Millie Sovich
My career path has been a little unconventional, but incredibly rewarding, and every step along the way has helped shape the way I approach leadership today. I originally went to college to become a registered nurse, but partway through the program I realized I was more drawn to the administrative and operational side of healthcare than bedside care. That realization ultimately led me in a different direction.
I spent about seven years with Best Buy, where I worked my way through just about every position imaginable. I held several leadership roles across multiple stores in the Pittsburgh area, gaining experience in team leadership, operations, and sales performance. By the time I left, the store I was part of had become the number one revenue-producing location in the region.
From there, I took a leap of faith and joined my brother, who has a degree in healthcare administration, in managing several medical practices he had acquired. Together we operated an addiction treatment center with four offices across Pennsylvania. That experience was incredibly meaningful and gave me deeper leadership experience while allowing me to be part of helping people rebuild their lives. It reinforced my passion for supporting others and showed me how powerful strong leadership and support systems can be in changing someone’s life.
I’ve now been in the civil engineering industry for nearly seven years, and the journey from where I started to where I am today has been incredibly rewarding. Over time, I found my niche in building connections between people and strengthening company culture.
Today I lead our corporate events, support onboarding initiatives, and focus heavily on employee engagement across the organization. I also serve as a bridge between our corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, our satellite office in New York, and our field employees who work across multiple states. One of the initiatives I recently launched internally is something called the Best Day Ever Movement, which focuses on boosting morale and encouraging employees to bring positivity and authenticity into the workplace.
One of the things I’m most proud of is helping our field teams feel more connected to our headquarters. We’re about 105 employees strong, and being able to build personal relationships across the company has been one of the most rewarding parts of my role. That connection and sense of community is something I care deeply about, and it continues to motivate me to help create a workplace where people feel supported, valued, and excited to show up each day.
• Notary public
• Pennsylvania Association of Notaries
• Addiction Treatment Center
• Best Day Ever Movement
• PTO
What do you attribute your success to?
I really attribute my success to being unapologetically myself. I got much further in my career once I fully accepted who I am and realized that leading with emotion and authenticity can actually be a strength.
For me, leadership is about consistency and reliability. People want to know they can count on you. I also believe energy is contagious, so I try to show up every day as the most positive and energetic person in the room. When you lead with positivity and you’re intentional about creating a good environment, people respond to that.
That mindset actually inspired something I launched at our company last year called the Best Day Ever Movement, which focuses on boosting morale and encouraging people to bring their full selves to work. Watching people embrace it and seeing the impact it’s had on our culture has been incredibly rewarding.
At the end of the day, I think success really comes down to showing up as your authentic self and lifting others up along the way. If you can create an environment where people feel supported, energized, and excited to show up every day, that’s what success really looks like to me.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received was, “You deserve a seat at the table, so act like it.”
That really stuck with me. It reminded me that confidence matters, and that you don’t need to shrink yourself or second-guess your place in the room. Once you believe you belong there, other people start to see it too.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice would be that you don’t have to put on a front to be successful.
You don’t have to be cold or overly tough to earn respect. You can be kind, authentic, and still lead fiercely and confidently. The strongest leaders I’ve seen are the ones who stay true to themselves while lifting others up along the way.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in this industry is still earning respect as a younger woman in a traditionally male dominated field. Early on, you sometimes feel like you have to prove that you belong in the room.
Over time I’ve learned that confidence and consistency go a long way. When you show up prepared, passionate, and committed to making a difference, people start to see that you truly deserve a seat at the table.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
One of the most important values to me is bringing positivity and humor into everyday life, both at work and personally.
Work can sometimes feel serious or routine, especially in technical industries like engineering, so I try to bring a little lightness and energy into the environment whenever I can. I believe people do their best work when they feel comfortable, supported, and able to smile throughout the day.