E28 Mastering Her: Breaking Barriers in The Construction Industry

Misha Omar, the CEO of Tricor Panels, discusses her journey in the construction industry and the challenges and advantages of being a woman-owned business. She highlights the opportunities that come with being certified as a minority-owned business, such as working with contractors who prioritize diversity. However, she also acknowledges the limitations and requirements that come with the certification. Misha shares her personal story of starting in the beauty industry and transitioning to construction after a car accident. She emphasizes the importance of community involvement and giving back, particularly through events that promote design and construction skills to young girls. Misha talks about the challenges she has faced as a female CEO but credits her confidence and determination for her success. Welcome to Coach Novice Presents podcast, a part of the ECS network. This is the Masters of Leadership Teachable Moment Series. I'm your host, Laura Perez-Ehrhardt. I'm the CEO of Appliant Consulting Solutions and as the consultant and executive coach. Misha Omar is the CEO of Tricor Panels, and she's not just leading the family business. She's shaping the future of the construction industry. Misha's story is one of passion, dedication, and a commitment to building a brighter future, both for Tricor Panels and the industry as a whole. Hey, Misha, it's great to have you here today, and I'm so looking forward to our conversation. So let's just dive in. You're a woman of color, a millennial, and a badass CEO and leader in the construction industry. Thanks, Laura. Thanks for having me today. I'm really excited to be here. It's going to be an exciting conversation from one badass to another, so I'm looking forward to it. For sure. Where are you from originally, and how did you get to where you are today professionally? Talk about that. I grew up here in the Bay Area. First generation. Both my parents are originally from Iran. Came here to find a better way of life. My mom actually was accepted into the top university in Tehran, and my dad, prior to the revolution, decided he wanted to come to the States. So they both kind of came here. Fast forward about 40 years later, here I am. It's me and my sister. It's two of us in our little family. I'm the older one. And, yeah, I've been in the Bay Area pretty much my entire life, other than a little bit of studying abroad. But, yeah, it's just home for me. Sweet. We have a lot in common. Yeah. First generation. Lacking a background. But there's a lot of advantages of being a minority-owned business. You're a woman-owned business. You're minority-owned business as well, correct? Yes. Well, through women, because the Iranian technically doesn't qualify for minority, but a woman-owned business does qualify for that. So through the woman-owned, yes, we are considered a minority-owned business, too. What leverages has that given you, being a woman-owned business? Or has it? It's kind of a little bit of both. So I like to talk about the good things and some of the caps that also come with it. In the construction industry, there's a lot of opportunity being a certified woman-owned business because a lot of the contracts that are established have a certain, like, prerequisite of working with a certain percentage of, like, woman-owned business, minority, veteran-owned, LGBTQ. So it gives you kind of an opportunity to kind of work with contractors that you may have not worked with before. So we're seeing that a little bit now with the certification. It kind of has a cap on it as well because there's certain requirements that you need to have to be qualified as a, you know, small minority disadvantaged woman-owned business. And once you hit, like, a certain net worth, you don't really qualify for it anymore. So, yes, I think in the beginning when, like, you're starting and kind of developing and growing the business, I've seen a lot of opportunity. But I'm actually working behind the scenes with WCOE, Women's Construction Owners and Executives Organization, to kind of bring awareness to, like, these limitations that they also come with. It's kind of like a yes and no. I want to state this statistic. It's interesting. It's just 1% of construction CEOs, which are women, and they make up 14% of the construction workforce in the U.S. and 1% of chief executives in the field. As CNBC puts it, you're one of them. Yes. And I love this because I got this information, full transparency from your CNBC article that was published earlier this year. Congratulations. That is huge. Thank you. Yeah, absolutely. But let's talk about the male-dominated industry and how you started your journey in construction. So, I actually came from a career in industry that has nothing to do with construction. I started off in the beauty world. I was in high school, and I was doing a lot of makeup for my friends and just doing hair, and I am someone that really sees opportunities. So, I said, okay, let me go to cosmetology school and get my license and then go to school for business because I can work in the salon, make some income, and, you know, still be going to school. A couple years into it, I got my license. I was working at a salon. I had a pretty bad car accident in 2014. That kind of just changed everything for me. I was actually in a few, three car accidents in, like, three months, and none were my fault, but I think it was, like, the universe just, in a way, saying, like, let's change it up because of that, the car accident, I just physically wasn't able to, like, work on my feet and, like, just labor-intensive work at those times. And funny enough, my parents had just started this construction company, and they were about two years into it. And I love my parents so have taught us, like, the value of, like, discipline and putting in the work. So, remember my dad was like, oh, I mean, I'm not just going to give you money, but if you want to work for it, like, I can, you know, give you some money because I've always been independent. I had moved out at 18. I had an apartment rent payment. I had a car payment, you know, so I had bills to pay and had no income. So, I was really sad. I was like, oh, my gosh, I worked so hard to be independent and, like, you know, get myself set up for my success, but now here I am having to work for my parents. And I felt like I had taken, like, ten steps back in a sense. Starting out, I just thought this was, like, a filler thing, just temporary while I, you know, recover and, like, figure out my next step. But I really saw the, again, the opportunity. So, I'm, like, an opportunity girl, and I saw how much, like, my parents had done, but also, like, what we hadn't done and, like, what we can do and where we can be. And I was thrown, like, into it really quick. Our office manager at the time, she had to leave for a family emergency within, like, six weeks of me being there. And, you know, I was, like, a 20-year-old kid. I knew nothing about accounting, especially construction accounting, payroll, any of the things that came with running the, like, the back end of the business. This industry has been so welcoming and helpful to me that through the different conversations that I had with our, you know, contractors working with them and just asking them, like, hey, I've, like, literally never done this. Can you, like, walk me through it? And thank God for Google on this team. But that's kind of how I got into it. Yeah, and here we are ten years later. You know, helped kind of develop and really scale and grow the company and take it from kind of like that mom-and-pop shop to, you know, a true business and a true corporation where we're helping build brighter futures together, which I love so much. ♪ What's been the most rewarding part of owning a business? I think being able to give back to the community has been huge for us. Personally, I, like, when the community thrives, I feel like all the businesses in that space thrive, all the employees thrive. It's just like this energy and this kind of vibration that only comes to fruition when people come together and collaborate and, you know, share things. And so I think for us, that's, for me especially, I think that's just been so important. We host a plant and play event. It's during the Women in Construction Week, which falls usually the first week of March. We open our doors to the whole community where we invite people to come and learn about design on AutoCAD. They get to see the CNC machine actually in operations, working, cutting, and routing this piece of aluminum that we're going to be using. And then they got to actually make little planter boxes, like hands-on build something. And we partner with all different people in the community. We partnered with a non-profit last year. They came in and talked about sustainability and brought soil and plants. And I remember watching one of our employees, his name is Jose, and he is our CNC operator. And I just remember his daughter, like, watching everything happening, like, from the mayor was there to, you know, chamber of council members. Then there's about 100, like, attendees and seeing her dad just, like, make it all happen and kind of was, like, the star of the show. And just seeing, like, her kind of with that bond was, you know, so important, right, because we're teaching, like, these little kids, especially little girls, right, 70 years old, to see, like, what can be and, like, what the opportunities are. So things like that, honestly, are, like, so rewarding to me. Of course, the contracts are great, so we can continue to do those things. But it's really, yeah, it's really being able to, like, give back to the community and, you know, give opportunities to those who, like, may not have had, you know, the chance to do it before. Yeah, so that's the good side. You know, that's the beauty of owning your own business is that community involvement and inspiring others. But what's the challenges? What's been challenging for you as a female CEO? And do you feel that it's different for men? I would say, like, yes and no. I feel that, for me, I've been – I grew up with a lot of confidence, I think, so I feel that's kind of been instilled in me from day one. And I have to thank my parents, right, for kind of giving me those opportunities and letting me kind of be who I am and really stay authentic to me. I feel lucky that I have, like, a strong internal core in the sense that I never really took no for an answer. And I think that's really how I was able to get here today. I was young. I was my dad's daughter. I was a woman in the industry. I knew nothing about construction, so it was like all the odds were against me. And, you know, I just kept educating myself, talking to people. I think, like, for me, just like a little sponge, you know. I think just the more I would learn, the more I could implement. And, you know, I would kind of just go to an event, learn, and then have a conversation with my dad at that point, saying, like, hey, like, this is what so-and-so company is doing. Like, this is what we can do. And take what used to be and, like, the way things were and transform it. And it wasn't easy. I mean, there was times where I found, like, a broken record asking our team, like, hey, we really need to, like, read this book. And they're like, why are we doing a book club now? And, like, what's the point of this? And, you know, a lot of pushback. But now it's like everyone really sees it. And it takes time, right? It takes time to kind of build the respect, build your, you know, your trust and kind of establish, you know, who you are. But really, like, never give up. And if whoever is listening here and they're going through, like, those tough times, there will be sunshine, right, after the storm. It will clear up. Yeah, I was lying if I would say it wasn't challenging. It is. And having, like, the support system and those people that you can really lean on during those times is so crucial because no one can do it alone. I don't care what anybody says. You need to have, like, you know, a good team behind you and a good support system and people that, you know, you can call and be able to, you know, share, like, hey, this is what's going on and learn from them. Yeah, people that you can lean into. And one of the things that is really important when we are leaders and we have stakeholders that report to us is we want them to continuously find ways to help develop and make sure that they feel empowered, that they have a voice. But also, even if they're independent contributors, Misha, you know, making sure that they learn how to be a leader in that role. Yes. What sets you apart from your competition? We're really in business to build brighter futures. And I think kind of a little bit what I touched on before is the whole community aspect. There's not a lot of, especially subcontractors in this space that focus on an emphasis of more than the business. So I think that really sets us apart in the fact that we really, really truly want to build partnerships with everyone we work with, right, whether that's if you're internally with us, whether you're, you know, externally and we're working together, whether that's, you know, a consultant that's coming in to help us. So we really believe in kind of the wholeness of everyone and coming together and being, like, honest and transparent. I think especially in, like, the construction space, there are issues. There are going to be times when things go awry and it's chaotic. But I think being able to really be transparent and have those relationships, right, that you've built because you're partners. And it's really more than, like, just that transaction. It's really getting to, you know, know each other and having, like, those bonds. I think that really sets us apart. We're super vertically integrated, so we own everything in-house. We own about 25 different pieces of aerial equipment. We're located in the heart of the Bay Area, and so we service kind of the entire Silicon Valley. And, again, we fabricate everything in-house. When we have it in-store, in-house, let's say because things happen, right, you know, a panel got scratched or someone hits a panel with one of the lifts, we're able to kind of turn things around in real time. And so we're highly responsive. And those are kind of a lot of the things that set us apart from our competition. Earlier in our conversation, when we were talking about scaling the business, you know, you looked at setting a more solid foundation, which really didn't exist, right, to improve the processes for the company. We were talking about the Entrepreneur Operating System, EOS. Talk about what EOS is and the purpose it has in your company. Yeah, so EOS has been, like, one of the biggest game changers, I would say, for me and the business. I think being in a family business, oftentimes it's kind of like we're just learning from each other. It's very, like, peer-to-peer training. And I remember maybe, like, four years ago, I had hit kind of a wall because I felt we were doing the same things over and over again and not really coming out with, like, a solution or things would get forgotten. And I felt like that dog, like, in the meme with the fire around me. Like, how do we, like, figure this out? Because I don't have a thousand water hoses to spray it all down. Right. But I just felt like I was constantly, like, trying to solve things and, like, it just wouldn't move forward. I remember going to, like, a rabbit hole one weekend and I stumbled upon EOS. And EOS is the Entrepreneur Operating System. It's a book that's written by Gina Wickman. It's called Traction. And I can say it's like a blueprint for, like, small businesses of, like, how to set your business up with systems and processes to be able to scale and grow. And so for those that are listening, if you're starting your business, I would do it ASAP because you can do it on a clean slate. So for us it was a little bit challenging because we were already an established business. And so now going in and kind of trying to, like, scratch everything and start almost, like, fresh in a business that's already established. So coming up with, like, core values, your vision, ensuring everyone in the team understands the mission, being really transparent. So we share our annual goals, our three-year goals, and our 10-year goals with the whole company. And then everyone in the company is responsible for a certain KPI or measurable that's shared within each kind of department meeting once a week. So everyone has an opportunity to share. Everyone kind of understands, like, what piece of the pie is theirs and how they contribute to, like, making the perfect pie. It's been really great for us. And it's just given so much visibility and accountability. It's, you know, it's like a structured system. You know, like, your phone has an operating system. Like, your car has an operating system. Sometimes, like, we don't set the business to have the right operating system. And that's really what EOS has done for us. We're talking about scaling your business. But for you personally, let's turn the corner a little bit. I want to talk about the skills that you've developed as a CEO and a leader. What skill sets do you feel that you've – critical skills that you've developed? Talk about those. Being able to have, like, different perspectives is really key and being able to really listen and understand, like, what is it that your team needs? What is it that they're saying? What is it they're not saying that they need? And how to be able to kind of understand that. I think it's really the listening part. I think so often, as humans, we're ready to, like, solve, solve, solve, and, you know, go into, like, fix-it mode. But I think as leaders, it's so important to kind of be able to actually sit back and listen and kind of not react and be able to kind of come up with a solution together. Because at the end of the day, everything is, like, fixable. It may be, like, a really big way or hard challenge to fix it, but there's always a solution. You have to kind of realize that the way that maybe Laura wants to understand and receive something is going to be totally different than Misha. And being able to really hone in on reading the room and being able to understand, you know, who you're talking to, whether that's your client, your employee, a potential partner. I think that's really key. What advice would you give to other women that are aspiring to lead in the construction industry and where they might be underrepresented? Yeah, I think, one, never give up. Keep pushing forward is key. I know sometimes it gets tough, but finding those people right now who are really passionate about what they're doing, is key. I know sometimes it gets tough, but finding those people, right, that can help pull you up when things are really tough and, you know, you're maybe kind of head down, having those people that can really guide you and remind you of, like, your power and what you're doing and setting up kind of what we talked about. There's the operating system for the business and our computers and phones, but ensuring that, like, we for ourselves have an operating system. And I think that often gets really forgotten about, especially being women in the construction space where we kind of try to shift and transform and kind of mold ourselves into, like, what it's supposed to be or what has been for so long. But it's really up to, you know, the people now that are sitting in these seats to be the voice of change, right? And one of us has to do it. Someone has to speak up. So, you know, if you're the only woman in your company, it's you, right? And kind of finding, like, those men allies that are going to back you up because, again, we can't do it alone. Oftentimes, like, taking a look at where we're working, are they actually supportive? Are their missions, you know, their vision aligning with, like, our own core values and, like, what we see, right? Because there's so many opportunities in the world of where we can work and who we can work for and who we partner with, right? So it's really important to kind of ensure, like, you know your core values and your alignment and what you want and then kind of letting that trickle into, you know, the everyday life. And I actually started a podcast and a coaching platform in retreat specifically because of this, because I saw this, you know, this lack of kind of shining bright and really staying true to who we are as women in the industry and kind of just coming in with confidence and kind of the fucking energy, right, where it's like, you know, this is who I am, this is what is expected, and this is how it's going to be. So often people tell me, oh, you're never going to make it in the industry looking like this and, like, in the construction space. Oh, yeah. Like, yeah, right. And so I said, forget that. I'm not going to change who I am and, you know, shift the way. I come up with a pink hard hat to the job site and my nail's done. Like, this is just who I am, right? And I'm not going to change that. And I encourage, you know, those listening to also not change who you are, right, and find, like, those spaces that are going to support you. And if it doesn't exist, speak up. So many, like, things that we've actually implemented within our company is because someone came and told me, hey, I think, like, this is a great idea because of X, Y, and Z, and I haven't even thought about it, right? So it's like speak up, talk to your leaders, share your ideas, because so often we may not even see it, right, or we may not have thought about it and what kind of impact it has on our team, on the people, you know, that are going to come join after, right? Like, these policies or these ideas are, you know, the initial change starts with you, but it leads and it's, like, for the generations to come. So I encourage you to speak up. I like where you're going with this, but what you've said is, you know, for these women that are looking to get into construction or they are in the industry, but maybe hitting some barriers is to, number one, align with others that share the same or similar values. Use your voice, but also use the influences and collaborate with other people in the industry that have been there, right? Absolutely. Get them, you know, to help you carve the way. Use their advice or their experience and leverage it. What current trends or changes are you seeing in the construction industry that might be exciting to you? There is a lot of technology that's been really incorporated within construction, and I think it's been really fun for me to see the whole transition. So being in the industry for a little bit over a decade, when I first, you know, started, everything was still kind of paper-oriented. Like, I remember our design lab would print blueprints for our field team and they would pick it up, and let's say something would change, they'd have to print, like, an entire new set. So it was, one, really costly, and two, a little bit inconvenient. You know, just, like, the way things are moving forward, and you can see, like, there's a lot of drones, and you see these, like, AI robot dogs on site now, and it's just a whole different ballgame, I think, when it comes to construction and tech. And I think it's a great thing, but it also can be scary because it is a very kind of old-school industry, so not everyone has kind of jumped onto this tech train. So it makes it a little challenging sometimes when you're working with different partners, like, if you're not on the same kind of radar when it comes to tech. But I think, you know, in the upcoming years, there's going to be a lot of cool changes. One of my friends actually just started a company called Inspect9, and their whole thing is taking, like, reports that used to take maybe two to three hours, when you now can take a video on your phone, and it turns that into, like, an AI-generated field report, making their jobs easier, right? It's not like a replacement, but it's definitely a way to help make things a little bit better, and it's going to be more accurate. When you're hand-measuring something versus getting measurements with, like, a laser and a drone, you know, it's going to be a lot more accurate with this technology, and you're going to be saving a lot of time, too. So that's something I've noticed a lot that's really cool, and I think up and coming. There's a challenge, though, that we are facing that I'd like to share is there's a labor shortage. So the trades just haven't been really highly talked about. I mean, I remember being in high school. I don't even remember hearing anything about construction. It just wasn't, like, a really great sold option to us. So I think it's really important to notice. I only know the stats for California, but for every four trade people that are retiring, only one is entering into the field. So that's really scary when you think about it because that's who's really doing all the building is, you know, our trade people. So there's a big opportunity for, you know, this industry in regards to bringing in. I mean, women haven't really been even, like, thought of for a long time to come into the trade, so this is a really great opportunity. Construction is really great when it comes to payments because the quality, I think it's 98 cents to a dollar when it comes to a wage difference, where a lot of other industries, it's not anywhere near that. So I think for women listening, get into construction, and in all avenues of it, right? It's the labor side. It's the project management. You know, it's engineering, sales. There's so much that, like, you don't even think about when it comes to construction, but there's definitely, you know, a shortage in people interested in the field. I think, again, it comes up to, like, the leaders, right, and the construction space to actually, like, take the time to go into the community and actually talk about this, and there's organizations like ACE Mentorship and Build California that they, you know, go to different high schools, go to different community colleges to talk about the opportunities because you can, you know, start as an apprentice, you're making $130,000 to $150,000. You're getting, you know, the training as you're working. You're getting paid, right, while you're kind of building and developing your skills, and, you know, not everyone's route is college, so I think it's really important that, like, you know, us as leaders in the construction space actually show up and, you know, be there and talk to these kids about, like, what can be and let them see the opportunities that really do exist there. Yeah, that's what I was going to ask. If you felt that there's, you know, more being done to encourage women to enter the construction field, and if not, what more can be done? It's there, but I think it's up to, you know, those of us in the industry to actually make the time and show up. I think everyone is so busy with all the day-to-day stuff and, you know, what's next, but really scheduling some time in our calendars to give back is so key. I mean, that's really how I think I got to where I am with those mentors, those people that, you know, showed up for me after hours, the people that, you know, pick up my phone calls when I needed someone to talk to, right, the ones that really believed in me, showed up at the different conferences, right, stayed after to talk to me. I think that's, like, really what's key to getting someone to see, like, oh, yeah, like, I'm totally built for this industry and I can do this. But speaking of personal reflections, think about a mistake that you made in your career and how did you turn around and turn it into opportunity? Yeah, I think not speaking up early enough was something that I really, I think about it a lot because I used to be in meetings, right, kind of wanting to say something but didn't know if it was my space, didn't know if I would piss anybody off or, you know, am I going to say something that's going to embarrass somebody, right, and so I think that is something I really struggled with early on and sometimes I look back and I'm like, damn, if only I would have said something in that room, right, but now it's a reminder to my own self always, you know, to always speak up and, you know, share what's important and communicate because at the end of the day we're having conversations, we may not agree on things, right, but it's so important to understand, like, what is my perspective, what is your perspective, and then, like, together come up with a solution that, like, makes sense instead of, let me bite my tongue and, like, just agree with what's on the table. And I think just as a woman in general, that's something that we struggle with, getting in our own way and, I mean, I still have the imposter syndrome, of course, but, you know, it's like the continuous work and, like, a development of self, and I think I was talking a little bit about setting up, like, a system, like an operating system for, like, you that works, right? Like, your phone has it, you update it every couple of months, it says, you have a software update, leave me plugged in extra long so I can, you know, recharge and reset. So I think setting that up for myself has been, like, key in regards to making sure that I kind of stay true to me and reflect. So I have kind of, like, a little cheat worksheet that one of my other friends actually started, Renee Russo, she built this energy management program where you kind of go through and look at what you learned yesterday, what is something that you want to focus on today, and then setting, like, three personal goals, like, maybe it's I want to drink my eight glasses of water or I want to get up every hour for five minutes, and then setting up your actual, like, daily tasks that, you know, there's three that you're going to get done today and kind of an affirmation. So I think it's so important to kind of set yourself up for success, to be able to be that best self and not shy away, right, at least for me, from saying things and being present and, you know, speaking my authentic truth. Yeah, 100%. What's the one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you first started your career in construction? There's always a solution, I think is so important, because I always felt that, you know, I'm going to do the wrong thing or I might not do it in the right way or the way it's supposed to be done. But I think it's just so important to realize that, like, we're all learning and no one really knows what they're doing. Maybe people are better at it because they've done it for so long. But at the end of the day, life's kind of just like a little game and we're just playing it every day, right, and learning from it. How do you stay motivated and inspired, especially when you're facing a tough time or challenging project? Yeah, I think the fun side of life. So it's really important to play. And for me, there's certain things that really bring me back to who I am. And, like, water is one of them. So I like to do a lot of swimming. I like to move my body often. I work out in the morning. I just get myself energized. And I love scuba diving. So if I'm, like, really in a place where I need to take a break, I will take a couple days and go diving. And it's just, like, a reminder to me of, you know, we're just one little tiny speck in this beautiful, magnificent world. And there's so much that we don't even know exists. And so I think, yeah, just figuring out, like, what is it that gives you that joy? And I know sometimes you can't go anywhere, right, or go places, but I've actually kind of mentally created a space where I can just go in and kind of really settle down, focus on my breathing, and kind of take myself back to, like, that happy space. I had a moment a couple years ago. I was in Mexico, and we went to this, like, secret... It was, like, a secret beach. So they dropped you off in the middle of the ocean, and you had to swim maybe, like, 40 feet to enter this, like, cave. And the current was crazy. And I remember, like, it was just shoving you from one side to the other. And I finally got closer to the cave, and then I looked in the water, and I saw a bunch of fish. Some fish were, like, sitting on a rock, very grounded, like, just watching the storm pass. And some were just getting shoved from one side to the other. I just remember, like, it putting into perspective for me that, like, you can create your piece no matter how chaotic, like, the outside part is or the outside world is. So I really like to think about that moment a lot, and I take myself back to that. And I say, you know, even amidst this chaos or, you know, about to go and do something that you may not want to do, figuring out how to kind of find that, like, inner peace. Aisha, I so appreciate you. Thank you for sharing your journey through construction with us. And I look forward to future conversations. Yeah, thanks so much for having me. This was so fun. To learn more about Misha Homara and her Women in Construction retreat, go to her website, tricorpanels.com. ♪ You just listened to another Masters of Leadership podcast. If you enjoyed it, please share it with your colleagues and friends. If you're interested in being on the show, contact me on LinkedIn at Laura Perez Earhart or my website, epiphanyconsultingsolutions.com. And remember to follow me on Spotify, Apple, LinkedIn, and Instagram. ♪