Her Story
About Heidi
I've been in the construction equipment industry for about 20 years. My journey started when I was working at a dental office doing insurance billing and coding, and a friend recommended me to work for the local Caterpillar dealership in Wyoming. I needed better benefits because I was getting married and we didn't have health insurance, so I gave it a shot and ended up being the receptionist/clerk when I was about 23 or 24. Now I'm a rental territory manager, and my typical day involves spending quite a bit of time in the vehicle driving and on construction job sites, working with clients to fit their rental needs and requests for building projects. Whether it's a custom-built home, regular residential home, or large tilt-up warehouse, I help them determine what equipment they need to do the work. It's a very male-dominated industry, so one of the challenges I've run into is dealing with men, whether they're engineers or construction management professionals, and getting them to trust my experience even though I am a female and know what I'm talking about. The respect portion is huge - maintaining good boundaries of professionalism so that you are respected is big in the construction industry because you deal with a lot of blue-collar guys who can be rough and tough, and you still have to come across professionally and make sure your message is being received.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Heidi
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to probably number one, my work ethic. And number two, I'm very tenacious - I don't understand the meaning of the word no, or you can't. Integrity is also big for me, and that ties in with my work ethic. I'm also big on if you say you're going to do something, follow through with it and do it. That's big for me. And then organization - for myself, personally and professionally, I attribute a lot of my success to making sure that my calendar is organized, my life is a little organized, so that I'm just not flying by the seat of my pants.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I would say there's probably two pieces of advice that have been most meaningful to me. When I was little, my mom used to tell me that you can do anything the boys can do. That started right young for me. And then the other one, as I've gotten older, was learning how to establish boundaries and respect. Somebody teaching me how to establish boundaries and respect has been really encouraging for me.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity is big for me, and that ties in with my work ethic. I'm also big on if you say you're going to do something, follow through with it and do it - that's really important to me. Organization is another key value, both personally and professionally. I make sure that my calendar is organized and my life is a little organized so that I'm not just flying by the seat of my pants. I also value maintaining good boundaries of professionalism and earning respect, especially in the construction industry where I work with a lot of blue-collar guys who can be rough and tough. I have to come across professionally and make sure my message is being received. Family ties are also very important to me - I'm originally from Montana, so anytime we can sneak away and go back to visit, and anything we can support in that community is important to me too.
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