Road to VP in Construction – Melissa Smith
Melissa Smith, Vice President General Insulation Company
As a leadership coach, I have had the privilege of working with Melissa for the past 10 years. I have watched her grow into the strong leader she is today. She shares many lessons learned on her road less traveled. She overcame personal adversity, found the courage to succeed in a field where men outnumber women by a ratio of 90 to one, and still finds time in her hectic schedule to mentor other women. Here is her story.
I was born in the quaint town of Hanover, Massachusetts.
Growing up, my competitive spirit drew me towards sports – basketball, soccer and softball. I thrived on tournament play and consistently set my goal to be MVP, never settling for being second best if I could help it. Determined to be the first person in my family to graduate from college, I received a degree in sociology and psychology from Bridgewater State University. While graduating from college was a huge achievement, that feeling of accomplishment was replaced by the devastation of losing my 19-year old brother in a car accident a few years later. In addition to coping with my own loss, I had to help my parents through their grief. That changed me. Life became more about valuing daily moments and making sure I was living life to the fullest.
After graduation I got a job offer as a customer service representative. I was about to take it when I met Frank Granara, CEO of Boston-based General Insulation Company. He challenged me to think about whether I’d be happy working in a cubical environment. “I don’t see you behind a desk”, he said, “You have too much energy. Why don’t you come to work for me?” 
I thought hard about Frank’s comments.
A week later I called him and within two weeks was hired as a Northeast Sales Specialist for General Insulation, responsible for selling 3M Fire Protection Products. I knew NOTHING about insulation, firestop, or working in the construction industry. What I did know was that Frank was an impressive and very successful leader who saw something in me and I didn’t want to let him down. Meeting his senior team and hearing from most that they’d been there from the start convinced me he was doing something right. Their loyalty was amazing to me and at the same time, as a rookie, petrifying. I couldn’t imagine ever working anywhere that long. And yet, fourteen years later, here I am. I realize Frank was right. I would not have been happy stuck in a cubicle. Sales challenged me. Interacting with the contractors and people on the job site energized me.
Initially there were obstacles. Not only was I new to the industry, but also female; two strikes against me in the male dominant construction industry. I remember showing up as a brand new sales person at a jobsite and introducing myself to a union plumber, one of the largest in Boston, EM Duggan. I said, “Hi, I’m Melissa, I work for GIC and I sell Firestop.” I handed him a sample and said, “Can you show me what you’re supposed to do with it?” He laughed at first but then realized I was serious so he took the sample and walked me through the install. I wasn’t about to sell something that I knew only from a sell sheet. I wanted to understand what the product did and what I could do to help the end user. I took this approach throughout my selling career and built many relationships by asking others to help me learn.
In the early days I often felt alienated as the only woman on the job site, in meetings
or around the restaurant table, usually pegged as an administrative assistant. I was determined to hold my own and succeed in this gender-biased industry. I drew upon my competitive nature and signed up for sales courses and took golf lessons so I wouldn’t be left out when meetings were held on the golf course. I constantly reached out to others for help. Though it was slow going in the beginning, eventually I earned respect. As I gained more experience I was asked by my boss to train new sales people. My breakthrough into the “inner circle” was the day I arrived on the jobsite with a male trainee and the contractor came up to me first, looked me in the eye and asked my opinion about a particular product. It was a proud moment.
About 5 years into my job, Frank gave me the opportunity to promote from the Northeast Specialist position to the National Territory Manager. Once again I stepped outside my comfort zone and took what I knew about the New England market to different parts of the country. I had to overcome different biases, and encountered 
new opportunities to prove myself once again. This time, though, I had confidence. I did not allow the few tough individuals I encountered to intimidate me. My secret? I stuck to my core values and used the golden rule – treat others like you want to be treated. It served me well. This new role re-energized me and it gave me the opportunity to tap into even more of an internal network among all the General Insulation branch locations. It opened my eyes to new people, practices and avenues to explore. I remember a pivotal moment at GIC when President Larry Murphy came up to me and gave me kudos for delivering a great presentation to a group of senior executives. I had just come off maternity leave and was nervous that I would fall flat on my face. I needed to prove that as a new mom I could still do my job.
I was beyond excited the day I was chosen to participate in a leadership development
program offered by GIC. This innovative two-year program would challenge me in ways I could never have imagined. It took me way outside my comfort zone and I worked hard to learn lessons that would make me a more confident person and leader. Camping in the Rocky Mountains for a week with no cell phone, no toilet paper and no showers tested my limits, I’ll admit, but being only one of two women in the program, I was not going to show my concern. I needn’t have worried. My male counterparts struggled like I did and we supported each other. Learning to climb the steep, rocky mountains, cooking over a fire started with kindling and two sticks rubbed together, drinking water out of pristine streams and leaving the area as natural as we found it each day while moving our camp to a new location – we learned multiple lessons. I came out of that session more confident and more connected to my team. Today I still take time to meditate as a regular business practice, learned that vulnerability does not go hand in hand with weakness and learned to trust my team to have my back.
In 2015, during the midst of the leadership program my mom, who had been battling cancer, died. I was devastated. She was my best friend. Knowing her young granddaughter would never get to grow up with her influence saddened me greatly. One of our leadership sessions was scheduled the week after my mom passed away and I thought about not going. Then I thought about what she would want me to do and I knew she would have encouraged me to go; I went. I dug deep and used her spirit and support to get through the week. It was tough, but looking back, I’m glad I went.
Shortly after graduating from this program I was promoted from the national sales
position to Regional Territory Manager for the Midwest. I would be responsible for a territory consisting of 5 branches; very different responsibilities from what I had been doing in sales. I had never run a branch and now I was responsible for all aspects from Operations to Warehouse to the bottom line numbers. I went into the newest role reverting back to my old ways - feeling green and somewhat underqualified. I once again sought help and advice to learn from those on my team. I explained that I was there to help them succeed and the more I knew about what they were facing, the easier it would be for me to help. Without exception, they accepted me and helped me understand the operational side of the business.
I’m proud of my career progression especially recently becoming the first woman VP at General Insulation. My passion is helping to ensure the culture of General Insulation stays true to its original roots and with that I hope to one day be in charge of the development of people and culture at GIC.
As for my personal life I have literally been off and running. It’s a hobby of mine. It keeps me grounded and helps me stay fit. I run because it’s a great way to clear my
head and stay healthy. I took up running to get through the grief of losing my brother. I began running marathons. I ran the Boston Marathon in 2008, and the Chicago Marathon in 2017 in honor of my mother. I recently found out I was picked to run in the Marine Corps marathon in Washington DC this fall. My husband Chris and I love to travel all over the country doing marathon and competitive events. It’s a passion we share together and one we hope to pass onto our daughter Avery.
As a working mom, it isn’t easy. I feel so much guilt as my toddler begs me not to go on another trip, guilt in not getting to be her classroom mom, and guilt as I miss special moments in her life. The secret to overcoming that guilt is my husband Chris. He fills in for me when I can’t be there. I couldn’t ask for a better support system.
Frank Granara saw potential in me that I didn’t know I had. As my mentor he challenged, supported and gave me advice to navigate my career. He said, “I’ll give you opportunities; it’s up to you what you do with them”. I listened and took advantage of his advice and the resources he provided. It is because of this I moved up in the company. Later, Frank opened another door and gave me leadership coach 
Lorraine Grubbs. She helped me increase my confidence, challenged me to look beyond the obvious and encouraged me to work on my strengths without overthinking things. I was hungry to learn and, like a sponge, I absorbed the lessons. One of the most important lessons she taught me was that mentoring others is the key to continued learning and a great way to pay forward what Frank has given me. Today I mentor young women at GIC and find myself using the same advice I got from Frank and Lorraine.
I would highly encourage women to follow this path and get into the construction industry because it is exciting and ever- changing. There is so much room to grow within the industry as I’ve experienced in my journey from a sales position to National Sales Manager to Vice President.
Though there have been challenging times as a female in this industry, the job has allowed me to contribute my own unique perspective and bring empathy into an otherwise logical black and white approach. My growth as a leader has evolved from an “I” to a “them” focus. It’s a great industry for any woman seeking a challenge.
- In a male dominated industry accept that you will be the female in the group and be yourself.
- Bring empathy to the workplace.
- Don’t overthink things…GEMO (good enough, move on)
- Use the resources given you and always be on the lookout for more
Melissa is a great example of a young woman who took a leap of faith and succeeded in an industry dominated more than 90% by the male gender. Her competitive spirit, nurturing approach to relationships and use of resources gave her the advantage to succeed.
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