Nobody Knowz with Callie Zamzow
Hosted by Callie Zamzow, Nobody Knowz is a Boise, Idaho-based podcast dedicated to exploring the connections that shape our lives—between people, animals, and the environment. Featuring stories and voices from across Boise, Nampa, Caldwell, and the greater Treasure Valley, the show is rooted in authenticity and driven by curiosity. Through thoughtful conversations, it champions integrity, sustainability, and lifelong learning.
Nobody Knowz with Callie Zamzow
Her Father Saw the Leader in Her Before She Did
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Family business succession became deeply personal for Melanie Alderson when she unexpectedly had to lead K2 Construction after her father’s death.
Melanie started at the company for just $1 an hour, learning construction one responsibility at a time. Twenty-three years later, she found herself responsible for protecting her father’s legacy, earning her team’s confidence, and deciding what the next generation of K2 would become.
In season 2 episode 10 of Nobody Knowz, Callie Zamzow and Melanie discuss growing up in a family business, learning leadership through experience, taking over a company during grief, and proving that an inherited opportunity still has to be earned.
00:00 – Welcome to Nobody Knowz
02:00 – The career Melanie originally imagined
03:00 – The lawsuit that brought her into the family business
09:00 – How an unplanned job became a 23-year career
10:00 – Learning construction directly from her father
15:00 – What construction teaches about leadership
20:00 – Becoming vice president before feeling like a leader
24:00 – Losing her father and unexpectedly taking over
27:00 – Earning the confidence of employees and clients
31:00 – Proving the company would survive the transition
41:00 – Protecting a family business legacy
49:00 – Being a woman in the construction industry
55:00 – Why women shouldn’t underestimate their leadership
56:00 – Starting before you feel ready
58:00 – Running a business while raising three children
01:03:00 – Nobody has everything together
01:04:00 – Why you have to keep showing up
Everyone has a story, a moment, a lesson, or a piece of their life most people may never hear. Hi, I'm Callie Zamzo, and this is Nobody Knows. Welcome to Nobody Knows. I'm your host, Callie Zamzo. And I'm excited about today's guest. She is somebody who I've known for a little while, and we've had some wonderful, robust conversations around family business and legacy and that sort of thing. And I'm really pleased that she's willing to join us today because I think her story is a very interesting one. And gosh, I'm just I'm very impressed with her. And uh and some days when I feel like I uh I can't do it, I think about her and I think, yeah, I can, because she's, you know, like she's this powerhouse. So um I in in beginning all of this uh this conversation, I want to um kind of talk about the buildings that we see in and around uh Boise or wherever you happen to be. And I think we a lot of times we just sort of like go past them and we don't think about what it took to make them, what the process was in um in even the preparation for them, uh the approval with the city and you know, all the things that go into it, and then all the people that are involved in actually building the buildings. And uh so we're gonna talk a little bit about that today as well. So please welcome into the studio Melanie Alderson. Thank you for being here. Thanks for having me. Um you are the president of K2 Construction. Yes. And uh, and there's uh there's a very interesting story that goes along with that. But let's just start um, just kind of warm up here a little bit and talk about um maybe maybe you as a young girl.
SPEAKER_00Like what did you want to be when you grew up? Oh man, I think um when I was really little, like a vet, and then a marine biologist. And then as I got older, I used, I mean, I loved animals. And then as I got older, it turned to um I wanted to own a gym. Wow. So nothing related to construction. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's interesting. I actually I had some similar, like I also wanted to be a veterinarian. I also, yeah, I had I had some of those thoughts as well. That's uh okay. So um, so then so what uh what was kind of the the thing that led you into construction then?
SPEAKER_00So in um I did sports science in school. I grew up around sports, I love sports, um, and um just health in general has always been really important to me. And so um that's why I did sports science. And then my dad, you know, of course, I was very close to my family. My dad was like, you're never gonna get a job with that degree, you know, um, which it was kind of a dumb decision because we did the non-teaching route. So as a teacher, you can always get a job as a teacher. But um I didn't take that route. So uh he encouraged me to get my master's in business right out of college, which isn't um super common. And um I went up to visit my sister who lived in Bellingham, Washington. Um, she's a physical therapist up there, and uh, it is just beautiful. It's right off of the San Juan Islands and you know, on the ocean. And um, and I just fell in love with the area. And I'm like, do they have a university here in Western Washington is right there on the water? Um and I'm like, do they have an MBA program? And they did. And so I actually ended up applying this summer that summer, and um, it was kind of last minute, but they had a program that they advertised where people that just graduated could be successful. Um, as opposed to the majority of the MBA programs, encouraged people to go out and work for at least two years prior to joining a program like that. So anyway, I ended up doing that. And K2 was in the midst um of starting a giant lawsuit. Wow. Um we had been building a hotel in California and the owner stopped paying, and he had been stealing materials from the job site and using them to build his house. And so um my parents kept this from me, and so they've always been really supportive, and they didn't want that to affect my decision to go to school because they were paying for um my education. And so um they didn't let me know until I was in the program and going to school. And then so when I finished, um we were in the uh, or K2 had started the the jury trial. And so it it turned out to be a six-week jury trial. And I um I knew my dad needed help because uh, you know, you when something like that happens, you get strapped for cash. It's uh people in the company are flying to California to give depositions and they're spending their time getting paperwork and getting prepped for things like this. And so it really deters from, you know, the business of construction, right? And so um I went back and just went to work for K2. At first, I worked for like a year for um a dollar an hour just because, well, one, I wasn't super useful. I didn't know construction. And so um, but just doing anything I could. So I worked on marketing, I did proposals, and then I would even go sit on a job site when the superintendent had to go to California to testify if it was just for a day, um, just to have a K2 person there, right? And I mean, I knew a little bit, could make phone calls, things like that. But um yeah, so that's how where it started. And then I just, it was never the goal, it was never the intention. But you know, when your family needs help, you do whatever you can. And um I had just graduated from uh school. AARP magazine ranked Bellingham the number one place to retire. I wanted to stay there, but all the jobs I was applying for, there was like really experienced people that were not retiring, moving there. And so I remember I applied for one job and there was like 75 applicants, and I got an interview, and I was just so proud to get, you know, an interview, but I didn't get the job. And so yeah, I moved home, worked for my went to work for my parents to help them out, and um never left. Wow.
SPEAKER_01This is I think this is not unusual in family business because I so so I I'm guessing that where you interviewed, it was not it had it was not construction, is that correct? Or was it Yeah?
SPEAKER_00I was a um I worked for the Small Business Development Center. I got a uh graduate assistantship my second year. So it was a two-year program, and um I got a graduate assistant year assistantship that paid for my second year and the at the SBDC, and basically you did research for clients of the counselors there, and then a counseling position became available. And so that's what I applied for, which it's a good thing I didn't get it because I wasn't ready to counsel other people on how to run their businesses. But um, yeah, I had I had done helped people with business plans, marketing plans, um, analyze financials, stuff like that for them.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I I it's yours is a a different story than mine, but but similar in the sense that I I I had other plans too. I had other thoughts that I was gonna be doing other things entirely. And then I also kind of got pulled in. Um and and it was it was a necessary, it was one of those like I think I think I can help out in the situation. I'll help for a little while and then I'll go figure out what else. And then and the rest is history. Um stayed on and and now like I can't even imagine not being a part of the family business. And now I'm like, and now I I was young. Now I'm a part of the older team that's and did you did you work there when you were little?
SPEAKER_00Like oh yeah, like yes, yeah, odds and ends stuff. Yeah, absolutely. Did you did you do that? I started the as soon as I was 14. I was in the office and then out on job site sweeping. Yes, yeah.
SPEAKER_01My brother and I um we would work in the warehouse. And this is when we were like, this is before we could legally be working there. I think it was more of a babysitting gig, I think, for my my mother. My mother needed maybe a couple of hours and was like, Can I drop them off at the store? And dad put us in the warehouse and we would sweep. And we got paid hourly literally a dollar every hour that we worked. And he would give us a dollar, we'd go put it in the candy machine. And then yeah, so um, yeah, that's uh that's family business for you. Similar, yeah. Um okay, so let's let's dive into the building part of all this. Um, so after all of these years, is there because so how long has it been? How long has it been since that since you uh started unintentionally?
SPEAKER_00Unintentionally, it was 2003 when I started. I think around like September-ish.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00And so it's been 23 years. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So um, yeah, so it's been a while, a bit. It's weird how time flies. I just don't seem like yesterday. No, it doesn't. Actually, it seems like a long time ago. It seems like it's been longer, but um I feel the same way.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so um, so what what keeps you passionate about it all these years later? Is there like are you are you I'm I'm imagining like me, you've reinvented yourself through the years as far as like what you were doing in the business and kind of your growth and and how you maneuvered into the position that you are now.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So, you know, when I started, I I didn't know much, right? I had obviously in high school, I went and I worked in the office and I saw the like the paperwork side, and then I went into the field and just helped with cleanup and you know caulking and certain things. And then um as I went to work full-time, you know, you start creating marketing proposals. Well, then you have to learn about K2's history and the jobs, right? And then they need help estimating. So then, you know, I got to work side by side with my dad. He taught me how to do like a concrete takeoff, and then um other project managers would help me out and teach me this part or that part, right? And so um it was fun meeting like um, I was kind of like the unexpected treat, I guess. Um it was fun learning these things. Um, it was fun being in the room and being like the the unexpected person, you know. And as I learned, I never pretended to know like more than I did, right? Yeah. You're always learning. Um, still today, I'm not the I'm not normally the most knowledgeable person on a job, right? Everybody has their specialty. But um one of the things my dad was passionate about was uh he loved design build, he loved pre-engineered metal buildings. And so those are the two of the things that I feel like I got a special education on because it was his passion. He would involve me in going to the Butler sales meeting. Butler is the pre-engineered metal building that we've done since 1980. So I got to go to these sales meetings, learn about the products, um, learn all the special, you know, um, ins and outs of this type of building and construction. And I got really good at helping figure out the best way to do it, right? Like um how to arrange the the frames or and just coming up with different ideas on how to do stuff because that's what my dad loved. I loved spending time with him, and then we did it enough that I would get good at it, right? And so it's just kind of a fun thing that he's passed on that I get to do. Um, so we do all types of commercial construction, but I would say that's where um if we get one of those projects, I'm like, yes, it's my favorite part because I don't know, it just got good at it and you know, and it's fun doing things that you're you feel like you're you're really good at, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I did you have a push-pull kind of a situation with um your dad being willing to to to teach you things and then also knowing that other people were watching and wondering if maybe you were getting special treatment. Like, did you have that element in or was your your was your dad better at that than mine was?
SPEAKER_00You know, I think um I think it was pretty clear that I never got a special. I mean, of course I got special treatment, and that I would have never had that job to begin with if I hadn't been his daughter, right? Like um in that sense, right? Like they're never gonna pull in somebody green. And um, but at the same time, he, you know, we had another um female project manager for a very long time, and she came right out of school, and he gave her the exact same treatment and training that I got, right? And so it was very um, and that's just the kind of person he was. He would like sit down with somebody new, realize that they didn't have, you know, the experience and help them get to where they needed to be. And so, um, and I think with my dad, he was always uh, you know, I'm lucky in that he was always bragging about us and thought we were way better than probably we were. And so um, you know, and being a female in construction or just I think a girl of our generation, um, like confidence is often a thing, right? Like lack of confidence, I would say. And so I feel like where I had maybe I could probably do more than what I thought I was capable of, he I feel like he always knew I was capable of more, right? And was always like pushing that.
SPEAKER_01So yeah. Yeah, yeah. I don't know if that makes sense. I it does make sense. And I I think I think my dad was in the same boat. And um, it's interesting now as as I think about uh bringing my own daughter in, if she wanted to be part of the business, how I might it's not happened yet. So we'll we'll we'll put a pin in that. But um, but yeah, it's an it's an interesting thought process of of how it being in the dad's position. Because obviously your kid, I mean you're the k your kid's the apple of your eye, right? So and do you do you have siblings that are also in the business?
SPEAKER_00No, I have a sister and she is a physical therapist and has her own company, but she was never um, you know, with with that type of degree or um, you know, education, you you have to get the license and then go right into doing that. So she's done that. And um, but no, it's just me, me now. He didn't have boys, and so he just treated his girls the same, right?
SPEAKER_01Like Yeah. Well, and I think I almost feel like that's a generational thing too. I think my dad, my dad always treated me like an equal. I didn't he didn't treat me like I was a female either. And in some ways, I was I had to kind of remind him. I'm not I'm not strong enough to do that or you know, whatever. And but I do think that he and I think maybe this is maybe this is dads and kids. They they just see something in us and um you know Yeah, they I don't know, they definitely don't see our limitations.
SPEAKER_00I felt like yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um so can you kind of talk about, in your opinion, how um how how um construction teaches us about leadership? Give how how are we taught you about leadership?
SPEAKER_00Um let's see. Construction teaching me about leadership.
SPEAKER_01Um I mean it's hand in hand, right? I mean, everything that you did, you were, I mean, you can because you were being watched. I know this like you get watched as the kid, you know, as the, you know, so um so you kind of are forced into it, I think a lot of people.
SPEAKER_00I think you're you know, construction, um, nothing happens without a team, right? Like in any business, construction's the same. You have to depend on other people. And so um I think that how this um how it pushes you to be a better leader is um, you know, you're not always getting the best. Well, let me put it another way. You're not always gonna get top performers, right? It's like literally impossible to get all top performers, right? Right. And so what do you do? You know, you're trying to find um the strengths of each person and see how they can contribute to the team or, you know, whatever your goal is, in our case, buildings, like how um, you know, so let me just dial this back to K2. Um, you know, you're only getting the subs that bid on your job, right? If you have to go with low-bid guy to get the job, he is not gonna be the best. It just it just doesn't happen, right? And so um, you know, how do you get this team of people to perform and and meet the meet the standard that you have to meet at the same time in your at your company level? How do I get my project managers and administrative staff and um all of these guys, how do I get them to perform the best? And if I can't find a qualified um estimator, can I bring a guy into the field? So, you know, especially lately, what I've been trying to do, which I think um has helped me as a leader, is I'm trying to, you know, if we're not busy, if I don't have a job for a guy in the field, I'm bringing him in and I'm training him on how to estimate. Um, I'm training him on how how we do things in the office, as far as like um contracts, purchase orders, things like that. Um and that might not be their skill set, but they have this huge knowledge of um construction sequencing and the quality details that go into a building, right? And and they're bringing that to the table. So, for example, like an estimating, um, we call it leveling the bid, but they're looking at the plans and developing the scope of work. And then I'm teaching them from our side, okay, how do you go back and make sure that sub has everything in that that's supposed to be in that estimate, right? And so um it's really challenging them to learn a new skill set to get better. And if we get a job and they go back into the field, they're better, right? They're better at what they've been doing. And so it's really um one, trying to find what people are best at and then help challenging them to try to get them to um kind of like expand and um get better at things that they maybe didn't think that they were good at or could do. Um so just trying to support people and and try to help them get better at what they do in addition to like expanding their horizon and see that they can do like maybe other things in the business.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So this is clearly leadership. So you so there's I mean, you are, right? You you you're leading for sure, but you're not like you're very intentional. This is an intentional leadership that you and so can you think about can you do you know the time and space in your life when you shifted from trying to learn all the puts and takes of construction to where you realized that you were now leading people, people were following you. So now you needed to be more purposeful about your leadership?
SPEAKER_00You know my dad started in 2008, he made me vice president so that I could sign checks because my dad did the same thing.
SPEAKER_01And I'm still signing checks. Are you still signing checks?
SPEAKER_00You know, they're like never give anybody else control of your bank account. Yes, they are they're two Ps in a pod. Yes, you're exactly right about that. Um, but they got sick of right, like they're on vacation or something. And anyway, yes. So and then and that's when it started I started being trained to be a leader, but I don't think I really understood it until later on when my dad got a little bit older and um he worked until he was 82. And so um, but when he got a little older and he just was tired, right? He was tired of dealing with some of the some of the stuff. And so I could see these problems coming and wanted to, you know, help. And so I would try to think of, you know, how are we gonna manage that? And that's when I think like solving issues, I think that's when you really start growing into life leadership. But then um, when we transitioned and it was like there was nobody else, is when I really had to start, you know, being um it was like forced, intentionable, intentional, you know, um intentional about making a plan and then trying to like, how am I gonna do this, deciding how I was gonna do it, and then trying it. And if it didn't work, you know, you come up with something else. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01It's it's vastly different to read a book or take a seminar or even be coached a little bit about it than actually the first time you have to sit down and do something, make your plan and then work your plan and and and those skills do sort of develop as you do them, you know? Like you've gotta for sure. I don't know about you, but I I I've got some doozy stories of stupid things that I did in the name of leadership, like really trying hard to, you know, take things I read or whatever. And you sometimes you gotta like really feel out your own style. And um, I I was I was very aggressive in the beginning. Like I thought I had to be like a man. Like I thought I needed to. have different set of traits. And so learning how to like use your own strengths, right? Yes. Yeah. I still have I still have friends who used to work for me who will tease me. I one of them still calls me boss hole because I was That's a good one. I was pretty aggressive. I just didn't know how to I I guess I was trying to command the respect and that's it doesn't work. Yeah. Not unless you've got something like maybe painful that you can inflict on somebody, but that's ridiculous. Anyway, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00My um I come up with a lot of ideas, right? But it's like executing them is hard. Right. And so I'll have like a like a hundred great ideas, but then maybe only be able to try a couple.
SPEAKER_01Well and it's I it's kind of fun. I think it's I think this is at this at this phase, now that we've made some of the bigger mistakes, it's it's a little bit easier to we already know in advance that okay I'm this is probably not going to work. I probably need to go this direction or but also the personalities of people that's the thing I underestimated I think as a young leader was how all of us have these we come from different places. We have different upbringings. We have different like we're wired differently we literally are either you know more left brained or right brained or you know like I had all that up into a mixed bag. And as a young person I just didn't I didn't grasp that yet. And it wasn't until I had gone through a few that I I agree.
SPEAKER_00Yeah I'm the same and I do you see that in people you've identified as younger leaders?
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah yes you and then there's a little bit of coaching with that too but yeah I I almost know that they still have to live a little bit before they're gonna they're gonna have to make a few mistakes you know you gotta and I think as leaders we we get to guide them through that and hope that that we can keep the mistakes to a minimum or at least or at least not like yeah yeah leadership. It's something it is something okay so um so can we talk about the transition of when you actually took over the business. Sure.
SPEAKER_00Yeah um so so what happened? Um so my dad um he actually passed away unexpectedly he was going in for a um a stint and he didn't come out and so um you know it's a pretty standard procedure and um it turns out we think that he had um all along it had a a slow form of cancer and we think that it had come back um in full force probably at the time at the time of the surgery and that's probably what happened but you never know. But anyways he yeah he passed away unexpectedly in in May of 23 and um you know although we had been talking and planning this transition for years um we never had like the step by step thing that we were going to you know plan that how it was going to happen. And so it was um at this point it was just forced because my mom had always been involved in the business but she handled the um uh the uh bank accounts mostly and paperwork oversaw admin and so um she wanted to retire and so by December we had come up with um the exact plan of how we were going to transition our business to um to my ownership and um and then yeah and so it was just more of like we had the people in place that were going to run things right like it was easy to step into um my dad's shoes and and and take over that and then kind of pass my projects off to um other people that were capable of doing them. But um it was more the like the business transition like paperwork part that was hard to figure out. So um and it took that him unfortunately him passing away to figure that plan out. But um yeah so does that answer kind of it does it does.
SPEAKER_01I'm wondering um I'm wondering how because at this point you had worked in the business long enough that you you you felt steady. It wasn't like you were brand new at this point. How did the how did the rest of the the employees and the rest of the group did it seem like a natural transition did every kind of just know of course Melanie is taking over at this point or was there a little bit of um was that was that also a little bit tumultuous?
SPEAKER_00No, that um that was pretty known like we had other um we had other people that we had wanted to include in the ownership when the transition came but they um unfortunately decided to leave before that. And so maybe that played a part because um you know we something we have in common is my dad and I take a long time to make decisions sometimes um and it doesn't align with other people's timelines. So um but anyway so that by the time he passed away everybody that was there knew you know so that wasn't tumultuous but I think um maybe some of the people preferred him oh for sure.
SPEAKER_01I don't know I I know that I think even now like in our on my leadership and my dad's is still alive but I'm certain that they prefer him it's clear as day.
SPEAKER_00You know some people prefer you and like in the same thing with like clients like he built relationships with clients and I had built relationships with clients. And so um with that regard it was like you know I needed to from that point start building um you know more relationships because I think that was kind of the the biggest change for us is like with him gone um you know the it's just not the same working with me as working with him. And so you know in that way it was you know finding my own footing finding out you know figuring out what I wanted to K2 to be and that and trying to make those changes but um everybody was like extremely supportive like all of the employees and um unfortunately we had been through a few other not not the death of the company president but a couple other people in our company had passed away and so um superintendent a foreman and so having um gone through that sort of thing before had helped us I guess learn how to address the employees um a little bit um so that had actually having that experience kind of helped us in that way but um but yeah the most people were on board and really supportive you know I mean how could you not be right right and they were at least giving us a chance to um you know see what I could do and if I would be successful so it's interesting how how death and that finality pulls people together.
SPEAKER_01I we it during my tenure um at Zamsos we we did we've had one person die suddenly he literally was working one day and was gone the next day so it was very sudden um very unexpected he was uh just a a really central figure to the company and um it's interesting how we I I I sometimes will just make myself go back to the moment that we knew that we heard that he was gone and then um and I was the one who gathered everybody together and had to tell everybody. And I still I can go back to that moment and think about just the feeling in the room. And then from there how we pulled together. Because there is something about that that it is it pulls people together for sure absolutely it's not the way I mean it ideally you don't do it that way. It's not it's not the ideal thing but it is amazing how people will do that. And still to this day it we will talk about him and uh it and it pulls us together again. Like it kind of almost reunites us because he does yeah so it's a shared experience I think that we had made a very jarring it's very jarring and I can't and I was not related to him so I I can only imagine the the impact that it had on you personally and in that transition. Yeah. Um so did did then did things shift dramatically with within like obviously what you were doing you you took on more the leadership role the feeling of the business did that did it shift you know what I'm doing what I'm saying like yeah it's harder to explain what I'm saying but there's literally like a feeling we have about a business or about what we're doing. Right. And did that all shift during that time?
SPEAKER_00Yeah I think that I mean obviously when there's a big transition like that, I think people are worried right at first people are worried like is this is she gonna be successful are we going to continue to get work and I think that um you know for us it was just making sure um I think we found um we're a smaller company and so we don't need a lot of projects to be successful every year. Right. And so we had gone out and worked really hard and we were like okay we need to buckle down and um take care of the clients we have first right and we had those projects covered and so then it was just like getting more work through like the next two years to get us through that transition period. And so we worked really hard and went and secured three new projects that would would do that. And so when that happened everybody was like kind of like you know relief like we did it we're gonna be okay um and so that was kind of the the shift and then there was um you know I was try trying really hard I guess to prove myself and and you know have the have the company meeting at the beginning of the year. Here's our business plan for the coming years. This is what we're gonna try to do here's our goals and you know try to communicate to people so that they would have confidence in you know the plan and in me and here's what you know each person's role is going to be in this plan. And just trying to and and then getting those projects and and seeing that that we were accomplishing our goals was just really key in making sure that people were comfortable and confident moving forward like you know we're gonna be okay like that sucked but yeah yeah yeah yeah did has that has that changed at all? Like are you do you still do those same things that you did right during that is that still holding steady or have you shifted that a little bit I am still trying to do that I admit like not as um I think I missed a year and then did it the next year but um I still did the planning and the and the and the plan but I didn't have the meeting with the whole company. And so that's um but people like that and um so yeah I'm not perfect but I'm gonna do it again. Yeah. So I did it twice. I missed one year um and uh we're planning to do it again this year.
SPEAKER_01You you sound like me. Uh that's the goal in right is there anything about that whole part of of the transition and everything is there anything that you feel really grateful for?
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah just like um people sticking with us like you know um not leaving as soon as not jumping ship as soon as that happened you know because they very well could have you know look out for themselves and and uh it's not like there's a shortage of jobs in construction right there's a lot of and so just particularly thankful for the loyalty that people showed and and um support especially our employees that um stuck around and really were willing to like do whatever right like outside of their normal their normal job um yeah and the clients and and longtime people that reached out that was you know a lot of my dad's longtime clients reached out and said you know if you need anything I'm here my uncle Ralph who owned cries and bet constructors for years and years and years you know he that was um that was great because we didn't have like a I would say a super close relationship but he really reached out and offered to help in whatever way he could and so it was nice to be able to call him up and and uh just like talk about you know construction stuff because he'd been through it right he he passed on his company a long time ago to his employees so but just having somebody that had been where I was was really nice. So yeah that that that was kind of a positive outcome that you know I feel like we talk more for sure.
SPEAKER_01I and so that kind of mentorship I I've talked about this a few times with with past guests just what um because I think when I was younger I didn't think I really grasped mentorship. I think I thought it was like this formalized like you hire a mentor and that mentor helps you. You know and it's so not that it's not it's so helpful.
SPEAKER_00It's like very helpful. Yes. And the Butler network so I mentioned the Butler buildings well you know you go to these sales meetings year after year. So I've been going for 23 years now and you meet other contractors that also do pre-engineered. So I've met people through that that a lot of them reached out like builders in California a guy in Reno a guy up in Spokane and and um you know so they also reached out quite a bit and just would call to say hey how's it going and and made made me you know feel like I could call them at any time and say hey what do I do in this situation and and they still do that. So that's been really like a surprising part of this too. That's been great.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Do you think about um about your role as a mentor for other people and kind of as we as we're I mean we're entering that that age and that that tenure where we can now be helpful to other people. But it's not I I I marvel at the people who reached out to me to help me and mentor me and how they did that. And some and I I don't know that I've necessarily found my best groove with that. I certainly there are people that I I help I don't know if I consider myself a mentor in that sense but they probably think I'm mentoring them. But it's um it's interesting to find your style when you're ready to give back and do that yourself.
SPEAKER_00Yeah I, you know I'm still figuring that out I like I I'm like you and that I think back and um like the people that have helped me through this transition and I'm like it was so helpful I would love to be able to pass that on. And it's the same with like trying to become a better leader like how in what way can I help these people right and so with me it's starting small like I've always said I'm a big proponent of like continuing education. I love to learn I love to go like you know I'm one that will just go sign up for classes and you know and I think you know if you're good at your job you're always trying to get better yourself right and do that outside but just trying to push the younger people to do that. And so like in my company um you know I encouraged one of our project managers I was like you know what you should do leadership voice you would be great and so um I really pushed that and I feel like I'm trying to you know find other folks in the company that I can um you know what can I do to maybe push them to get better or whatever. Right. And so well I can support her doing leadership YC you have to have the support of your employer because it's during work hours. Right, right stuff like that. But you know in in turn I think that she's gonna um you know she's gonna grow into a better leader. It's gonna come back to the the company she's gonna be more fulfilled in her job hopefully um and uh you know and so just trying to figure out stuff like that how how we can how I can give back um it's hard it's yeah you know to to find um yeah I would love to help mentor somebody I feel like I have a lot to to give to help somebody um or like women in general entering construction.
SPEAKER_01Yes absolutely it's interesting what I think about the about just continuing education in general and um I I and in this rising generation I there is I think a little bit of a a pushback especially if they've if they've recently graduated from something they're kind of like done with it for a while. But and I don't know whether this is an age thing or I I'm not sure. Maybe it's a generational thing I'm not sure but for me learning something new is it's it's it it's really fun. Like it's now like a really fun thing for me to do like some to to and and you know yeah it's a little hard like it's hard sometimes to get back in the groove of that and that but it's um but it's exhilarating and it's it there it's it feels different I think maybe at this age than it did when I was when I had just graduated college and I was so over it or whatever I suppose.
SPEAKER_00I agree. I agree I think I don't know um finding new and exciting things as you get older I think just gets like harder I don't know or maybe you're um it's yeah I don't know.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Well interesting to be continued on the uh yeah on the mentoring front um so let's let's talk about legacy this is something that I have talked about a lot because obviously being part of family business it you now have a company so your dad started it right he started to okay um so you're yeah so it's officially a legacy now like you're so how when you think like into the future and your children are still youthful enough that there's plenty of room for all this but do you consider that and you think about stewarding this company as a legacy and and how you might continue it forward because of what it does for the community and what it you know definitely yeah yeah yeah I um yeah I want it something that like you know I want to continue to make my dad proud right like that's and you want to build something that your kids can be um like proud of and I you know I'm obviously not gonna force it on them right but um but yeah who wouldn't want to I mean it's an awesome it's an awesome thing that you know to look around and see I mean I know it's the old uh um like my husband hates it when I go by and we built that and we built that and you know that's the classic thing that contractors do.
SPEAKER_00We built that right even if you but it is kind of neat to look around and see the the projects that you were a part of even if it was just a small part and then you know and of course when I was a kid I was like rolling my eyes um just like my kids probably do now but I know that if they you know become interested when they're older they'll feel the same the same way you know they'll be hopefully we can build something that they'll be proud of you know and maintain that I feel like K2 has a pretty good reputation and and um you know just maintaining that so that they have something that they can they can be proud of. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I I truly don't know the answer to this but do you think that it is harder to build something from scratch or to maintain a legacy? Oh again I don't know the answer to that because I because I've not built anything from scratch.
SPEAKER_00It's all been legacy for me. So I think both are hard, right? And it and it just is so dependent on the situation I think and I think it was definitely harder to build something from scratch where K2 is concerned. I'm sure it was harder um more risk I feel like my dad really set me up right my parents set me up for success and so um boy if I failed I'm really bad. But you know what I mean like whereas he was taking the risk he was um you know putting everything on the line he was responsible for every decision um he did not have the support that I did so in in our case it was definitely harder to build from scratch whereas you know we um we were really doing well right like we had he passed on a great company we were you know no lawsuits we had a pipeline of work um You know, we're making the money that we expected to make on the jobs and trying to keep clients happy. So um I feel like I got it pretty easy. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I I do it's interesting with the legacy factor because the the the shape of how family members are involved changes as you grow and as and as the number of family members, because obviously, generally speaking, you tend to you're having more children, and so that you're you're increasing the number of people who might be involved as family members. And uh and so I I I have said to my daughter, because I right now it doesn't sound like she is necessarily going to be going into this business, although I don't think she has any idea yet. Um, but but we kind of talk about the the fact that she probably will own part of it. Like if nothing else, she might own some of the properties or you know, there might be. And so there's an element of of that that I think about as far as uh the extending family, and as our children have children and they're there's and what it might look like, you know, yeah, that's hard to imagine, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Um you know, when I was lucky because my sister Heather had her own, you know, she actually bought her boss, and so she had her own business, and you know, she had worked there for since school. And so she had also helped work to make that a successful company. And I've been there, you know, I feel like I'm partly responsible for the success that her company had. And so I think that's um, you know, my dad saw that too. I mean, he felt that way, you know. I've worked, I worked really hard. I um it was definitely not just like given to me, right? Like I had always been doing a substantial, probably more work than, you know, I put in more hours than everybody else. I was very, very um aware of how I was perceived. And so I made sure to be perceived as a hard, hard worker. Yes. I did the same thing. I did the same thing. I probably worked way harder than necessary, but I Right like because you just don't want to see be seen as the the, you know, somebody that was just given something for nothing. Right. Right.
SPEAKER_01Um I mean you're still they still think that.
SPEAKER_00They certainly still think that. But um, you know, so like it wasn't hard for him. Like she did not get any part of the business because um, I mean, if you like I had been there for 23 years and um dedicated my life to it pretty much, right? And so um helped get it to where it was. And so um that's yeah. I'm sure that she is probably very proud of it as well.
SPEAKER_01And she's probably very proud of you.
SPEAKER_00Are you older or is she older? She's older. Okay, yeah. No, and and yeah, she was great. She was so supportive, and um, you know, and my parents support, like have supported both of us in these transitions, right? Like, not just um but both monetarily and you know, just as parents. Yeah, yeah.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01Every time that I talk with you, we have more and more in common because I'm also the little sister. And so are you? Yes, yes. I might it might happens to be your brother, but I but yes, I I am also a bit uh interesting.
SPEAKER_00And we have a really good, I mean, we have a great relationship. We're not like you know, it's not like clying over the estate. Yeah, yeah. That's good. Right. Um so that was an easy part. That was not a difficult part for us, which I'm lucky because I know it could be very different. Yeah. Had there been more kids or more people involved. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01So all right. So do you uh do you find yourself doing something or or thinking about something in a way that reminds you of your dad? Where you're like, oh, this is this came from my dad, or this is something my dad would have done.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, for all the time.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I think the older you get, like the more I mean, do you have like I talk to myself in the car and do these hand gestures that I used to make fun of my dad. And my husband started noticing it and making fun of me. But um, and I cannot believe it because I would just roll my eyes, right? When he, you know, but that's you spend so much driving. You know, right now I'm spending a lot of time driving my kids around. So um, in the car I'm thinking through conversations that I'm gonna have. And he used to do that same thing, think just thinking about work problems and having these conversations with people. And, you know, I think it's in my head. And before you know it, I'm speaking out loud. And yeah. Oh man. Um, that's awesome. But I don't know.
SPEAKER_01Do you do anything like that? Like I do, yes, I do. And and sometimes I'm like, oh I don't want to, you know, and other times I'm like, oh yeah, that's that came directly from my dad or my mom, either one, you know, it just yeah. Um, and I when I was younger, I think it made me I really tried to avoid all of like you don't want to be like your parents. And then now as I'm older, I'm like, there are worse things than being like my parents, they're pretty great people, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um, okay, so can we shift to the fact that you are a woman in a male-dominated career? Sure. So is this just is are I is it are you in the point now where it you don't even notice it anymore, or is it still something that that you are pretty regularly aware of the fact that you are a female and a male dominated?
SPEAKER_00Um, you know, I notice it more now than I used to, I think. Like, um, and it is, I think it's because I've focused on it, I guess. I was trying to um figure out new ways of uh generating revenue, right? And so I looked into things where um I got my woman-owned business certification. And so um going through that process and just like it made me think about it more, I guess. Um and I maybe had some, like before, I I feel like, and maybe it was because I was the daughter, or maybe it was because I, but I felt like people treated me better because I was a woman in the industry, as far as like subcontractors, superintendents, they were more respectful in like how they address me in their language, I would say the majority of the time. Um, and then I didn't really notice it as I started meeting with like clients. As long as you like knew I found, you know, people, as long as you knew what you were talking about, right? Like as we're sitting down planning projects or talking about their project, as long as you knew what you were talking about, there was no difference. It was, it didn't matter if you were a man or a woman, right? Like in fact, um I felt like a lot of I hate to say it, but a lot of other guys that I have like come across in the industry will just um like in the project, let's use a project manager, for example, would they were better at like pretending to know what they were talking about when they really didn't know what they were talking about. And so um, and I found that women don't do that. Hmm. Yeah. You're right. Like in in the project management role, anyway. Like you did not find women pretending like they knew what they were talking about when they didn't. They had that overconfidence and that yes, yeah. And so um as I get older and more experienced, I notice it more, I guess. And I can think back on getting that because um looking at um the certification, one of the questions, whether you're just a woman-owned business or a disadvantaged woman-owned business, is you have to come up with specific examples of how you were disadvantaged. And so I was trying to think, and I'm like, you know what? I don't think I could not think of anything, I couldn't come up with any specific examples. So I thought that was uh pretty interesting. But um, you know, in getting that certificate and competing for federal contracts that maybe have that set aside, uh there's other women-owned businesses that aren't really women-owned businesses. They're not, you know, it's the it's the you go to the walkthrough and you can see the business who is there, right? Right. And you know they're the owner and they're operating it because you're supposed to be the main operator as well, right? And and be the controlling party, where most of the time they're just like on the on the books as a interesting. Um anyway, so that's a whole whole different thing. But I feel like um because I was the daughter, because I was um, I don't know, women, I feel like I got treated better because I knew what I was talking about. Um, I was still given the same opportunities, right, as um other qualified people.
SPEAKER_01So interesting. So when you become a a certified women-owned business, what are there, what are the advantages of that?
SPEAKER_00What um for construction, it is they have certain federal contracts that have a set aside for that designation, but it's typically a um a small business or veteran-owned or um uh disadvantaged or woman-owned small business. So usually it's like it could be any of those categories. So it's still it's meant to, you know, um, but what I found is the projects aren't that great. Like they're not ones that I would really like to pursue. Right. They're just um like really small or like really hard and not a lot of potential to make money. Um and the competition is just as steep because when you have women-owned, veteran-owned, um all small business, if it's open to all of that, there's actually quite a few um in the area. So okay, that that makes sense. So I found it's not that great of a advantage, it's not really an advantage, but good to know.
SPEAKER_01Uh so just kind of wrapping up the the female end of things, is there any advice that you would give a young woman who was interested in in entering your career of choice here that if is there advice you would give that person?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I would um I would say that you know, I don't want them to make the same mistakes I did. Like um just don't see themselves as less as the male counterpart in the room. Like they're just as qualified, if not more. And I feel like as women growing up, trying to be um women are more like empathetic, they're more um detail-oriented, I'm gonna say, most of the time. Um, and all of these traits that like women tend to bring with them, um, you know, seeing what everybody else needs, trying to, you know, foresee all the issues that are gonna happen and plan for that. Those are all things that make them great as leaders, as like project managers in construction. Um, and so don't sell themselves short, you know, um, be confident. Try to be as confident as you can. Yeah. Um I I heard this great saying, I went to this conference and it was like, start before you're ready. Um, you know, and I I just always felt like I wasn't ready for this, I wasn't qualified enough, I wasn't good enough, you know, and um and you just need to do it, right? Like even if you feel that way, just do it anyway. What's the worst that can happen, right? You're gonna you're gonna learn. You're gonna learn. Yeah. And chances are you're you're better than the than the other person in the room. So or yeah.
SPEAKER_01Well, and and for young people who are listening saying, you know, maybe that that's easy for you guys to say because you don't have to do it anymore, you're wrong. I still am doing things that I'm not ready for. I'm still pushing myself into situations or sometimes I don't have a choice. I guess I'm doing this now, you know, and like, okay, well, I guess I'll figure it out. Um, who can I call to give me advice on this? And who, you know, but this business of being ready. Like I now I look back, and half the times that I thought I was ready, I wasn't ready anyway. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And it, you know, you're gonna be it's gonna be uncomfortable. Like right? Get comfortable being uncomfortable. That's just how it is.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. And then the more you do, the more, the more successes you have, the more confidence you gain, and the more you're willing to say, I'll I'll give this a go. And and if I fail, I fail, you know. And yeah, most of the time you don't. Right, right. So that's always good. Like, let's shift gears. I of all of this, and you do have a very interesting career, you have an interesting life. I happen to know that you are probably first and foremost, above all of the rest of this, a mom and a wife. So will you talk to us a little bit about that? Will you um share what because you are doing, you're you are doing the the big juggle. Um, what is that like? What do you do have is it is it difficult for you to shift from running a company to helping to run the family family?
SPEAKER_00Oh, for sure. Um I feel like uh being mom, right, makes you a better, more empathetic boss, makes you better at solving problems, all those things. Like moms just, you know, have their stuff figured out. They have a lot of practice dealing with things. And so um I think being a mom has helped me in my business and helped me um be more understanding with people. Um and being a business owner probably hasn't made me a better mom. Right. Um it just takes a push-pull, right? Yeah, it takes time away from the kids. But um, you know, I'm hoping that they will see the hard work and and that will transfer into them, you know, being more successful themselves, I guess. I hope I hope that they're I hope that they um I'm a good role model for them. You know, I'm sacrificing time with them, but I hope that it gives them an advantage in some other way, right? Yeah. And so um, but as you know, it's it's a it's always a struggle. The guilt, the mom guilt is real. Oh, yeah, for sure. But um I think all three of my kids are um, you know, they work hard at at what they love. And so um I hope that I played some part in that, right? And and um poor my poor husband, he kind of is gets the short end of the stick because it's family first and then and then the jobs, and then the I I feel like the husband comes last, but but it's only for a brief period, right? Right. And it is very brief. It doesn't feel like in the moment, but and just appreciating that um, you know, he's willing to he's willing to, you know, do this juggling act with me and that I have his support and that he has mine, right? Um so just yeah, I I just feel like it's always a struggle, right? And we all just do the best we can to be successful at everything and and you're gonna have some failures, but in the end, um like the kids are gonna be fine.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Well, I just uh being around your family the couple of times that I have, you you do seem to have a very balanced family. They like everybody kind of nobody's being left out. Like this is and uh and you and you and Willie have a a very good partnership. Like it you can see it just being around the two of you. Um you're very balanced, you seem to be very respectful of one another. And your kids are watching that, you know. They're oh, I'm so glad that you say that. Well, I mean, none of us are perfect. I'm not quite, you know, but but I I think you really do have something there. I think you do have a you've been married for quite a while, yeah? Uh thirteen, thirteen years. Yeah. And so, and and three kids, and well, you are in the thick of it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's a it's a it's fun. You are juggling a lot, right? Right. Like, thank God for Willie. He's he's the funniest person I've ever met. So he keeps things fun, and um, yeah, I think I keep things together.
SPEAKER_01I mean, this is how we do it, right? This is how we do it. Um, so are you if as you think about your life, is there any part of it that you are most proud of?
SPEAKER_00Oh man, I yeah, I'm most proud of my kids, obviously, and my my family. Uh, you know, I think um, you know, having kids changes you and just they're so awesome, like all the things that they um, you know, like my daughter, she's an amazing gymnast. She plays the cello, she can speak Spanish, and she's only 12. Like we did that, right? Um, or she did that, but we pushed her to do that. And and just um my boys are, you know, they're turning into little um athletes, which is awesome. That we can support them in that, and um, you know, and just seeing them, how they treat other people, how they treat their friends. Um, you know, that's what I'm most proud of, is just they're turning out to be really awesome, well-rounded, great little kids. And it's just so fun to watch them, right?
SPEAKER_01Like it really is. I being a mom, I I can't believe that I actually thought about whether I wanted to be a mom or not. Right. Like actually thought like, do I really want to do that? And I look back, I'm like, what in the world? Like you were always meant to be a mom. Like that was that was part of the plan.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you cannot imagine life without him once you have to be a good idea.
SPEAKER_01No, no, no, life without him. Yeah, it's a it's amazing. And now I the my has flown the coop here. And so I'm I'm reenvisioning life now and and all that fun stuff, which is its own, you know, it's it's it's not as bad as I thought it was gonna be. It's actually okay. And and I think the best part is just watching her spread her wings and fly. It's pretty, it's pretty amazing. Pretty awesome. Yeah, absolutely. Okay, so final question. What is something that you wish more people knew? And it can be either about motherhood or it could be about trying to run a business that was previously your father's. It could be, is there anything about your life right now that you wish more people knew?
SPEAKER_00Oh, um, you know, I don't have everything together all the time, right? Like, um I think some people just assume that uh you've got all together, that it's easy, that everything was handed to you, that you know, it wasn't a struggle. And I think it's like it's still a struggle, like every day, right? Like um nobody is nobody has all their stuff together all the time. And so it's like, you know, it's okay to um not be perfect, to not um, you know, yeah, have everything together and do it all, do it all perfect. You know, it's okay to let the kids down once in a while, or um, you know what, not show up to work. Uh-huh. Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, my kind of thing right now is just keep showing up, right? Like it's not gonna go perfect, but just keep showing up. Yeah. You know, and uh that's the best you can do.
SPEAKER_01That's a that's a wonderful message for really everybody, but in particular, I think youth who are spending a lot of time on social media and a lot of comparing and a lot of I'm not good enough. And I I could come back to this a lot about the fact that you the messy parts is life. Yeah. And the more the messy stuff is revealed about you, the more people are endeared to you, and more people appreciate you and because they see it in themselves and they don't have to pretend. And it allows all of us to lower our shoulders and be just walk in our own shoes and be okay, knowing that other people are not perfect either. So yeah, that's a great message. Well, thank you for coming on the show today. Thank you for sharing this story. Sure, thank you for having me. Oh, of course. It's been so fun. Thanks for being my friend. I feel I feel so cool being friends with you. So woman's power, it's awesome. Anyway, thank you. And and uh yeah, I look forward to meeting up again soon.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I love um it's been fun talking to you, and I often think about you know the whole um our kind of parallel tracks a little bit with the transition. So thank you for having me. It's been really fun.
SPEAKER_01You're welcome. Hey, thanks for watching. If you or someone you know has a story to share, we'd love to hear from you. Reach out, share your story, and you could be featured on an upcoming episode. And remember, once your story gets shared, it will no longer be one that nobody knows.