Josh's Thoughts
Paige Wixson has a very clear personal brand; she describes herself as a “unicorn in a sea of donkeys”. From a young age, she learned that standing out is better than blending in, and hard work achieves respect, admiration, and loyalty.
In this episode of Leader to Leader, I had the chance to interview Paige about how she chose her career, how she entered the federal construction market, her communication style and why she is passionate about recruiting young grads. Over the years, she has learned to wear multiple hats and has positioned herself well for growth and leadership.
The construction industry is difficult regardless of gender. Paige continues to handle each hurdle with grace, patience, and a little bit of humor. It was important early on for her to identify mentors to aid her career progression. The value of a mentor is intangible. Leadership, communication, and active listening are skills that are not taught in traditional school but can be absorbed by the acquisition of a mentor.
One skill Paige has learned is the value of communicating differently with each group or person she interacts with, whether that be government clients, internal colleagues, superintendents and/or employees. This skill takes time to put into practice fully, however, by tailoring communication styles, Paige can relate to more groups and have more productive conversations.
When we start achieving our goals it is important to pay it forward by giving back and helping others along the way. Over the last few years, Paige has been a leader in college student recruitment for GBA Builder’s summer intern program. This program has a history of hiring past interns to become full-time employees. Her efforts start the careers of young professionals and shape them into who they will eventually become after graduation. Each summer she leads interns through the program. In fact, one intern joined us on the podcast to share his insights.
When asked what his advice was for new interns, second year intern, Cameron Gibson, gave the advice to “be like a sponge and soak up as much knowledge as possible.” He explains why he chose to intern at GBA Builders for a second year and how the experiences and knowledge that he has gained continue to shape his professional experience leading up to graduation.
Conclusion
At GBA Builders we are incredibly proud of the work we have accomplished and the team we have built. It is the leaders like Paige that make all of it possible. Learn more about Paige and what it takes to be a leader in this edition of Leader to Leader.