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    Gayla’s Story: Tenure & Tenacity

    Episode Description

    In Season 2 Episode 2 of Breaking Ground: Women in AEC Leadership, hosts Reanna Dempsey and Sarah Brown welcome Gayla Nunn, Special Projects Manager at ABNA Engineering. 

    Gayla shares her professional journey and offers practical advice for women looking to grow their leadership impact in the AEC industry.

    From embracing opportunities to staying tenacious through challenges, her story highlights the power of persistence, confidence, and commitment. 

    🎧 Tune in to hear Gayla’s insights and get inspired to lead with purpose. 

    🔗 Connect with Gayla & ABNA:

    Have questions or want to get in touch? Email us at podcasts@unanet.com

    0:00
    Breaking Ground Welcomes Gayla Nunn, Special Projects Manager
    Stay focused on the work and the people you serve.
    The impact will speak for you because it's never about you.
    And then when I say never about you, I'm saying it is not about the politics, it is not about the personalities.
    0:16
    It is about the job.
    0:27
    Speaker 2
    Welcome to Breaking Ground Women in AEC Leadership Podcast.
    This is a show that lifts the voices, journeys and insights of women shaping the future of architecture, engineering and construction.
    And it's brought to you by Unanet.
    If you're in the architecture, engineering or construction space, you know how critical it is to keep your projects on time, your teams aligned, your pipeline growing and your finances in check.
    0:50
    That's where Uninet comes in with project based ERP solutions, CRM solutions, and an AI growth suite built specifically for AEC firms.
    I'm today's host, Rihanna Dempsey, and with me is my lovely Co host, Sarah Brown.
    Hi, Sarah, And in this podcast, we connect with professionals across the AEC industry to share real stories and hard earned wisdom.
    1:11
    At our core, we believe that a strong, diverse workforce drives innovation and success and that women are essential to building the future of AEC.
    This is more than a conversation.
    It's a community focused on growth and lasting impact.
    Let's get started.
    Today we are speaking to Gala None.
    1:28
    Hi, Gayla, how are you?
    1:30
    Speaker 1
    Hi, good afternoon.
    I'm doing well.
    1:33
    Speaker 2
    Awesome.
    And you're hailing from Saint Louis, right?
    1:37
    Speaker 1
    Yes, yes, just made it through a snowstorm, so yes.
    Hailing from Saint Louis.
    1:41
    Speaker 2
    Awesome.
    1:42
    Speaker 1
    St.
    Louis, MO.
    1:43
    Speaker 2
    So glad to have you today.
    And Sarah, maybe you can just give us a little bit more information about Gala.
    1:52
    Speaker 3
    I am so excited to introduce Gala today.
    I first met her earlier this fall and her spirit just came through as soon as I met her as she volunteers to one of our user groups.
    She has been with AMNA for 21 years.
    2:08
    She just hit her 21st anniversary a couple weeks ago and it's our pleasure to have her here today.
    Her current capacity is in special projects management and she not only leads strategic initiatives but also serves as the company's internship companion, fostering the development of emerging talent.
    2:26
    Gayla loves loves to travel, and on her latest trip she visited Europe, or she and her group visited London, Paris, Rome and Madrid.
    And I'd love to get it kicked off with an ice breaker.
    2:37
    From Ancient Queens to Modern Engineering: Gayla's Journey
    So your question is, if you could have one meal with any female leader, who would it be and why?
    2:47
    Speaker 1
    If I could have one meal with any female that currently alive.
    2:53
    Speaker 3
    Your choice.
    2:56
    Speaker 1
    You know.
    2:59
    Speaker 2
    OK.
    3:02
    Speaker 3
    You can have more than one too if you're really like, torn between two people.
    3:07
    Speaker 2
    Yeah, no rules here.
    3:09
    Speaker 1
    I wanted to go with Nefertiti because I would love to see what it would have been like, you know, back at that time to, to to rule and how she had to use her feminine ways really to make it in that time.
    So it would just be interesting like, so did you, I mean, just how did you do it?
    3:27
    That type of thing.
    I would definitely like to have lunch with her.
    I don't think I'd want to eat the food that they could ate back then, but I would like to eat with her.
    3:36
    Speaker 2
    That's awesome.
    I, like you, want a way back.
    3:38
    Speaker 3
    Charcuterie, but I don't know if that's.
    3:42
    Speaker 1
    That Oh my, that's great.
    I can see that.
    3:46
    Speaker 2
    I love it.
    3:46
    Speaker 1
    We can grapes, you know, grapes and fruit, that kind of thing.
    I.
    3:49
    Speaker 3
    Mean.
    Yeah, we could go with that.
    3:51
    Speaker 2
    That's what all the movies have, right?
    All the movies show the grapes and the Yeah.
    3:57
    Speaker 3
    But you know, just.
    3:58
    Speaker 2
    That whole.
    3:59
    Speaker 1
    Here she is this this queen.
    And how did she negate it was a man's arena back then as well kind of thing.
    And so to come out of history as, as as strong as the character that she is, it'd be just nice to talk to her like, so how did you manage?
    4:15
    You know that?
    I love that.
    That's great.
    Thank you.
    4:22
    Speaker 2
    Well, so Sarah told us, you know, a little bit about you, but we would love for our audience just to get to know you a bit more, kind of, you know, open up, give us a little bit of your bio and you can include.
    You know, I think it's cool because back in the day it was all like keep personal life.
    4:38
    And but we're all like about bringing our whole self to work these days, which is great.
    So tell us everything about Gayla.
    4:46
    Speaker 1
    OK, I was born.
    4:50
    Speaker 2
    This will be Part 1.
    We'll do 8 parts.
    4:53
    Speaker 1
    Miniseries, let's see first on I'm Gala Nunn and my name is actually derived from my dad.
    I'm his name was GAIL and therefore I'm Gala, that type of thing.
    I'm a special projects manager here at Abney Inc.
    I lead the planning and execution of projects across the company from the operations, the licensing, marketing, business development and our internship program, which is actually very dear to my heart.
    5:18
    My job has been to keep the teams aligned, remove Rd. box and to make sure our systems support both quality and growth.
    Another part is I spend years managing construction operations.
    I let crews coordinated subcontractors over soft safety and safety training and summits, and that experience actually really shaped who I am today.
    5:41
    So I'm practical, people focus definitely, and steady under pressure.
    I think that's what Edna likes about me is that I'm steady under pressure as part of my work involves processes and data.
    Edna has been with Unanet for about 15 years, if not more.
    5:57
    Speaker 2
    Thank you for that.
    That's amazing.
    We love that.
    6:01
    Speaker 1
    It's been one of our core tools for keeping our projects, our people and information organizers, our central depository for most everything.
    Having that structure behind the scenes lets us focus on serving our clients and delivering good work, and it's played a big part in how I manage and support our teams.
    6:20
    So without giving it, I don't know how that would worked.
    But I'm also a business management student at WGU, always learning and always trying to evolve outside of ABNA said.
    She said I could talk about stuff besides Abna.
    6:35
    I stay connected to the community.
    I have been an active member of the Missouri Botanical Gardens Corporate Council.
    I've been there for more than a decade.
    That is near and dear to my heart, and it gives me a different space to serve, collaborate and support initiatives that matter to our region.
    6:54
    I've actually been the chair for the engagement committee and I'm, well, the other thing that's personal and dear to me, of course, is my own hobby and my own little business, which is a gala affair, a play on my name I love.
    7:08
    Speaker 3
    The name.
    7:10
    Speaker 2
    That's really cool.
    7:12
    Speaker 1
    I started it in about 2012 and it's my creative outlet.
    I have designed weddings and birthday celebrations.
    I've even in a local university.
    I did the stage for the graduation and it is probably one of my best ways to balance the structure of engineering with something hands on and artistic.
    7:32
    I wish that.
    7:33
    Speaker 2
    I could afford.
    I don't know if you heard, we were just chatting before we started the recording, right?
    And my son's birthday is Saturday and I am as passionate as you are is how not passionate I am.
    And I'm not good at it either.
    So I like, it's hard and I don't enjoy it.
    7:50
    So I love when I meet people that are so good at it.
    But you're very far away, so I don't think I could bring you all the way here for a 7 year old birthday party.
    7:59
    Speaker 1
    I have done weddings and celebrations in other cities.
    I've done stuff in Vegas that kind of I can come tell you.
    But, you know, there's some things I could just also kind of tell you about and kind of work walk you through it, yes.
    8:11
    Speaker 2
    That is awesome.
    8:12
    Speaker 1
    But but yeah, I love to do it.
    But keeping it simple, I guess in a nutshell, I'm a builder for this people, processes our experiences.
    I love creating order given being bossy, no, I take that back elevating talent and bringing teams together to get work done.
    8:30
    So.
    8:31
    Speaker 2
    I love that that is an 21 years is such an amazing it, it, I think that's the thing I love the most about, you know, like we have software, we're not necessarily in the AEC industry ourselves, but we serve a lot of AEC companies and you just don't see the tenure in other industries like you do here.
    8:50
    And I love that 'cause I, I, I want to find places and stay places and it, you know, but how did you so 21 years?
    And I'm thinking about this because my dad started a construction firm.
    It's smaller than ABNA, but it's like he started that maybe 25 years ago.
    9:08
    I worked there a little bit and I did not meet many women.
    And I especially didn't meet many women out in the field managing the people.
    Like how did you get into all of that?
    9:21
    Shifting Landscape: Women's Growing Role in AEC
    You know, one of the things I'm going to introduce the word is chance.
    You have to have people give you that chance, especially in a world dominated by our male counterpart.
    So lucky for me.
    9:36
    Speaker 2
    Somebody.
    9:36
    Speaker 1
    Gave me a chance and threw me into construction.
    And from there I was able to really just dig in and find roots and set up.
    So let's see, I can say when I look back over the 20 years that I was at ABNA, I can see, like you said, how the industry has shifted very little, though in my early years, I remember looking around Adma's own executive table and you know, one hand, you can count how many women were there were there.
    10:10
    And also remember going into project kickoff meetings or meetings with the owner reps and things like that.
    And being the only woman there, I would be around you and other project managers.
    And, and like I said, the owner's reps and the engineers and the construction superintendents.
    10:28
    And, you know, I'm, I'm called the little girl.
    Hey, little girl, hey, little lady, you know, that kind of thing.
    And it had been that way for decades.
    And they had more experience at the time, but you know, you keep at it, you learn as well.
    And so today it looks better, but the room hasn't changed as much as we would like.
    10:47
    I see more women leading departments, especially here presenting strategic solutions.
    You have them carrying more major responsibilities.
    And I watched that shift happen in real time.
    And for me, I am thankful that I have a role model, in particular the female principal of the company, seeing her run things with a quiet strength and show what was possible.
    11:15
    I watched how she broke down like complex issues or how she would be in a, a room where they're all getting heated and, you know, tensions are rising.
    And she could just, you know, lead without raising her voice because she was she, she was able to make herself loud without getting loud, if that makes sense.
    11:34
    Makes a lot of sense.
    Yeah.
    So then now as it where I sit and doing the intern, I can now see young women interns and our junior staff grow into confident coordinators and engineers.
    And that kind of growth shows why visibility matters.
    11:50
    So it's good to see the galas and it's good to see the Sarah's in position because then these women can see themselves in the room and they can be heard.
    So yes, it's just, I guess in summary, I think that one of the things that for me happened, it made me realize it just taught me that we don't need to wait for space to be made for us.
    12:16
    We can create it by doing the work well and just showing up with purpose.
    And it's OK to take up that space.
    In fact, to me, I want to be like, it's OK to be loud because when you're loud, people hear you and you take up space.
    12:32
    Speaker 2
    I love it.
    12:34
    Speaker 3
    Thank you.
    You, you kind of touched on this already, but a stat that I was kind of looking into was like, hey, what is the growth that we have seen?
    Is it, is there this assumption of growth or are there women that are growing in this industry?
    And there is growth which is exciting.
    12:51
    So 11.2% of US construction workforce is marking the highest share of women in this industry in two decades, which equates to about 1.34 million women employed in the construction industry, which I thought was insane.
    13:08
    I was like, that's awesome, we're having that growth.
    But then also, wait a minute, 1.34 million sounds like a lot, 10 percent, 10%.
    13:17
    Speaker 1
    Right, that is not.
    13:19
    Speaker 3
    No.
    So when you now you, you mentioned you have this internship program, which we would love to hear a little bit about if you could kind of share with us how that works, what those interns kind of get a chance to see as they go through.
    And you mentioned that you've, you've had young women, you know, as interns.
    13:37
    Have you been seeing that number increase over the years?
    13:43
    Speaker 1
    Not for women and and and that's like, yes, and and it's because I'm in civil and what I'm specifically looking for.
    No, but when we look at mechanical or look at a low voltage electrical or we look into computer science, all the women are there.
    14:01
    But when I look into structural transportation survey, I'm not getting environmental.
    I'm not getting as many women as I'd like to see.
    Now, don't get me wrong, they are there, they're there, but it's not like if, if there's one, well then she has, you know, when you're at a career fair, she has hundreds of companies she can pick from that type of thing.
    14:24
    But I, I'm also surprised that I have a lot of women coming through construction services and construction management, so that I'm happy to see them there.
    And we have that division as well.
    But I, I, for engineers, it's what we need.
    Not.
    Not so much.
    14:39
    Speaker 3
    So not yet.
    14:41
    Speaker 1
    Not yet.
    14:43
    Speaker 2
    It doesn't surprise me though, the like the management and like the, the management of the projects.
    Like I've always wondered why there weren't more women because I mean, come on, we multitask so well.
    We can like juggle all the things, right?
    14:58
    Like that's what you need on these job sites and with these projects because there's so much going on.
    So I at least we're, you know, we're seeing the growth in some of the areas.
    It's pretty exciting.
    Well.
    15:09
    Speaker 1
    You know, to, to make it here, like I said, you got to come in loud, but you know, you got to, they think you're still, well, I'm sorry.
    They want you to be a woman and as a woman you do soft skills, but that's so much more in construction than soft skills.
    15:27
    You know, like I said, I'm, I'm up here managing crisis.
    If I'm, you know, there's people I want to make sure everybody's going home the way they came to work.
    There are projects that need to be built and there's money and budgets and things like that.
    I can do so much more than admin and I'm not saying it's it's anything against that we need it done, but you know, there's some growth there.
    15:48
    And that's where chance comes in, where you you find a person and you give them the ability, hey, do it so.
    15:54
    Overcoming Assumptions and Leading with Unwavering Tenacity
    I love that that you bring that up 'cause I do think that assumption is there.
    So prior to prior to Unet, I was in another industry and, and I went to this conference and the room was full of men.
    It was probably about 50 men.
    16:09
    And I had gone with a Co worker of mine, both in managerial roles.
    And we're in the small group after the the conference had broken.
    And the gentleman in the group goes, hey, can you share the notes that she took for you with me?
    16:25
    And I'm standing.
    16:26
    Speaker 1
    Right there and.
    16:28
    Speaker 3
    I said, you know what, absolutely.
    I think you would benefit from my notes.
    16:33
    Speaker 1
    OK, but.
    16:34
    Speaker 3
    I wasn't, I wasn't trying to get sassy or nothing, but I was also like, it was very clear to everyone standing in that circle that the assumption was that I was his admin.
    And there is nothing wrong with being an admin, but the fact that the assumption is there over you know.
    16:49
    Speaker 2
    The equal filter.
    16:51
    Speaker 3
    Of, hey, we're all here, you know, in similar capacity to gain the same information.
    I think that over time that that can definitely build up this.
    17:03
    Speaker 2
    You know, maybe I'll step.
    17:04
    Speaker 3
    Back in the shadows.
    Because I don't want to, you know, rumble the room.
    I don't want to, you know, upset anybody or be dramatic.
    Heaven forbid.
    17:11
    Speaker 1
    Right, you don't want to be that woman.
    17:12
    Speaker 3
    No, no.
    17:14
    Speaker 1
    But you do want angry woman, right?
    17:16
    Speaker 3
    Angry, strong and intelligent and, and add to the conversation and add to the success of the business.
    Absolutely.
    And I think it takes a lot of, what I mean, a lot of tries to, you know, take that spot in the room and say, I'm willing to fill it up.
    17:31
    Speaker 1
    Yeah, earlier on, on I, I, when I was the operations for construction, you know, there are times when you know, I'm talking and I shared a solution and I'm all hyped about it.
    And they will literally return to the my nearest, the male nearest male let's my subordinate most times and, and, and have him confirm it.
    17:51
    And I'm like, wait, this was me.
    I was, I know you saw me talk.
    Why are you turning to my subordinate to ask him, hey, is that so?
    Is that what we're doing?
    Is that with the plan?
    I've just spoken it, that kind of thing.
    And so you have to overcome that.
    18:09
    I found my struggle, my push was so much more than, say, even my supporting it under me.
    He could walk at the meeting.
    They'd be high.
    Welcome, da, da, da.
    I come in and it's like, hey, wait, hey, I am here as the operations manager.
    Thank you.
    That kind of thing.
    18:25
    So just to prove myself, I found that I had to make sure I closed my projects clean, that I've made sure that to keep them from double checking me, I had to come out fighting for and just not to be underestimated and do much do better.
    18:42
    Speaker 2
    Yep.
    Well, and it's funny you got it.
    It's like it.
    It really is some of the assumptions or I remember, I think I read, it was in a book I read at one point.
    But like early in my career, I would, I, I worked actually in a construction environment.
    19:00
    We were, we were building a building.
    So I was on the commercial side of it, but we had a construction firm that was, you know, doing all the things.
    I never met a woman for like 2 years.
    Like there were no, there were no women.
    It was just, but we would sit down and I was technically a marketing manager.
    19:17
    I was doing a a real, not a because that sounds terrible.
    IT admins are amazing and we had amazing admins.
    But you sit in the room and someone's like, oh, can someone grab coffee?
    And it's like default, it's me.
    I'm going to go grab coffee because I'm the only I'm the little girl in the room and it's like, I remember the book.
    19:36
    I feel like it's probably Sheryl Sandberg's book, Lean In, because I loved that that book really stuck with me.
    But like, you know, like, don't always say yes and don't always put your hand up first just because you're the female in the room and they all look at you.
    Just wait for someone else to do it sometimes.
    19:52
    Like, not to be like, I can't be helpful and I'm glad to get anybody coffee, but I shouldn't always be required to get everybody coffee unless that's my job.
    Unless I'm a barista.
    I'll get everybody a coffee.
    You know, that's fine.
    But yeah.
    20:07
    Speaker 1
    Well, no, then you know, you then that's when you're like, let's all agree that maybe the youngest person or the youngest tenant tenure should so you know, The Apprentice, yes, you know, the assistant manager should go get for all of us that kind of thing.
    But you always, you know, Rihanna just kind of say and my order would be I like a a caramel macchiato latte with.
    20:28
    Speaker 2
    Oh yeah, yeah, bring that all on me too.
    Like all the all the sweet lattes.
    20:34
    Speaker 1
    Right.
    But you do have to have some type of tenacity in doing this work.
    And so that hopefully will help you shift how people see you and what they expect from you as well.
    So keep keep doing good work.
    20:46
    Speaker 3
    Do you think you have gained tenacity through your tenure, through your 21 years there?
    Do you feel like that that's really been something that that run over time or do you feel like day one you walked in, you're like, oh, I'm going to have to bring some more tenacity.
    21:01
    Speaker 1
    I don't think I have tenacity.
    Yes, you have we'll fall all that.
    I think I've always had it, but when I am put in a what is it called when your flight or fight kind of thing situation, I'm not going down and unfortunately I'm not competitive, but I don't like to lose.
    21:23
    So this is where it it became, yes, here's what I do know I can do very well is I can produce good work because I'm prepared, because I'm listening and because I am all about I'm people focused.
    So I know how to motivate all the guys on my crew to get something done.
    21:42
    I've learned them.
    I don't know if it's the woman in me or whatever, but I know what Reggie needs.
    I know what Mike needs.
    I know what they all need.
    I know what time they want to go home.
    I know what their workload is because I've talked to them and I've gotten to know them as well, that they respect me enough to do what I'm asking.
    21:59
    And in return, I'm going to give them what they need to do their job and so that we can go home.
    That kind of thing.
    So I have found that in leadership, yes, I guess I've gained more tenacity, definitely.
    22:13
    Speaker 2
    That is and, and I'm wondering too, I guess, like are there any, any stories you might have or any like a particular challenge that you, you know, have had to overcome in your in your career where tenacity was like you really relied because it's and it's interesting.
    22:33
    A lot of people don't naturally have that.
    So it's like, I do think it's so important.
    It really like it things, things are going to be hard sometimes.
    So I think like the more you can have that.
    But yeah, I would just anything that you would want to share where like you really leaned on that?
    22:51
    Speaker 1
    I probably have two examples.
    I have one.
    We did a assessment, one of those, you know, fill in the blanks, answer 100 questions and my the operations manager over me was like, you know, you're awful bold.
    You will say things to anyone and I'm like, no, I said I just if you, it doesn't matter who you are.
    23:12
    Unfortunately, I don't think I have that's I had the same amount of respect for everyone.
    So the president of United States and our the the beggar on the street, I'm going to address the same way.
    I don't kind of switch it up.
    I'm going to respect them the same kind of way.
    So if you say something that doesn't quite digest well with me, I'm going to ask questions and I'm going to try to get clarity.
    23:35
    But I remember 1 the tenacity coming out is my general Superintendent.
    He's 6 foot 7 and he's buff and so forth.
    And I'm asking him to put out a cigarette and I probably shouldn't have did it in front of the cruise.
    23:52
    But then he backs up on me and he's like, I don't, I'm a smoke and I'm gonna do such and such and such.
    And I'm like, wait a minute.
    And I'm finding myself now having pull into a whole lot of tenacity because I have the control this 6 foot seven man in front of me because I'm about to lose all respect for my my whole team because they're looking like, Oh my God, Gayla and the Super are going at it.
    24:15
    And so then I did one of those mom moments and I'm like, you follow me in this backroom right here, because if if I stayed in front of him, I think he was going to steal project and so forth.
    So that was the moment of I had to pull it in and be like, OK, let's get out in front of them.
    24:32
    You follow me.
    And then they heard it.
    I mean, they could hear it through the walls, but then we went at it, you know, that kind of thing.
    So that's probably the one most I cannot believe you challenged me like that.
    So.
    24:44
    Speaker 2
    Wow, that's and that's intimidating, having all those people like you're just in this like arena and everyone's staring.
    And you know, it's hard enough to have those kind of interactions one-on-one, so.
    24:56
    Speaker 1
    Yes, yeah, but there's hundreds.
    I mean, if you're in construction, even even as men talking to men, they have, they're challenged.
    So I didn't I I just feel like, yeah, I had to always at some point.
    Then it was always the whole don't mess with her.
    25:13
    Today she's she's on point today it's all about business.
    Today when OPS comes in, she's all about, you know, that kind of thing.
    So and of course, another thing that always drove is safety.
    So, you know, that's not something I ever wanted them to think I played with.
    25:32
    Speaker 2
    It's very important that.
    25:33
    Speaker 1
    They come home, the things are are nobody's hurt 'cause that's not what we come to work for.
    So yeah.
    25:40
    Speaker 2
    And it's, it's funny you mention that because I think we always think about, oh, you know, like doctors, you know, they have people's lives in their hands.
    And you always, but as we've talked to so many, especially of our construction firms, like, I mean, you're building a skyscraper like that is so dangerous.
    25:56
    And it, it is, it's like you want the workers to go home to their families And like the, the fact that you do take that so seriously.
    I just, it's, I feel like we can lose sight of that because it's not like you're not in the hospital, but like I've seen some of those guys up on the skyscrapers putting the roofs on and the 30 mile an hour winds.
    26:14
    And I'm like, that is like the most terrifying job I think that exists.
    And like that's what you're trying to make sure is, you know, people are staying safe and all of these like great.
    And then electricity, I mean, there's so many, so many variables.
    26:28
    Speaker 1
    So yeah.
    26:30
    Gayla's Final Advice: Focus on Work, Not Politics
    Well, Sarah, you can ask definitely close us out here in a second, but one last question for me, like what are some other benefits that like you've been able to see in you know having female leaders within especially within the construction industry?
    26:47
    Speaker 1
    For me, I think it's it's like I just said, I kind of touched on it before.
    I felt that the thing that I bring as a woman is I'm genuinely interested in Tom.
    I'm genuinely interested in Mike.
    I'm interested in these people.
    And they're not a I'm barking at you and you do what I say.
    27:05
    It's hold on.
    Let me see.
    Like I said, it's an exchange.
    What do you need?
    You give me what I need.
    I'll try to give you what you need.
    And I think women have the ability to break that down and to really manage it from AI need my people to feel good about doing their job.
    27:23
    Yeah.
    Or at least that's how I felt I did it so.
    27:26
    Speaker 2
    Yeah, that's a great example.
    I love that.
    27:30
    Speaker 3
    OK.
    Well, I will kind of close this out with this last question.
    We, we like to give all of our guests, you know, kind of a, a last thought, a last share what 1, you know, line of advice.
    Would you would you like to leave us with today?
    27:45
    Speaker 1
    His squad OK.
    27:47
    Speaker 3
    I will say you can have more.
    27:48
    Speaker 1
    Than one, I have a lot of models.
    If you worked with people like, well, what about that time when you said that, then you said this.
    But no, let me quiet my mind here.
    I would say stay focused on the work and the people you serve.
    28:05
    The impact will speak for you because it's never about you.
    And then when I say never about you, I'm saying it is not about the politics.
    It is not about the personalities, it is about the job.
    And do the best job that you can and keep your focus on the job.
    28:27
    Speaker 2
    That's great.
    I love it.
    Well, Gayla, I I should have said it earlier too.
    Thank you for being the host of our user group as well, like the the user group leader that is so critical.
    We've been able to grow, grow that group and we can't do it without amazing, tenacious leaders like you.
    28:49
    And I know why Sarah wanted to get you on this so badly.
    I love your energy as well.
    I can feel I, I wish one day, Sarah, I'm dreaming of like a studio where we can sit down with people in the real world.
    But at least through the computer I can feel your energy and.
    29:07
    Speaker 1
    Thank you.
    It's.
    29:08
    Speaker 2
    Been great to hear your story and I just appreciate it so much.
    29:13
    Speaker 1
    All right.
    I appreciate spending time with you ladies as well.
    This was fun.
    Thank you for the invite, Sarah.
    29:20
    Speaker 3
    So we have loved having you and you know what, this is Rihanna, you gave a little bit of an introduction.
    We actually are going to have a studio of sorts coming next year at Champions Conference.
    We're going to have a little bit of a studio set up in our Expo call and if you.
    29:38
    Speaker 2
    You would love.
    We would.
    29:39
    Speaker 3
    Love to have you, Gayla, come in, spend some time with us.
    And if you haven't heard of Champions Conference, little plug for that here.
    Registration is now open.
    So there's my little plug for that.
    So yeah, did you have a you'd like to finish this up?
    29:58
    Speaker 2
    Yeah, absolutely.
    I just want to definitely thank all of our listeners.
    So thanks for listening in to Breaking Ground Women and AEC Leadership.
    If today's episode resonates with you, please be sure to follow, leave a review or share it with someone in your network.
    And if you have a story to share, please send us an e-mail.
    30:15
    We're always looking for our next guest and our contact information is in the podcast bio.
    Until next time, keep breaking news.