NYS Women Inc. September Women in Leadership honor

I would like to share the interview I had with WKBW this week, as the September honoree for Women in Leadership, which is awarded by NYS Women Inc's Buffalo Niagara Chapter each month.

Here is the link to that interview, which I am very proud and humbled to have been nominated and chosen for! http://www.wkbw.com/am-buffalo/women-in-leadership-september

As is typical in an interview, I failed to convey a main message that I feel is very important: there are MANY amazing women leaders, specifically in our construction industry here in WNY! While it may seem difficult or daunting for some of us to "get noticed" at first, all it really takes is perseverance and dedication as a professional in our industry! I have learned a few small things along the way that I feel have helped me immensely. So to all the other women leaders out there, don't forget these key ideas: 

1. You belong. Where? Anywhere you want to be! Go into any endeavor with your head held high and all the confidence in the world, because you have every right to be in the room as anyone else does. The next time I find myself in an interview, I can only hope that I am not faced with a question about whether or not people are still surprised to see a woman on a job site, because it is questions like this that seem to just feed into the idea that we "don't belong" or are "out of place". This is where I wish I could go back in time and change my answer! What I should have said is "No, I have not encountered any odd looks or questions on a job site!" Because, regardless of the truth, if you don't acknowledge the difficulty, it will eventually cease to exist. Any remaining challenge as women can be attributed to a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts - it's up to us to stop the cycle. 

2. You create your own opportunities. Don't assume that just because you're a woman in a "man's industry" [insert any traditional "man's industry" here] that you will automatically encounter adversity. This is not the case! All the amazing women before us have paved the way nicely for us to continue to climb ladders and break through ceilings. The only thing holding us back now is our own insecurity. Squash that, present yourself as the strong and able leader you are, and others will never question your abilities. 

3. Seek out support. There are so many resources and organizations here in WNY that exist to empower, support and provide opportunities to women - find one that fits you and take advantage of it! Women are natural born leaders, and as such, we routinely fall into the trap of thinking that we have to do everything ourselves, and that if we want to be leaders, we must have all the answers... Nonsense! Nobody has all the answers - male or female. The best leaders will recognize the problems they need help with and seek out those who are best positioned to help them find solutions. Some organizations I have leaned on include: The Women Presidents' Organization; UB's Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership; the Canisius College Women's Business Center; Vistage International; and now the new Women in Construction group formed by a collaboration between the Construction Exchange of Buffalo/WNY and CFMA's Niagara Frontier Chapter. But there are MANY more to choose from, right here in WNY! And please, don't limit yourself to support only from other women - learn to trust and lean on your male counterparts as well. 

To wrap up, I want to make it clear that while women may still number less than men overall in the construction industry, we are a significant and growing contributor to the growth and success of this industry. And for any industry, success will be realized fastest and easiest through the combined experience, knowledge and efforts of all participants - regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or any other identifier.