What are you doing differently in 2019 that has had a positive impact on your career? Strategic planning is always a priority, and this year my goal is to dedicate more of my time to this endeavor, with a focus on the Boston market and our growing Boston office, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Decluttering my schedule is the key to providing a better work-life balance
What were your biggest fears when you started out in your profession? That my unconventional methods and tendency to ignore rules would not find a home in the marketplace. What I’ve found since then is that I, and my business partner Ellen Feldman Ornato, have become beacons for people who want to set aside a lot of the “shoulds” that hold them back
What is the best leadership advice you have ever received? Who was it from? We are constantly reminded to choose how we want our lives to be and to design our company to support those choices. Sharon Rowe, CEO of EcoBags.com and author of “The Magic of Tiny Business” espouses the “begin with your life in mind” approach
Which project, deal or transaction was the “game changer” in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? The project that was the “game changer” for me, the project that really helped me advance in my experience as a structural engineer, was a renovation to a wood framed building. The amount of coordination
Which project, deal or transaction was the “game changer” in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? The game changing project for me was the first construction litigation case I had the opportunity to work on from start to finish. Although this occurred early in my career, it was my first chance to see every facet of the litigation process. From the initial document gathering
What were your biggest fears when you started out in your profession? My biggest fear was pursing my passion for interior design while entering the workforce as a millennial into a work culture that was only just starting to shift directions. I sought to be taken seriously in my career, not only as a hard worker willing to gain more knowledge about their dream profession,
Which project, deal or transaction was the “game changer” in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? I was the project manager for renovations and new exhibits at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk. It was the first time I was afforded the opportunity to run a project from start to finish. While it was a small project, it made me realize the importance
What were your biggest fears when you started out in your profession? When I entered the commercial market back in the 1980’s, I feared the perception of a female interior designer. As being one of the most commonly misunderstood professions (designers vs decorators) it was and still is a constant challenge to validate the role of the professional interior
What were your biggest fears when you started out in your profession? My biggest fear starting out in this industry was that I wasn’t knowledgeable enough and didn’t have enough background experience. I started with Microdesk fresh out of college and had zero experience beyond my course work. I quickly learned that it wasn’t about what I had
What was your first job and what did you learn from it? My first architectural job was as an intern for a small firm during college. I realized quickly that architecture was not always the glamorous career that I had imagined. Of course, I had the opportunity to work on some really fantastic projects, but more often than not I was working on smaller jobs such as
