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Defeating The Odds With Jacqueline Pruitt · Speak In Flow

0:02
Melinda Lee: Hello everyone, so glad you're here for the
0:06
Speaking In Flow podcast. I have an amazing, amazing viewer
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today, Jacqueline Pruitt's, she is special, she has risen from
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the top from some very difficult situations environment. She is
0:20
the founder of Marbella Steel Placers, which has started in
0:25
2016. And Marbella Steel Placers is is rebar placement. So she
0:30
has worked in an environment where it's met. And that's the
0:34
reason why I'm I have her here on the podcast today, because
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she's got some interesting journeys. It was not easy
0:43
working in all men male dominated environment,
0:47
installing iron as an iron worker, so she had to prove
0:51
herself but I want to have her share her story. And before we
0:56
go into that Mabella Steel Placers that name? Where did you
1:00
get that?
1:03
jacqueline Pruitt: That is my mother's name, Marbella. She
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passed away in 2009. When I was just, I think it was about a
1:11
second period apprentice had just been in less than a year.
1:16
And I, after starting the company, I was, you know,
1:20
thinking of names and you know, I went to sleep one night woke
1:24
up Marbella. Still plaisirs. She's my my angel, she was my
1:28
number one fan and she cheered me on you know, the the work.
1:33
The work in the industry is hard. So yeah, somebody to feed
1:38
me and wash my clothes. And she was there for me for those first
1:41
couple of months. Me getting there.
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Melinda Lee: Does she ever get concerned? She was like, Are you
1:45
sure you want to do that with all the men out there? Does she
1:47
ever say anything like that?
1:48
jacqueline Pruitt: No, she raised me she knew I was I was
1:51
always out playing with the boys come on all boys basketball team
1:56
and got it. You know, my bail all my best friends were boys. I
2:00
escaped. So she Yeah, she knew I was in my, my, in my natural
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environment.
2:07
Melinda Lee: And so what made you decide to go into this to
2:10
iron work?
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jacqueline Pruitt: Well, I had a friend that was a carpenter and
2:14
I was supposed to be a carpenter. But this friend sent
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me over to a pre apprenticeship school, and I had learned
2:21
different trades and a guy there. He was like my uncle's
2:25
ironworker, I want to do that. I was like iron worker, they
2:28
showed us how to tie on a piece of bar and I just fell in love.
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So that pre apprenticeship show me and told me how to get into
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the Union. But I had to call call a list of contractors now
2:42
call for like three months, some people hung up on me. Some
2:45
people even told me that women don't belong in this trade. And
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there was a guy fortunate enough ran across a guy that wanted to
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pitch everybody in the in the industry off and got me in.
2:56
Okay. Oh, really? Because he because he said, I'm gonna show
3:00
that she can do this. Yeah. Yeah. So he got you in? Yeah, he
3:05
got me. And he actually told me that he's going to help me. He
3:09
said, Are you would you be interested in starting your own
3:11
company? I was like, yes. You know, I've always had the
3:14
entrepreneurial spirit. So he said, he'll help me out once
3:18
that journey out to start my own company. And then when it came
3:22
that time, and I told him, I'm ready to start my own company,
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he was like, why would I help you? You'd be my competition.
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And when he I mean, he's always provided me with opportunities.
3:32
He made me a general foreman, he, he wanted me he told me, I
3:36
want you to be the vice, my vice CEO. I have a company and he
3:42
he's wanting to start a start up another company in Las Vegas.
3:48
And he's like, I want you to go out there and run that company.
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For me. I'm like, guy, I'm starting my own company. What do
3:54
you what are you talking about your power?
3:56
Melinda Lee: He knew your strength. He did. But be on your
4:00
side.
4:00
jacqueline Pruitt: Yeah. And, I mean, we're, we're good for the
4:04
fact that he gave he provided me with many opportunities. You
4:08
know, I don't think he may have thought that I could do it. You
4:12
know, once he saw I was doing it. He knew, you know, I was
4:15
coming, you know, not that, you know, I'm gonna be like super
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competition competitive against him. But you know, the industry
4:24
is what it is. But bless his heart. He's passed away since.
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Melinda Lee: Oh, I see.
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jacqueline Pruitt: Yeah, he's a he's a real good, real good man.
4:32
Melinda Lee: Yeah, I want to share with the audience really,
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this is just a snapshot of where and how far you've come. So
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Jacqueline in 2016, she she bid for our first contract and the
4:46
value of that was $3,700. So this is our first contract. And
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then so she bid on it and she won it, her very first contract
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$3,700 She's just out there. She did it and now over the years
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between 2016 to 2019 2023 2019 2023. Her the contract sizes
5:12
that she's bidding on now $11 million $11 million. And she
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brings in her company brings in a revenue of 9 million. I said a
5:24
million year, 7 million. Yeah, 7 million a year. So just within
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that short timeframe, you have grown tremendously and proven
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yourself. So I want to know, any of these years, what are some
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like your, like, 1 specific challenge? Being in the field?
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What was that like as a woman? Do you? Do you have a specific
5:46
story? Or is it a lot? Yeah. What do you what is one that is
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just like me, I remember that. And that was not fun.
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jacqueline Pruitt: Um, well, they tried to make me Molly
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made, you know, they the guys didn't know what to do with me.
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So I was cleaning up stuff handing stuff by hand and waters
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out and, ya know, I told I told him, I'm not here for this, I
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would have been a labourer.
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Melinda Lee: Right. And I came. Did that. Did you stop it right
6:16
away? Or you're doing it? You didn't do it at all?
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jacqueline Pruitt: No. And I and you know, now being being a
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contractor, I see the importance of having women on the jobs, I
6:26
was what they would call checkerboarding. So I would go
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to they would send me to a job just to fulfil the women, the
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women number one way minority and disadvantaged. Right, right.
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Right worker. So, you know, I found myself going around to
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many different jobs. And a lot of the jobs that I went to, they
6:43
had crews, they had regular crews, I was never a part of a
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regular crew. You know, I'd be the, probably the last one that
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come in the first one to go.
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Melinda Lee: Yeah.
6:54
But what was that? What did that feel like? For you?
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jacqueline Pruitt: It was very irritating. It was very
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irritating. And then, you know, once I came across the guys that
7:04
actually wanted to teach me something and keep me on their
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crew, it was a good deal. Because, you know, after two
7:10
years of you haven't me clean up, and I'm still around, and
7:13
I'm, I'm jumping in jumping on the bars, carrying the bars with
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the guys every chance that I can get and running, you know, you
7:20
know, somebody, some guy saw that spirit that I was capable
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of performing the duties that every other person there would
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do you know, and then well,
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Melinda Lee: you had to actually like, do more like you're doing
7:33
the cleaning and all that. And then you had to actually do what
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they were doing.
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jacqueline Pruitt: And oh, yeah. And I had to be smart. You know,
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I stood out like a sore thumb, you know, a green hat and a red
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crowd.
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Melinda Lee: So they make fun of you. Did they say things?
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jacqueline Pruitt: No, it actually turned around for for
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me when I was out doing the guys and they will use me to tell the
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guys look, if she beats you, you're going home, you know, and
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there's been a couple of there's a couple of others actually a
8:03
guy that's actually working for me now. He was we were same
8:06
period apprentices. We did the same amount of work. He didn't
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come back the next day. So the day that he did come back after
8:14
he was you know, he did his cow gone or whatnot. He came back
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they were talking crap. So it the tables turn. Yeah, once once
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I was provided the opportunity to perform, and I performed
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well, it was like, Oh, she's really? She's really serious
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about this.
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Melinda Lee: Yeah. Was there a moment where you weren't sure.
8:33
Can I do this or?
8:35
jacqueline Pruitt: No, I, I? Well, physically, I was like,
8:43
you know, maybe I shouldn't be doing this. Yeah. But like I
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said, I'm always up for a challenge. And I just, I just
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put one foot in front of the other, you know, every day is a
8:54
new day. And I'm not going to quit, especially after I got
8:58
halfway through the apprenticeship. It's like, okay,
9:00
I'm making pretty good money, you know? And the days go by
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quick, you know, and as as people got to know me, it
9:09
started getting easier and started getting better, you
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know, right, right.
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Melinda Lee: Right. So what would you give? What would you
9:15
let people know, in the time where they're not certain right?
9:18
Hey, should I be doing this? What advice would you give,
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especially if they're primarily in a male dominated role, like
9:27
there's a male everywhere and there are female. any advice you
9:32
jacqueline Pruitt: Well, there's every every industry they have
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can give?
9:35
their their grunt work, you know, and I just had to make it
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Melinda Lee: Mm hmm, right, right. Right, right.
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through the grunt work part. So I kept I kept my, my eyes on the
9:46
prize. I picked up and paid attention as much as I can,
9:51
because what you want to do is work smarter, not harder. And
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you also want to work from the neck up, but you have to work
10:01
from the neck down until you can prove yourself. Um, so keep your
10:07
eyes on the prize. Never give up, you know, I believe that
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everybody is is capable of reaching their goals. If you
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know, it just takes consistency and persistence, the, you know,
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dreams demand hustle. So you have to, you have to put the
10:27
footwork in. And just you know, so the more the more that you
10:32
put yourself in the position to get to your goals that you will
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jacqueline Pruitt: I've acquired a lot of mail. Right? You know,
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these are guys who have daughters. Right? Right. You
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meet people along the way that will help you.
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know, and, you know, once you once you get enough people on
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your side, you know, you're you're, you have a bunch of
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other people that are helping helping you grow that boat to
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get you to reach your goals. You know, the thing, the physical
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thing about it, I got in when I was at 20, I was 29 years old.
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And so physically, you know, for women, and we are built
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differently, physically for women, you know, I had said,
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Okay, I can't be doing this for 10 years. So I have to come up
11:14
with a plan. Because I noticed that the foreman, the
11:17
superintendent, they're not doing the physical work. So let
11:20
me let me do whatever I need to do to get here as quick as
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possible. So by the time before I even journeyed out, I was I
11:27
was running work. So it was, it was less physically demanding on
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my body. So I made it past that stretch, you know, so, you know,
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just keep your eyes on the prize. And, and keep staring
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forward.
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Melinda Lee: Hmm. So you had a plan? I mean, you knew you had
11:44
to do something until because the physical part of it was
11:47
real. Yeah, it's real. So So you knew. So that actually propelled
11:52
you to to work smarter, and have a plan? And then, and then keep
11:59
the eye on the prize? In your mind? What were you thinking it
12:01
was a prize,
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jacqueline Pruitt: the prize is half my own company. And I
12:08
thought that I would get my own company, I would go into a job,
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and I would get paid five times as much as what I make on, you
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know, working for someone else. Uh huh. Um, and I did the
12:21
contractor's licence test, I did a little research on how to be
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and I put together a little proposal, I bet on that job, I
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got the $3700. I went to Bill, and they told me that I won't
12:32
get paid for 45 days. So I had payroll to make the next week.
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And so, yeah, it was not it was not what I thought it would be.
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But, I mean, that ultimately, was was the goal to do that. But
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things have changed, because that's not how contracting goes.
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So you know, going from the $3,700, and having to cover the
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payroll for that to where I'm at now. I, I'm beyond my goal.
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Like, it's completely, you know, I was headed this way. And they
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were like, Okay, you can go this way. But look, you have to do
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this, you have to do this, you have to do this. And I had no, I
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had no clue. I had no clue that the company would grow the way
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that it has. And, and, and I would be where I'm at today.
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Melinda Lee: So yeah. And how have you used? And how have you
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been able to use your voice to say what it is that you want? Or
13:35
don't want, in that environment as you're growing? Scaling?
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jacqueline Pruitt: Um, how was I able to use my, my voice, I'm, I
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come from pretty much the financial part of growing my
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company is, is work that I've done with my tool belt, money
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that I've saved, and just negotiating, you know, going to
14:03
the contractor and saying, hey, I'll be I can do this for you.
14:06
But I'm going to need this. And I'm going to need it quick. You
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know, it's 45 days, that's a very long time. You know, but I
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have the certifications. I'm capable, I have the manpower,
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you know, so it's just a matter of finding those people once
14:21
again, who are going to assist or help you with, with
14:28
opportunities. Which
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Melinda Lee: are there times where you weren't sure, like,
14:33
the person that you're, you're saying what you want and you
14:36
weren't sure if I was going to work every time
14:39
jacqueline Pruitt: every time I've been on the job, ya know?
14:42
Every time I've been on a job, okay, especially with a new
14:45
contractor, new contractors, this is a new relationship. It's
14:49
like going to the going to a new job. As an apprentice. You don't
14:54
know who your boss is going to be, you know, know the guys
14:56
you're going to be working with and how they operate. So you
14:59
know, A lot of that plays plays a major part in how easy or
15:06
difficult it's going to be, you know, there's difficult general
15:09
contractors to work with, you know, they're not willing to
15:13
assist. They feel Yeah, hey, you're in this arena, you got to
15:17
you got to play ball with the with the, with the best of them,
15:21
which is fine, we're capable of doing that, you know. But at the
15:25
same time, you know, I think there's a reason why there's not
15:28
as many small women owned successful businesses. Because,
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you know, there's so many, there's so many laws and ways of
15:38
doing contracting that, you know, you can't learn this stuff
15:41
in school. You know, you have to, you have to have mentors and
15:46
allies and whatnot. So. So yes,
15:49
Melinda Lee: so you give it up to your allies and mentors to
15:51
support you on this when you feel like people are coming at
15:54
you. And they're saying, Hey, you got to play ball?
15:57
jacqueline Pruitt: Yes. And putting this almost like a
15:59
judgement? Oh, yes. Oh, yeah. There's, I still experienced
16:05
that there's, I was at a project, went to a project, to
16:10
visit the job and see how my guys we're doing? And you know,
16:13
I have people coming up to me, like, what are you doing here?
16:16
Melinda Lee: Right.
16:17
jacqueline Pruitt: And then my operations manager will come
16:19
that she's the owner of the company, and then you know,
16:21
their whole attitude? turns completely around. Oh, can I get
16:26
you some was like, yeah, still barbarians? In the sense. Yeah.
16:38
You know,
16:40
Melinda Lee: you're around. So how do you what do you do to do
16:43
like, what do you are there things that you do when you
16:46
know, you're about to go into negotiations or something? And
16:49
you might be dealing with a caveman? Like, or cave woman or
16:53
cave person? Are there things that how do you support
16:57
yourself? Or what are some tips, or tips or techniques so that
17:01
you can navigate it? Effectively?
17:03
jacqueline Pruitt: I do a little research on who it is I'm
17:07
meeting with. And yeah, if it's a man, I will see my operations
17:11
manager playing this. You know, it's, it's, you know, if I'm
17:15
dealing with a company that I know, is woman friendly, small
17:19
business friendly, then, you know, I'll go go to bat myself.
17:24
Melinda Lee: But like you said, it's about the allies, you're
17:26
you're finding your allies, and you have you don't know who they
17:29
are, you don't know if you're gonna be your ally or not.
17:31
jacqueline Pruitt: Yeah, you don't, you never know until
17:34
actually, you know, and I'm gaining more, you know, they
17:37
come with, with the, pre what preconceived notions are, what
17:43
not, we're black woman. I don't know anything about rebar. And
17:48
then after we perform, you know, now they're now they're throwing
17:52
us shops. So yeah, it's, he's just have to get over that
17:55
barrier, that, you know, everybody has their, their What
18:00
do you got prejudices and thoughts of just by looking at
18:04
someone, you know, people, oh, that person's that way. But once
18:07
you know, you, you surpass that, once you get past that, then,
18:12
you know, it's a different story. And that's been the story
18:15
thus far, you know, I'm gonna get annoyed, you must get so
18:19
frustrated, or how does that impact you? Yeah, well, not
18:23
really, um, I think that if one door is closed, there's others
18:29
that are open. And I just, you know, I don't spend too much
18:33
time trying to change anybody's mind or thoughts about me, you
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know, I rather spend time finding those who, who are
18:40
willing to work with me, you know, I don't want to waste any
18:44
time on on trying to change anybody's perceptions or
18:49
whatnot. I rather allow my work to do the, to do the talking,
18:54
you know, so when I get in with with these major contractors,
18:59
and, you know, I get on an on a,
19:02
on a podium, and you know, I have a major contractor saying
19:06
that I'm a good to work with other contractors hear about
19:09
that, then, you know, that kind of softens, you know, softens
19:13
the, the need to have to do anything or say anything, just
19:17
allow, allow the work to do and talking, you know, right.
19:21
Melinda Lee: Right. Right. And so, like, you're so solid and
19:23
that this is our we got this, like you so then even if they
19:27
have those thoughts, you're not gonna fight it like yeah, you
19:31
know, your work speaks for itself, right?
19:33
jacqueline Pruitt: Yes. Right. And you know, it once again,
19:36
going back to my apprenticeship, which is I got a lot of
19:36
Melinda Lee: Mm hmm. And let the work speak for itself.
19:40
experience. And, you know, first of all, it was a culture shock
19:45
because prior to I was a drug and alcohol counsellor at a
19:49
woman and children's facility. So I went from women and
19:53
children to not women and children were children. Yeah, so
19:58
um, you I learned that you know, there's different personalities
20:03
and just different judgments, different things, and it's just
20:07
really on me what I choose to deal with what I choose to
20:12
harbour what I choose to fight what I choose to flow with, you
20:16
know, and that's pretty much what how I, how I live my life
20:21
as well. You know, I don't I don't deal with people who don't
20:25
want to deal with me or they, you know, don't like me for
20:30
certain reasons, there's no reason, you know, I'm not gonna
20:34
waste my time and energy putting into that, so I pretty much
20:39
am.... I'm pretty much like, I don't know, I just don't want to
20:44
just don't want to, you know, fight the feeling or anything.
20:48
So I stick I stick to those who, you know, want to stick with me?
20:59
jacqueline Pruitt: Let the work speak for itself. So
21:02
Melinda Lee: what what one piece of advice would you give to
21:06
someone that's feeling out of place, it may not, it could be a
21:09
woman that's in a male dominated industry, or it could be a gay
21:13
person and primarily heterosexual in place that you
21:17
just feel out of place. And, and may feel judged? What one piece
21:24
of advice would you give
21:25
jacqueline Pruitt: you are who you are, and you can't really
21:29
change that.
21:31
Only thing that you can do is be a better you always strive to be
21:34
a better me. I'm also constantly in environments where I am the
21:39
only have one of those. I'm the either the only female, I'm the
21:43
only African American, I'm the only gay person, it's like, the
21:48
almost, especially in construction, specifically in
21:51
construction.
21:53
But it's like,
21:56
you know, this guy, God, and has put me in these environments for
22:01
a reason.
22:01
Melinda Lee: Right? Right.
22:03
jacqueline Pruitt: You know, and you know, times are changing,
22:05
things are changing, the faces of companies are changing. We're
22:10
turning, we're turning a new corner, you know, you watch TV,
22:13
and there's, there's more more black sitcoms, there's more gay
22:19
sitcoms, you know, the the world is changing out of the caveman,
22:22
barbarian, mine mindsets. So, you know, just stick with your
22:28
guns, there's a reason why you're there. And then it either
22:31
is to open the door for others? Or is to show the people that
22:36
you're there that you know, whoever you are, is not who they
22:41
think you are.
22:42
Melinda Lee: yeah, I love that. You might be that person, you
22:46
might be that light to show them something different to show them
22:49
something you're humbly are like you said, you got it puts you in
22:52
these really difficult different situations, different
22:54
environments. And look at that you show them you are different.
22:59
jacqueline Pruitt: Right, right.
23:00
Melinda Lee: And so what about their voice? What is the what is
23:02
their feeling? Like? I can't say anything, I don't know if I
23:04
should say anything? What would you what advice would you give
23:07
to help unleash their leadership voice a leader within
23:12
jacqueline Pruitt: I, I'm very quiet myself. I don't really, I
23:19
don't really, I'm not like a hammer, go and just start a
23:23
whole conversation with somebody, I'm getting better at
23:27
that, you know, be it that I have to, I'm the face of the
23:29
company. But use your your your, you have a thing called a gut, I
23:37
have a gut, you have a spirit, you have a heart, and you know,
23:40
you should have some, maybe some sort of connection with a
23:44
different type of power that will guide you as to what to say
23:48
when to say it. You know, there's a lot of times that,
23:51
that I after something is done. I'm like, dang, I wish I have
23:54
would have said that. But at the end of the day, what was said me
23:58
is what needed to be said, you know, there's there's no
24:01
changing the past. So, you everybody has a voice, you know,
24:08
and it's it's kind of like your voice will be will be heard when
24:13
it's meant to be heard. You know, and, you know, come to
24:17
you, whatever comes to you will come to you. You know?
24:20
Melinda Lee: Yeah, yeah. Drop into your gut, drop into that
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higher self that higher power and trust that it was enough or
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it is enough.
24:29
jacqueline Pruitt: Right. You drop the mic.
24:31
Drop the mic drop.
24:34
Melinda Lee: Awesome. Oh, that was wonderful. Thank you so
24:37
much, Jacqueline for sharing some of these vulnerable
24:41
experiences that were difficult and allowing us to see how you
24:45
rose from the top and rose to success and continue to rise. I
24:50
wish you much blessing and continued success. It's an
24:54
honour getting to know you. Thank you so much and you shared
24:57
it.
24:58
jacqueline Pruitt: Thank you.
24:59
Melinda Lee: Awesome Take care.
25:00
jacqueline Pruitt: you too bye