S2E5: From Tool Belt to Boardroom: Barb's Journey in Construction Management

The size of the company you work for can have a direct impact on your career and learning opportunities. This was especially true for Barb who received her bachelor’s degree in Construction Management. She began her journey as a carpenter at a large general contractor, wearing her tool bags, physically building buildings and relationships, and had a successful career as a woman in construction.
She climbed ladder rungs that included Foreman, Assistant Superintendent, Superintendent, Pre-Construction Manager, Project Executive, and Operations Director. Along the way, she transitioned from a large general contractor with nationwide projects to a smaller GC which allowed her to take more of an operational and strategic role. She also has spent some time working on the developer side of the industry, providing her with a well-rounded perspective on how to work with GCs, subs, and clients.
She now utilizes those experiences to educate and motivate audiences to better recognize, understand, and eliminate gender-specific challenges to increase recruiting and retention within the industry.
Key moments in the podcast include:
3:00 - The differences between working at a large GC vs a smaller GC
8:00 - How Barb applied her learnings from the general contractor side of the industry to the developer side
12:00 - Management strategies for working with subcontractors
16:00 - How to manage clients and customers with change orders and how COVID changed the process
29:00 - What working across the country taught Barb about regional language and culture
About DOZR
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About Barb
Barb's Website: constructionba...
Barb's Podcast: podcasts.hello...
Barb's LinkedIn: / barbarakallen