When I started college, I felt like I had discovered a whole other universe. My journalism professors helped me craft cool marketing slogans and my Philosophy of Feminism professor simply broke my mold of the world. I left college with a Minor in Women’s Studies and a BA in Journalism.Since then, I have been trying to pay it forward. I spent years in advertising for cool monthly magazines – I am very visual, so it really sustained me. Then I took those marketing skills into the organization world and started coaching and training women in business. I built the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce (CWCC) to the largest women’s chamber in the country. And, then, I took a hard right into the construction and transportation industry. Growing up in the country, it was less of a hard right than it might seem initially. I consulted for the US Department of Transportation, the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Utah Department of Transportation and the North Dakota Department of Transportation to provide technical assistance to women owned and minority owned companies. Then I looked around at the number of women in construction – only 8% when I started. I identified a real need for young women to find economically sustainable careers and for construction companies to find personnel. Transportation & Construction GIRL was born. Girls’ self-esteem goes down by 66% between middle school and high school. It is so incredibly important that companies and individuals supporting help girls understand they are good enough for high paying careers. We combined mentoring, shadowing days, career exploration events, Career Week for GIRLs and Transportation and Construction GIRL Week. Rather than cancelling in 2020, we translated each event into a virtual program in 2020. Girls and parents share their reviews on this short TCG Video: https://bit.ly/3qei76z I have pivoted so much that I am now dizzy. But I am more determined than ever to provide programs and one-on-one coaching that helps support girls, women and minority owned businesses. My favorite quote is Yoda’s – “Do or do not. There is no try.” Yes, my leadership group was stunned when during all the serious end of the year programs, I trotted out a Star Wars quote. But, it was appropriate and it pried the serious looks off everyone’s faces. I believe humor is essential to life:)