Teri Taylor

The best career advice I ever received is to trust your gut and to make sure, at the end of the day, what you're doing makes you happy. Because then you never work a day in your life, right? This advice has really guided me in my career decisions and helped me find work that feels meaningful and fulfilling rather than just a job.

Mentorship is extremely close to my heart. I'm part of an organization called We Build Women where I mentor students in the AEC industry every quarter. When I talk to young people entering this field, I tell them that whatever they need, keep going. The key is to think about how you can make a connection that will put you in the place you want to be. You must manifest - I'm a huge manifester. So you have to manifest exactly what you want, think about how to get there, and start even small, and then work your way to where you want to be. I stand strong with who I am, and I remind them that this is a passion. A lot of students come looking for architects, engineers, contractors, but when I tell them what I do in business development, I want them to see all the possibilities. Keep going and figure out how to make those connections that will help you reach your goals.