Her Story
About Caleigh
Caleigh Brown serves as Senior Project Manager for a commercial HVAC contractor based in Westminster, Colorado. She has spent over eight years in commercial construction, including more than four years focused on project management for HVAC systems. Brown began her career in the industry by happenstance after earning her bachelor's degree in history with a concentration in European history from the University of Northern Colorado in 2022. She started as a project coordinator and was quickly promoted to project manager before advancing to her current senior position, where she now leads a team of project managers and trains coordinators. As the only woman and the youngest person in a high-authority role within her office's project management side, she brings a unique perspective to the male-dominated field. Her professional credentials include OSHA 10-hour training, and she maintains membership in Phi Alpha Theta. Brown attributes her success to seizing opportunities with initiative and ambition, and she values safety above all in her work while encouraging others to remain teachable and hands-on.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Caleigh
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would attribute my success to being given select opportunities by people and not taking them for granted. I think when you see a hole, you need to make it a doorway for yourself. So I think it is initiative and that ambition that once you're handed something, really go for it with everything. Be hungry.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I would say the best career advice that I've ever received from anybody is to utilize the device in your own hand. If you have a question, try to answer it for yourself first. It's better to confirm understanding than it is to ask blindly with no attempt to understand.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say remain teachable and don't be afraid to get your hands dirty. I think those are two very critical things. I think you need to be willing. Never ask anybody to do something that you wouldn't be willing to do yourself. So I think in this industry you need to be willing to be in the field, learn the hard lessons that way. All of that grows you into being a stronger person in this field as well.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the obvious challenge is that it's a male-dominated industry, and it's also an industry that's very highly influenced by age. There's a very strong sense of seniority in construction, for good reason. But I think that those difficulties exist, but they're not closed doors. I think that at a certain point of time, performance is valued equal to, if not greater than, seniority and experience. So I think it is sticking true, remaining teachable, and being patient.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think, especially in construction, my number one value every single day is safety. That is my number one concern and priority is the safety of my team members. We're working with a lot of dangerous equipment and lives are at stake on a daily basis and it's very easy to get comfortable. So I like to keep safety as a paramount concern. And then second to that, I think if I had to say anything specifically to young women, it would be that you can work in construction, you do not have to sacrifice an ounce of your femininity to do so.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.