Rosalind Hogan

I attribute my success to finding my voice and becoming fearless in my career. Early on, I learned to have tough skin working in a male-dominated industry with tough bosses, including my sister and four male bosses. Over time, I learned to speak up when I needed to, share my opinions, and set boundaries. I'm not one to lose my temper - I deal with things calmly and rationally - but I learned not to be intimidated. The owner of the large commercial roofing company I worked for once told me that if he had to pick two people in the entire company for their toughness, it would be me and the other owner's son, which was a huge compliment. I learned when to speak up and when to be quiet, and I became confident enough to be the only woman in a room of 20 men without feeling intimidated. My current boss's daughter told me I'm one of the strongest women she's ever been around, and she noticed that I'll be quiet in meetings but then speak up at the right moment with something that's totally correct. I also think my success comes from being extremely adaptable to almost anyone's personality and being able to get along with anybody. Now that I have this legacy I've built over 34 years, I'm able to set my boundaries and terms, which is something I wish I had learned earlier in my career.

Number one, you better have some tough skin. I learned that very fast working with my sister and four male bosses who were wonderful but very tough. In construction, you need to be tough - it's not a place for the weak. When I started 34 years ago, there were minimal women in construction, but now it's so different and there are women everywhere in so many different careers and avenues. The most important thing I want young women to know is to find their voice and feel empowered. A lot of girls don't get their voice or won't use their voice, and that's something they should learn quickly. I want them to know they can say no, they can speak up when they have a thought, and they can set boundaries. You are in a world of men, and it can be very intimidating, but you have to learn not to be intimidated. Being confident is different from being fearless - confidence is how you carry yourself, but being fearless means not being scared of things, not being scared of change, and not being scared of speaking out. I wish I would have found that fierceness and fearlessness way earlier in my career, even though I felt confident. There are times to be quiet too, and that's something you learn, but not always. The key is learning when to speak up and when to listen.