Meet Cory Fisk

 

We recently connected with Cory Fisk and have shared our conversation below.

Cory, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

As a woman in construction, no matter what position I held, I was often the only woman in a room full of men. For most women, this might bring in an energy of intimidation that weakens their ability to focus on other equally important challenges when working in a male-majority industry. Fortunately, being raised by a 6’3″, 250 lbs. construction operator with a powerful presence was a card I could have in my back pocket. The strength to stand up to my dad, taught how to respectfully speak my mind, provided me with a confidence and resilience that was often felt by other men in a way, I did not have to prove it.

I will say, my relationship with men while I was working side by side with them in the field was very different from the men that I worked with in the office/management. In the field, a man’s natural dominance in strength and work production meant that I would always come in second, however, my intellect and problem solving often threatened those in the office and the relationships were much more intense. In my younger years, those of learning how to survive in this industry, I’ll admit were not my proudest moments. I often would revert to manipulation, being the cute, dumb blonde asking questions as if I did not know what I was talking about in order to collect the information I needed to go in for the kill. I also know, I am not the only woman who has had to maneuver a male-majority industry in this way. I also know, that is part of the problem, as the assumption, that then, because I am a woman, I am willing to do “certain things” to get ahead and when those expectations are not fulfilled, new challenges of resistance are exposed. I don’t regret any of my experiences, as this is what has created the opportunity to be a strong, resilient, fortifiable woman in today’s Construction Industry.

Now, with the continued education and evolution of the construction industry, there is a change in the attitude men and their acceptance of women in the construction workforce. Whether it is because of their new awareness and growth as people, their fear of the dwindling workforce, their comprehension of the value women contribute by backfilling skill set qualities that men lack – I don’t care. It has opened a door for women that gives them a chance to explore the industry and showcase their talents. In this season of my life, the experiences I have lived in the construction industry, now give me the knowledge necessary to stand up for my beliefs, not back down from narcissism, arrogance, ego or “assholism”. I have learned to be effective and successful in the construction industry by holding forgiveness for ignorance, educating where I can, standing my ground respectfully, and knowing what fights to take to the battlefield and which ones to let die.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

“We are all exactly where we are suppose to be.” As we go through life, it is often hard to see this moment, how this quote can apply to all of the bumps and bruises we have had to suffer to get where we are today, or even to where we are still trying to get to. However, if we can move through life knowing that it is the choices we have made, each time we found ourselves at a crossroads, we can recognize that many times we took the path of least resistance, the path that seemed most obvious, or the one that would hurt the least in the moment.

The diversity in my life has prepared me with an unwavering, unmatched knowledge base with the availability to tap into the most integrated tapestry possible to create the revolutionary mentorship educational platform in Construction Management Online. Whether it be the personal experiences of divorce, raising children as a single mom, paying student loans, going through foreclosure, bankruptcy, faced with unmeasurable adultery, mental abuse, alcoholism, depression to the career experiences of being fired, working two full-time jobs concurrently with running a part-time consulting firm for over 12 years, sexual harassment, working at literally every rung of the construction employment ladder from laborer, equipment operator to Executive Director, being a coach, professor, writer, artist, equine enthusiast – all have created a person ready to support others in their quest to becoming the best possible Construction Managers in the Construction Industry.

As a 20 year veteran of Construction Management Education, I recognized a distinct divide between the support students were being giving when in the classroom versus when they would start work out on the jobsite. Construction Management Online has created an opportunity to address a lot of the concerns in educational development for the construction industry. Having specific construction experience has been an important part of combining my earned knowledge in curriculum development that recognizes that those in construction learn differently than many other fields. The impact of mindset, personal worth, limiting beliefs, combined with the different learning styles of kinesthetic learners has been intertwined in a construction curriculum that focuses on teaching practical application, real world issues and tasks performed by construction managers. A particular focus is on the speed and length of retention of learners by using tools supporting construction workers using observation, association, application, repetition, learning in motion, by implementing a multitude of different modalities to choose from whether it is written, video, audio, or hands on. The potential for others to see and find their worth through recognizing that it was not that they were not capable, they simply were not being given the right tools. That is why I am so excited for the continued support and fast rising success of Construction Management Online.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The three most important qualities or skills needed in Construction Management are:

Awareness
Accountability
Reflection

Having awareness of the team around you – how they work, what is bothering them, what they need to succeed. Having awareness of how you are “seeing things”, your reactionary response, and most importantly having awareness of how you are treating and talking to yourself with your inner voice. Using this awareness to be able to divert, in a moment, to a new position that will keep forward movement in your decision making.

We can not hold other to expectations and boundaries if we are not able to first, hold ourselves accountable. Being a leader requires that you model for those who are watching you, and if you are willing to do it yourself, then how can they have confidence that it is safe or good for them? Taking responsibility is hard, it requires that you take the appropriate considerations to make sure you do your best to do it right because your name will be on it. Removing victimhood, standing tall and moving forward with confidence empowers the choices that we make and instills pride in the fact we are willing to stand behind our decisions.

In reflection, and being humble, we can recognize when things have not gone well or when we would like to take more time to develop a deeper, more detailed response. Life lessons are a reward created in the opportunity of learning on the journey, not waiting until we reach the destination.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Moving earth, fire, water and air has been the life changing book by David Bayer called A Changed Mind. We hear statistics and scientific data about the capabilities of our brain being severely underused. I have always been fascinated and maybe a little bit obsessed, with trying to figure out how we can be more efficient in the use of the most powerful muscle in our body. In, A Change Mind, David Bayer, my neuroscience mentor, uses a laymen’s language explaining how our mind works, how we can tap into it, and how we can start changing our mind to change our life.

Being made aware, that no matter what challenges I have faced, no matter what the world throws at me, that ultimately, I AM IN CONTROL OF ME. Things will happen that I have no control over but I do control how I respond and how that will impact me, my life and my future. The book identifies a simple premise – We are what we focus on. If we have an inner voice that is continually beating us down with negative inner talk and our focus is on “fixing” it, we are still focusing on the negative. However, through gratitude and learning there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for, even if it is learning we do not like it so we never repeat it again, we can focus on the blessings in life. This is no different than focusing on the common desire to successfully complete a project. We can all have different means and methods, beliefs, work ethics, etc. however, if we focus on what can be agreed upon, it will move it closer to the completion of a project with the removal of resistance. This works the same in our personal life – If we can manage a project – we can manage our life – find the limiting belief, identify what you can be grateful for to recreate the thinking pattern, this will generate an positive emotion which carries a higher frequency of power towards implementing action. This action will generate choices wherein a decision is made and directs your focus forward. Many get hung up on not moving through these 5 primary factors of decision making because they are fearful of making the wrong decision – this is where you must have appreciation and awareness that a decision can be changed, you just have to re-direct the 5 primary process.

LOVED this book which brings intuition, intention and scientific data of neuroscience and cognitive development full circle in the reasons why EVERYONE should practice being a FOREVER STUDENT.

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