Her Story
About Melanie
Melanie Cleary serves as Marketing Construction Coordinator for an architecture and engineering firm in New Milford, Connecticut. She began in construction around 2016, taking on roles such as project manager, office manager, and supply chain manager at Miller Paneling Specialties before moving into her current contract position focused on marketing and database organization. Cleary earned a degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, where she studied ceramics, fibers, painting, and drawing. She is Procore certified across all available certifications and continues education with Autodesk tools. In 2023 she launched an art business creating collages from tiny pieces of paper, inspired by her mother, and now sells at an artist's warehouse market. Cleary works part time from home, balancing her schedule with family time, and emphasizes the importance of asking for help when facing challenges in her career.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Melanie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I don't feel successful to be quite honest. The first year I was officially a business I never cried so much in my entire life. It was so disheartening because all I was doing was setting up affairs and I just wasn't selling anything. Then I took a year off and when my husband was laid off I had to make this work so I put money into new displays and lucked out with a new market.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Ask for help. We actually need help when you don't know what you're doing just be honest and say I don't know and ask for help. I would make a mistake and try and hide it or fix it myself and that doesn't work 99 percent of the time.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My kid my husband I would just I could see a smile on her face. Yeah I want to give her the world.
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