The Unexpected Blueprint: How an MEP Career Became a Mission to Build People
From Interior Design Dreams to Building Confidence: A Career Journey Through Unexpected Paths
The Unexpected Blueprint: Building Confidence Beyond Buildings
Twenty years ago, if you had asked me where my career would take me, I would have told you I wanted to create beautiful spaces through interior design.
I never imagined that path would lead me into the world of MEP, where I would spend years coordinating ductwork, drainpipes, BIM models, and job sites. And I certainly never imagined I would eventually spend more time designing confidence than buildings.
Somewhere between project deadlines, field coordination meetings, BIM implementation, customer success, and mentoring others, I realized something unexpected:
The most important thing I would ever build wasn't a building.
The Blueprint We Think We're Following
I took a small break after graduation to figure out what I wanted to study in college. Unlike many of my peers, I had not figured it out while I was still in high school.
When I was in middle school, my dream career was to become a marine biologist. But somewhere along the way, I was told, "Girls are terrible at math." When I looked into the requirements for that field of study, math was high on the list.
I still don't know how one sentence could hold so much power.
Somehow, I accepted it as truth and convinced myself that I simply wasn't good at math. Honestly, I had been pretty good at it up until that point, but after hearing those words, my grades began to drop. I even struggled with math in high school.
My dream of becoming a marine biologist disappeared. I had to figure out what I wanted to do with my life after graduation.
Looking back, I realize that one sentence changed the trajectory of my life—not because it was true, but because I believed it.
One day, while watching some of my favorite interior design shows with my mom, I had a realization:
I loved design.
I loved seeing the design process, the attention to detail, and the expressions on clients' faces when they revealed their newly designed spaces. I researched schools in Colorado that offered interior design programs and sent applications to all of them. I was so excited about this new journey.
I attended school for a Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design. I was also just a few classes short of earning an associate degree in Architecture, and I completed my degree in three years instead of four.
About two years into my degree program, I was asked if I wanted to pursue a position at a mechanical contractor in Denver. It would mean switching to night school so I could work during the day, but it would also give me real-world experience.
Sure, it wasn't exactly within my degree program, but it would allow me to become more well-rounded in the industry.
I applied for the job—and I got it.
This was where my CAD knowledge from school was first put into practice. I learned everything they were willing to teach me about the MEP trades. I continued working at this company well after graduating college until the industry experienced a slowdown and work became less consistent.
Suddenly, there were layoffs every week, with one to four people being let go at a time. Finally, after a few weeks, I became one of those unlucky employees.
As I carried my box of personal belongings out to my car, wondering what would come next, one of the women who had also been laid off stopped me.
"Follow me," she said. "You have a job."
I followed her to another contractor, completed an in-person interview on the spot, and was hired that same day.
That had never happened to me before. I was impressed and knew this might be my new path. Clearly, I had done something right with my career choices because this industry was growing and needed knowledgeable people.
The Job Changed... or Maybe I Did
From that point forward, I tried every task or role someone asked me to help with. Over the years, I wore more hats than I could have imagined:
- Designer
- CAD Manager
- BIM Coordinator
- Trainer
- Technical Support Engineer
- Implementation Consultant
- Customer Success Manager
And countless other roles.
Each position taught me something different. But what I didn't expect to learn was what they taught me about people.
- I learned that designers need confidence.
- Managers need trust.
- Customers need encouragement and solutions.
- Teams need communication.
And technology only succeeds when people believe they can use it.
The Biggest Surprise
Somewhere along the way, I noticed something interesting. No matter what role I held, people kept coming to me with questions.
At first, I thought it was because I knew the software.
Eventually, I realized it wasn't.
They weren't looking for someone who had all the answers. They were looking for someone who genuinely wanted to help them find solutions.
The Ripple Effect
Not long ago, I received an email from someone I had never met.
He told me he had followed my technical papers over the years and had recently discovered the MEP Goddesses YouTube channel. He thanked me for sharing practical knowledge and reached out with thoughtful questions about Revit, Fabrication CADmep, and resources that could help him succeed.
As I read his message, I realized something:
- He wasn't asking because we worked together.
- He wasn't asking because we were on the same project.
- He wasn't asking because we knew each other.
He reached out because something I had shared made him feel comfortable enough to ask for help.
That may seem like a small moment, but to me, it represented something much bigger.
For years, I thought success in this industry was measured by the projects I completed, the software I mastered, or the problems I solved.
Now, I believe success is measured differently.
It is measured by the confidence you help create in someone else.
Sometimes that confidence comes from mentoring a coworker. Sometimes it comes from answering a customer's question. And sometimes it comes from someone you've never met who simply needs someone willing to share what they know.
Those are the moments that remind me why I continue to teach, write, and build communities. Those are the moments that don't appear on a résumé, but they are the moments that have mattered most.
Why I Started Building Communities
That was one of the main reasons the MEP Goddesses are here today.
Not because the world needed another YouTube channel, but because we believed there was room for another encouraging voice in the MEP and construction industry—and that voice needed to come from women.
The MEP Goddesses was never about becoming content creators.
It was about becoming connectors.
We wanted experienced professionals to feel comfortable sharing what they knew, newcomers to feel welcome asking questions, and women across our industry to see themselves reflected in leadership.
The Blueprint I Hope to Leave Behind
One day, people won't remember every project I worked on or every piece of software I helped implement. They won't remember every webinar or presentation.
But I hope they remember how they felt after working with me.
I hope they felt more confident, more capable, and more willing to help the next person in line.
Buildings eventually change.
People carry confidence with them for the rest of their lives.
Looking back, I realize the unexpected blueprint was never for the buildings I helped create.
It was for the people I was fortunate enough to help build along the way.
