Kari Kovar
CEO & President | Cottonwood Millwork, Cabinets + Metalwork
What accomplishments are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of having the courage to choose a second career path and step into ownership at Cottonwood. That decision wasn’t just about business — it was about building something meaningful, both for our team and for the future.
Since then, what matters most to me is the impact we’ve been able to make on our people. We’ve intentionally invested in our culture by improving benefits, refining policies and creating clearer processes — really focusing on how we support our employees both at work and in their lives. Seeing engagement grow and knowing people feel more valued and supported is incredibly rewarding.
I’m also proud of the partnerships we’ve built beyond our walls. Whether it’s working with high schools, trade programs, and universities to support the next generation of talent, or partnering with organizations like Sleep in Heavenly Peace and the Utah Manufacturers Association, it’s important to me that we contribute to something bigger than ourselves.
At the end of the day, I hope the example I’m setting — both for my kids and for the next generation of leaders — is that you can lead with a people-first mindset and still drive strong performance, results and growth. In fact, I believe that’s exactly how you achieve it.
Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that significantly shaped your path?
A pivotal moment in my career was actually when I stepped away from it. I had been used to working 60 hours a week, constantly moving, constantly producing — and then I made the decision to retire from my previous career. It was a huge shift, and honestly, a little uncomfortable at first. But it ended up being exactly what I needed. It gave me the space and the grace to actually decompress and reset.
I never had a goal of buying a company. That wasn’t part of my plan. But during that time, my husband, Kevin, saw something in me that I couldn’t quite see yet. He kept sending me companies that aligned with what I naturally love — design, architecture, building, creating.
And slowly, I found myself getting excited again. I started thinking, imagining, solving, and building, and that’s when I found Cottonwood.
That’s also when I realized how much I truly loved this work. It sounds a little cheesy, but it’s very real — I’m living a dream I didn’t even know I had. And that only happened because I was willing to pause, reset and stay open to something completely different than what I had planned.
What key advice would you offer to other aspiring leaders?
Don’t wait until something feels easy or perfectly defined. Real growth usually comes from stepping into things that feel a little messy and uncertain. Be willing to take on challenges that push you out of your comfort zone, even when you don’t feel fully ready.
Stay real and be willing to be vulnerable. When you show up that way, it gives other people permission to do the same, and that’s where real learning and connection happens.
Don’t let the fear of failure hold you back. You’re going to fail; it’s part of it. The key is to own it, learn from it and use it to make better decisions moving forward. At the end of the day, failure isn’t the opposite of success — it’s part of the process. If you can start to see it as an opportunity, it will change the way you lead and the way you grow.
Growth doesn’t come from clarity — it comes from stepping into the messy.