March 6, 2025 • 31 mins
In this episode of The Construction Cafe, Tristen Magallanes chats with Neha Thakker, a Project Manager at BHM Construction, about her journey from intern to leadership. Neha shares insights on mentorship, industry challenges, and the evolving role of women in construction. She also highlights the importance of early exposure to construction careers and the lasting impact of the projects we build. Tune in for a conversation on leadership, problem-solving, and shaping the future of the industry. #WICWEEK2025
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Episode Transcript
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(00:05):
Welcome to the Construction Cafe, where the buzz of the construction industry meets thewarmth of a friendly conversation.
I'm your host, Tristen Magallanes.
Join me at our virtual cafe as we explore the foundations of construction culture, sip oncutting edge concepts, and amplify the unspoken voices in our industry.
So grab a cup of your favorite beverage, pull up a seat, and let's build more than juststructures, let's build connections.
(00:33):
This is the Construction Cafe.
welcome back to the construction cafe.
We are joined by another amazing woman who works in construction for women in constructionweek.
(00:54):
And I would like to welcome Neha.
Neha welcome to the show.
I'm really glad you're here today.
Hey, Tristen Hey, folks.
Neha here.
Before we begin, namaste to everybody.
I'm here with Tristen, and I'm glad that she approached and she invited me to be part ofthis amazing series.
(01:17):
Neha, tell us a little bit about your role in the industry.
What is it that you do?
I am a project manager currently with BHM Construction And, but I have gone through, youknow, some intern to being a project engineer, senior project engineer assistant PM.
So I've gone through all those levels in the project management side of the constructionindustry.
(01:41):
And this has been like, amazing journey.
That's great.
I think you're the only person on this series that's a project manager, which is coolbecause I love the different representation.
You've also taken that kind of traditional pathway where it's an internship, a projectengineer, senior project engineer, and that kind of very traditional pathway to being a
(02:03):
project manager in the industry.
What's that?
Is there any feedback on that?
Do you recommend that for others who want to be a project manager to take that pathway toit?
Yeah, definitely.
Yes, because you know when you start as an intern, you get trained of you know what theconstruction industry looks like, what your day to day work day looks like.
(02:25):
So internship do train you to get into that role.
Project engineering, know you do learn all the technical aspects of it.
You get more deeper into what the construction looks like.
you know what are the challenges that you face on your day to day basis so.
Yes, I do recommend to all the young professionals out there if they are interested inthis traditional journey then and it's not like it takes years to get to the project
(02:51):
management position.
know, from my personal experience, it took me seven years to get here,
I feel that going from intern to project manager within seven years, I look at it as agreat opportunity.
Yeah.
Is there a certain type of construction that you are a project manager for?
(03:11):
I'm currently working on K to 12.
it's a comprehensive high school in Dublin.
I'm working on it and then the next project for me to work is the theater project, whichis a 600 seats theater in Dublin.
Have you always worked on those types of projects or have you worked on other sort ofhousing anything other than that?
(03:36):
Yeah, so I have worked like few years in India and I when I was over there, I did work onthe residential and the commercial projects.
But when I moved to USA, I worked mostly like, you know, I've worked on the airports, SanFrancisco airport.
(03:57):
That was my very first project.
Then I have worked on the hospital like a pediatric care unit project.
That was my the next.
And since last couple of years now, I've been working on the high school project inDublin.
So I have touched a variety of sectors in the construction industry.
(04:17):
That's kind of, I don't know, I find that kind of exciting that you get to not just stickin one lane, but you get this varied experience, which can be exciting when people think
of project manager.
Sometimes I think it might be kind of boring.
I'm doing the same things.
But when you get to do one project for a couple years, and then you get to pivot to a newone, it's another challenge, something exciting to do.
(04:39):
I think that's a nod to the potential interesting part of being a project manager inconstruction is you can
kind of pivot and shift to different types of projects.
Yes, there is an opportunity out there.
There are so many projects out there and you know, it's up to an individual what theywould like to go forward with.
That's great.
(05:00):
Did you study in academia, something directly connected to construction or somethingoutside of that?
No, I did.
My bachelor's was in civil engineering from one of the great universities in India.
And then I did my construction management master's program from the San Jose State in SanJose, California.
(05:20):
Great.
So is there anything you think in those programs that you would want differently or tostudy other things that could lead to this pathway into this industry?
Or do you think that they really prepared you well for that?
Frankly speaking, construction management program was very easy.
(05:43):
Like, you know, it just it was a basic information about what we do on a day to day basis,like, you know RFIs and submittals and you know, site management and but I think that, the
universities, if they have like a more of a applied.
programs, the students would be better prepared when they're out of the college, when theyget into the internship.
(06:07):
That might even rule out the internship need, you know, if they're better prepared at thethe university level.
So that's something I would I would like to see as a change.
Yeah, I think that's an opportunity to for working professionals that if there areacademic folks who reach out to you and want to do job site walks or want to gain some of
(06:27):
that experience that it's our opportunity to bring them into that and help them achievethat and have that experience and exposure early on, just to set them up better for their
future and career.
Yeah.
Yeah, thanks for sharing that.
What have you what have you loved most about your role?
The best thing that I love is like, know, every day is full of challenges.
(06:49):
There's something or the other going on at the job site.
One or the other subcontractor will have some questions, even though we have designeddocuments.
You know, there are still challenges out there.
Sometimes whatever is drawn does not make sense when they start to build.
Another that I love about construction is
You know those buildings like in it, for example, I'm working on this high school project.
(07:13):
It's going to stay for years.
You know, I'm you know my generations, my future generations will see that.
Hey, my mom worked out this project, you know, and so that's something I just you know, Ifeel it's an accomplishment.
It's an it's an it's a pride for me.
Absolutely.
I love that you brought that forward.
(07:34):
have because my dad's side of the family immigrated here from Panama and he was a youngboy.
And then he worked in construction in the San Francisco Bay area when I was growing up.
And I have the opportunity to drive past brick buildings in San Francisco area and he wasa hod carrier.
He laid those bricks.
(07:55):
And I have immense pride as his daughter of driving past those buildings and saying, mydad literally put those bricks there.
And I love that about our industry is all people can find pride in this work and the workthat gets put in place and that it will exist for generations to come, I love that that's
part of something you love from this industry.
(08:15):
So thank you for sharing that.
you mentioned challenges in the day to day as something that you sort of enjoy, but arethere any challenges that you have faced that you didn't enjoy or that you wish were
different or that you, you know, you know, think that we could change?
Yes, are like, you know frustrations sometimes like, you know, there are constructionmanagement software out there
(08:43):
Sorry, I'm laughing because I already feel like I know what's coming.
So that's like, you know, part of my frustration that, know, there could be bettersoftware out there which could make our life easy when it comes to the collaboration,
like, you know, real time updates.
I do see that, you know, like a Plangrid, the Autodesk, Procore, there are, you know,players out there who are working on, continuously working on to make it better, you know,
(09:11):
they are trying to learn from all the professionals, like.
We do get approached by their sales team and say, hey, you know, can you tell us what, canwe improve our software?
So they are working on it.
And I feel that they even realize that, you know, construction is getting on to a nextlevel here.
It's not a traditional construction anymore.
(09:31):
You know, people are ready to change, you know, there were traditional folks like, youknow, with my team.
I have, you know, who are like 70 years old, 60 plus years.
They still want to stick with the traditional.
They used to, but now with all the ease of all these softwares, they also feel that, yeah,you know what?
(09:52):
We are ready to make that change.
We are ready to work on these softwares and make everybody's life easier here.
Great to hear.
I worked in for a subcontractor years ago.
I remember when we first introduced iPads to the superintendents.
(10:13):
And that tells you anything about my age.
And I had one of them come in my office.
And I want to say it was like a plan grid type of thing we had put on there.
Oh, it could have been Procore, like the early version of Procore.
And I remember that they, he just like threw it on my desk and was like, not using thisthing.
And he like threw it at me.
(10:34):
And I just sat there going, okay, well, everybody else is using it.
I don't know how you're gonna get your information.
It's good to hear that that sentiment is starting to shift, that folks are not onlyleaning into that change, but also,
being the voice that helps to create that change, giving the advice, giving that knowledgeforward to the software companies to help make it the best possible version they can for
(11:04):
the people that are using it.
And that's really great to hear.
I'm glad because that was not the case when I remember that first happening.
When it comes to specifically being a woman in construction, what are some changes?
you've been in the industry for a bit now, what are some of the changes you think you'veseen occur happen that have helped create this space for women here?
(11:29):
there are women in construction conferences, you know.
I have been to those kind of conferences and there are women out there who are ready tomentor you.
They are ready to, you know, provide your guidance.
Like, you know, when I was an intern, I went to one of those conferences and I found amentor, she gave me like, you know, hey, this is a pathway that you can move on to and,
(11:50):
you know, you can make your career out of it.
So that's something like, you know, I think that was a great opportunity for me to be partof that.
And I consider that as a game changer for me to start thinking into that kind ofopportunity for me, you know, further down.
Yeah, absolutely.
think even now, if there's an aspiring project engineer intern out there that's lookingfor somebody to just talk with about that experience, get advice.
(12:18):
I mean, sometimes you just need to vent and somebody like yourself already has theexperience to offer to another up and coming young professional.
And you don't have to wait until you've been here 40 years, I think, to do that.
And you've had a lot of varied experience.
Also, you've had experience in construction in another country, which I think adds a wholedifferent useful perspective that we can learn from.
(12:41):
And I love that you bring that.
is there a specific change that comes to mind that you think needs to happen or we shouldbe looking to happen for creating better equity for women in this industry?
Yes, so one there like, know, I have two girls.
One of them is like, you know, teenager.
So, you know, when I talk to their friends, when I talk to like, you know, neighbors orthe community around me, I feel that there is still like people are not much aware about
(13:10):
construction, that there is a good pathway in construction.
know, there are people just thinking, you know, computer science or medical or.
Business management or, you know, other engineering firms, but there are not many.
There's not much awareness about construction being in the trades or being in theconstruction.
So I feel that if you know, if the schools would make, you know, introduce some of theprograms that would that would call.
(13:36):
Hey, you know, it's just it is an option out there.
It's not just, know, just those traditional feel like construction is also traditionalindustries.
So.
You know, that's one thing I feel that creating that those kind of programs in a schooloffering them as an alternate or elective that would create more awareness.
love that idea.
(13:58):
in addition to other programs that a lot of it's heavy focused around tech and influence,you know, type of things or creators and stem.
I think construction is somewhere a little bit different of a bucket and offeringsomething that kind of
brings that forward, and not just for women, I would say, but also young men.
(14:23):
It's not something that's just brought forward enough.
And I think that it's a great opportunity.
As we talk about contributions and shifting change and creating change, are there anyorganizations that you've seen have done this really well or like you mentioned some of
the conferences, maybe some of those have helped some of that shift?
(14:43):
Yes, like, you know, one of the example I can think of is like a simplest PPEs.
You know, I was I was talking to one of the superintendent on my previous project and theywere like, there were always PPE that would be like, you know, that would, as you would
know, the construction, they're heavy guys, you know, most of them.
So the PPEs would be, you know, like you'll get either in large extra large XSL, like,know, double XL.
(15:09):
But now with the shift in that field, like, you know, now that there are more womengetting into the construction, he was telling me that, you know, now those kind of
companies, they have started to make the PPEs that would fit like maybe, you know, womenin a small size or medium size.
Has your company adopted this shifted PPE that fits women's bodies and they're morecomfortable with and done that for women?
(15:35):
Yes, so like, you know, not personally, I have seen, but like, I have heard these kind ofstories from the superintendents that I have worked in the past, that they would say that,
hey, you know, in the beginning, they would only get the PPEs like safety vest, and thelarge and extra large and double XL and those kinds of sizes.
But now that you know, women being introduced in the construction industry, they do need asmaller size so.
(16:02):
companies have started to make those kinds of products so that they can accommodate thatworkforce as well.
And I feel that's a change, you know, that's a big change.
One of my favorite companies that I saw do this early on, it's actually a new company thatwas female founded.
I want to say it's Xena Workwear.
And they made women's specific boots and shoes for not just construction, butmanufacturing environments.
(16:28):
And I bought, I think the first version of them I bought because I was like, yes, finallyshoes for women that aren't designed for men that
I can wear on the job site.
I've since then gone on to purchase probably three different pairs of theirs becausethey've come up with different versions.
One of them looks like a tennis shoe.
And I just think it's fun because I like to be fashionable even if I'm on a job site.
(16:49):
I also like to play and have fun with my clothing with colors.
And so I just thought it was fun and neat.
And I get questions sometimes.
They're like, are those, can you have those on the job site?
And it comes with a little card that you can pull out of your pocket.
and it tells you the ratings and the certifications that it meets and all of that.
So I love that they also thought about that and knew that people would get questionedabout these shoes.
(17:11):
And so they gave you this little card you can carry with you just to reinforce the factthat yes, this is legitimate.
so it's, I don't know, we get to have fun in being the job site and fashionable.
Yeah, I love that.
I think there's still more opportunity in the PPE space, not just for women, but for allbodies to improve upon some of those things.
(17:34):
And yeah, it's happening in the world.
I see it all the time and that's another opportunity for maybe a woman to come in andcontinue to innovate and create more space for other PPE for people.
something else I would like to bring up, if you're on the construction site, you got tohave those portable toilets.
(17:55):
So I have seen with my current job, they knew that there are other female team members aswell, not just on the GC side, but the owner side, the design side.
So they were like, I feel so fortunate they thought about it and they had a trailer thathad an inbuilt restroom in there.
(18:15):
just for the women.
So I feel like, you know, companies are out there thinking about it.
So I feel that's a great move.
Yeah.
is definitely something in my time in the industry I've seen shift where it used to be twoporta potties and everybody shared it.
And I remember I had a lock for my only because I was the only woman ever on those jobsites.
(18:39):
they would have inevitably cut the lock off and use it anyway.
And so it was this constant battle I love that that's changed So it's not even for somecompanies a conversation anymore.
It's just simply a fact of what we do to make a comfortable, equitable experience foreveryone, And that's a great point,
And we women, like I feel like, you know, we come from a different mindset, differentexperience.
(19:03):
So we can also bring a value to the table.
You know, we can also bring the same amount of intellectual.
So everybody's starting to realize that.
And I feel that it's great.
Absolutely, absolutely.
Some of the best project managers and project executives I know are women in thisindustry.
(19:23):
And I love that.
I love that I get to know them and have the honor to speak to them such as yourself andlearn from your experiences because that's another part of this pathway I think is we get
to learn from each other and lean on each other.
When it comes to, you know, again, thinking of other women in the industry and
Is there advice you would give?
(19:45):
I'm going to frame it differently because I've been framing this question the same foreverybody and I want to keep kind of keep it consistent.
If you could give your younger self in your first year of the working in this industry, ifyou could give yourself one piece of advice, what would you tell your younger self?
I would tell them that you know, it may be overwhelming sometimes that you are the onlywomen in a room full of guys and do not be discouraged by that.
(20:14):
Have a self-confidence, have that confidence, have that belief in you that you will makeup to a point where you can prove yourself and there's no doubt about it.
If you are confident enough, we...
You will be fine.
Yeah, I'm gonna add that even if you don't feel confident internally, just fake it becauseguess what?
(20:38):
Everybody else is.
And yeah, I think that's how it is.
And I think we have a perception maybe that everybody else like knows the answer and hasthe thing and does.
I think everybody on some level.
is faking it until they make it kind of thing in a lot of spaces and you're no, we are nodifferent.
(20:58):
And especially in early on in our careers.
And that's great advice, just, you know, approach it with confidence.
And the more you exercise that as how you're showing up, the more you will feel it, in myopinion.
That's really great.
Yeah.
Do you think your younger self would have listened to your advice and heard that?
(21:22):
I tried.
Yeah, that's always the fun second part of that question is do you really think youryounger self would have listened?
Yeah, no, I do because I personally feel that, you know, I do learn from my mistakes.
I like, you know, I do go back and revisit what I did.
What would I have done differently so that I can succeed?
(21:44):
And based on my years of experience, I think I know I have learned to all what I have doneand made it.
Is there one mistake or one thing that you can point to that you recall occurring whereyou're like, I really learned something from that particular mistake at work.
So yes, like, you know, there are times when in the beginning of my career, you know, asyou know, in construction, there's a GC, the general contractor, there's a design firm,
(22:15):
there's the owners.
So there are so many parties involved here.
So sometimes, you know, we go back and forth, we discuss something and I, you know, therewere times when I didn't document it.
And then later on, like, you know, hey,
Where was this discussed about?
(22:35):
How did we end up doing so-and-so thing on the field?
And I'm like, no, this was something we discussed.
as you know, we all forget.
So at that point, I realized that I wish I would have documented in a way of maybe anemail or some sort of a contract, like RFIs are considered as a contract change documents.
(22:58):
Something in those kind of form that everybody can read it.
maybe two years from now, you know, if I'm not on that project anymore or the PM on theowner's side is not with the project anymore, but somebody who is looking at that thing,
if it's documented well, it's a proof that, yes, this is what we did because we talkedabout it or this was something, a direction we received from the design team.
(23:21):
So this is something I learned.
Yeah, I think the younger current generations would call that keeping receipts.
They have new terminologies for things and they're like, show me your receipts.
I think we would have called it like CYA, covering your ass in our generation.
It's the same sentiment of documentation is king in this world still.
(23:42):
And that's a great, great point.
I also learned that lesson personally and professionally early on.
And documents especially changes, especially contract changes, especially field changes,keep the documentation.
And some of those softwares that you've mentioned can help with that as well.
So there's different paths than I remember.
(24:04):
being a project engineer and you might have had the same experience of you're physicallywriting an RFI.
Sorry, I'm not talking very well now, but you physically wrote the RFI, you copied fivecopies, you distributed it, and then you went through that physical process.
We no longer have those challenges.
I don't think we have those challenges in this industry.
So it just makes it even easier to document So that's a great point.
(24:29):
Is there anything else about your role?
Just your day to day?
Like maybe pretend you're talking to, and you have kiddos, so you don't have to pretend,you've probably done this.
But if you're talking to a middle schooler or a high schooler, what is your day to daylike as a project manager?
Can you help shed some light on that for people who just maybe aren't familiar with what aproject manager does?
(24:52):
Mm-hmm.
Right.
So my day begins with set aside 10 to 15 minutes in the beginning of my day and plan out,these are the tasks that I have to achieve.
I'll make a checklist for myself.
And then in order for me to achieve a task,
I have to start here, then only I'll get there.
So from A to B, if I to find out what my A activity looks like.
(25:15):
So I try to tackle that.
for that, if I have to approach to a project engineer to get that work done, or if I haveto reach out to my superintendent for some information.
or if I had to retake to my upper management for like, you know, for that level of work, Ido start with that and then I make a progress to reach to my point B.
So that's part of my day and then, you know, I would say time management is the key.
(25:41):
It's easy to just, you know, drift off of your...
schedule and get sideways and in construction it does happen because your phone iscontinuously ringing.
You know, if you're a project manager, you have to track cost.
You have to track the schedule.
like, know, cost is like, moving or keeping a track of the cost for project is not asimple task.
(26:07):
So otherwise it's very easy that, you know, project can be gone like office and you you'rein trouble.
So
It's very important and and so you know in order for us to keep a track of a cost, we haveto reach out to us a contractor making sure there are you know whatever I'm tracking there
are also saying on the same page and we have to communicate the same to the district.
(26:28):
So I mean it's there are so many like you know phases in a day where I have to trackdifferent activities and then at the end of the day I do go through my list and make sure
that you know I did achieve.
or at least I try to achieve 90 % of it to make sure that I keep a track and I'm notlosing my focus.
(26:51):
Yeah, it also sounds like you do just a lot of interfacing with different people in theindustry.
It's not just, you know, your small little team.
It's all the subs, all the vendors, the suppliers, the management, the accountants.
Like there's all these people who you have the opportunity to interface with.
And so it's very task based.
But there's also this people component of collaborating with a lot of individuals andgroups, which
(27:17):
that's a unique skill set.
think project managers do really well.
So that's really great.
And for anybody who's considering a pathway into construction, think project management isa really incredible opportunity and also has great pay.
Last I checked.
So great pay potentially.
And as we talked about, this pivoting to different types of projects and excitement there.
(27:39):
So sort of to wrap up sort of towards the end of this.
Who might be, are there any other people, women or men in construction that you've learnedfrom or been mentored by or have been an ally to you that you'd like to just bring forward
and give a shout out to?
They're not from a construction, you know, I'll come to that.
you know, I'll shout out to my mom.
(28:00):
She was the one who, like, know, who encouraged me to get into the civil engineering and,know, so whatever I am, I feel like she was the backbone for that, you know, that seed.
And then, you know, my husband,
He was total supporter of going me to the construction management program.
(28:22):
He supported me and on the professional side, I did learn a lot from a project manager.
He's a project executive now.
His name is Philip Stenson.
I learned a lot from him.
He's a great person with like, you know, 20 plus years of experience in construction.
yeah, shout out to all these people.
(28:43):
I love that you shout it out to your mom, our families and your husband.
Our families are an incredible amount of support for many of us and not everyone Iunderstand that that's true.
But those that have that support, I think it makes a difference in our pathway and myhusband is incredibly supportive of the fact that I have a full-time job and I do this and
(29:07):
it takes some of my time up.
And I love that you have that and I wish that for everyone.
So, and if you don't have it with your family, I would say reach out to this incrediblenetwork of people in this industry because you can find it in other ways.
So thank you for sharing that.
Any final thoughts that you wanna share about Women in Construction Week
Sure, like you know, I would like to share this funny moment.
(29:31):
So I have a 10 year old now and she was with me on a construction site and at that pointthe buildings were wrapped up with the sheathing, the yellow sheathing around and she was
like, mom, this looks like a sticky notes to me.
Yeah.
I love that.
was eight at that point when she made that comment.
(29:54):
I paused for a moment and I'm like, yeah, babe, you're right.
Let's do it.
Looks like a sticky note to me now.
But I never imagined that building from that perspective from an 8-year-old.
Wouldn't it be fun to give kiddos that age like frame a construction challenge in a waythat they could understand it and let them solve it?
(30:16):
Because they would come up with stuff like that.
And it would probably solve it.
I think that's...
Well, because they haven't yet learned the boxes we think in, right?
And so...
That's, I think one that's super funny.
I love that you shared that.
And I love the way children and young adults think still.
(30:39):
It's, I think we need more of that back.
Well, I really appreciate you joining the show today.
I appreciate you sharing your experience.
And I look forward to staying connected with you myself and learning more from you.
And we're in the Bay Area together so we can actually do it in person someday.
Yes, I would love to have like in person talk with you sometime.
(31:01):
Perfect.
Well, thank you.
really appreciate it.
Thank you, Tristen.
Thanks for an opportunity.
And I just love being on the show.
Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of The Construction Cafe.
We hope you found our conversation as inspiring as your next big project.
Remember, you can dive deeper into the resources and topics we discuss by connecting withus on LinkedIn and Instagram.
(31:27):
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Let's keep building better together.
Welcome to the Construction Cafe, where the buzz of the construction industry meets thewarmth of a friendly conversation.
I'm your host, Tristen Magallanes.
Join me at our virtual cafe as we explore the foundations of construction culture, sip oncutting edge concepts, and amplify the unspoken voices in our industry.
So grab a cup of your favorite beverage, pull up a seat, and let's build more than juststructures, let's build connections.
(00:33):
This is the Construction Cafe.
welcome back to the construction cafe.
We are joined by another amazing woman who works in construction for women in constructionweek.
(00:54):
And I would like to welcome Neha.
Neha welcome to the show.
I'm really glad you're here today.
Hey, Tristen Hey, folks.
Neha here.
Before we begin, namaste to everybody.
I'm here with Tristen, and I'm glad that she approached and she invited me to be part ofthis amazing series.
(01:17):
Neha, tell us a little bit about your role in the industry.
What is it that you do?
I am a project manager currently with BHM Construction And, but I have gone through, youknow, some intern to being a project engineer, senior project engineer assistant PM.
So I've gone through all those levels in the project management side of the constructionindustry.
(01:41):
And this has been like, amazing journey.
That's great.
I think you're the only person on this series that's a project manager, which is coolbecause I love the different representation.
You've also taken that kind of traditional pathway where it's an internship, a projectengineer, senior project engineer, and that kind of very traditional pathway to being a
(02:03):
project manager in the industry.
What's that?
Is there any feedback on that?
Do you recommend that for others who want to be a project manager to take that pathway toit?
Yeah, definitely.
Yes, because you know when you start as an intern, you get trained of you know what theconstruction industry looks like, what your day to day work day looks like.
(02:25):
So internship do train you to get into that role.
Project engineering, know you do learn all the technical aspects of it.
You get more deeper into what the construction looks like.
you know what are the challenges that you face on your day to day basis so.
Yes, I do recommend to all the young professionals out there if they are interested inthis traditional journey then and it's not like it takes years to get to the project
(02:51):
management position.
know, from my personal experience, it took me seven years to get here,
I feel that going from intern to project manager within seven years, I look at it as agreat opportunity.
Yeah.
Is there a certain type of construction that you are a project manager for?
(03:11):
I'm currently working on K to 12.
it's a comprehensive high school in Dublin.
I'm working on it and then the next project for me to work is the theater project, whichis a 600 seats theater in Dublin.
Have you always worked on those types of projects or have you worked on other sort ofhousing anything other than that?
(03:36):
Yeah, so I have worked like few years in India and I when I was over there, I did work onthe residential and the commercial projects.
But when I moved to USA, I worked mostly like, you know, I've worked on the airports, SanFrancisco airport.
(03:57):
That was my very first project.
Then I have worked on the hospital like a pediatric care unit project.
That was my the next.
And since last couple of years now, I've been working on the high school project inDublin.
So I have touched a variety of sectors in the construction industry.
(04:17):
That's kind of, I don't know, I find that kind of exciting that you get to not just stickin one lane, but you get this varied experience, which can be exciting when people think
of project manager.
Sometimes I think it might be kind of boring.
I'm doing the same things.
But when you get to do one project for a couple years, and then you get to pivot to a newone, it's another challenge, something exciting to do.
(04:39):
I think that's a nod to the potential interesting part of being a project manager inconstruction is you can
kind of pivot and shift to different types of projects.
Yes, there is an opportunity out there.
There are so many projects out there and you know, it's up to an individual what theywould like to go forward with.
That's great.
(05:00):
Did you study in academia, something directly connected to construction or somethingoutside of that?
No, I did.
My bachelor's was in civil engineering from one of the great universities in India.
And then I did my construction management master's program from the San Jose State in SanJose, California.
(05:20):
Great.
So is there anything you think in those programs that you would want differently or tostudy other things that could lead to this pathway into this industry?
Or do you think that they really prepared you well for that?
Frankly speaking, construction management program was very easy.
(05:43):
Like, you know, it just it was a basic information about what we do on a day to day basis,like, you know RFIs and submittals and you know, site management and but I think that, the
universities, if they have like a more of a applied.
programs, the students would be better prepared when they're out of the college, when theyget into the internship.
(06:07):
That might even rule out the internship need, you know, if they're better prepared at thethe university level.
So that's something I would I would like to see as a change.
Yeah, I think that's an opportunity to for working professionals that if there areacademic folks who reach out to you and want to do job site walks or want to gain some of
(06:27):
that experience that it's our opportunity to bring them into that and help them achievethat and have that experience and exposure early on, just to set them up better for their
future and career.
Yeah.
Yeah, thanks for sharing that.
What have you what have you loved most about your role?
The best thing that I love is like, know, every day is full of challenges.
(06:49):
There's something or the other going on at the job site.
One or the other subcontractor will have some questions, even though we have designeddocuments.
You know, there are still challenges out there.
Sometimes whatever is drawn does not make sense when they start to build.
Another that I love about construction is
You know those buildings like in it, for example, I'm working on this high school project.
(07:13):
It's going to stay for years.
You know, I'm you know my generations, my future generations will see that.
Hey, my mom worked out this project, you know, and so that's something I just you know, Ifeel it's an accomplishment.
It's an it's an it's a pride for me.
Absolutely.
I love that you brought that forward.
(07:34):
have because my dad's side of the family immigrated here from Panama and he was a youngboy.
And then he worked in construction in the San Francisco Bay area when I was growing up.
And I have the opportunity to drive past brick buildings in San Francisco area and he wasa hod carrier.
He laid those bricks.
(07:55):
And I have immense pride as his daughter of driving past those buildings and saying, mydad literally put those bricks there.
And I love that about our industry is all people can find pride in this work and the workthat gets put in place and that it will exist for generations to come, I love that that's
part of something you love from this industry.
(08:15):
So thank you for sharing that.
you mentioned challenges in the day to day as something that you sort of enjoy, but arethere any challenges that you have faced that you didn't enjoy or that you wish were
different or that you, you know, you know, think that we could change?
Yes, are like, you know frustrations sometimes like, you know, there are constructionmanagement software out there
(08:43):
Sorry, I'm laughing because I already feel like I know what's coming.
So that's like, you know, part of my frustration that, know, there could be bettersoftware out there which could make our life easy when it comes to the collaboration,
like, you know, real time updates.
I do see that, you know, like a Plangrid, the Autodesk, Procore, there are, you know,players out there who are working on, continuously working on to make it better, you know,
(09:11):
they are trying to learn from all the professionals, like.
We do get approached by their sales team and say, hey, you know, can you tell us what, canwe improve our software?
So they are working on it.
And I feel that they even realize that, you know, construction is getting on to a nextlevel here.
It's not a traditional construction anymore.
(09:31):
You know, people are ready to change, you know, there were traditional folks like, youknow, with my team.
I have, you know, who are like 70 years old, 60 plus years.
They still want to stick with the traditional.
They used to, but now with all the ease of all these softwares, they also feel that, yeah,you know what?
(09:52):
We are ready to make that change.
We are ready to work on these softwares and make everybody's life easier here.
Great to hear.
I worked in for a subcontractor years ago.
I remember when we first introduced iPads to the superintendents.
(10:13):
And that tells you anything about my age.
And I had one of them come in my office.
And I want to say it was like a plan grid type of thing we had put on there.
Oh, it could have been Procore, like the early version of Procore.
And I remember that they, he just like threw it on my desk and was like, not using thisthing.
And he like threw it at me.
(10:34):
And I just sat there going, okay, well, everybody else is using it.
I don't know how you're gonna get your information.
It's good to hear that that sentiment is starting to shift, that folks are not onlyleaning into that change, but also,
being the voice that helps to create that change, giving the advice, giving that knowledgeforward to the software companies to help make it the best possible version they can for
(11:04):
the people that are using it.
And that's really great to hear.
I'm glad because that was not the case when I remember that first happening.
When it comes to specifically being a woman in construction, what are some changes?
you've been in the industry for a bit now, what are some of the changes you think you'veseen occur happen that have helped create this space for women here?
(11:29):
there are women in construction conferences, you know.
I have been to those kind of conferences and there are women out there who are ready tomentor you.
They are ready to, you know, provide your guidance.
Like, you know, when I was an intern, I went to one of those conferences and I found amentor, she gave me like, you know, hey, this is a pathway that you can move on to and,
(11:50):
you know, you can make your career out of it.
So that's something like, you know, I think that was a great opportunity for me to be partof that.
And I consider that as a game changer for me to start thinking into that kind ofopportunity for me, you know, further down.
Yeah, absolutely.
think even now, if there's an aspiring project engineer intern out there that's lookingfor somebody to just talk with about that experience, get advice.
(12:18):
I mean, sometimes you just need to vent and somebody like yourself already has theexperience to offer to another up and coming young professional.
And you don't have to wait until you've been here 40 years, I think, to do that.
And you've had a lot of varied experience.
Also, you've had experience in construction in another country, which I think adds a wholedifferent useful perspective that we can learn from.
(12:41):
And I love that you bring that.
is there a specific change that comes to mind that you think needs to happen or we shouldbe looking to happen for creating better equity for women in this industry?
Yes, so one there like, know, I have two girls.
One of them is like, you know, teenager.
So, you know, when I talk to their friends, when I talk to like, you know, neighbors orthe community around me, I feel that there is still like people are not much aware about
(13:10):
construction, that there is a good pathway in construction.
know, there are people just thinking, you know, computer science or medical or.
Business management or, you know, other engineering firms, but there are not many.
There's not much awareness about construction being in the trades or being in theconstruction.
So I feel that if you know, if the schools would make, you know, introduce some of theprograms that would that would call.
(13:36):
Hey, you know, it's just it is an option out there.
It's not just, know, just those traditional feel like construction is also traditionalindustries.
So.
You know, that's one thing I feel that creating that those kind of programs in a schooloffering them as an alternate or elective that would create more awareness.
love that idea.
(13:58):
in addition to other programs that a lot of it's heavy focused around tech and influence,you know, type of things or creators and stem.
I think construction is somewhere a little bit different of a bucket and offeringsomething that kind of
brings that forward, and not just for women, I would say, but also young men.
(14:23):
It's not something that's just brought forward enough.
And I think that it's a great opportunity.
As we talk about contributions and shifting change and creating change, are there anyorganizations that you've seen have done this really well or like you mentioned some of
the conferences, maybe some of those have helped some of that shift?
(14:43):
Yes, like, you know, one of the example I can think of is like a simplest PPEs.
You know, I was I was talking to one of the superintendent on my previous project and theywere like, there were always PPE that would be like, you know, that would, as you would
know, the construction, they're heavy guys, you know, most of them.
So the PPEs would be, you know, like you'll get either in large extra large XSL, like,know, double XL.
(15:09):
But now with the shift in that field, like, you know, now that there are more womengetting into the construction, he was telling me that, you know, now those kind of
companies, they have started to make the PPEs that would fit like maybe, you know, womenin a small size or medium size.
Has your company adopted this shifted PPE that fits women's bodies and they're morecomfortable with and done that for women?
(15:35):
Yes, so like, you know, not personally, I have seen, but like, I have heard these kind ofstories from the superintendents that I have worked in the past, that they would say that,
hey, you know, in the beginning, they would only get the PPEs like safety vest, and thelarge and extra large and double XL and those kinds of sizes.
But now that you know, women being introduced in the construction industry, they do need asmaller size so.
(16:02):
companies have started to make those kinds of products so that they can accommodate thatworkforce as well.
And I feel that's a change, you know, that's a big change.
One of my favorite companies that I saw do this early on, it's actually a new company thatwas female founded.
I want to say it's Xena Workwear.
And they made women's specific boots and shoes for not just construction, butmanufacturing environments.
(16:28):
And I bought, I think the first version of them I bought because I was like, yes, finallyshoes for women that aren't designed for men that
I can wear on the job site.
I've since then gone on to purchase probably three different pairs of theirs becausethey've come up with different versions.
One of them looks like a tennis shoe.
And I just think it's fun because I like to be fashionable even if I'm on a job site.
(16:49):
I also like to play and have fun with my clothing with colors.
And so I just thought it was fun and neat.
And I get questions sometimes.
They're like, are those, can you have those on the job site?
And it comes with a little card that you can pull out of your pocket.
and it tells you the ratings and the certifications that it meets and all of that.
So I love that they also thought about that and knew that people would get questionedabout these shoes.
(17:11):
And so they gave you this little card you can carry with you just to reinforce the factthat yes, this is legitimate.
so it's, I don't know, we get to have fun in being the job site and fashionable.
Yeah, I love that.
I think there's still more opportunity in the PPE space, not just for women, but for allbodies to improve upon some of those things.
(17:34):
And yeah, it's happening in the world.
I see it all the time and that's another opportunity for maybe a woman to come in andcontinue to innovate and create more space for other PPE for people.
something else I would like to bring up, if you're on the construction site, you got tohave those portable toilets.
(17:55):
So I have seen with my current job, they knew that there are other female team members aswell, not just on the GC side, but the owner side, the design side.
So they were like, I feel so fortunate they thought about it and they had a trailer thathad an inbuilt restroom in there.
(18:15):
just for the women.
So I feel like, you know, companies are out there thinking about it.
So I feel that's a great move.
Yeah.
is definitely something in my time in the industry I've seen shift where it used to be twoporta potties and everybody shared it.
And I remember I had a lock for my only because I was the only woman ever on those jobsites.
(18:39):
they would have inevitably cut the lock off and use it anyway.
And so it was this constant battle I love that that's changed So it's not even for somecompanies a conversation anymore.
It's just simply a fact of what we do to make a comfortable, equitable experience foreveryone, And that's a great point,
And we women, like I feel like, you know, we come from a different mindset, differentexperience.
(19:03):
So we can also bring a value to the table.
You know, we can also bring the same amount of intellectual.
So everybody's starting to realize that.
And I feel that it's great.
Absolutely, absolutely.
Some of the best project managers and project executives I know are women in thisindustry.
(19:23):
And I love that.
I love that I get to know them and have the honor to speak to them such as yourself andlearn from your experiences because that's another part of this pathway I think is we get
to learn from each other and lean on each other.
When it comes to, you know, again, thinking of other women in the industry and
Is there advice you would give?
(19:45):
I'm going to frame it differently because I've been framing this question the same foreverybody and I want to keep kind of keep it consistent.
If you could give your younger self in your first year of the working in this industry, ifyou could give yourself one piece of advice, what would you tell your younger self?
I would tell them that you know, it may be overwhelming sometimes that you are the onlywomen in a room full of guys and do not be discouraged by that.
(20:14):
Have a self-confidence, have that confidence, have that belief in you that you will makeup to a point where you can prove yourself and there's no doubt about it.
If you are confident enough, we...
You will be fine.
Yeah, I'm gonna add that even if you don't feel confident internally, just fake it becauseguess what?
(20:38):
Everybody else is.
And yeah, I think that's how it is.
And I think we have a perception maybe that everybody else like knows the answer and hasthe thing and does.
I think everybody on some level.
is faking it until they make it kind of thing in a lot of spaces and you're no, we are nodifferent.
(20:58):
And especially in early on in our careers.
And that's great advice, just, you know, approach it with confidence.
And the more you exercise that as how you're showing up, the more you will feel it, in myopinion.
That's really great.
Yeah.
Do you think your younger self would have listened to your advice and heard that?
(21:22):
I tried.
Yeah, that's always the fun second part of that question is do you really think youryounger self would have listened?
Yeah, no, I do because I personally feel that, you know, I do learn from my mistakes.
I like, you know, I do go back and revisit what I did.
What would I have done differently so that I can succeed?
(21:44):
And based on my years of experience, I think I know I have learned to all what I have doneand made it.
Is there one mistake or one thing that you can point to that you recall occurring whereyou're like, I really learned something from that particular mistake at work.
So yes, like, you know, there are times when in the beginning of my career, you know, asyou know, in construction, there's a GC, the general contractor, there's a design firm,
(22:15):
there's the owners.
So there are so many parties involved here.
So sometimes, you know, we go back and forth, we discuss something and I, you know, therewere times when I didn't document it.
And then later on, like, you know, hey,
Where was this discussed about?
(22:35):
How did we end up doing so-and-so thing on the field?
And I'm like, no, this was something we discussed.
as you know, we all forget.
So at that point, I realized that I wish I would have documented in a way of maybe anemail or some sort of a contract, like RFIs are considered as a contract change documents.
(22:58):
Something in those kind of form that everybody can read it.
maybe two years from now, you know, if I'm not on that project anymore or the PM on theowner's side is not with the project anymore, but somebody who is looking at that thing,
if it's documented well, it's a proof that, yes, this is what we did because we talkedabout it or this was something, a direction we received from the design team.
(23:21):
So this is something I learned.
Yeah, I think the younger current generations would call that keeping receipts.
They have new terminologies for things and they're like, show me your receipts.
I think we would have called it like CYA, covering your ass in our generation.
It's the same sentiment of documentation is king in this world still.
(23:42):
And that's a great, great point.
I also learned that lesson personally and professionally early on.
And documents especially changes, especially contract changes, especially field changes,keep the documentation.
And some of those softwares that you've mentioned can help with that as well.
So there's different paths than I remember.
(24:04):
being a project engineer and you might have had the same experience of you're physicallywriting an RFI.
Sorry, I'm not talking very well now, but you physically wrote the RFI, you copied fivecopies, you distributed it, and then you went through that physical process.
We no longer have those challenges.
I don't think we have those challenges in this industry.
So it just makes it even easier to document So that's a great point.
(24:29):
Is there anything else about your role?
Just your day to day?
Like maybe pretend you're talking to, and you have kiddos, so you don't have to pretend,you've probably done this.
But if you're talking to a middle schooler or a high schooler, what is your day to daylike as a project manager?
Can you help shed some light on that for people who just maybe aren't familiar with what aproject manager does?
(24:52):
Mm-hmm.
Right.
So my day begins with set aside 10 to 15 minutes in the beginning of my day and plan out,these are the tasks that I have to achieve.
I'll make a checklist for myself.
And then in order for me to achieve a task,
I have to start here, then only I'll get there.
So from A to B, if I to find out what my A activity looks like.
(25:15):
So I try to tackle that.
for that, if I have to approach to a project engineer to get that work done, or if I haveto reach out to my superintendent for some information.
or if I had to retake to my upper management for like, you know, for that level of work, Ido start with that and then I make a progress to reach to my point B.
So that's part of my day and then, you know, I would say time management is the key.
(25:41):
It's easy to just, you know, drift off of your...
schedule and get sideways and in construction it does happen because your phone iscontinuously ringing.
You know, if you're a project manager, you have to track cost.
You have to track the schedule.
like, know, cost is like, moving or keeping a track of the cost for project is not asimple task.
(26:07):
So otherwise it's very easy that, you know, project can be gone like office and you you'rein trouble.
So
It's very important and and so you know in order for us to keep a track of a cost, we haveto reach out to us a contractor making sure there are you know whatever I'm tracking there
are also saying on the same page and we have to communicate the same to the district.
(26:28):
So I mean it's there are so many like you know phases in a day where I have to trackdifferent activities and then at the end of the day I do go through my list and make sure
that you know I did achieve.
or at least I try to achieve 90 % of it to make sure that I keep a track and I'm notlosing my focus.
(26:51):
Yeah, it also sounds like you do just a lot of interfacing with different people in theindustry.
It's not just, you know, your small little team.
It's all the subs, all the vendors, the suppliers, the management, the accountants.
Like there's all these people who you have the opportunity to interface with.
And so it's very task based.
But there's also this people component of collaborating with a lot of individuals andgroups, which
(27:17):
that's a unique skill set.
think project managers do really well.
So that's really great.
And for anybody who's considering a pathway into construction, think project management isa really incredible opportunity and also has great pay.
Last I checked.
So great pay potentially.
And as we talked about, this pivoting to different types of projects and excitement there.
(27:39):
So sort of to wrap up sort of towards the end of this.
Who might be, are there any other people, women or men in construction that you've learnedfrom or been mentored by or have been an ally to you that you'd like to just bring forward
and give a shout out to?
They're not from a construction, you know, I'll come to that.
you know, I'll shout out to my mom.
(28:00):
She was the one who, like, know, who encouraged me to get into the civil engineering and,know, so whatever I am, I feel like she was the backbone for that, you know, that seed.
And then, you know, my husband,
He was total supporter of going me to the construction management program.
(28:22):
He supported me and on the professional side, I did learn a lot from a project manager.
He's a project executive now.
His name is Philip Stenson.
I learned a lot from him.
He's a great person with like, you know, 20 plus years of experience in construction.
yeah, shout out to all these people.
(28:43):
I love that you shout it out to your mom, our families and your husband.
Our families are an incredible amount of support for many of us and not everyone Iunderstand that that's true.
But those that have that support, I think it makes a difference in our pathway and myhusband is incredibly supportive of the fact that I have a full-time job and I do this and
(29:07):
it takes some of my time up.
And I love that you have that and I wish that for everyone.
So, and if you don't have it with your family, I would say reach out to this incrediblenetwork of people in this industry because you can find it in other ways.
So thank you for sharing that.
Any final thoughts that you wanna share about Women in Construction Week
Sure, like you know, I would like to share this funny moment.
(29:31):
So I have a 10 year old now and she was with me on a construction site and at that pointthe buildings were wrapped up with the sheathing, the yellow sheathing around and she was
like, mom, this looks like a sticky notes to me.
Yeah.
I love that.
was eight at that point when she made that comment.
(29:54):
I paused for a moment and I'm like, yeah, babe, you're right.
Let's do it.
Looks like a sticky note to me now.
But I never imagined that building from that perspective from an 8-year-old.
Wouldn't it be fun to give kiddos that age like frame a construction challenge in a waythat they could understand it and let them solve it?
(30:16):
Because they would come up with stuff like that.
And it would probably solve it.
I think that's...
Well, because they haven't yet learned the boxes we think in, right?
And so...
That's, I think one that's super funny.
I love that you shared that.
And I love the way children and young adults think still.
(30:39):
It's, I think we need more of that back.
Well, I really appreciate you joining the show today.
I appreciate you sharing your experience.
And I look forward to staying connected with you myself and learning more from you.
And we're in the Bay Area together so we can actually do it in person someday.
Yes, I would love to have like in person talk with you sometime.
(31:01):
Perfect.
Well, thank you.
really appreciate it.
Thank you, Tristen.
Thanks for an opportunity.
And I just love being on the show.
Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of The Construction Cafe.
We hope you found our conversation as inspiring as your next big project.
Remember, you can dive deeper into the resources and topics we discuss by connecting withus on LinkedIn and Instagram.
(31:27):
Just search for The Construction Cafe.
Don't miss out on future episodes.
Be sure to follow us on Spotify, Podbean, and Apple Podcasts to keep the conversationgoing.
If you're passionate about the construction industry and have a story to share, we'd loveto hear from you.
Visit our website at the constructioncafe.com and drop us a note.
Let's keep building better together.
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