Get Them to Give a Fck
Doesn't it feel like no one gives a fck anymore? Well, good thing I have enough passion and lots of fcks to give.
Hear from Julie Wanzer, LEED AP, author of Get Them to Care, in her podcast series talking about business-to-business (B2B) corporate training topics such as: business development, marketing, personal branding, company branding, email newsletters and women's etiquette in business.
Hear from a range of guests including Julie's colleagues, peers, mentors, influencers and other people who give a fck.
Get Them to Give a Fck
Episode 103: "We have to influence with no authority"~Krystel DeHerrera, Women in Construction
About the Episode
Julie Wanzer, LEED AP, hosts the "Get Them to Give a F*ck" podcast, featuring industry experts like Krystel DeHerrera, Owner of Arrow Marketing.
The two business owners delve into Krystel's career journey in the construction industry. Krystel shares her experience starting at a small firm, her transition to marketing, and her most recent venture, Arrow Marketing.
They highlight the importance of relationships, mentorship, and overcoming challenges as a women in construction.
Krystel emphasizes the significance of women in leadership roles and the lasting impact of construction projects. They conclude with advice for young women entering the industry, encouraging them to pursue their passions and build networks.
About "Get Them to Give a Fck" Podcast
Doesn't it feel like no one gives a fck anymore? Well, good thing I have enough passion and lots of fcks to give.
Hear from Julie Wanzer, LEED AP, author of Get Them to Care, in her podcast series talking about business-to-business (B2B) corporate training topics such as: business development, marketing, personal branding, company branding, email newsletters and women's etiquette in business.
Hear from a range of guests including Julie's colleagues, peers, mentors, influencers and other people who give a fck.
About Julie Wanzer, LEED AP, Podcast Host
Julie Wanzer, LEED AP, is the author of Get Them to Care: How to Leverage LinkedIn to Build Your Online Presence and Become a Trusted Brand, and Owner of Business Rewritten, a marketing consultancy, with 22 years of experience. She also owns Get Them to Care, a training-based consulting firm.
Ms. Wanzer is a marketing strategist and trainer of various communication topics, including online personal and company branding, seller-doer business development best practices, and email newsletter workshops.
About Arrow Marketing
Arrow Marketing offers consulting services to help businesses grow, streamline processes, and achieve strategic goals. I specialize in creating detailed business and marketing strategy plans tailored to each client’s unique needs, identifying untapped growth opportunities through innovative business development solutions, and supporting organizations pursuing key pursuits with effective capture planning and interview coaching. Additionally, Arrow Marketing offers engaging workshops and training sessions to empower teams with essential skills, such as lead generation techniques, crafting compelling proposals, and building strong, lasting client relationships. With a focus on delivering impactful results, Arrow Marketing partners with businesses to drive success at every step of their journey.
Contact information
Krystel.deherrera@arrow-mktg.com
LinkedIn Connections
Host: Julie Wanzer, LEED AP
Guest: Krystel DeHerrera
Company Links
Welcome to another episode of get them to give a fuck podcast where we cut through the noise and talk about real issues. To get people to care again, I'm your host, Julie Wanzer, owner of get them to care consulting and also, author of get them to care the book, which is your LinkedIn, personal and company branding guidebook. During these podcasts, I'll be joined by industry experts, thought leaders, people with things to say to give you the audience actionable insights and a fresh perspective on the B to B service industry. So today, I am joined by Miss Krystel day Herrera, owner of aero marketing and gosh, I've known Krystel 2019 or so. So it's been a minute we go back, but her and I are now both colleagues, business owners in the design and construction industry. And now I'm going to turn it over to Krystel and let her introduce herself before we get into our topic. Our theme for this podcast, which is WIC week, women in construction week. So take it away, Krystel.
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:Hi, Julie. Thank you so much for letting me join you on this podcast. Super excited. Very proud of you. I love this. I started my journey about 17 years ago. Started at the front desk of a small boutique firm, and then worked my way through different positions. And then about two years ago, I started my own company, aero marketing, and it's been a blast. I help small businesses with marketing and strategy planning, business development solutions, and then helping lead those strategic pursuits. So I love building connections beyond a project, which is what you and I started on with a project. Yeah, it lasted way beyond that, and that's just to prove what what it means to build, you know, relationships beyond a project. And so super excited to be here and share my my experience. Yeah,
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:for sure, Krystel, and that's the thing is, like when you mentioned connections, literally, on another episode, was talking to Holly, Holly Lundquist, right? And she said the exact same thing about yourself. Wait for you to listen to her episode, because she literally said, Krystel is a connector. She just connects people. And I'm like, Yes, I'm like, she totally is. So it's for you, Krystel, it is, it, is it totally is, oh my goodness, but no, I'd love to kind of for you to get into a little bit more about your journey. Krystel, I know you said you mentioned 17 years ago, but kind of walk me through some of the jobs you've had within the design and construction industry and how you got here to aero marketing. So let's take it back. Take it back to the beginning. What did you start out doing?
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:Oh my goodness. So my dad is a welder, a retired welder for the BNSF railroad, and when I told him I took this job with the engineering firm, he laughed at me, and he said, so we're finally going to get a talk shop, huh? And I was like, What are you talking about? No, I don't mean, I totally did. And so I went, you know, starting back 17 years ago, there wasn't a lot of women in the office. There wasn't a lot of women, just in general, in leadership roles. And so for me, it was something really awesome. I started off at the front desk, worked my way through marketing. One of the cool things was just getting to be in a small firm, you wear many hats, and you get to see a lot of different things and a lot of different people. So I was really fortunate. I think one of my favorite parts was I was thrown into the design build world, where contractors and consultants were brought together to and it was awesome. I got to learn so much about how projects were built, how to talk about bridges with my dad and understand like little nuances and learn. I do remember one time I was sitting, I was typing, and you know, when you're doing proposals, you're you're always the one on the projector. And Holly Lawrence of Lawrence construction, she was like, All right, and then we'll do this to the pier. And I wrote, P, E E R, not p, i e r. And she was like, no, no, Krystel. And I was like, oh, sorry, is this right? I know you're talking about the actual peer. Got it. Got it. So it's just one of my favorite things to, like, look back at where I started and how awesome people were to take time to, like, teach me what they were doing. And I think the best part about industry people about creating something lasting longer than them, right? And so, you know, we're in the industry for not very long, and then our products are our our ideas get to last longer than what we stand and I think that's really cool. And so starting off at the front desk, got to work a lot of different angles, lot of hats, a lot of different clients. And then where's my way up into marketing manager. And within that, I got to work with a lot of different like engineers and through design builds, a lot of contractors, and it was really fun between like concrete, express, Lawrence, construction, Kramer, I got to build that relationship with them. IHC, before now, I feel like a lot of the for not only are the contractors and the firms getting gobbled up. But you know, you get to build all those relationships, and our industry is so small. Through time, they stick with you, and you build those relationships just like our just like what we're building Exactly, right?
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:Well, no, there's definitely that nuance, right, like you said, between projects and people, and I feel like the design and construction industry, it's a an interesting place to be, right, where, like you said, the projects and people actually go hand in hand, right? Like that. Those connections matter, those relationships matter. And you also brought up a great point about building things that will last, right, right? You said being able to drive by or drive over some bridge or road type of construction project and being like, I did that, right? I contributed to that. So what would you say, Krystel, and kind of in that mindset of what's one of your favorite projects that you still get to point out and be like, I was a part of that pursuit. I was a part of that. Tell me what was one of your favorites?
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:Oh, well. So, you know, I live down in Lone Tree. One of my favorites is I gotta watch the I built. And so I remember being out there at one time, at midnight, and it was not a big proposal that ever I had, but it was just a project that the team had put together. So it was one of my favorites, just watching because the railroad, the trains were under, you know, and how all these big equipments, these giant abutments going up, I think they're super cool. That one I like because we drive on it. So I get to say,
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:look like you're part of it.
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:Um, but one of my favorite ones has more like a historic aspect to it. So in I didn't actually TSH had already won the project, and I was coming in. And the craziest part is, I grew up in rural Colorado, Rocky Ford and we're project manager was, and do all those things. We became really close, and Alex May and I would talk, but he had this vision for this project off of Broadway iris and pine, and it had old trolley tracks, and it had a historic ditch, and he wanted everything to stay so people knew what was there before. So like, they took the trolley tracks and used them as railing for the bus stops. And, like, the building, okay, they had artwork that, like, reflected with the historic ditch and all of the different, you know, aspects of the history along that corridor was, and I thought it was coolest thing, because the project was not just erasing or replacing, right, but it was leaving its footprint. And I thought that was really cool. And, you know, Boulder has such a history, and they like to hold on to what they have, and it was cool to see them implement some of that. And so I thought that was one of the greatest aspects of a project that I didn't know existed, or thought people thought of in a way, to incorporate history into what we do.
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:Definitely well. And I think it goes back to your point, Krystel, about building things that will last, right, like those railings that I'm sure it was steel, right, like or some type of composite. They they don't make things like that anymore, right? So to get rid of something like that would be, I mean, I don't even know how you would break it down, like responsibly or sustainably. So the fact that they were able to repurpose it right, and keep that history as a part of the new project, I think again, that goes to the beauty of construction, creating that legacy, right, remembering where we came from, what was there before? I mean, obviously we still use railroads for some things, but not as many things, right? Yes, anymore, we're moving forward through the future, but the fact that, like you said, they were able to incorporate that the past into the present, and then that's something that will be there for, you know, time to come right, like many years into the future. So again, being able to be a part of something like that is historic, and also something too, when you're in Boulder, be like, Hey, I was a part of that project too. Let's put it out. Let's put it out. I love it. So let's kind of, kind of shift gears just a little bit here to again, women in construction week. So this year for 2025 the theme is, together we rise. So tell me, Krystel, what does this year's theme together we rise. What does that mean to you personally? What does that mean? Oh
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:my gosh. That means like, pulling up the table, we rise together. So when I'm sitting at the table, I like to bring people like you, Julie to the table. So we're always bringing others along with us, and we're rising together. I think one of the beautiful things about what what our industry does, is it's always building up, right? It's always making something better. We're moving forward. So this theme for we rise together, it reinforces that, you know, sitting at a table with a group of people that want you there or rise because your voice is heard, I think there's so much to be said. And I think together, what we've seen in Colorado is huge, because there's so many more women in our industry taking leadership roles and leading and so it's super exciting.
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:No, okay, to your point, Krystel, talking about, you know, this, this table, right? And bringing, thinking about this theme of, together we rise. I can't speak for you, but I know for me, I've been at boardroom tables where I'm the only woman in the room, right? And that can be intimidating. And I think for me, when I hear that phrase, together we rise. I want to bring, like you said, more women to the table right to have more of our voices heard in our input received right at these, during these, whether it's a proposal pursuit or you're on a job site, whatever that is, we really need that that fresh perspective in the construction industry. So what has that been like for you, Krystel, when you're the only woman in the group, right? How do you help navigate
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:that man? It has in the beginning, I was the only woman. Yes, it's evolved. It's been interesting, like in design builds, predominantly I was, there was probably maybe one or two of us, and then the rest were all men, except when I was with Lauren's construction, and that was probably one of the rares, because, you know, Rick did a lot of the thinking and doing. But he would always bring Polly, because he knew she had a different perspective, right? And then they had their daughter, Anne Lawrence, and she had a different perspective. So you had these two powerful women that Rick knew that these were going to be some movers and shakers. So when we started doing design builds with Lawrence, and those two started coming. It was such a different dynamic, right? Like they bring a whole different flavor to the table. It was really cool to see Rick's engagement of wanting to elevate what Anne was doing. So it was fun to watch that. And then you know how I navigated it as and I still do this, because even though I have 17 years of experience, I always try to bring in a decision maker or sit next to the decision maker. I've felt that if I pull these things, I'm able to lean on them in that conversation. So if I need someone to pull in, I don't have to reach across the room to bring them over to say, hey, I need your help. They're right there. So try to find those people that I know are one, advocates for me. Two, I know they need to make decisions quickly, so that person is going to do that for me, male or male, but I've found ways to navigate it so it doesn't feel like I'm alone at the table or unheard. A lot of times, in the beginning, I was just observing, right? Because I was so weak and I didn't know anything about the end, right? But I have a voice. I'm able to bring in what I need, to help elevate what I'm doing.
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:Yes, yeah. And I think you bring up a great point of identifying the decision makers, right, and having them close to you, having and hopefully to making sure that they're your advocate. Because, yeah, I think for me, when I've sat at tables and I'm the only woman I've noticed, I will ask a question, or I will, you know, say, give my opinion about something, and immediately shot down, being like, Oh, well, that was a stupid question. Or, No, we don't really need to hear that. And then within the next few minutes, a male at the table says exactly, exactly the same thing that I do. And I, I mean, I think at first, I know my face couldn't like, what the fuck like? Really, is this happening right now and then my later, obviously, over the years, as I've kind of developed professionally and learning how to navigate those situations, was that what I learned is, sometimes it's just, unfortunately, men, how do I say this? They don't always like to hear a smart woman, right? And I don't know how to better position that, but I think for me, I just had to keep showing up, right? I think it after I had sat in some of those meetings, and it was with the same job over and over that as I was able to bring more that I kept speaking up. They're like, Oh, this woman won't shut up. And I'm like, No, I won't. I'm gonna keep voicing my opinion. And I think it was because I showed some grit and, you know, kept asking questions, and whether it was received well or not, I learned to not, not let it, let it not let it bother me, right? Like you just have to brush it off your shoulder, not say what the fuck maybe say it in your head, but, you know, but just learn to roll with it. And I think that's one of the ways that, unfortunately, most women stumble, is that they either get their feelings hurt, or they immediately become quiet and don't say anything, right? Or stop showing up to those meetings. And my advice is, keep going, right? You have to keep showing up and keep voicing your opinion until you are heard. Right? Yeah. I mean,
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:I think to your point, Julie, of course, there's a lot of times where people something out and they're like, Well, it's, it's just not right there it, I don't think we were there yet, Chris, and then, you know, 30 minutes later, someone else says it, and I'm like, but I had it on the sticky note, and we talked about it, and then I would, like, pull out the teenager and me, who's like, but I, I so a part of me and how I've navigated that is, it's all about relationships, right? One thing that I learned is I will take my wins how I can get them, and here's how I I see a win, even if someone takes my idea and claims it as theirs, is it's still a win, because ultimately I want the project to win. And if that means that Joe gets to say he said it better, that's fine, because I helped. I helped influence that. And one of the things I say a lot, is, you know, we always have to influence with no authority, because sometimes you just don't have authority at the table. And so true that you can allow yourself to just say, you know, the win is the whole team. And eventually, when people start to see that you're not getting offended or you're not getting frustrated, and you're allowing yourself to kind of take those little jabs with what you can you end up winning anyways, because people work with you more, because you're more dynamic and flexible and able to to kind of be more resilient at the end of the day. And I think that's where rise together is something we can do is because we know not always our idea is going to be the best idea. Sometimes they take bits and pieces of the idea, but we're all in it together. So I think the hard part is, and I hate it when I have to tell myself to swallow my pride, but that's probably the biggest part, is just swallowing your pride a little bit, and then in the end, it all comes out. And so I'm super grateful for a lot of the people that you know have recognized that. And there's so Galina Lee part is probably one of my biggest advocates. We'll be like, Oh yeah, Krystel just said that, so we're gonna go with that. You need people like Galina in the room to reinforce but she's also had it done to her, and so she's recognized what what it could be, and so she's helped me navigate some of those hard conversations as well, no,
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:for sure. And I love that too. Of like, yeah, you got to swallow your pride. Like, again, as strong women, right when we come across, like, What do you mean? You're like, no, no, not today, not today, but you're right. And I love too, how you brought it back to the team right in the end, we're all here on the same team, by the way, men, women, whatever, right? And that the end goal. We have to keep that in mind, right? That at the end of the day, we want the project to be successful, right? Because I think that makes you look good, makes the team look good, makes everyone look good, when in the end, we can all kind of come together and just get shit done, right? Like, you know who's out, he said, she said, What? Said, yeah, really kind of goes out the window. But, and I love that too, I think that it's inherent within our industry, and that we can't get the job done by ourselves, right? Have you ever heard of anyone doing your construction project all by themselves? I mean, no, no, exactly. Maybe a little repair around the house, but that doesn't count, right? Like commercial construction, right? That these that other people use, and that impacts our community, right? I mean, it's, it's, it's, we have to be together, so it's always a good thing. But Okay, so in talking about, I know you mentioned Galina, but I would love to hear about some other people Krystel, who have really influenced your career, or have kind of served as mentors for you. Who were some of those people? Yeah,
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:well, my, one of my biggest mentors is Jeff Coleman. I met him several years ago, and he was the first person that he gave me permission to own my career, and it was such a impactful, you know, you you go from like a boutique firm, and then TSH was acquired, and we had Rs and H and like, not once, you know, you're always checking a box, right? Like, in our careers, there's always like, Oh, we're gonna level up, level up, yep, um, but I didn't think there was choices where, like, you know, I didn't really know, because in our industry, marketing doesn't really get talked about or, like, how their career paths, like, we just have to make it happen. And so one of the things he said to me is, what do you want to be? What do you want to do? How do you want to get there? And I was like, um, says this, check that, right? He's like, I don't care about the form. What do you want? And I think that was so impactful to me. So I like share that with others, because I think having permission to do what you want with your career opens up way more paths, because you then all of a sudden, ask way more questions, right? And all of a sudden, I was like, Oh, well, okay, so what does this mean? I'm so excited. Tell me more. Tell me more. Break all the glass. Yes, I think he was wonderful. I think one of the things that he taught me was reading was something. He always had a good book, always had good quotes, always, you know, but the best part was I could be vulnerable, and he got me out of my comfort zone. And he especially got me out of the comfort zone when he was like so I think you should start your own company. No one. One's gonna. He's like, No, go do it. Just go talk to a few people. And you were one of those people I went and talked to, and I remember coming back to him, and I was like, did you call those people and tell them to tell me? And he's like, I don't even know, some of them love it. See, it was awesome. So he's been my mentor. He's a colleague of mine now he also owns his own consulting firm, and so it's been fun to get to work with him. You know, as a super he was like a supervisor. Now he's a mentor, and I love going to him and asking him ideas, because he always has an idea, or he has someone that could help me with an idea. So I
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:love it, no, for sure. And I think too having those people that, like you said, force you to be vulnerable, get you out of your comfort zone, I mean that right there, Krystel, that, to me, shows that he really cares about you, right? Like, if he didn't, he would have been like, alright, Krystal, go ahead and check. Keep checking those, baby. Move along, move along. But it sounds like he really took the time right to invest in you and force you to get out there. And yes, of course, oh my gosh. When Krystel came to me about your company, I said the same thing. I did not even hesitate, right? I was like, Yeah, do it? Start it tomorrow. Let's go so no
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:pushback to get a logo, yeah,
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:all the things, all the things, but look at you now, two years later, you are killing it out there. Krystel, what did you just came I'd love to more, or I'd love for you to share a guest with the audience about what you just did up in Alaska. This is always amazing to me how this came about. I mean, she just got paid to go to Alaska. Guys got paid. How did you do that? Tell me it
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:really boils down to relationships. So I worked with Michael Baker. I worked at Michael Baker, the Alaska team is like an extended family, and they just needed some help and some realignments of what they wanted to do with their business development, and they wanted someone to be honest, but to also know where they're, you know, where they needed to shift. And a lot of times, people are trying to put other people in boxes, right, like here you just, you gotta fit in this box. And Alaska doesn't fit in a box. You gotta be able to put what you want and how you do things methodically there, and not just, you know, not every market in every state is the same. You can't force those things. And so it's just listening right and creating that opportunity. But I go back, it's just relationships. Julie,
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:I love it, no and listen. But that's a general theme, and it's true. I think people need to hear that, right? That there is value in relationships. There is value in, you know, just meeting someone for coffee, right? You never know what they which are going to be, where that will lead to, you know, I mean, I can trace back, speaking of coffee, I took Doug Miller from he was at Alliance construction at the time. This is back in like, 2014 2015 I was like, Hey, Doug, I want to take you to coffee. And he's like, why? And I'm like, I just need to pick your brain, right? And he's like, Yeah, sure. Come on down whatever. We had been working together for about a year, sat down to coffee and kind of the same thing in her same encounter that you had with Jeff, it was like, I want to start my own business. And Doug's like, All right, let's do it. Like, what? Excuse me, like, I expected him to be like, Well, Julie, that's kind of a stupid idea. Are you sure you know all the things? But no, he literally, during that one coffee meeting, uh, helped me lay out my business plan, gave me some action items. Also told me, like, he revealed to me some potential pitfalls, right? Like he's like, here's where you're going to run up against some problems. You need a plan for that, right? You need a solution. And for someone who, again, I had a business background, but had no idea how to be an owner, right? Like I was, like, being having that, that immediate feedback, and knowing, yes, there are going to be issues, right? There's going to be some objections, but having that mindset of, okay, yes, there are always be problems, but there's always solutions too, right? So the more that you can plan for those up front, the more successful you'll be. And now was it 10 years later, still in business, right? Still doing the thing. Actually, just had lunch with Doug last week, and he mentioned the coffee meeting. He's like, Julie, do you remember that one time where you asked, and I had no idea what we were going to talk about, and then by the end of it, you had a business? Of, like, Yeah, I do
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:say the best exactly, best
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:coffee meetings, but also best relationships, right? Like that didn't just happen on accident. It was something that I nurtured, you know, like, to your point, always asking questions, right? Of, yeah, well, okay, well, what does this mean, right? Or where could I possibly go with this? So not being afraid to ask questions, I think, is a big, obviously, a big part of it, right? And the relationships. So it's a twofer. It is having both, having both, well, then, okay, so who else has been, then an influence in your life, then Krystel. I mean, I know you mentioned Galina, who's awesome. Jeff. Was there another person that you maybe wanted to mention that's been kind of a big kind of a big had an impact on your career?
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:Oh, man, a big impact on my career. Going to be my two daughters. I think the big thing that they do is they remind me that people are watching right like sometimes you get complacent and you keep doing the same thing over and over, but my little girls ask way too many questions. And I shouldn't even say little because faith is 20 now, I was gonna say, I have
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:an adult. You have an adult, okay, who's in the military, by the way, she does have a threat. Our
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:and a nine year old. And I think the beauty of them that have inspired me to do what is hard is they believe in me when I don't believe in me. And so I think they have had such an impact on my career. Faith was real young when I was doing design builds, and she'd ask so many questions. I remember one of her science projects was putting together, you know, the the strongest bridge so the trust and, you know, with the little sticks, yes, yes, um, but I loved it, because she was around just a bunch of smart people all the time. You know, you become friends with the people you work with in this industry. And so, like, Christy garrison is like a extra aunt to my children, because she she just is, and she's a roadway engineer, but her husband's a bridge engineer. So, you know, the girls are always going to be around this industry just because of who I followed. But I think one of the big things for me is I've got a group of women that I've surrounded myself, and it's huge. Like, you know, it goes from happy hours to coffees to lunches, and, you know, a lot of people that have inspired me are just the the people you don't expect it. It's the intern that showed up who's passionate about, like, just wanting to know how to do things, and then it's sitting next to the guy that has 45 years experience, he won't give it up because he's just having too much fun, right? Like, there's always that one hydraulics engineer who's just not going to give up forever. But I'm not talking about you George cotton, but it's just there.
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:But you learn from him, right? Yeah, right, yeah, and
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:I think that's probably the beauty of our industry, is like people are willing. The other ones that really inspire me are just the people that go out of out of their way. So like Michelle Sandoval, Marsha Nelson, like those women just constantly trying to find ways to rise people and give them opportunity, right? Kathy Kramer, she's one, just always reaching out. And so I think having those kind of people around are just awesome. They inspire you when they don't, they don't even think they're inspiring, right? Go back to the girls always saying they're watching because they are
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:no and it's so true. And I love to it kind of, you're kind of alluding to at least, what I'm hearing is that it takes a village, right? Like you just don't. You're not, even though, yes, obviously there is a smaller construction industry than men, right? That's just a fact, but being able to surround yourself with women have come before you, right? And have maybe gone through some things that you've gone through, but also to having your young women, your young girls, right to kind of be there for you ask those questions, and sounds like, to me, what I'm hearing is that they keep you going right, like they remind you, Hey, Mom, you're kind of important. Like, actually,
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:you're not, you're just not paying the bills. You kind of, we kind of like, exactly
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:right. Like mom does cool shit. She does well,
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:but So kind of in that school. One other person that I think, and I would be sad if I didn't mention her, was Patricia McKinney Clark, and that was so if you ever hear her story, she's just, you add her to your list, um, but, um, but like hearing her story of how she went through C dots, you know, different methods, and how she ended up where she was and what she's doing now, that woman is phenomenal. She inspires me daily. But not only does she do that, but she gives back to the community. I don't know how she has time to do what she does now that she tried all the time and does which, and she still has time for her friends, like she still comes back and makes sure we're okay. So it's people like that in the industry that really inspire me to to stay focused and know that you know that this industry is full of people to help,
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:definitely. And I think too, another thing I love about Patricia is that she's so positive. Like, I mean, I know that we can't all be positive all the time, but I swear to goodness, every time I see her. Krystel, biggest smile on her face, gives you the biggest hug, and will recount something like, I don't know how she remembers things like from five, six years ago. She's like, Okay, you remember that one time we were sitting there and you said this? That meant a lot to me. And I'm like, Oh my gosh. First of all, don't remember saying that. Second of all, thanks for saying so, right. Like she goes out of her way to, again, bring people in and make you feel special. Like, I know that sounds stupid, but she really does. And again, I think that goes back to her relationships, building skills, right? And just everything that she pours into people. Like, if you Yeah, if you meet with her, you will always learn something new, at least I do. I mean, it's just, she's amazing, 100%
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:she's just an awesome person. I and I think that's what you find in our industry, is if you take time to just ask somebody, how are they or, you know, what was your day like? Yeah, be amazed about what you find out. So it's such a great industry. I really enjoy it. And yeah, so many good women, though, like my lips is really long,
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:we could talk on for the next hour, right about all that probably influenced you. And again, even though, again, there's not as many of us, but I think the ones who choose to be here, right in the design, construction industry that stick it out, really want to be here, right? And want to make a difference. And you know, at least for me, it's really important to, again, be inclusive of those women, and let's go together. We rise baby. Let's do it. Let's do it all. Well, I know again, we could probably talk forever, but I wanted to kind of close up and wrap up Krystel with with advice, right? What would you say to those next generation of women that are looking to get in construction? What kind of advice would you give to
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:them? Okay, so you're gonna laugh, but I'm going to go with the Nike slogan of just do it. I think. Tell me more. The reason I say it is none of us got in this surgery because we thought we were going to be great at it right, like most of us fall into it because someone introduced us to someone, and it just happened that way. The best part about going in and finding out there's a spot for you anywhere, whether it's on the professional services side, whether it's on the labor side, whether it's the superintendent, whatever you see, there's a place for you. And I think the beauty of what you're going to get to do when you go and do it is you're going to leave a legacy of creating something that's going to last longer than you because a bridge can get rehabbed for another 50 years. You know, you can find these little nuances. That roundabout is going to stay there until someone tears it apart, like that building, that library you just built, is going to last, you know, hundreds of years, because people are going to be able to come in there and use it. It's just join it, find a network, introduce yourself to someone like WTS, HCC, AGC. I mean, there's so many A, C, E, C, all of those things, and find a way to connect so that you can find people like Julie, who has connections beyond imaginable, and use those to be able to build what you want. I think that's the best part. Is like finding a network, because our network is, I mean, that is our most important thing. And once you find that network, they'll find you, they'll help you find what fits best, and then you can go do that and thrive. And I think I've watched women do that so much in our industry, from both the contractor side and from the professional services side is they found a group of women that just were like, Okay, let's go right.
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:Let's do it. Let's do it. Exactly one, I think, to add on to that, you know, for those young women who are looking to get in construction, just do it. But also, I would say, see if you can get on a job site, right? Do go for a job tour. Right? Go, I mean, and go with different people, right? Go with different companies. Go to different types of construction, as you mentioned, like there's you could build a bridge, a road, a highway, design, a water resources flow, stream, you know, to buildings, right, to all the buildings that we live in that we work in that we go to school in. There are so many ways for women to get involved in the industry, and I think they don't even realize it, right? Like, you cannot wake up in the morning and go to school without being impacted by construction, right? Like, whether it's, you know, waking up and there's heat in your house. Well, some H back put that in there for you, or you get out on the road. Let's say you get on the school bus again. Talking about young women, somebody designed that road, right? And they get safe for you, and then someone built that school. So it went. I think once we start educating young women to think about that and to think about all the ways that design and construction influences them. I think that will encourage more of them to just do it, right, like, to get involved, because we all have opinions and we experience the world differently, right? We need all of those perspectives in this industry, for sure.
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:Yeah, I'm so excited. I feel like the the more I see young women joining our industry. I just get so, so excited
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:for sure. Listen, I like to say peanut butter, right? Like, it's just like a good feeling, like I don't, because I do love peanut butter, let's be honest. But no, you're right. It's great to see it. I do think, I guess, just really quick, last question, what do you kind of see, then, for the future of women in construction? Let's talk the next 1015, years. What are you seeing? Or what do you hope to see?
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:Well, you know, in the professional services side, I think one thing I see is I see more women in leadership. I see more women saying yes to engineering, and the barriers were broke by the group of leadership we see right now. So the flood gates are open, you know, I just I think there's going to be a lot more women the more I hang out with HCC, I see a
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:lot, which is the Hispanic contractor Colorado? Oh, darn it. Okay. Again. Our industry has so many acronyms, yeah. HCC, again, Hispanic contractors of Colorado, go ahead, as you spend more time with them, you're saying, yeah, as I spend
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:more time with them, I'm meeting more and more women owners. Yeah. So, like, there is so many more. One of my good friends, Micah Ferguson, she started her own electrical firm, or not firm, but company, yeah, three, four years ago, and then I met through, I've been meeting a lot through the airport. So the airport had that business development training academy that I get to participate in, and watching a lot of those women coming, I'm like, Oh, I didn't even know what I did. Like, it's not that I don't think women own businesses, but oh no, no. But in that industry, I'm like, You're that's cool, right? No, exactly,
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:I mean. And again, talking like, obviously the airports in the transportation sector, and again, that sector is typically more dominated by men, so I'm sure, like you said, seeing more women coming up in that being business owners and taking on those leadership roles, that's so rewarding, right? And it just, I hope it continues. You know, like, let's not stop. Ladies like to the moon
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:for sure.
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:All right, honey. Well, I again, would love talking to you more, but we are going to close out the episode, so I'm just going to say that's a wrap for this episode. Thank you again, Krystel for joining me. Don't forget to subscribe to get get them to give a fuck podcast. Leave a review, share it with others. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn or Krystel, I'm sure she'd love to connect with you as well. Keep building our networks together, or check out my training sessions and resources on get them to care.com and until next time, stay passionate, stay strategic, and most importantly, stay committed to giving a love it. Oh my gosh. All right, let me stop it. Girl, you are the best. Thank you so much. Seriously, and I'm glad that you stopped in the middle to be like Julie, this is not working. How does that happen? Right? I don't either, but I'm going with it, and I'm literally gonna be, well, actually, I'm interviewing Megan. How do I say her last name? Is it co hill or COO Hill? CO Hill, all right, I'll ask her. I'm like, oh, but yeah, so she's been great. Holly's been great. And yeah, I'm wrapping out. I'll have five solid episodes. Krystel, so you're a big part of that. Thank you. Yeah, high five through the through the through the
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:using my voice, because my shirt was different, I was like, whatever. But I do want you to include that shout out that I gave you on the other one. Oh, I find a way to, like, weave it into this one. But I saw we were running out of time, and I was like, I probably will get to so weave that in there. If you can,
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:I will. Yes, I definitely will. It'll have to depend on the audio quality, but Yeah, girl, I love you. I'm gonna have you back. Krystel. Like, don't worry. Like, you'll, you're gonna be back on the podcast, maybe a microphone, exactly a microphone. I owe you drinks. I just start making a list. Girl, oh, no, you don't
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:know. Did you see my face? And I said, AC, EC, it's like a habit to, like, rattle stuff off. And I was like, I I know,
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:it just dropped, I know. And like, of course, it's Engineers Week right now too. So it's like, I'm seeing all their stuff, and I'm like, Whatever, whatever Krystel life
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:goes on. When do you leave? I
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:actually leave on Thursday. So, but like, between now and then it is, like, it's a show, like, I have so many things, like, backed up, yeah, not even, not even girl, come on, no, um, also, I mostly didn't pack because my dog, he freaks out when I get my suitcase out. Like, literally, he's like, what I he's even crawled into my suitcase like before, being like mom. So yeah, I know I'm a brat. I spoil him, but
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:no peas on our bed if he sees really, do we have to break him of it because he had like he wanted to mark his territory. So I remember I remember I was getting ready to leave, and David left. So he noticed David's suitcase, and then I had put my suitcase on the bed, and he went, peed all over our bed, not just like a little bit so much we had to get rid of our mattress, like I had to, I separate it. So yes, he does this right as I'm getting ready to leave, right? And I'm like, Oh my gosh. So I throw the stuff in the laundry as fast as I can. Yeah. David's like, what happened? And I was like, feed. And I'm pretty sure he did it, like, four times, because it literally the puddle. He's a beagle. The bottle was this big,
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:okay, that was intentional. Girl. That was so intentional. So
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:then we bought a new bed, and we're like, you're not out on it, on it. And he looked at us, and I was like, yeah, now he can, but he doesn't pee on our bed anymore. But
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:learn the lesson. Learn the lesson. Oh, my God, girl, that's crazy. No. Oh, all right, honey. So I will follow up with you when I get back. I'll let you know when the episode goes live all the things thank you again. So yeah,
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:I am so happy. Dude, I can't wait to hear all about your trip.
Julie Wanzer | Business Rewritten:Angel. It'll be so much fun. I'm excited for you. I anybody I gotta go. I got Megan coming up in about a month. All right,
Krystel DeHerrera | Arrow Marketing:bye.
