Where did you go to school?
I have a Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Art from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. As I became more interested in working on (and building) houses, I took classes at our local tech school, Wake Tech. Otherwise, I’m mostly self-taught.
How did you get into the trade?
I’ve always loved designing and renovating my own spaces. After we bought our first house, I repainted every room and figured out ways to DIY anything I wanted to change. In our second house, I started renovating the spaces one by one. Unfortunately, a kitchen renovation happened by accident after a polybutylene plumbing leak. I never thought about becoming a general contractor until the building inspector (who was inspecting our kitchen renovation) planted the seed by asking if I ever thought about becoming a GC. Three years later, I earned my license!
What advice do you have for those who may be considering pursuing skilled trades?
Don’t let anyone hold you back if this is your goal. There’s no reason you can’t earn a great living in the trades. And, there’s no reason a woman can’t be as successful a tradesperson as any man.