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The Full Story
My journey in construction is not a typical one. I didn’t start through an apprenticeship or
follow in my parent’s footsteps. My journey started later in life for me. After the economic
crash of 2008 and 2009, my husband and I sold our small window cleaning franchise
and partnered up with a colleague to start a floor refinishing business.
To be honest, I had hoped to play a small role in this partnership and do my own thing –
speaking and life coaching. But life had other plans for me at age 40. By 2014, the
partnership had imploded. Our partner was embezzling money, and we were on the fast
track to losing everything all over again, just like in 2010. On top of that, I lost my
mother to Alzheimer’s disease earlier in the year. “This can’t be happening again!” I told
myself. Heartbreak, frustration, anger, all the emotions. Tears of anguish flowed often.
Thoughts like, “What am I going to do?” and “How am I going to pay my bills?” crossed
my mind constantly.
More importantly, “How in the world am I going to provide for my 4 children?” Deciding
that failure just was NOT an option, I doubled down. My husband and I took over this
company for a reason. We saw the potential and what it could be. We had no
employees, but we did have a few contracts we had to honor. So, I scrapped the office
attire for stained jeans, t-shirts, and work boots.
I went to job sites (residential and commercial) right alongside my husband and learned
everything about concrete flooring, from installing a garage floor coating to polishing a
concrete slab by working on the job sites. The work was hard. Really hard. The days
were long, and sometimes, I would leave the job site, change into that office attire
again, and go to networking events to build up our clientele, even though we had 4 kids
from elementary age to high school age at home.
I knew I had to go about everything differently. I started investing in coaches and
building myself up. I asked myself 3 key questions: what are the 3 things we do best as
a business, who are my best clients right now, and where can I find more clients just like
them? I started researching and visiting every networking group in town to find where
my ideal clients were hanging out. When I wasn’t on a job site, I was networking. It was
completely exhausting, but eventually, I found some key organizations and associations
and became a member. I showed up for every meeting, even though I didn’t feel like
going most of the time. By continuing to show up, it started paying off with opportunities. This was great for revenue, but I was becoming depressed. Being a woman on a construction site was lonely, even though I was with my husband.There are just some things I experienced
that he didn’t understand or I felt comfortable talking with him about. Being a female
business owner in construction was even lonelier. And yet, I thought to myself, “I can’t
be the only one. There must be other women like me out there!”
In my search, I found the National Association for Women in Construction. I found a
chapter in my city, and the women are amazing. I’m still a member today. Yet, they still
weren’t like me. They weren’t the small business owner who was going out and doing
the dirty work. One of the coaches I worked with told me, “If you can’t find something,
create it.” I took that to heart, and in 2017, I founded Girder Skirts™, Supporting Women
in Construction. This is the work that lights me up. I love sharing my story and inspiring
other women in construction that they can be both.
You can be a hard-working woman on a construction site and be a business owner. You
can get filthy, sweat, and be exhausted, but still dress up and show up to represent your
business in a room with other business owners. And know that you deserve to be there.
It has taken me a long time to own my capabilities and be confident. Being a woman
working a trade on a site, doing all the functions of office personnel, and running a
business and a family at the same time has given me a lot of unique perspectives about
women in construction.
I’ve been where almost every woman in construction has been at one time or another.
Deciding to share my experiences and letting these women know that someone
understands what they’re going through and that they aren’t alone has become my
passion. By compiling the best parts of my coaching experiences and what worked best
for me in this industry, I have created a 6-week virtual master class for women in
construction. I also love keynote speaking and corporate training, and I have inspired
many other women to be more authentic and use their voices to achieve the success
they want in their careers or businesses.
Something magic happens when we realize we aren’t alone and that our struggles are
not unique to us. Knowing there are others that have been where we are challenged
and have made it successfully to the other side is empowering and inspiring. Bringing
out the potential in others and seeing them succeed is amazing! Inspiring women to
continue going in a career field they love, despite what society’s conditioning tells us we
“should” do, is impactful and meaningful to me. It’s 100% why I keep working hard and
seeking opportunities to share my story and speak on stage.
Mission
To provide and build an authentic, resilient, and empowered community of
like-minded women who are collaborative and supportive. Together, we create a sense of belonging amongst women in the construction industry. We are sisters!
Speaking Topics
Construction of a R.E.B.E.L. : Discover the power within you, and gain confidence to showcase your authenticity boldly.
Communication Intelligence (CQ): create healthier work and personal relationships.
Confidence Through Chaos: Solutions to overcome what life throws at us and still have a thriving business/career.