Gina Reyes

I attribute my success to having a strong why - knowing exactly what I want, whether that's financial independence or time with family. That strong why is what helped me become so resilient. I take less nos because I know what I want. I don't take no for an answer - there's always a way to figure something out. It may not look the way you originally planned or thought it was going to be, but choosing not to take no creates other opportunities to see things in a different way. Being willing to have that mindset shift and being flexible has been crucial. I've never been afraid of a challenge - I have 5 brothers and I'm the only girl, and growing up I wasn't afraid of the tools. Now I see that as a huge advantage. When guys were stealing my tools or creating obstacles on the job, I just used that as fuel to push forward. I think my social work background also plays into this - I want to use my company to empower other people and create opportunities that don't normally exist in this field.

I would say first, have a strong why - whether that's because you want to be financially independent or you want time with your family, just having a strong why is what will help you become resilient. Identify why this is important or why you want to make this change, whatever it might be. The second thing is just not taking no for an answer. There's always a way to figure something out. It may not look the way that you originally planned for it or thought it was going to be, but choosing not to take no creates other opportunities to see things in a different way. So be willing to have that mindset shift if you need to - be flexible and open. Those are the two things I would tell my nieces or any young woman: don't take no, be open, and have a strong why.

I would say authenticity is really important to me. In my conversations with clients, especially in construction where general contractors have a bad image, being authentic is something I really value. I also value being genuine - genuine when you're having relationships with new people that are coming in. Tenacity and resilience are huge values for me. This job is not easy on your body or your mind, but being resilient in that aspect is something I value across my life. Not taking no for an answer is another side of it. And I would say flexibility - I value finding joy in flexibility, which wasn't always the case in social work where being flexible got you taken advantage of on the job. But flexibility has changed my perspective on that, so finding joy in the flexibility is important to me.