Meet Cassie,
“I am project manager for my family’s home improvement company, Mione Family Remodeling. My grandfather was a highly educated carpenter and technical illustrator, he created the company in 1972. His son (my Father) also studied construction technology, he has been working for the company since 1992.
I graduated with an associate degree in Social Science in 2014, and then went to University to study Interior Design. In 2016 I left my “formal” education, when I realized I had been learning this trade my entire life and I didn’t need another lesson on color wheels. I strongly encourage women to study a trade. If I could go back in time, I would have studied basic general carpentry, HVAC, and electrical skills.
In the beginning of my career, being the owner’s daughter was a gift and a curse. The guys that I would work with (subs, vendors, etc.) were either super helpful or made me feel like an incompetent girl who only got her job because of “Daddy”.
I could not stand the ladder, I felt like I had to prove that I was good enough, which made me work that much harder. Don’t get me wrong, I know how lucky I am that our company is 48 years in the making. We have an incredibly established team, who absolutely supported me and taught me their tricks of the trade. Our employees are like family and truly one of the biggest reasons I’ve gotten as far as I have.
Communication and organization skills are key in design and remodeling management (skills that, I believe, women are inherently better at lol). I had to be confident in my ideas, not be afraid to ask “stupid” questions, and not take criticisms personally. No one has the same eye, everyone sees things from different perspectives. Be true to yourself, be honest, and be confident.
If you have the talent and the support, you can do anything. I’ve been a project manager for almost 4 years now and this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
I’d love to keep our company going for the next generation.”