We were lucky to catch up with Allison Harlow Clark recently and have shared our conversation below.
Allison, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
Working in an construction adjacent industry you are often the only woman on the job site. In the early years of my career I found this super intimidating. Often the contractors, plumbers, electricians on the job site were older men and you could tell they would look down on me because of my age and gender. I got a lot of that “ok little girl” attitude right out of the gate. In order to be successful in that context I had to work 2x as hard to prove myself. I made sure I was always extremely prepared for any meeting so that I would feel comfortable and confidant contributing. I forced myself to interject and get comfortable sharing my opinion. But also followed through on everything I said on the jobsite with detail and accuracy. Over time contractors began to see me as equal and even as a factor that contributed to their job being easier.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Curio Design Studio is an interior design and construction company located in Marquette, MI. We do full service renovations from design through installation on historic homes around town. We specialize in a detailed approach, our use of unique color and patterns and eliminating the overwhelm associated with renovations.
We recently opened our office location on the north end of town and renovated an old autoglass shop into our showroom and offices. It is a beautiful reflection of the quality of work we do and a lovely place to meet with clients and friends.
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?
Perseverance: starting out (in anything) is extremely hard. I think we always have one idea of how something will be and in reality if is very difference. Having perseverance to just keep going is so critical in the beginning phase of your journey. Do not give up. Keep going and learning from every turn.
Communication: This is something that will serve you well in ANY industry or career path. Be super clear with everyone. Establish timelines, deliverables, and clear expectations. When you send an email re-read it before you send it to make sure it is clear and concise and answering all the questions from the original sender. These tools will help you grow your own client base or stand out to your superiors as an exceptional employee.
Adaptability : Life moves fast. Trends, tools, tastes, preferences, marketing strategies all are constantly evolving. Be ready to evolve. Whether this means pivoting to a new tool or resource or being ready to let go of a long held idea or thought. Being adaptable will help keep you ahead of the curve.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
Saying No. This is something that is super challenging for me. I have spent so many years grinding away trying to get any and every job and trying to prove my worth. It is hard to realize that you might have actually done that successful and now have the ability to say no to a project that doesn’t feel like a fit for you. Right now I need to try and say no to enforce boundaries of the capacity of work myself and our team can handle. I don’t want to lose control of the quality of the work we are doing so I need to get comfortable saying no.
Contact Info:
- Website: curiodesignstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiodesign.studio/
Image Credits
Sabrina Leigh Studios
