Women in Construction Week - Cape Fear Chapter

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April 1 - 14, 2022

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o celebrate International Women’s Day and raise awareness about the Wilmington Cape Fear Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), we recently joined forces with the Wilmington Business Journal to host a roundtable discussion with eight female entrepreneurs. The discussion was held at the new Aloft Wilmington hotel and an integral part of women in construction week, which takes place every year during the first full week of March.

elcome W ILMINGTON–CAPE FEAR

Insights were shared on a variety of topics pertaining to the construction industry, seen through the lens of local business owners in the areas of interior design, real estate sales, insurance, painting, HVAC, and more. The female power players I was fortunate enough to speak with as moderator described some of the obstacles and challenges they have encountered in their careers and the ideas and solutions that helped them, as well as personal success stories.

Female employees only make up about 11 percent of the construction industry workforce, so the formation of our NAWIC chapter last summer seemed timely. Also, the construction industry as a whole is currently facing a tremendous labor shortage.

It may seem obvious to say that inspiring more women to enter the trades could help to alleviate some of the issues that arise from labor shortages. Aside from the fact that diversity makes everyone stronger, getting the word out about the numerous, varied opportunities that are available in the construction industry right now could be an effective way to move our region forward—together—so I invite you to read on for a firsthand insight into the many benefits of working in the trades.

Thank you, Taylor King

I

Chairperson of Women in Construction Week, Owner of Seaside Punch List

Taylor King

WIC WEEK CHAIR DIRECTOR

Panelists

President & CEO Seaside Punch List

Deseree Muraglia

Brenda Dixon

Barbie Dorsey

Owner & CFO J.Long Custom Homes, LLC

Owner - Realtor Dixon Realty & Get that Deed

Franchise Owner CertaPro Painters

PRESIDENT

DIRECTOR

DIRECTOR

Stephanie Bolton

Rebekah Carr

April Jones

Brooke Skipper

Owner Patriot Roofing

Owner & Lead Designer Sweet Bay Design & Realty

President April Jones Insurance

Vice President Salt Air Heating & Cooling Owner Vent Ninjas, LLC

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April 1 - 14, 2022

About NAWIC To highlight women in the construction industry, discuss challenges encountered by women business owners and share practical solutions, the Wilmington Cape Fear Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction hosted a discussion with eight women business owners on March 8 during Women In Construction Week.

The panelists work in a variety of constructionrelated industries, including interior design, real estate sales, insurance, painting, HVAC and roofing, all of which have been traditionally male-dominated.

Along with sharing insights to help their colleagues, the discussion brought together women in the construction industry and raised awareness about careers available in the trades.

With labor shortages and a lack of inventory continuing to exert pressure on the housing market, there is a significant need for more women to enter the construction industry, not only to increase diversity but also to safeguard the health and security of the local economy.

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The Wilmington Cape Fear Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) is an organization focused on championing women to impact the direction of the construction industry. To accomplish that goal, NAWIC provides education, community and advocacy services for women in the construction industry, regardless of whether they work in the trades, project management, marketing, administration or executive leadership.

There is no barrier to joining NAWIC, in fact, women in related industries who work in construction related business such as finance, legal, and other complementary industries, are welcome. This is a partial explanation for why NAWIC has grown from a small chapter established by 16 women in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1953, to the organization it is today, with over 115 chapters nationwide. Now, the organization maintains a strict code of professionalism and high-value relationships with local as well as strategic partners worldwide, to generate more opportunities for women in the construction industry.

Understanding that women only represented a small fraction of the construction industry, NAWIC was organized to create a support network for women working in a maledominated field. NAWIC is focused on helping members via education and training, and to ensure they experience a safe workplace environment—free from threats, harassment or assault, whether they are employees, managers or business owners. Committed to amplify the success of women in the construction industry, NAWIC continues the vision of its founding members by advocating for the value and impact of women builders, professionals and tradeswomen in all aspects of the construction industry.

What made you realize you wanted to start a business?

I grew up in the passenger seat of my grandpa’s pickup truck. He was a project manager. He was always driving me around looking at projects. To make my parents happy, I became a construction attorney. And honestly, I just decided I like boots more than suits. I ended up working for my brotherin-law as his in-house counsel. It was a family business, and there were about 10 of us in the family that all worked for the company. He passed away at 49, so overnight, I went from being an in-house counsel to being the owner. The fear and anxiety of taking that on was immense. But it has been extremely rewarding. Our company is 50 percent female employees, and I’m so proud of that.

Stephanie Bolton Stephanie Bolton is a general contractor and owner of Patriot Roofing LLC, which provides residential/commercial roofing services, exterior repairs, siding, windows, doors, gutters and historic restorations. Along with her husband Bill, Stephanie and the Patriot Roofing team have earned recognition from the Wilmington Historic Foundation and Legacy Architectural Salvage.

What are some of the challenges you have faced?

When my brother-in-law passed away, I was basically working in the office.

I immediately realized that I needed a lot of help, and I needed it quickly.

So I went to a bank and found someone who would explain things to me—I went to CFCC and their Small Business Development Center, I went to UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and I went through the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program. There are so many people out there that want to help entrepreneurs. The cool thing about Wilmington is that it is such a great place for small businesses because so many people want to help you.

What does success mean for you?

I always say my family has been in roofing for 150 years. I woke up one day, and I said, just because my granddad did things a certain way doesn’t mean that’s the way I have to do it. And so I started making changes— now all the employees get full benefits. Everyone makes a living wage. All our subcontractors have to pay their employees a living wage, including day one laborers. It’s seeing that you can change your industry, one little decision at a time. That’s what makes it worth it. I love it.

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April 1 - 14, 2022

What made you realize you wanted to start a business?

I went to school for interior design and graduated in 2007. I quickly saw a need to go further in the design process, me to a couple of different roles, helping people on the land side and the building side. Thankfully, I’ve had awesome people around me who’ve helped educate me, support me, and push me to where I am today. And so my business partner and owner of Haven Realty, Colby (Saucier) and I immediately recognized a need to offer that turnkey service for clients. So whether it’s buying, selling, staging or new construction, helping someone translate their dream into reality … helping them buy furniture and get the space exactly right, we are very fortunate to help people create a backdrop for their daily life. It’s just vitally important to be in a relationship with people through that process.

Rebekah Carr Rebekah Carr is the owner and lead designer for Sweet Bay Design, which provides residential interior design services for clients in Wilmington and the surrounding areas. Leveraging her extensive experience in design and construction, along with her expertise in real estate—she works hand in hand with her business partner Colby Saucier and owner of Sweet Bay’s sister company Haven Realty.

How do you maintain relationships with your clients?

I think Colby and I do a great job of maintaining relationships throughout people’s seasons of life. I think it’s just staying in touch with folks and that can be difficult, but it goes a long way with clients. They feel like you care when you maintain that personal relationship and make them feel part of your family instead of just a transaction. There are a lot of different hands in the mix when it comes to building a house, designing a house, or furnishing a house. Our clients trust us to be a bit of a boss and get the job done.

What does success mean for you?

What was incredible for me to see was the buy-in—to see that there were people who saw the vision we had for how the design process could be different and were as passionate about pursuing that as I was.. One of the most rewarding things is being able to grow something that has been your baby for a long time, but then encouraging your employees and empowering them to do it even better than maybe you could in a lot of ways. When you take something from its infancy that you’re very passionate about and your clients become passionate about it too, it’s very rewarding.

How did you get started as a business owner?

I got started because I had a cousin that needed help collecting rent on his investment properties. The tenants always complained about having to pay rent and him not fixing anything. So, I told them I would get my real estate license and show them how to buy their own home. Long story short, here I am, 30 years later, still teaching families how to become homeowners. Focusing on what really drives me and the passion behind it helped me differentiate myself.

Of course, it is incredibly challenging helping buyers right now, especially 1sttime buyers. Therefore, we really must think outside the box, even throw away the box, and that is where our Get That Deed community initiative comes in. I have served many clients, but my passion and remaining focus now is helping the most deserving families to stop renting and become homeowners.

Do you have any marketing secrets you are willing to share?

Social media is huge now in every business and industry. I have gotten traction for Get that Deed pretty much solely on Facebook. I would say 90 percent of the families I help have learned about what I was doing on social media. It’s very important not to post something if you don’t want everyone to see it. Anything that could have a negative impact on your bottom line should not be on social media. Not having social media as part of your marketing strategy will hinder the growth of any business in today’s economy.

What does success mean for you?

Success comes when you have such an impact on others, they understand you were leading with a heart of service. That is when they are motivated to share your information with their family, and everyone so they can have the same experience. It resonates when you put them first. After 30 years in this industry, I know my passion is providing affordable housing opportunities and helping first-time buyers. I still do all types of real estate transactions, but my focus is on continuing leading with a heart of service to help families create financial stability, wealth, and legacy through homeownership. It is very rewarding when I can help families locally, and beyond achieve that goal and dream—it gives me purpose.

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Brenda Dixon Brenda Dixon is the owner of Dixon Realty, and Get That Deed, LLC, which helps match prospective home buyers with the guidance, support, and assistance programs they need to become homeowners. A full-time real estate professional serving Wilmington, and the surrounding area since 1991, Brenda Dixon partners with community leaders, real estate investors, home builders, and individual property owners to help families achieve their dream of homeownership, provide affordable housing opportunities, and break generational tenant cycles.

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W I L M I N GTO N – CA P E FEA R

Barbie Dorsey

April Jones

Barbie Dorsey is the owner of CertaPro Painters, which provides residential and commercial painting Servicing Wilmington—New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender Counties.

To provide customers with a worry-free painting experience, CertaPro Painters develops a customized project plan that is complete with safety and cleaning guidelines.

April Jones is the founder of April Jones Insurance Services, which focuses on coastal insurance, wind and hail, flood, auto, and boat insurance products. An independent brokerage with offices in Wilmington and Hampstead, April Jones Insurance Services shops rates from numerous carriers to find competitive rates for their clients and protect their interests.

What made you realize you wanted to start a business?

My past encompasses everything from leading teams and Land Development; to interior design and commercial design…I realized I was protecting everyone’s business as if it was my own.

Over the years, I realized that I needed to do this for myself…run a business, own a business and create a culture. It goes back to about 2005, I was looking into painting my home and after doing my due diligence I came upon the CertaPro Painters brand. It was an easy, good guy family company. I had a great experience and, fast forward to 2011, I ended up joining their team, running residential and commercial sales for 8 years. That was the catalyst for me opening CertaPro Painters in Wilmington.

Do you have a secret sauce for hiring and/or retention?

I never lose sight of the fact that I’m not producing the work; somebody on my team is producing the work. So, my role is hiring the labor and getting to know them. When you start a business, you create your own mission and culture. The biggest thing has been speaking to the crews, understanding their needs and goals, letting them know that I’m not working for you and you’re not working for me, we’re working together.

That’s essential because ultimately, they are the last point of contact for our customers. Speaking with intention, passion and conviction is also essential, because in this male saturated industry, I’ve learned a lot from being open, listening and not talking so much … basically just understanding who’s there to support you. It’s not easy all the time being in these businesses, but I think it’s important to have fun and remember your why. It’s important to build your brand, to inspire your crews and your customers, so can you can create that culture.

What does success mean for you?

Part of success for me is finally having a NAWIC chapter here in Wilmington. It’s fabulous that we can all get together and be supportive colleagues to each other. For me, delivering on my promises is paramount. Doing what you say you will do is not always easy, but when the team delivers on time because of the culture you created, it’s a great feeling.

How did you know you wanted to start a business?

I started out in insurance with one of the big box insurers and decided quickly that I wanted to create my own culture and processes. There were so many things that were not within my control that I felt I needed to be successful.

Additionally, I longed for job security. Since then, it’s been amazing. It has its challenges, sure. There’s an adage that says you work way harder for yourself than you ever would for someone else, and it’s true. It’s almost like having a baby—you have no idea what that’s going to look like until you’re waking up at 3 a.m., but I absolutely love it.

What point did you realize you needed to hire someone?

I knew I couldn’t breathe anymore doing it solo, so I was forced to look for someone. For me, it helped to define the structure of my team to look at what the roles would look like. Going back to my first hire, what I did not do correctly, was not vetting them properly as far as personality. And when you only have two people, one person is 50 percent of your culture. So, if you think of your team in terms of building a home, the team represents the climate … and if that person is metaphorically turning on the heat in the summer, they’re running everybody else out. This creates hard decisions because no matter how good a person may be at their job individually, if they are creating a problematic atmosphere, they can absolutely have a negative impact and it outweighs their performance. The vetting can get overlooked sometimes because when we stretch to the point where we have to hire, it’s like, oh, we need somebody quick. But, it’s vital to the success of your business to take your time adequately vetting new hires.

What does success mean for you?

The biggest success (and the catalyst to start my own business) was for peace. When I finally got to the point where I could come up for air and see what I built, I had peace knowing I never had to go back to a corporate world.

I knew then I’d made the right choice. nawiccapefear.org SPONSORS’ CONTENT BROUGHT TO YOU BY NAWIC

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April 1 - 14, 2022

Taylor King

Deseree Muraglia

Taylor King is co-owner of Seaside Punch List, which helps builders, homeowners, and Realtors take care of small items that may need attention, finishes, or repairs. A familyowned and operated business, Seaside Punch List helps clients across New Hanover, Brunswick, Pender, and Onslow counties with a wide array of issues, to help them avoid calling multiple tradespeople.

Deseree Muraglia is the co-owner/partner/CFO at J. Long Custom Homes, an established custom home builder that focuses on coastal homes and waterfront properties on Figure Eight Island. A master builder with an emphasis on southern coastal roots, J. Long Custom Homes, provides coordination, engineering, and planning services in an effort to deliver a relaxed, positive experience for homeowners and partners, including architects and designers.

What made you want to start a business?

We started our business when we saw the strong need builders had for a trade partner that showed up, communicated, and provided exceptional customer service.

Working corporate previously, we kept hearing “we want white-glove treatment,” and that’s something now, as business owners ourselves, we can provide. Just six months into our business, we can absolutely relate to everything my fellow panelists have said, as we are in the daily throws of it now. Going into business for yourself isn’t for everybody, but it can absolutely be a wonderful roller coaster ride.

What did you learn as you started growing your business?

One of the biggest things I’ve learned (am still learning) is time management outside of work. The juggle of work, owning your business, and family time. Do I want to be home every night to tuck my kids into bed? Yes. Realistically can I be home every night and grow our business? No. Networking is vital to growing your business when you are in a business based on relationships. The more people see you, the more people speak with you, the more connections you are able to make.

What does success mean for you?

For me, it’s really rewarding for my kids to be able to grow up watching hardworking parents. I want them to eventually get involved with the business and if it’s not our business, a business of their own. To be the kids of entrepreneurs, I think, is really amazing. So just showing your kids that you work and you don’t just sit at home.

I want to be able to give them the tools to be really successful as they grow up.

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How did you know you wanted to start a business?

Early in life, I realized I wasn’t meant to be an employee, but as far as owning a business, I wasn’t sure what that looked like. My initial motivation was to help people that can’t help themselves. Then I met my husband, who worked for a building company, his father, and I saw how hard contractors work and how they often get stiffed and don’t end up making money. It broke my heart, and I couldn’t let it happen anymore. So I joined my husband’s company with the idea that we would be a different type of home builder, and today we have a multi-million dollar business.

And it’s mainly because our clients know they can respect and trust us. At the end of the day, it’s how you finish—it’s integrity and how you treat each other. The main thing is I just really enjoy helping people and inspiring them.

What are some of the challenges you have experienced?

Everyone is going to face issues and challenges in a different way. So when you have conflicts of interest, it’s not unique. Part of it is about how much personal growth do you want to put aside time for yourself to be successful? Whether it’s at home or whether you’re working for a volunteer organization, such as many of us do, or whether you’re at a hot dog stand, it’s about how much value you bring to the table.

What does success mean for you?

The other day a friend said, “Hey, I ran into someone that has heard great things about J. Long Custom Homes.” And that was nice because we’ve never advertised. To see people that we have hired come along is very rewarding.

Our friend Brian is doing well. I don’t care if it’s two o’clock in the morning; he’s there because we’re open 24/7 for our clients. And we have this wonderful person Janelle, who has really helped our business grow. Now we are starting to offer our people partnerships in the company.

We all just want to meld together and be creative, have emotional intelligence, and mutual respect.

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What were some of your biggest challenges starting out?

My husband has been in the industry for almost 19 years now. I went to school and thought I wanted to teach high school. I quickly learned that wasn’t for me. While I was trying to figure out what to do, I fell into helping Devin with the business and never left. We work on different aspects of the business to grow it and expand it. Business ownership is not for everyone.

There are long days and some days, you don’t know if you can do it anymore, but it is very rewarding.

Brooke Skipper Brooke Skipper is co-owner of Salt Air Heating & Cooling, which provides a full lineup of maintenance, new installation, and service work to residential and commercial clients in and around the Wilmington, NC, area. Together with her husband Devin Skipper and their team of HVAC experts, they diagnose, and service all makes and models of heating and air equipment.

How did you know you were in the right business?

I taught high school for two years, American history and psychology.

And teaching is not for the faint of heart, but it was also something that I was not passionate about. So in my second year of teaching, I knew it was going to be my last year. At that time, we had already started Salt Air. Devin needed help with the business, and I offered to lend a hand.

That grew into managing our office, acting in that CFO role acting in a marketing role, and also a project management role. We’ve had a lot of success. If you are in a job you don’t love, find what your passion is, and most likely, you could turn it into a business. I invite you to learn more about the trades: the trades are growing, the trades are hiring, the trades are training for these jobs.

What are some of the successes you have achieved?

The fact we hit our 10-year mark last year was huge for us. Another is that we opened a second business last year and it’s doing well. It deals with indoor air quality specifically and duct cleaning and dryer vent cleaning.

So that’s a huge success for us to be able to open a second business that relates to the first and make it a good experience for everyone. Every day is not rainbows and butterflies, but it’s rewarding to see the team grow and be successful.

Join WILMINGTON–CAPE FEAR

For those who want to be part of a network of like-minded women facing the challenges and the opportunities of a career in the construction industry, joining NAWIC is a solid idea.

To help new members and those who want to pursue a career in the construction industry, NAWIC has an education foundation that provides educational courses and certifications, including CBT, CIT, CIS and more.

The organization also maintains alliances with numerous educational institutions serving the trades, in addition to supporting the NAWIC Founders’ Scholarship Foundation

(NFSF). Focused on providing the construction industry with trained employees through higher education, NFSF awards more than $100,000 in annual scholarships to recipients in construction-related programs. A few of the other educational opportunities provided by NAWIC include leadership skills development, career planning assistance, public speaking tips, technology updates and training, coaching and mentoring services.

Opportunities for professionals who are already active in the construction industry include community outreach projects, networking and relationship opportunities with other women nationwide, job leads, legal updates, mentoring and education services for youth and support through offering scholarships.

Members have the chance to learn from industry speakers at chapter, regional, and national events, gain access to technical/product information updates, and market their goods and services to other members, locally and nationally.

There are a variety of membership levels available and the cost to join is reasonable, considering that members receive educational opportunities, networking events/conferences, mentoring and the shared camaraderie of other women in construction at various points in their careers.

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WI LMI NGTON–CA P E F EA R

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