Daddy’s Little Girl: My Introduction to Construction

Growing up, school really wasn't something that excited me. I spent most of my school days either working on the truck with my dad and then begrudgingly making my way to school.  Many times I asked my mom if I could just stay home just so I could go to work with dad for a while, but she would rarely let me. It wasn’t until I kept getting picked on and pulled out of class that my mother started realizing that school just wasn’t for me.

It was hard for me to learn basic math and history, but mentally, I was so much more advanced than all the subjects taught in school. So what did I do? I went to work with my dad.

While most children were getting ready to go to school, I was preparing to leave with my dad at  5 AM. We would start our day together with a trip to the diner, as my dad always said, “you must start your day with a big breakfast.” 

Then, I would go to work with him on his dump truck. Even though it was a small, old, broken down dump truck, he was very proud of it. I remember he would tell me, “it’s not what you drive, but the way you feel. You should always be proud of what you have. We should never be ashamed of what we have or don’t have, rather stand tall and be proud.” Every time I buy a truck, I always says “this one is for you dad.”

One thing I’ll always remember about my dad was him putting a shiny bulldog in the front of his truck. I believe it was a symbol for the Mac he found in a junkyard. He put the bulldog in the front of his truck and was so proud. Now whenever I buy a new truck, I also put a small bulldog on it to represent him.

Growing up, I idolized my dad. The day I found out he was sick, I was devastated. Being only 16 years old and hearing that my father was ill were words that forever changed my life. No one had ever died in my family, so when he passed, it was very hard for me. He was my best friend, my rock, and I couldn’t understand how God could do this.

But as you get older, you realize there’s never really an answer.  You learn to take parts of what you learned from your childhood and life and use it in your future. The memories of spending long days out with my dad taught me about hard work and not walking away from a job until it’s done. Spending time on the dump trucks gave me a foundation of fixing and repairing something old and giving it a second chance. The days spent with my father were a stepping stone. It taught me about the tools and lessons I needed in my life. Without realizing it at the time, the time spent learning with my father was the vehicle for my life journey.

My dad always wanted a boy, but had four daughters. I always wanted to keep my last name for my dad. I wanted to carry on his last name. Sometimes I wonder if he’s looking down to see how his little girl is doing or if he knows that because of him, she built a large construction company.

We learn things when we are young, but we really don’t realize or see it until later on in life. I didn’t realize the impact my father had on me until I took a look at my business, Nationwide Maintenance, and realized it was his spirit and love that led me to where I am today. My father was a big part of my introduction into the world of construction and I am forever grateful that I can carry on his legacy each day I go out onto a job site.

So Daddy, heres to you. 

Nationwide Maintenance and general contracting woman operated construction company WBE .