Greatness Podcast (Ep 115) | Denise Burgess Discusses Her Career as an African American Woman Leader in the Construction Industry

Greatness Podcast

My good friend Denise Burgess, a tremendous leader in the construction industry and recent inductee into the National Academy of Construction, joined the Greatness Podcast to talk about her 30-year journey as an African American woman in the industry. Denise candidly shares her experience of frequently being the only woman of color in the room. "Oh, did your dad just send you here to take the notes?".

Denise shares a deeply personal story about the "personal assault" of a less-than-flattering story in the Denver Post and the ensuing 1200 audits of her project that found no wrongdoing, a powerful story of resilience and staying grounded in your values. I can empathize with Denise's experience as constantly having to prove herself, and appreciate her story of one group saying that they thought "Dennis" was showing up and asking Denise if she needed to call someone to negotiate the contract.

Why is it important for you to listen to this podcast regardless of your industry? Because listening to different people's experiences creates empathy and exposes us to the unconscious bias we ALL have. Two of the many pieces of advice Denise shares - "be true to yourself" and "really hear people" - and great stories of allyship.