Barbara Joslin, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Project Manager, Principal at BL Companies

How many years have you been in your current field: 30 years

Which project, deal, or transaction was the “game changer” in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? About four years ago, I was lucky enough to be involved at the beginnings of a great international client relationship, which has in this very short period of time turned into BL’s largest client. At the onset of this work, I was a senior project manager, and have grown within BL and currently am the program manager for the architecture work, as well as a principal within BL. 

What are you planning to do differently in 2020 to have a positive impact on your career? I have always been a bit of a workaholic and while I use the excuse that I love my job (which I do), I’ve also recently begun to realize that a good work/family/friends balance is a better recipe for a long, healthy life. I am going to work towards a better balance through this year. (As I type this at 7:10 pm…Not there yet!) 

What was your favorite job and what did you learn from it? Bartending at a brewery in the late 90’s. While I love architecture and have enjoyed every one of my architecture positions through the years, I worked as a full-time bartender for about a year and a half during the recession when architecture jobs were scarce. Working in the service industry gave me a great appreciation for managing a team, customer service and multi-tasking, all skills that I use daily.