Investing In Your Professional Growth

If you don't have a leader that is invested in your growth, then you have to invest in yourself." - Nicole Humber, CEO 

We shared a clip of a conversation with Nicole Humber from The DYOJO Podcast Episode 110. we're going to talk to She is the CEO of Bravo Restoration based in Windsor, California. She shares her thoughts on skilled trades professionals reaching out to local schools, talking to students to encourage them as they pursue a career in the modern workplace. 

Contractors in Schools 

We discussed the importance of meeting with students to discuss the opportunities in the skilled trades with Kate Cinnamo of Explore The Trades. For Episode 110 she shared some excellent reasons for why busines owners and managers should make this investment. Kate also shared some great insights on how to be of value to local schools and educators. ​

 I just get involved in those, you know, reaching out asking if I can be a mentor, or like, Hey, do you need anything like, what can I give you to help?" - Nicole Humber 

Nicole Humber also shared her experiences as a contractor speaking to elementary, middle, and high school students. "So, I've been really involved in those schools coming back and either being a presenter and talking about our specific trade, or being a mentor for women, like women students that are interested, but not like, they only see male, so they think that's allowed. We have a couple of programs outside of schools that focus in on, you know, ages 16 to 24, or right after high school. And so I just get involved in those, you know, reaching out asking if I can be a mentor, or like, Hey, do you need anything like, what can I give you to help?"

Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling

Invest in yourself. Invest in reading leadership books. Even if you have to pay for your own classes, do that. Do your research. Become an expert in the industry where it makes it impossible for anyone to put the lid over you." - Nicole Humber 

​We asked Nicole for her words of encouragement for people that maybe are feeling frustrated with their career development. Because whether it's a young person or various genders, or races, you know, there's all kinds of barriers to you know, especially a very traditional old school thinking industry,

Nicole shared, "My biggest encouragement or advice would be just, you can only control what you can control; what you do. You can't control what other people say or do or, or, and so it's like, what you can control is what you experience. And so when people are in these establishments, that they're like, I can't quite break through this barrier. I feel like there's a a glass ceiling. I see it, but I can't get there. Invest in yourself. So invest in reading leadership books, invest in, you know, if you have to pay for your own IICRC classes do that. Do your research, become an expert in the industry where it makes it impossible for anyone to put the lid over you."​

The DYOJO echoes what Nicole saying. For anyone who hasn't experienced it, and we've had some badass ladies on our crews. It really is, there's no rhyme or reason it's not you're from this generation means that you're a hard worker, I've had people from older generations who have been lazier than young people. I've had young people kick butt and, you know, take in complex concepts quicker than others who've been doing it for a long period of time. 

Thriving in the skilled trades is really about finding the right people that are a culture fit for your organization. And if you look around, and the culture is pretty monolithic, it's a leadership issue. It's time to you yourself, need to get outside of your box, expand the parameters for finding new talent, and finding ways to make it open and inviting to not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it will exponentially grow and improve your company having more diverse influences.