Contributor Spotlight: Courtney Hammer

Courtney joined the hearth industry about a year and a half ago, but she didn’t come in through the usual door. By trade and education, she’s a chiropractor. After a string of injuries and surgeries on both wrists, she realized she needed to find something a little easier on her body—and that’s when she joined Sutter Home and Hearth, a hearth shop in Seattle owned by her husband, Daniel. She came in without a defined job description, set out to make herself useful, and accidentally got promoted to office manager along the way.

Since coming aboard, Courtney has brought clarity and structure to Sutter’s support staff. Working closely with the company’s controller, she has streamlined billing, built out office and warehouse inventory systems, and rebuilt processes that hadn’t been touched in years. As Courtney puts it, support staff are the unsung heroes who make sure paperwork is right, rigs stay road-legal, and field techs can focus on the fix in front of them.

When asked what advice she would offer to others in the industry, Courtney emphasized the underestimated power of small kindnesses. “You shouldn’t underestimate snacks,” she said. She keeps a stash of her teammates’ favorite treats and pulls them out on hard days or after a tricky job well done. For Courtney, it’s about finding ways to cope when things go wrong without letting despair take over. “This sucks, but this is the solution. We can get to the other side, and I get a cookie.” That’s the mindset she brings to the office every day.

Outside of work, Courtney loves spending time with Daniel and their 10-year-old son, Evan. She also enjoys spending time in her backyard garden.

Thanks for bringing such attention, organization, and heart to the hearth industry, Courtney. The entire Fire Time Magazine team is grateful for your leadership—and for reminding us how much the small things matter.