Given the fact that I only came into this industry about four years ago, I can still clearly remember what it felt like when I was new and had zero clue about anything. I felt a little lost and awkward, and I felt very overwhelmed by everything I didn't understand. The good news is that I had great mentors that were able to help me build a strong base, and because of that, I've been able to grow and build something solid on top of that foundation.
Amy Schwandt, Chief Revenue Officer, and Jessica Lombardo, Director of Events and Content Programming, were the people who shepherded me through my first introductions to the asphalt world. From there, I was kind of set-loose on the industry, and went on to make my own connections and relationships.
However, when I sat down to talk with them about their new female-forward initiative called FORCE, I quickly understood how different our entry points were, as well as, why building up and empowering women in the asphalt pavement space will make the whole pavement industry better.
Everyone's Journey Is Different
"Literally, before the asphalt industry, I sold office supplies door-to-door. It was horrible," said Schwandt, as she recounted her first position as an inside-sales rep. At that time, she recalled being met with some interesting challenges.
"I was twenty-one years old, and I didn't have any female professional contemporaries. There wasn't anyone in the space, and there definitely wasn't anyone my age. So, I had to learn the ropes as a woman in a man's world. That was ok. I did it, but things can be better."
Unknowingly, the very seeds of what would give rise to FORCE were planted out of that experience, but they were still missing their other half.
When Jessica came on board with the editorial team for the asphalt and pavement brands, she was just as green to the industry as Amy. However, in addition to the guidance she received from long-time editor Allan Heydorn, she also had something Amy didn't: A female mentor in Amy herself.
"You can read about it, and you can watch videos, but until you have somebody who takes the time to show you, you can't really understand," said Lombardo. "Amy taught me how to know the industry in an entirely different way than Allan did, and she helped me see that I didn't have to be afraid of being a woman whenever I found myself in rooms or spaces where I was the only one."
This gets at the heart of what FORCE is, and what sets it apart as an idea and going forward as an organization. While the end goal may result in an increase for women working in the asphalt and pavement industry, Jessica believes its real and central effort is about providing that belonging and mentorship to women already in the industry.
Representation Is Not A Buzzword
On more than a few occasions I've come across people who seem to fundamentally misunderstand the purpose of representation, as well as how powerful it can be to the people who aren't accustomed to the same level of access commonly and unconsciously enjoyed by those who already have it.
For example, the first time I went to a trade show as an editor, I had no idea what was normal and what wasn't. On top of that, I was juggling a large amount of imposter syndrome, and I was afraid to voice a lot of the questions I had because I didn't want anyone to know what I didn't know. I didn't want to think of how they might think of me differently. So, I just carried on, anxiously faking it.
I didn't feel completely safe to ask for help, or if I was even doing things right. By contrast, when I went to my first National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) meeting, they had a meetup specifically designed for "newbies" to attend and meet other first-timers. When I attended that, it gave me the instant liberty to approach anyone and commiserate. Almost instantly, I didn't feel like I was an "outsider" at an exclusive club, where I wasn't "in" on anything.
That is a rather elementary way of explaining why representation in our industry is so vital for women, and why creating spaces for them to connect to others who instantly share in their experiences, perspective, and background is essential to longterm success.
What It Is And What It Isn't
"FORCE isn't about separating women from the industry," said Lombardo. "It's about strengthening and elevating leaders in general. One thing I hear frequently from people, men and women, who come to PAVE/X is that they wish they had a mentor. For women, however, there are just a lot fewer female mentors."
This was the inception point for FORCE, and how it came together as a facilitation for something that, in many cases for men, often happens naturally or with much less effort seeking it out.
"FORCE is a space where women can know, in advance, other female leaders will be, a space where they can easily find one another," Lombardo added.
That's critical for women to find, because, like it or not, many of the ways men handle situations on a jobsite or in the office, must be handled in a different manner for women. As any woman can tell you, the dynamics of leadership are always different depending on your gender, and if that is a surprise to you, then just ask the women in your life.
"This was Jessica's idea, she was really passionate about it," said Schwandt. "She had the conversations on the contractor side, then started including me in those, and that was when I knew this was going to be really important. Because there are just different ways that women tend to communicate, absorb information, and understand things."
Schwandt went on to relay an important, recent event that helped solidify what FORCE could eventually be for women in the asphalt pavement industry. A few weeks prior, she'd attended the Women In Supply Chain Forum.
"I'd never been to a women-centered, women-focused conference in more than twenty years," said Schwandt. "Instantly, I felt a huge difference. By the time I left two days later, I knew. The discussions we had, the openness, the topics that were brought up. It was special, we learned so much from each other."
Final FORCE
In any job setting, there are all sorts of unwritten, unspoken codes or ways of operating that no one talks about, but are still somehow maintained.
For example, when I worked at the steel mill, I still wasn't fitting in the way I wanted to, even after about nine months on the job. Guys would still come around every day and give me grief and harass me, until I finally snapped and gave back to the guys equal to how they were needling me. Some choice words were exchanged. Suddenly, they all laughed, gave me a fist-bump, and from then on I was one of them.
If you took that same scenario, but placed a woman in my position, there are a lot of things I could say about the sensitivity of such a situation. However, as a man, I think it's all the things I can't really say about that hypothetical situation, all the nuance embedded in the dynamics at play in such a case, that are the greatest argument for why FORCE should exist.
