I saw so many pictures. So I told him I was surprised and I loved the designs and I told him I want to get into this industry, I want to be part in this uh, to get into this industry.
Speaker 2:I want to be part in this uh, uh, part of these uh companies and yeah, this is how I decide to enroll in the flooring industry because of my brother, because of your brother, where were you coming from in 2013.
Speaker 3:Uh, I was in florida. Okay, over there I was working, you know, in family dollar gotcha.
Speaker 2:Well, that's a definite change and I know you I bet you love seeing the before and the afters of all the floors and things like that. So what are some myths and misconceptions about your industry or what you do?
Speaker 3:You know, in this industry one of the things is, for example, a lot of people they said, because you are a female, you are not going to make it. But my brother he was a great support and my parents too. They said you're a girl, you can do it, just put your passion and you can work for it.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But you know what happened in the beginning. You know, nobody knows your brand, nobody knows your name. And my brother, he was well known as a, as an employee, no, like a contractor, or like a flooring contractor. When I went to the first estimates in Cobb, most of the ladies they were like, oh, who is coming for the estimate? I told them my brother. But when I was over there and my brother said, no, you have to do it. So the people they know you're the business owner. And when I was in their houses they were like, oh, I was expected to get a boy to provide the estimate.
Speaker 3:Most of the customers, the ladies. They were like oh, I'm sorry, I don't want to be mean, it's just, you know, we are used to see, just to see a guy coming here to provide the quote, not a girl. But you know, after the time when you do the marketing, social media, so people they get used to know, they are more familiar, that you are the business owner A girl is the one who is leading the business. So then it's one of the good things and advantage, but it takes a time and a long process, a long way take a time and a long process, a long way process and I would think that being a woman could be to your advantage at some point.
Speaker 2:Sometimes people feel a little. I know as a woman I might be intimidated to get a quote from a man, like he might be charging me more because I don't know the difference. You know what I'm saying. So there might be a greater trust factor with working with a woman for sure. So who are your target customers and how do you attract them?
Speaker 3:Well, my target customers are all the homeowners who wants to renovate their floors. One of the ways that I try to attract is by posting on Facebook. In the group of Facebook you see Cup Women. So I post every Monday over there. This is one of the ways and it's really helpful. I got a lot of calls from them, from the ladies.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. Those Facebook groups are definitely beneficial Outside of work. What do you do for fun?
Speaker 3:After, when we are off, I try to relax, you know, try to go at like, go out like. Sometimes we go to helen city it's down mountain just to have some fun over there and to relax and really stress from work when we get busy no, I, I go out and explore Georgia.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a beautiful, beautiful state, lots of nature that I think people don't realize. Let's switch gears a little bit. Can you describe a hardship or a life challenge that you overcame and how it made you stronger?
Speaker 3:Um, for yeah, for example, like two years ago, my father passed away.
Speaker 2:So sorry.
Speaker 3:Yes, and my brother. He had to travel to my country over there to be with my, my mom, and when I came back here, you know, and then you have all the work and you have. You know, you have a lot of commitments. It's hard, it's like you want to take a break, like maybe six months, but things got at that time.
Speaker 3:I have multiple jobs scheduled in my calendar, so I have to keep going with that. It was hard, but the good thing is when you have a good network with you, working with good people who support you in this situation.
Speaker 3:I have my husband, my brother-in-law, and then the people from my church, the community they help me a lot and then the customers. They are really nice. When they saw me, why are you crying? I was like, oh, it's just. You know, they were very nice with me, but I remember that my father, he always taught me to be stronger, no matter what, to be prepared for the day that he was going to be out of this war in this area so he told me you have to keep going, keep working, and he always advised me to work hard and he's gonna feel very proud of me if I keep keep being, keep going, working and being successful.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it was hard, but, thanks God, you know with the time you start accepting the situation and we are here.
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely, and you still carry that love in your heart and bet you wish you had time to just take off and grieve. But, like you said, having community is so important. That's the lesson there. You are blessed in that regard to have those people to support you. So please, miss Helen, tell our listeners one thing you would like for them to remember about the Enchanted Floors.
Speaker 3:Oh, remember that we create magical floors. Yes, um, the genius pro flooring.
Speaker 2:They're gonna bring the enchanted back on your floors I love that and tell everybody how they can reach you if they need those magic floors um.
Speaker 3:they can reach me on facebook, instagram, tikt the website theenchantedfloorscom, and also my phone number, 404-513-1462.
Speaker 2:Perfect. Thank you so much for being here. I appreciate you. You have a wonderful day and best of luck to you and your business.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpcobbcountycom. That's gnpcobbcountycom, or call 470-470-4506.