March 3, 2025 • 27 mins
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Monique Strong.
She is a Project Management Professional and dedicated leader in the construction industry, serving as the Atlanta Chapter President of the National Association of Black Women in Construction (NABWIC). She is committed to empowering and advancing Black women in construction through leadership, advocacy, and professional development.
With a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Clark Atlanta University and a Construction Management Certification from Atlanta Technical College, Monique brings a wealth of expertise to NABWIC. As an Advisory Board Member at Atlanta Tech, she actively contributes to shaping the future of construction education.
Beyond her professional leadership, Monique is deeply committed to community engagement, working to expand NABWIC’s outreach initiatives that support women in construction and foster industry growth. As a Project Management Professional, she applies her skills in strategic planning, resource management, and execution to further NABWIC’s mission, creating opportunities for women to thrive while strengthening the organization’s impact on a national level.
Company Description *
National Association of Black Women in Construction (NABWIC) is a Florida-based nonprofit organization founded in 1991 to empower and support Black women in the construction industry. Under the leadership of its founder, Ann McNeill, NABWIC champions the advancement of Black women as entrepreneurs, business owners, government professionals, and industry leaders—proudly serving as "The Voice of Black Women in Construction.
Governed by a national board of directors comprising small business owners from various construction trades, NABWIC fosters networking, professional growth, and strategic collaboration. With chapters across the U.S., including **Florida, Georgia, New York, Michigan, Maryland, Virginia, and beyond, the organization provides members with opportunities to expand networks, stay informed on industry developments, and contribute to the growth of women in construction.
Through advocacy, education, and community engagement, NABWIC continues to drive meaningful change, ensuring that Black women in construction achieve their full potential.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome. I am Rashawn McDonald. I host the weekly Money
Making Conversation Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this
show provides off for everyone. It's time to start reading
other people's success stories and start living your own. If
you want to be a guest on my show, please
visit our website, Moneymaking Conversations dot com and click the
(00:21):
be a Guest button. Now let's start this show. My
guest is the Atlanta Chapter President of the National Association
of Black Women in Construction. She is committed to empowering
and advancing Black women in construction through leadership, advocacy, and
professional development. Please welcome to Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Monique Strong.
(00:44):
How are you doing, Monique?
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Hi, Rashon, I'm doing. Grading you pretty good, pretty good.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
I've tried many times to get you on the show
because I felt what you do is important for people
to understand, because it's a very unique journey. When you
say unique, when I say women in construction, let alone
black women in construction.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Absolutely just imagine right, a force of unstoppable leadership innovation
where Black women in construction don't just participate, but we
are the standards. And so this is the essence of
what the National Association of Black Women in Construction is.
(01:24):
We're a powerhouse of trailblazers. We build legacies, breaking barriers
and the driving force in the industry. And so this
is opportunity for women in this industry to gain like
unparalleled opportunities of advancement, high power, networking, and a community
(01:46):
that empowers you to lead.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
You know, it's really amazing when I think about it, Monique.
You know, because you're breaking stereotypes. Because everybody go construction.
You all see the you know, life looking women walk
about construction women because workers they flirting in whistling, cat
call and all that. You guys are the individuals. Can
you give us a sense of when I say the
word construction, what does that entail? When I say black
(02:13):
women involved in the model of construction industry that's very
much male dominated and very much white male dominated. What
is construction when I said.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
To you, construction to me is women owned businesses where
they are whether they have they're the tradesmen for mechanical
electrical plumbing that are able to have contractual opportunities, that
are building that own projects where they can be probably
(02:44):
like a million dollar projects or let's say they're the GC,
the general contractor that's actually the prime that's handling these contracts.
Is when you look at construction now, it's not just
about the feald, it's also now about the office, the
corporate part. Whether you're a project manager, whether you're an estimator,
(03:04):
or if you decide to even go into the safety aspect.
We're dominated in the safety. There are so many avenues
and construction that it is beyond It blows people's minds
to know how we have infiltrated this system and that
the image of the old has now transformed into what
you see now in the future. Wow, when you look
(03:26):
at us, you won't even you can't even tell but
that we are a woman in construction. It might be
because we weren't a red bottoms, but don't let the
red bottoms for you.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
I love it. I love it. I'm talking to Monique Strong.
She is committed to empowering and advancing black women in
construction through leadership, advocacy and professional development. I got to start,
what inspired you to get into construction and what has
your journey been like as a black woman in this industry?
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Great question and thank you for asking that. So It
started with my grandfather. Both my grandfather's on my mom's dad,
and also my father's dad were in construction. And so
my grandfather, my mother's dad, built the house I grew
up in, and so he was a carpenter and he
(04:21):
and my grandmother actually did the concrete for the house.
And so that was the house that my yeah, my
and I learned that recently through my grandmother not knowing
all this time, that that was always a part of
my history, a woman in construction. And so the house
that my mother grew up in, I grew up in,
(04:42):
and and then I was around it because my grandfather,
I'm originally from Memphis, Tennessee, and so he actually had
a towel company and so he would get contracts through
the city of Memphis and to do cow whether it's
residential or commercial. And I I remember one time where
my father would take me to. At this time, it
(05:03):
was called the Mall of Memphis. It was like a
really affluent mall, and my father would walk me down
in the mall and he would point out different stores.
I remember him pointing out the gap and he said,
your grandfather did that, just looking at the different towel
on each of the floors, and he says, I want
(05:24):
you to remember that your grandfather did that. And I
would sit sometimes even after school instead of going to
the after school program. My father worked for my grandfather
and would take me and I would sit, you know,
not of course in the near the construction, but I
will watch my grandfather and my father work, and so
I was always around it, not really knowing that that
(05:46):
was something that I was supprised I was gonna do,
because at that time it was meant for the boy
cousins to actually go into that field. But surprisingly the
person that actually went and two construction later on one ended up.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Being me, right right. You know that's the stereotype. You
think that's a male feel. The boys are gonna do it,
and you send you know they are miscuriosity. You taking
in the stories. You're embracing the stories that your father's
telling you about. And now you know it's all about
information because I can remember a lot of things I
was told and now I remember them now at the
(06:24):
old age, I go, wow, I can remember when that
information was given to me, and now how it translates
in my life now. Because I always tell people between
the ages of eighteen and twenty two. That's that period
where you feel you can do anything. And when you
get out of that twenty two then life can kind
of take over. You know, you might go, you might
(06:45):
graduate from college, get a job, get married, may have children,
and then your dreams can get altered. That But if
you really think about it, between the ages of eighteen
twenty two, if that's what you want to do, and
you want to go back and say what I want
to do with you'ut what my life? Go back to
that period because that's what you're going to be doing now.
And that sounds like that's what was happening in your life,
(07:07):
was it, Monique?
Speaker 2 (07:08):
It was? I actually did have so originally when I
went to school. When I went to college, I actually
attended the illustrious Clark Atlanta University and I graduated with
a baskets of science and engineering. My concentration was electrical,
so I was on a different path. And it wasn't
until one day I was I had this moment where
(07:30):
I felt like I needed to pisit. I just didn't
figure I was trying to figure out exactly what's the
next step? And you said engineering, right, that is correct?
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Now? Is an engineering construction.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
You know it's tied.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
So is it not? Because my early degree plan was
civil engineering and we all know that's the basis of engineers,
the basis of what you do outside of architect Okay,
that is correct, and so for you just set up
on this interview with me, Monique and go, well, you know,
I got my degree in engineer. That's not really like construction.
(08:06):
You know, that's not really like dealing with building models
and moving things. You need to stop talking to me.
I might end this interview earlier, miss Strong, who you
advocate for. Is it because I'm a man?
Speaker 2 (08:19):
No, it is not. Yes, So I would say that
it does help me definitely will reading of drawings and
plans and feel like you I am. I am grateful
for it, absolutely because it gave me the stepping stone
where I didn't have to struggle as much when I
(08:42):
entered this industry. I did. I did end up going
to trade school, and so I actually attended Atlanta Technical
College and went and was a part of the construction
management program. And that's really how I got introduced to
the National Association of Black Woman in Construction because I
(09:03):
actually met a young lady that introduced me to the
Atlanta chapter and and also there was a chair there
named mister Sellers. He introduced me to an internship where
this young lady was and so I served my first
internship as Skyline Engineering, and that's where I.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Engineering popping back up there and that's where I met
my first.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
My first mentor, and I did an internship there for
a while, and one of the the ladies of one
of the sisters of the membership of Natwig share with
me on another opportunity for a company called Yujama Construction,
and I interned there and that ended up being where
(09:55):
my career took off.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Well, you know, when you think about this, okay, socially okay,
just the word construction, it feels dirty. You think of
a hard hat. And where are you with your friends
when you are embarking in this direction, because it feels
like that's just a dirty job. That feels like a
(10:18):
very hard, unattractive job and not a job that every
let alone a woman, but a man may not want
to do. Where are you at when you're starting to
tell people this is your dream, this is the path
you're going to follow.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
I must have met my family, thought I had you know,
made a mistake and they were kind of really concerned
at first because they thought, you know, thinking of the
stereop type, you know, it's a hard type of industry,
you know, very dirty. I think it was just more
(10:52):
so where I just had to you have to navigate
right because there's so many lanes in construction and I'm
not And I also I did through the field. I
actually came into my career where I actually spent some
time on my projects in the field because I feel
that's the best place to kind of learn and grow
(11:13):
and develop. But you know, something I must say is
that you you identify in this industry when you come in,
is that you have to identify who you are and
who you're not. And then also as a woman, you
have to acknowledge and embrace that you are a woman
and you are different. And so no, you don't have
to be hard. That's the past stereotype, because when you
(11:36):
look back in the past, it shows the women are
hard and you know, and different things, and so it's
a lot of stereotypes with that. But there is a
new generation that has entered this industry that has shown
that you don't have to be hard, you just have
to be hungry.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Well, I think also a relationship player big role in that.
But before we go to break, I just want to
give everybody the definition of engineering since my good friend
Monique Strom said, you know, between the years of eighteen
and twenty two, she got a degree in engineering, but
it had nothing to do with the construction future. The
branch of science and technology concern with the design, building,
(12:17):
and use of engines, machines, and structures. I think construction
falls in line with that terminology what you got your
degree in. Don't you agree that, my friend?
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Absolutely? Absolutely, I am an agreement of that.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
We know.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
You know.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
The great thing about when I'm talking to I call
you a trail baser, Monique because of the fact that
when everybody wants everybody I always say, people want you
to live the path they think you should live, you know,
and then when you start deviating from that path, people
tend to start questioning your own dreams. Tell me about
(13:00):
that moment.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
H Wow, When I first entered into this industry, I
must say, it was a very hard season for me.
It I was young, I'm a young black woman in
(13:22):
the industry surrounded by men. I didn't at that time.
It wasn't I went to I worked in the field
with men. I worked on my projects were men. When
I even went to some of the walkthroughs where we
were competitively bidding, I would be surrounded by nothing but
white men. I remember a time when I went to
(13:42):
did a job and I walked up and it was
these older white men and they were looking around to see,
you know, number one, who am I and why am
I there? And not knowing that I'm there to also
competitively bid for this for this project as well. And
so it was really an eye opening moment for me.
(14:04):
And it was if I even go back to the
struggle it took to to get to where I am now.
It was not easy because you're fighting let's just say, fear, doubt,
and unbelief. Right, you're jumping into something that you don't
know what you don't know. You're also hoping that you're
(14:26):
getting the right advice for those that support you, right,
But then there's those that support you, but they don't
know either, right, they don't know. They just want you
to succeed and and and and want the best for
You're not sure exactly what that looks like. So I
think in that moment, you really have to go within yourself.
(14:47):
And every time I kept telling myself because I kept
I kept feeling, this is what I was supposed to do.
Those those those instances where I was going having visions
back in the past. Was my dad and my granddad,
and you know when I was one of them was
in the house with my grandfather, which was the carpenter
(15:08):
they built the home. It was just reminding me that
this was something you was supposed to do.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass, hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass
continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money Making
(15:38):
Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Construction, that's right. Construction. You know hard hats. You drive down,
you look at these big old buildings. You see these cranes.
You see people with these back holes digging in the ground.
You see people going working in the sun. Is hot
out there. You're going, that's a job I don't want
to do. Let alone, see a woman doing it and
(16:04):
she's happy. On the phone. I have the president of
the Atlanta chapter of the National Association of Black Women
in Construction, beating the drum saying, come on down, this
is the place to be. Their opening is their opportunity,
is that the attitude is that the person I'm talking
to more Nick.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Strong, absolutely, absolutely, I believe that we as women do
very well in this industry because we are very detailed.
And that is the number one thing when you're working
with your client that even though you do you've done
all the construction, the thing that your client looks at
(16:43):
when they walk that project, it's not the construction and
how it's done, it's the finish. It's the detail in it. Right,
did you bring their vision to life that you manifested
this way that they showed it to you? And we
women were so detailed that we ask questions to make
sure that we actually created the vision.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Well, you know, it's really interesting because there are a
lot of opportunities for just black people in general and construction.
There are a lot of jobs to be bid on
because I you know, I'm always being RFPs. You know,
where they you know, they request for a proposal, that's
what RFP means, and you have to compete with a
(17:21):
lot of people. And I'm in that marketing, I'm in
that design studio, graphic design, social media. There's a lot
of people to do that. Now, what happens is if
you are a general contractor and you get a government contract,
then the government will force people to bring on other vendors.
In other words, they just kind of like it really
(17:44):
is a diversity, equity inclusion. The government has always been
that when it comes to government contractors, otherwise it will
be controlled by just two or three companies because they
got the pot. But they've always said, you got to
do business with other people, and it's all and that's
where the opportunities and blacks being able to get into construction.
You just have to have the relationship. And that's what's
(18:07):
why it's important to be with organizations like your organization,
because it's who you know that helps you get to
know with the right people.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Correct, Monique, Absolutely, I think this whole industry is really
about relationships and when you can find an organization that
can support you and actually is rooting for you and
wants you to succeed, because when you win, they win, right,
And then not only that, we reach you back and
(18:37):
pull up the next sister.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Now now when we talk about women. Okay, my first job,
I was unloading boxes fifteen years old in the summer
of July. I was driving a forklift and that son
was beaming down on my back on Nick. I said,
I will never ever do this kind of work again.
This wasn't for me, just wasn't for me. That he
(19:02):
was killing me and I have I have never went
back out there unless I was just out there having fun. Okay,
So so it's not a dream job all the time.
But what drives you? What when at that moment when
that heats on you, When when the air condition is
not available, when you're out there and you and you
and the clock is ticket what what is motivating you?
(19:23):
Because I'm trying to find out how you are so
happy working in construction.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
I like to build.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
I love it. I love it.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
I like I like to take something that's nothing to
make it something. You know. I like to build and create.
I love it. I love the satisfaction that I get
is that when I get an opportunity to have a
client and I and with the various different projects I've done.
I love working with entrepreneurs. I love working with small
business owners, whether it's their first coffee house or whether
(20:00):
and it's their first gym or uh, you know, retail space.
They had this vision, this dream. They stepped outside of
the norm and decided that they wanted to go into
business for themselves, and they were getting ready to uh
and they want to create a space where they can
be able to showcase that. And they come to us
(20:20):
and say, this is my vision, and then being able
to manifest that and walk them through the stages of construction.
And then you stand in the space when you get
ready to do the ribbon cutting and you look around
and in this the vision that they actually saw in
their mind. That's why I do it.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
I'm gonna tell you something made me jump in line.
You go from like that, you know, the little tossing
the other dirt with the shovel when you break the ground.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
It's exciting. It's exciting because they get a chance to get,
you know, share with their family members and they built legacy.
Right so now they're family members, whether it's they're children
or their mother can see the manifestation of that vision.
And so that's what it is. Shout out to all
the women that are in the trade that or whether
(21:12):
they are you know, poor in concrete or whether they're
doing the mechanical, electrical, plumbing or the other part of
it is that they might not be so much hands
on in the field, but they may be the project
manager or the estimator, or the safety coordinator, a director,
or they're the CEO. Right are they the designer? Because
(21:36):
we have women in this construction is so vast, you
can be the architect.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Well, you know. The beauty of this is that every
last one of the jobs from welder, plumba electrical you know,
a construction laborer, a well paying jobs that have help
benefit's tied to it. These are outstanding jobs that really
can give you a lifestyle that can be very very
healthy and also can lead you to other opportunities. But
(22:04):
it's all about willing to put in the work. As
we go near this interviews in I would need you
to answer a couple of questions for me. Why do
you believe diversity and inclusion and construction leadership are so
important and how can the industry do better?
Speaker 2 (22:22):
I believe it's important because the country is diverse, right.
I believe it's important because one of the things that
so that makes us great at who we are is
our diversity and being able to be in spaces where
you can utilize your skill, especially being in construction to
(22:44):
design and build is needed. I believe that women in construction,
we are the unicorns that people are looking for. You
see it well in the federal contracting industry, right they
have to have a certain prince percinach because of to
to be able to employ diversity and even now. I
(23:06):
understand that things are changing based on the administration, but
it's so important because it makes us who we are.
It also inspires us to continue to be leaders of
our communities and to be able to build and grow.
We were being able to increase the unrepresentation, the lack
(23:26):
of divisibility. It's important to be able to expand the
workplace culture. And then number one, it's important to be
able to have mentors and sponsors, right sponsorships. I think
the challenges are there, but I believe we can overcome them.
(23:47):
We overcome the stereotypes because it's already changing. What we
look like years ago is different for what we look
like now.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
I can attest to that. I remember in high school,
I'm a good friends who classmates there were the Sloans
and they told me they dad run a Cemen truck. Now,
were you own the Cemen truck? You were making money? Okay,
and they was living in the same neighborhood. I still
don't understand that because we weren't living in a good neighborhood.
(24:16):
But they would have the Seamen truck. And and you're
on the Seamen truck. That's like white gold. That's like
that's like almost like printing money. And that was the
first time I heard construction and it was tied to
black people. And I could never wrap my head around
that because it is so unique. And but but that's
(24:37):
back then, like you were saying today, it's not unique.
And as you talk to women doing this interview, what
advice and how would you tell me to advance their
careers in the construction and what advice would you give them?
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Okay, Well, I still think that it's still unique, right
because when we're we are better than we we was
years ago. When we still have you know, we still
have some ways to go, right, And I think the
most important part about it is that what this organization does.
It advocates for fair contracting opportunities and connecting members to
(25:11):
procure and resources and also we educate. If you are
a woman in construction or you are a woman that
would like to be in construction, the number one thing
I would say is get around a community that supports
that so that it can be able to create a
pathway for leadership and mentorship for you. Because you don't
know what you don't know, and there are women that
(25:32):
will share their nuggets with you. They'll share there. We
would have something every week in the chapter where we
would get on the call and talk about roses and thorns,
our wins, and even our losses, because your losses can
educate someone right, it can help them to be able
to steal events. Because if you're saying you've been there,
(25:52):
there's always people at the beginning, the middle, and the end,
and each one of them have nuggets. And so my
advice would be is connect yourself with individuals that are
in the middle of the beginning of the end of
construction that you can grow.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Wow, I'm talking to she's special Monique Strong. She is
the president of the Atlanta chapter of the National Association
of Black Women in Construction. You heard it first right
here on one and making conversations Mastercreli. She's doing it
down here black women in Construction, building ground laying the
groundwork and building. Like she said, Rashan is when you
(26:30):
somebody bring a dream to her and she take that
dream and make it happen. That's why she do it.
She don't care how hot it is outside or how
long the days are. Is being able to build somebody's
dream and then for them to shake her hand and
say thank you.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Sound like some engineering to me, Miss Clark, Atlanta University.
I appreciate you coming on myself more. Nick Strong, you
keep dreaming girl eighteen to twenty two, because you're doing
it now.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Okay, thank you so much. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
We'll talk soon. Our friend Monique Strong, the Atlanta Chapter
president of the National Association of Black Women in Construction,
Be Strong anytime you nabe, please call me.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Okay, all right, thank you.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass
hosted by me Rashaun McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today, and thank you o listening to
audience now. If you want to listen to any episode
I want to be a guest on the show, visit
Moneymaking Conversations dot com. Our social media handle is Money
Making Conversation. Join us next week and remember to always
(27:35):
leave with your gifts. Keep winning,
Welcome. I am Rashawn McDonald. I host the weekly Money
Making Conversation Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this
show provides off for everyone. It's time to start reading
other people's success stories and start living your own. If
you want to be a guest on my show, please
visit our website, Moneymaking Conversations dot com and click the
(00:21):
be a Guest button. Now let's start this show. My
guest is the Atlanta Chapter President of the National Association
of Black Women in Construction. She is committed to empowering
and advancing Black women in construction through leadership, advocacy, and
professional development. Please welcome to Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Monique Strong.
(00:44):
How are you doing, Monique?
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Hi, Rashon, I'm doing. Grading you pretty good, pretty good.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
I've tried many times to get you on the show
because I felt what you do is important for people
to understand, because it's a very unique journey. When you
say unique, when I say women in construction, let alone
black women in construction.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Absolutely just imagine right, a force of unstoppable leadership innovation
where Black women in construction don't just participate, but we
are the standards. And so this is the essence of
what the National Association of Black Women in Construction is.
(01:24):
We're a powerhouse of trailblazers. We build legacies, breaking barriers
and the driving force in the industry. And so this
is opportunity for women in this industry to gain like
unparalleled opportunities of advancement, high power, networking, and a community
(01:46):
that empowers you to lead.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
You know, it's really amazing when I think about it, Monique.
You know, because you're breaking stereotypes. Because everybody go construction.
You all see the you know, life looking women walk
about construction women because workers they flirting in whistling, cat
call and all that. You guys are the individuals. Can
you give us a sense of when I say the
word construction, what does that entail? When I say black
(02:13):
women involved in the model of construction industry that's very
much male dominated and very much white male dominated. What
is construction when I said.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
To you, construction to me is women owned businesses where
they are whether they have they're the tradesmen for mechanical
electrical plumbing that are able to have contractual opportunities, that
are building that own projects where they can be probably
(02:44):
like a million dollar projects or let's say they're the GC,
the general contractor that's actually the prime that's handling these contracts.
Is when you look at construction now, it's not just
about the feald, it's also now about the office, the
corporate part. Whether you're a project manager, whether you're an estimator,
(03:04):
or if you decide to even go into the safety aspect.
We're dominated in the safety. There are so many avenues
and construction that it is beyond It blows people's minds
to know how we have infiltrated this system and that
the image of the old has now transformed into what
you see now in the future. Wow, when you look
(03:26):
at us, you won't even you can't even tell but
that we are a woman in construction. It might be
because we weren't a red bottoms, but don't let the
red bottoms for you.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
I love it. I love it. I'm talking to Monique Strong.
She is committed to empowering and advancing black women in
construction through leadership, advocacy and professional development. I got to start,
what inspired you to get into construction and what has
your journey been like as a black woman in this industry?
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Great question and thank you for asking that. So It
started with my grandfather. Both my grandfather's on my mom's dad,
and also my father's dad were in construction. And so
my grandfather, my mother's dad, built the house I grew
up in, and so he was a carpenter and he
(04:21):
and my grandmother actually did the concrete for the house.
And so that was the house that my yeah, my
and I learned that recently through my grandmother not knowing
all this time, that that was always a part of
my history, a woman in construction. And so the house
that my mother grew up in, I grew up in,
(04:42):
and and then I was around it because my grandfather,
I'm originally from Memphis, Tennessee, and so he actually had
a towel company and so he would get contracts through
the city of Memphis and to do cow whether it's
residential or commercial. And I I remember one time where
my father would take me to. At this time, it
(05:03):
was called the Mall of Memphis. It was like a
really affluent mall, and my father would walk me down
in the mall and he would point out different stores.
I remember him pointing out the gap and he said,
your grandfather did that, just looking at the different towel
on each of the floors, and he says, I want
(05:24):
you to remember that your grandfather did that. And I
would sit sometimes even after school instead of going to
the after school program. My father worked for my grandfather
and would take me and I would sit, you know,
not of course in the near the construction, but I
will watch my grandfather and my father work, and so
I was always around it, not really knowing that that
(05:46):
was something that I was supprised I was gonna do,
because at that time it was meant for the boy
cousins to actually go into that field. But surprisingly the
person that actually went and two construction later on one ended up.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Being me, right right. You know that's the stereotype. You
think that's a male feel. The boys are gonna do it,
and you send you know they are miscuriosity. You taking
in the stories. You're embracing the stories that your father's
telling you about. And now you know it's all about
information because I can remember a lot of things I
was told and now I remember them now at the
(06:24):
old age, I go, wow, I can remember when that
information was given to me, and now how it translates
in my life now. Because I always tell people between
the ages of eighteen and twenty two. That's that period
where you feel you can do anything. And when you
get out of that twenty two then life can kind
of take over. You know, you might go, you might
(06:45):
graduate from college, get a job, get married, may have children,
and then your dreams can get altered. That But if
you really think about it, between the ages of eighteen
twenty two, if that's what you want to do, and
you want to go back and say what I want
to do with you'ut what my life? Go back to
that period because that's what you're going to be doing now.
And that sounds like that's what was happening in your life,
(07:07):
was it, Monique?
Speaker 2 (07:08):
It was? I actually did have so originally when I
went to school. When I went to college, I actually
attended the illustrious Clark Atlanta University and I graduated with
a baskets of science and engineering. My concentration was electrical,
so I was on a different path. And it wasn't
until one day I was I had this moment where
(07:30):
I felt like I needed to pisit. I just didn't
figure I was trying to figure out exactly what's the
next step? And you said engineering, right, that is correct?
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Now? Is an engineering construction.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
You know it's tied.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
So is it not? Because my early degree plan was
civil engineering and we all know that's the basis of engineers,
the basis of what you do outside of architect Okay,
that is correct, and so for you just set up
on this interview with me, Monique and go, well, you know,
I got my degree in engineer. That's not really like construction.
(08:06):
You know, that's not really like dealing with building models
and moving things. You need to stop talking to me.
I might end this interview earlier, miss Strong, who you
advocate for. Is it because I'm a man?
Speaker 2 (08:19):
No, it is not. Yes, So I would say that
it does help me definitely will reading of drawings and
plans and feel like you I am. I am grateful
for it, absolutely because it gave me the stepping stone
where I didn't have to struggle as much when I
(08:42):
entered this industry. I did. I did end up going
to trade school, and so I actually attended Atlanta Technical
College and went and was a part of the construction
management program. And that's really how I got introduced to
the National Association of Black Woman in Construction because I
(09:03):
actually met a young lady that introduced me to the
Atlanta chapter and and also there was a chair there
named mister Sellers. He introduced me to an internship where
this young lady was and so I served my first
internship as Skyline Engineering, and that's where I.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Engineering popping back up there and that's where I met
my first.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
My first mentor, and I did an internship there for
a while, and one of the the ladies of one
of the sisters of the membership of Natwig share with
me on another opportunity for a company called Yujama Construction,
and I interned there and that ended up being where
(09:55):
my career took off.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Well, you know, when you think about this, okay, socially okay,
just the word construction, it feels dirty. You think of
a hard hat. And where are you with your friends
when you are embarking in this direction, because it feels
like that's just a dirty job. That feels like a
(10:18):
very hard, unattractive job and not a job that every
let alone a woman, but a man may not want
to do. Where are you at when you're starting to
tell people this is your dream, this is the path
you're going to follow.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
I must have met my family, thought I had you know,
made a mistake and they were kind of really concerned
at first because they thought, you know, thinking of the
stereop type, you know, it's a hard type of industry,
you know, very dirty. I think it was just more
(10:52):
so where I just had to you have to navigate
right because there's so many lanes in construction and I'm
not And I also I did through the field. I
actually came into my career where I actually spent some
time on my projects in the field because I feel
that's the best place to kind of learn and grow
(11:13):
and develop. But you know, something I must say is
that you you identify in this industry when you come in,
is that you have to identify who you are and
who you're not. And then also as a woman, you
have to acknowledge and embrace that you are a woman
and you are different. And so no, you don't have
to be hard. That's the past stereotype, because when you
(11:36):
look back in the past, it shows the women are
hard and you know, and different things, and so it's
a lot of stereotypes with that. But there is a
new generation that has entered this industry that has shown
that you don't have to be hard, you just have
to be hungry.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Well, I think also a relationship player big role in that.
But before we go to break, I just want to
give everybody the definition of engineering since my good friend
Monique Strom said, you know, between the years of eighteen
and twenty two, she got a degree in engineering, but
it had nothing to do with the construction future. The
branch of science and technology concern with the design, building,
(12:17):
and use of engines, machines, and structures. I think construction
falls in line with that terminology what you got your
degree in. Don't you agree that, my friend?
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Absolutely? Absolutely, I am an agreement of that.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
We know.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
You know.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
The great thing about when I'm talking to I call
you a trail baser, Monique because of the fact that
when everybody wants everybody I always say, people want you
to live the path they think you should live, you know,
and then when you start deviating from that path, people
tend to start questioning your own dreams. Tell me about
(13:00):
that moment.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
H Wow, When I first entered into this industry, I
must say, it was a very hard season for me.
It I was young, I'm a young black woman in
(13:22):
the industry surrounded by men. I didn't at that time.
It wasn't I went to I worked in the field
with men. I worked on my projects were men. When
I even went to some of the walkthroughs where we
were competitively bidding, I would be surrounded by nothing but
white men. I remember a time when I went to
(13:42):
did a job and I walked up and it was
these older white men and they were looking around to see,
you know, number one, who am I and why am
I there? And not knowing that I'm there to also
competitively bid for this for this project as well. And
so it was really an eye opening moment for me.
(14:04):
And it was if I even go back to the
struggle it took to to get to where I am now.
It was not easy because you're fighting let's just say, fear, doubt,
and unbelief. Right, you're jumping into something that you don't
know what you don't know. You're also hoping that you're
(14:26):
getting the right advice for those that support you, right,
But then there's those that support you, but they don't
know either, right, they don't know. They just want you
to succeed and and and and want the best for
You're not sure exactly what that looks like. So I
think in that moment, you really have to go within yourself.
(14:47):
And every time I kept telling myself because I kept
I kept feeling, this is what I was supposed to do.
Those those those instances where I was going having visions
back in the past. Was my dad and my granddad,
and you know when I was one of them was
in the house with my grandfather, which was the carpenter
(15:08):
they built the home. It was just reminding me that
this was something you was supposed to do.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass, hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass
continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money Making
(15:38):
Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Construction, that's right. Construction. You know hard hats. You drive down,
you look at these big old buildings. You see these cranes.
You see people with these back holes digging in the ground.
You see people going working in the sun. Is hot
out there. You're going, that's a job I don't want
to do. Let alone, see a woman doing it and
(16:04):
she's happy. On the phone. I have the president of
the Atlanta chapter of the National Association of Black Women
in Construction, beating the drum saying, come on down, this
is the place to be. Their opening is their opportunity,
is that the attitude is that the person I'm talking
to more Nick.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Strong, absolutely, absolutely, I believe that we as women do
very well in this industry because we are very detailed.
And that is the number one thing when you're working
with your client that even though you do you've done
all the construction, the thing that your client looks at
(16:43):
when they walk that project, it's not the construction and
how it's done, it's the finish. It's the detail in it. Right,
did you bring their vision to life that you manifested
this way that they showed it to you? And we
women were so detailed that we ask questions to make
sure that we actually created the vision.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Well, you know, it's really interesting because there are a
lot of opportunities for just black people in general and construction.
There are a lot of jobs to be bid on
because I you know, I'm always being RFPs. You know,
where they you know, they request for a proposal, that's
what RFP means, and you have to compete with a
(17:21):
lot of people. And I'm in that marketing, I'm in
that design studio, graphic design, social media. There's a lot
of people to do that. Now, what happens is if
you are a general contractor and you get a government contract,
then the government will force people to bring on other vendors.
In other words, they just kind of like it really
(17:44):
is a diversity, equity inclusion. The government has always been
that when it comes to government contractors, otherwise it will
be controlled by just two or three companies because they
got the pot. But they've always said, you got to
do business with other people, and it's all and that's
where the opportunities and blacks being able to get into construction.
You just have to have the relationship. And that's what's
(18:07):
why it's important to be with organizations like your organization,
because it's who you know that helps you get to
know with the right people.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Correct, Monique, Absolutely, I think this whole industry is really
about relationships and when you can find an organization that
can support you and actually is rooting for you and
wants you to succeed, because when you win, they win, right,
And then not only that, we reach you back and
(18:37):
pull up the next sister.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Now now when we talk about women. Okay, my first job,
I was unloading boxes fifteen years old in the summer
of July. I was driving a forklift and that son
was beaming down on my back on Nick. I said,
I will never ever do this kind of work again.
This wasn't for me, just wasn't for me. That he
(19:02):
was killing me and I have I have never went
back out there unless I was just out there having fun. Okay,
So so it's not a dream job all the time.
But what drives you? What when at that moment when
that heats on you, When when the air condition is
not available, when you're out there and you and you
and the clock is ticket what what is motivating you?
(19:23):
Because I'm trying to find out how you are so
happy working in construction.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
I like to build.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
I love it. I love it.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
I like I like to take something that's nothing to
make it something. You know. I like to build and create.
I love it. I love the satisfaction that I get
is that when I get an opportunity to have a
client and I and with the various different projects I've done.
I love working with entrepreneurs. I love working with small
business owners, whether it's their first coffee house or whether
(20:00):
and it's their first gym or uh, you know, retail space.
They had this vision, this dream. They stepped outside of
the norm and decided that they wanted to go into
business for themselves, and they were getting ready to uh
and they want to create a space where they can
be able to showcase that. And they come to us
(20:20):
and say, this is my vision, and then being able
to manifest that and walk them through the stages of construction.
And then you stand in the space when you get
ready to do the ribbon cutting and you look around
and in this the vision that they actually saw in
their mind. That's why I do it.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
I'm gonna tell you something made me jump in line.
You go from like that, you know, the little tossing
the other dirt with the shovel when you break the ground.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
It's exciting. It's exciting because they get a chance to get,
you know, share with their family members and they built legacy.
Right so now they're family members, whether it's they're children
or their mother can see the manifestation of that vision.
And so that's what it is. Shout out to all
the women that are in the trade that or whether
(21:12):
they are you know, poor in concrete or whether they're
doing the mechanical, electrical, plumbing or the other part of
it is that they might not be so much hands
on in the field, but they may be the project
manager or the estimator, or the safety coordinator, a director,
or they're the CEO. Right are they the designer? Because
(21:36):
we have women in this construction is so vast, you
can be the architect.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Well, you know. The beauty of this is that every
last one of the jobs from welder, plumba electrical you know,
a construction laborer, a well paying jobs that have help
benefit's tied to it. These are outstanding jobs that really
can give you a lifestyle that can be very very
healthy and also can lead you to other opportunities. But
(22:04):
it's all about willing to put in the work. As
we go near this interviews in I would need you
to answer a couple of questions for me. Why do
you believe diversity and inclusion and construction leadership are so
important and how can the industry do better?
Speaker 2 (22:22):
I believe it's important because the country is diverse, right.
I believe it's important because one of the things that
so that makes us great at who we are is
our diversity and being able to be in spaces where
you can utilize your skill, especially being in construction to
(22:44):
design and build is needed. I believe that women in construction,
we are the unicorns that people are looking for. You
see it well in the federal contracting industry, right they
have to have a certain prince percinach because of to
to be able to employ diversity and even now. I
(23:06):
understand that things are changing based on the administration, but
it's so important because it makes us who we are.
It also inspires us to continue to be leaders of
our communities and to be able to build and grow.
We were being able to increase the unrepresentation, the lack
(23:26):
of divisibility. It's important to be able to expand the
workplace culture. And then number one, it's important to be
able to have mentors and sponsors, right sponsorships. I think
the challenges are there, but I believe we can overcome them.
(23:47):
We overcome the stereotypes because it's already changing. What we
look like years ago is different for what we look
like now.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
I can attest to that. I remember in high school,
I'm a good friends who classmates there were the Sloans
and they told me they dad run a Cemen truck. Now,
were you own the Cemen truck? You were making money? Okay,
and they was living in the same neighborhood. I still
don't understand that because we weren't living in a good neighborhood.
(24:16):
But they would have the Seamen truck. And and you're
on the Seamen truck. That's like white gold. That's like
that's like almost like printing money. And that was the
first time I heard construction and it was tied to
black people. And I could never wrap my head around
that because it is so unique. And but but that's
(24:37):
back then, like you were saying today, it's not unique.
And as you talk to women doing this interview, what
advice and how would you tell me to advance their
careers in the construction and what advice would you give them?
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Okay, Well, I still think that it's still unique, right
because when we're we are better than we we was
years ago. When we still have you know, we still
have some ways to go, right, And I think the
most important part about it is that what this organization does.
It advocates for fair contracting opportunities and connecting members to
(25:11):
procure and resources and also we educate. If you are
a woman in construction or you are a woman that
would like to be in construction, the number one thing
I would say is get around a community that supports
that so that it can be able to create a
pathway for leadership and mentorship for you. Because you don't
know what you don't know, and there are women that
(25:32):
will share their nuggets with you. They'll share there. We
would have something every week in the chapter where we
would get on the call and talk about roses and thorns,
our wins, and even our losses, because your losses can
educate someone right, it can help them to be able
to steal events. Because if you're saying you've been there,
(25:52):
there's always people at the beginning, the middle, and the end,
and each one of them have nuggets. And so my
advice would be is connect yourself with individuals that are
in the middle of the beginning of the end of
construction that you can grow.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Wow, I'm talking to she's special Monique Strong. She is
the president of the Atlanta chapter of the National Association
of Black Women in Construction. You heard it first right
here on one and making conversations Mastercreli. She's doing it
down here black women in Construction, building ground laying the
groundwork and building. Like she said, Rashan is when you
(26:30):
somebody bring a dream to her and she take that
dream and make it happen. That's why she do it.
She don't care how hot it is outside or how
long the days are. Is being able to build somebody's
dream and then for them to shake her hand and
say thank you.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Sound like some engineering to me, Miss Clark, Atlanta University.
I appreciate you coming on myself more. Nick Strong, you
keep dreaming girl eighteen to twenty two, because you're doing
it now.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Okay, thank you so much. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
We'll talk soon. Our friend Monique Strong, the Atlanta Chapter
president of the National Association of Black Women in Construction,
Be Strong anytime you nabe, please call me.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Okay, all right, thank you.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass
hosted by me Rashaun McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today, and thank you o listening to
audience now. If you want to listen to any episode
I want to be a guest on the show, visit
Moneymaking Conversations dot com. Our social media handle is Money
Making Conversation. Join us next week and remember to always
(27:35):
leave with your gifts. Keep winning,
Host
Rushion McDonald
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