Member Spotlight: Amy Powell – Well Works

In my search for users of US Construction Zone, I have met several people who have galvanized my belief in all that the construction industry has to offer, and one of those people is Amy Powell. I have been on a nationwide search for construction professionals who share a desire to leave the industry better than they found it and a desire to mentor the next generation, even if it is one person at a time!  Amy is doing exactly that at Well Works, where she is developing our industry’s leaders to tackle some of our toughest challenges.  

In the beginning, I was convinced that my favorite part of our shared industry was our potential to be better, but over the last year I have completely changed my perspective in a way that aligns more with Amy’s. Now as it stands, my favorite part of our industry is connecting with the people who are already doing such inspiring things. I found, when it comes to those in construction, that we are like minded, as Amy explains, “My favorite part of the construction industry has always been the people. Their dedication, grit, pride, loyalty, and care for others have always been an inspiration.” 

Amy Powell has quickly found her voice in the construction industry and now she has a seat at the table in several leadership groups and councils. Her opinions are respected by professionals, and our community benefits immensely because she represents so many voices that are often silenced. For those who aspire to leadership positions within the industry, we can learn from Amy in that the more you give back to the industry, the greater the opportunities that will come your way! Amy tells us, “I do volunteer quite a bit of time to different associations, groups, and councils for the greater good of the industry, but they somehow all seem to find me.”

At US Construction Zone, we value our members that are giving back to the community, and training or mentoring our future leaders, especially those who are inspiring their peers to do the same!  We have enjoyed “spotlighting” Amy today, and look forward to supporting her as she reaches her goals in the construction industry. Please read more of Amy’s important insights in our Q&A below… 

How did you get started in construction and please describe your current business?

I was first introduced to construction by a college advisor I met with when I realized I had to figure out what I was going to do with my life. It wasn’t a moment before that point that I even considered construction as a career option. But without hesitation and knowing what a career in this industry even looked like, I decided construction was what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be. For a large part of my career, I was a project manager for a commercial GC. About 8 years ago, I also picked up the role of creating and conducting training within the company. In 2020, I opened my own business called Well Works to focus my energy and time on building the people within construction in place of the buildings or processes. Well Works was explicitly built for construction to equip team leaders with tools and information to best tackle some of our industry’s biggest challenges: effective communication, productive conflict, managing stress and burnout, and leading and motivating our teams.

What inspires you about your current position in construction or what do you look forward to the most? 

My favorite part of the construction industry has always been the people. Their dedication, grit, pride, loyalty, and care for others have always been an inspiration. I am energized by simply sitting down with different people in different sectors, positions, and stages of their careers and simply listening to their stories. There is so much intelligence, brilliance, and invaluable information in people’s experiences, expertise, and perspectives. I think this is sometimes discounted or forgotten simply due to our fast-paced, hectic schedules, but those who live construction every day are the richest source of content and wisdom. 

Through your career, who in particular would you consider mentors, and what were the most important lessons you learned from them?

My best mentors have been my Superintendents and one of my bosses. My superintendents consistently proved the importance of “setting the tone” for a job and how their leadership style directly affected the success or demise of the project and project team. Not only that, it was later in my career that I recognized how their leadership approach impacted how much support or resistance I received as a female in construction. They didn’t even realize it at the time, but the direct and indirect impacts this role and approach can create are phenomenal. My boss showed me the value of coming together to support, encourage, and advocate for each other as a larger industry. While we may all compete against each other, there are times that our differences and egos have to be set aside to allow for the greater good of the industry as a whole.

I see that you are a part of a lot of leadership groups or councils, why is that important to you and your business and what have you learned from them?

I do volunteer quite a bit of time to different associations, groups, and councils for the greater good of the industry, but they somehow all seem to find me. I started presenting to different high schools on pathways, options, and opportunities in construction and built a Communication in Construction Bootcamp for the Construction Management Program at Colorado State University. I was passionate about sharing this helpful information and then asked to be on these different committees. I see all the different types of intelligence within the construction industry and how we all work together to create amazing things. This realization helped in recognizing that construction has something for everyone: artists, Engineers, Mathematicians, Innovators, Athletes, Technology gurus, Veterans, Drone Operators, Visionaries, those who loved school, those who couldn’t sit still through school, team leaders, etc. We need all different types of people with different interests and passions to solve the problems we are approached within construction, so the more diverse we are, the better we become at quickly solving these problems. Whether it is me communicating this or giving others my seat at the table that are frequently overlooked, but who can communicate this better than I can, is my motivation for being a part of these different committees. 

Our industry is amazing. It has its challenges, but we are good at challenges. We are inherently problem solvers. I am very proud to be a part of this industry, and of those who work in it, I will continuously advocate for and support the people who make up our industry.

Feel Free to connect with Amy Powell here inside of USCZ and you can learn more about Well Works on their website.