I never felt like I had a story to tell. I can imagine I am not the only woman who has felt this way either. Often, I would just be working towards the goal of just keeping a roof over my head and money in my pocket. I wasn’t completely poverty stricken, but we didn’t grow up with a lot of advantages either. I don’t share too much of the hardships outside of my career path in my book, but I do share some information at a high level as it was impacting me in my career at that time.

My non-profit and book are focused on women that may be like me… or who I once was. As an unguided teen and young adult, I had only stumbled onto my career in construction as a fluke. I never even knew that the construction industry was an option for me as a child. I also had always been under the impression I would never be able to get through college. All it was about was the day to day, making ends meet. I saw my mom do this day in and day out, and it is all I knew. I have found a lot of success, growth, and found many lifelong connections in my career that I wish I had known about this path earlier in life.

I am a builder. I have built some pretty great projects in my career and while updating my resume recently, I found that I have also had my hand in supporting so many others. While being part of the building process, I also found that it isn’t just the project around you that you are building, but also yourself and those around you. Anyone that is a builder knows that you can’t get there alone, and the more people you have in your corner with a common goal the more success you will find. My book isn’t just written for women, but also male allies and advocates that can help inspire continued change in the industry to see their fellow peers treated with respect and be offered the same opportunities.

My hope is that this non-profit and the books I am self-publishing, will allow a space for women who may be in the same realm that I faced early in my career: unguided, unsure where to start, fighting inner insecurities, or imposter syndrome, that they may find a space to reflect and see that by aligning their thoughts, leading with their grit and determination, that they can aim for the success they had never even thought was possible.

Introduction to a builder

Story Feature: Renae