ArieAnna Escobedo

I attribute my success to just keeping going and pushing forward. This job is very isolating - you're taken away from your family and friends, and you work 14-hour shifts sometimes. But if you stop, then you could lose everything that you just worked your butt off for. That's the key - don't stop. You're gonna cry, and men are gonna get in your face, and you're gonna feel like you can't do it anymore. I was at that point like 2 weeks ago when I got lectured about not being friends with the subcontractors. But I realize how much I love what I do, and I realize they're human at the end of day, so I'm still gonna be their friends. I know two women who quit because they were told they're too naive and too nice, exactly what I got lectured for. A lot of women quit because of that, but I didn't. My determination, tenacious work ethic, and never giving up have gotten me where I am. I'm also always open and honest with others and eager to learn new things.

The best career advice I ever received came from my mom when I was deciding whether to take a risk on a construction internship during my last semester of college. She said, 'What's the worst that can happen? You are good at being a server, you can go back to doing that and figure it out afterwards.' That advice gave me the courage to quit my waitressing job and take the internship that changed my life. It taught me to let nothing get in the way of my dreams and goals, to stand tall and proud, know my worth, and speak my mind because my opinion matters.

It's not about looking good out there aesthetically. It's about understanding and listening to the people. You need to treat people like humans - they're not just your laborers working for you. I can walk up to any of the trades right now and call them to help me with my car, help me at home, or help me with an inspection, and they would drop anything for me. That's because I treat people like people, like family. I just got off the phone with my HVAC guy about an hour ago for a personal call, just seeing how I'm doing. You don't treat them like they're working for you every single day. I go to a gas station and fill up my truck - you do the same. We're all trying to get the job done at the end of the day. The biggest downfall I see with a lot of men out there is that they don't understand this. Building those human connections makes all the difference in this field.

One of the biggest challenges in my field right now is the resistance some men have to working with women in leadership positions. Last year when they sent me to finish a project in South Carolina, I had men walk up to me and ask me whose daughter I was or if I'm the intern. I had to tell them, 'I actually need your contact information, I'm your boss - I'm now with a general contractor, I need your information.' Some men do not like working with women at first, but once you call them out on things they mess up or work with them a little bit more, they come to understand and respect you. Another major challenge is being told you can't be friends with subcontractors or that you're too naive and too nice. I was lectured about this just 2 weeks ago. I know two women who quit because of exactly that - they were told they're too naive and too nice. A lot of women quit because they're pressured to be cold and distant rather than building genuine human relationships, which I believe is actually the key to success in this field.

The most important values to me are treating people like humans and building genuine relationships. I believe in leading by example and being a great mentor to others. I'm there for others in need and embrace challenges while making a difference every day. In my work, I refuse to treat the trades like they're just laborers working for me - I treat them like family. This means I can call any of them for help with anything, and they would drop everything for me because of the mutual respect we've built. Even when I was lectured about being too friendly with subcontractors, I stood by my values because I realize they're human at the end of the day. I also value perseverance and pushing forward, even when the job gets isolating and mentally challenging. I believe in never giving up, even when you feel like you can't do it anymore.