Your Villa - Desert Cities - April - May 2022

She knows herself to be a person that goes above and beyond. Hard work, commitment and dedication are the materials she is made from which is why she has never perceived a glass ceiling. Wanting to share her strength and confidence with other women, Michelle knows that one day she will find a young woman in construction to take over the business. Whereas Gladis did not learn about the male dominated culinary world from her father, instead she declares herself a self made woman. Gladis, the executive chef of Wildest, has worked in the kitchen since she was 21. Surrounded by men who ran the back and the front of the restaurant, Gladis learned how to carve her path as one of the only females in a management position. She continues to teach her male employees to respect her and now enjoys inspiring other female chefs to do the same. When asked how she manages the stress and fast pace of running a busy kitchen, she says she relies on meditation at the end of the day. She prides herself in never allowing her emotions to be seen in the workplace and believes that is how she was able to excel in the field. Both Jeanette & Michelle so wisely state perhaps it is women that have perpetuated the gender bias onto ourselves; it’s not what our male colleagues imposed on us. Regardless of whether a “glass ceiling” still exists or not, these 4 strong female executives clearly demonstrate that in order to be successful in any career, you must first truly believe you can accomplish anything you want and never give up during times of adversity. Elizabeth Scarcella, ABD, FDN-P, EFT, EMDR, C.HT , a Stress & Anxiety Expert, helps female professionals build resilience in order to become calm, confident and capable. For consultation, reach her at (407) 310-5228. L I F E S T Y L E “Boy’s Club” No More... Meet 4 Women Who Saw Past the Glass Ceiling-What It Takes To Make It in Male Dominated Careers by Elizabeth Scarcella Although “bro-culture”, “mansplaining” and the “boy’s club” seem to still be evident in our culture, even after the election of a female Vice-President… these 4 Coachella Valley female executives have learned how to move beyond the somewhat imagined Glass Ceiling. These powerhouses choose daily to leave gender bias on the sideline and have learned how to build the resilience that is needed to excel in male dominated careers. They go to work everyday saddled with the task of proving their worth and abilities-a weight their male colleagues may not bear. Yet, armed with confidence and capability, Christi Flanigan, Jeanette Leon, Michelle Currier and Gladis Lizarraga, teach us which not-to-miss practices they employ in order to thrive in what used to be a “man’s world” only. Being surrounded by construction projects as a young girl, Christi naturally felt at ease around materials used to build and restore. She was never intimidated about her ability to deliver beautifully designed professional projects. She shared that while she has not been uncomfortable or experienced any “bruh-world” in the construction business, now the new owner of Farley Pavers, it was in the debt collection industry where she had to prove herself more than her male counterparts. With confidence and grace, Christi proudly said, “I just kept showing up” when asked how she overcame being ignored or discounted at Board meetings where she was the only woman at the table. She firmly believes her success in both construction and debt collection comes from knowing she deserves to be there as much as anyone else. Because of the can-do attitude that was instilled in her since childhood, Christi learned that there is no ceiling and any of us can become whatever we desire. In similar fashion, Jeanette who began her career in fashion design, another male dominated industry, grew up learning about an industry relegated mostly to men. This knowledge was put to great use when she and her sister took over their father’s landscape design company (Leon’s Landscaping) 7 years ago. They found they were warmly welcomed by other male construction business owners. Unlike the fashion world where she had to repeatedly prove her worth and value as a designer, in the landscape industry she felt no sexism at all. Male contractors & homeowners tell her they are glad to work with them and greatly appreciate their work ethic, expertise and enthusiasm for always producing stellar designs. Following suit, Michelle also became interested in construction from early childhood while watching her dad build 3 homes including milling the lumber. For the past 21 years, Michelle has owned Kitchen Cabinets & Design that she and her husband acquired from a female past owner who taught her about the cabinet business. It is not unusual to find Michelle doing the actual installation of the cabinets, tiling a floor or fixing a backsplash for a customer. Michelle says that people assume that it is her husband that is doing the heavy lifting, when she too shares equally in the workload. 18 | YourVilla Magazine