WEBVTT - Cheryl McKissack Daniel: Leading a Legendary Construction Firm 0:00:04.320 --> 0:00:07.080 Welcome to Made by Women by the Seneca Women Podcast 0:00:07.080 --> 0:00:11.879 Network and I Heart Radio. At a moment when businesses 0:00:11.920 --> 0:00:14.520 face some of the biggest challenges in recent history, we 0:00:14.640 --> 0:00:19.119 bring you inspiring stories, practical insights, and shared learnings to 0:00:19.200 --> 0:00:24.920 help you successfully navigate in today's environment. Every Thursday, Made 0:00:24.920 --> 0:00:28.960 by Women will showcase the experiences of legendary women, entrepreneurs, 0:00:29.360 --> 0:00:32.599 fierce up and comers, and everyday women who found success 0:00:32.600 --> 0:00:37.360 their own way. Consider this your real world NBA designed 0:00:37.360 --> 0:00:42.040 for the new Now. I am Sharon Bowen. Thank you 0:00:42.120 --> 0:00:47.080 so much for joining us today. Every family business is unique, 0:00:47.720 --> 0:00:53.880 but few family businesses can rival mckissic McKissick for longevity, impact, 0:00:54.320 --> 0:00:58.880 and fascinating history. Mckissic and because it is the oldest 0:00:58.920 --> 0:01:02.680 woman and minority own professional design and construction firm in 0:01:02.720 --> 0:01:06.800 the US. While it was officially founded in nineteen o five, 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:10.720 the company's roots actually go back to seventeen ninety to 0:01:10.800 --> 0:01:14.640 a slave named Moses mckinzick, who learned the art of brickmaking. 0:01:15.520 --> 0:01:18.920 Since two thousand, the firm has been led by President 0:01:19.040 --> 0:01:23.240 and CEO Sure mckasick Daniel, and it has been involved 0:01:23.319 --> 0:01:26.800 in some of New York's most high profile projects including 0:01:26.840 --> 0:01:31.560 at Laguaria and JFK Airports and the Barkley Center. Please 0:01:31.680 --> 0:01:40.560 enjoy my conversation with Ryl mckasick Daniel So, Cheryl, thank 0:01:40.600 --> 0:01:44.320 you so much for joining us. I'm made by women First, Cheryl, 0:01:44.360 --> 0:01:46.680 can you tell us what is McKissick and how long 0:01:46.720 --> 0:01:50.920 has your company been around? So, McKissick McKissick is the 0:01:51.080 --> 0:01:56.880 nation's old black owned design and construction firm. We date 0:01:56.960 --> 0:02:01.040 back five generations to the late seven seen hundreds early 0:02:01.120 --> 0:02:06.600 eighteen hundreds. However, we did not incorporate until nineteen oh 0:02:06.640 --> 0:02:13.680 five in Nashville, Tennessee. We are architects and we are builders, 0:02:13.680 --> 0:02:19.000 construction managers, general contractors, and program managers. That sounds like 0:02:19.040 --> 0:02:21.040 you do a lot. So when did you step into 0:02:21.080 --> 0:02:24.960 your current role asque president and CEO. So I have 0:02:25.120 --> 0:02:28.560 to go back, um to our history, which I think 0:02:28.639 --> 0:02:33.959 might be quite interesting for our listening audience. Um As 0:02:34.000 --> 0:02:36.560 I said, the first descendant of our family came here 0:02:36.560 --> 0:02:40.120 as a slave. His name was Moses McKissick, and he 0:02:40.200 --> 0:02:43.840 was taught the trade of making bricks. We believe that 0:02:43.960 --> 0:02:49.000 he received his freedom around eighteen sixty or eighteen sixty 0:02:49.080 --> 0:02:52.800 five because he was able to give three hundred and 0:02:52.880 --> 0:02:57.680 sixty five thousand bricks to a wealthy family in Tennessee 0:02:57.760 --> 0:03:01.240 named the Cheers family, and they built their mansion from 0:03:01.240 --> 0:03:04.840 those bricks, and that mansion is still standing. Em bears 0:03:04.840 --> 0:03:09.880 the cornerstone of Moses mckizick the first. Moses mckizick's son, 0:03:10.280 --> 0:03:16.360 Moses mckizick the second, was a master carpenter um that 0:03:16.520 --> 0:03:19.919 was a trade back in the day for construction, and 0:03:20.040 --> 0:03:23.399 he was known for his spiral staircases and gingerbread finishes 0:03:23.840 --> 0:03:26.920 and homes in the South, but most notably he worked 0:03:27.000 --> 0:03:32.600 on the Maxwell House hotel right downtown Nashville, Tennessee, where 0:03:32.639 --> 0:03:38.560 six presidents actually stayed and visited. He had seven girls 0:03:38.640 --> 0:03:42.920 and then seven boys, a big family right. His first 0:03:42.960 --> 0:03:47.040 son was Moses mckizick the third, but because he wanted 0:03:47.160 --> 0:03:49.920 a son every time he had a girl, Moses had 0:03:50.000 --> 0:03:53.400 seven names. He had the names of all the boys 0:03:53.440 --> 0:03:57.360 that he thought he was going to have. His name 0:03:57.520 --> 0:04:01.680 is as weird as Moses. Henry aunt Edward Lewis McKissick 0:04:02.000 --> 0:04:06.840 the third and his brother is Calvin McKissick, and the 0:04:06.920 --> 0:04:10.520 two of them are the first black licensed architects in 0:04:10.560 --> 0:04:14.760 the country with license one seventeen and one eighteen in 0:04:14.800 --> 0:04:18.000 the state of Tennessee. So if you can imagine two 0:04:18.040 --> 0:04:21.280 black men going to take their license in the early 0:04:22.800 --> 0:04:25.440 two that's a whole story. And we're writing a book 0:04:25.440 --> 0:04:30.480 around that. You should And so the company was then 0:04:30.520 --> 0:04:34.400 passed down to my father that's fourth generation, and then 0:04:34.440 --> 0:04:37.080 my mother took over for several years when my father 0:04:37.200 --> 0:04:41.280 became ill, and then I've begain working in the company. 0:04:41.640 --> 0:04:45.080 In nineteen nine, my mother called up my boss at 0:04:45.120 --> 0:04:51.200 Turner Construction. UM. Turner is a large national contractor with 0:04:51.360 --> 0:04:55.680 their main office headquartered in New York City, and she 0:04:55.760 --> 0:05:01.400 told my boss, my daughter's quitting today and she's coming 0:05:01.440 --> 0:05:04.400 to work for her family firm. Okay, so that was 0:05:04.440 --> 0:05:06.640 gonna be my questions is gonna I was gonna ask you, 0:05:06.680 --> 0:05:09.479 did you plan to join your family family's business. But 0:05:09.520 --> 0:05:12.120 like I kind of see how that unfolded. Yeah, you know, 0:05:12.480 --> 0:05:17.200 um coming to New York and UM seeing what what 0:05:17.279 --> 0:05:20.599 black businesses were doing here and black people little hole. 0:05:21.200 --> 0:05:23.040 I mean, you know, I had a lot of friends 0:05:23.080 --> 0:05:26.279 who were investment bankers. As you know, I knew you. 0:05:26.440 --> 0:05:30.480 One of the most prominent attorneys in town. Um. You know, 0:05:30.960 --> 0:05:32.960 I began to say to myself, why would I be 0:05:33.040 --> 0:05:37.200 bothered with the company in Nashville, Tennessee, even though it's 0:05:37.240 --> 0:05:41.600 my family owned business, is my inheritance, UM, and I 0:05:41.640 --> 0:05:45.800 would be fifth generation because as a young person, you know, 0:05:45.920 --> 0:05:51.160 you don't see always the value and owning your own UM. 0:05:51.240 --> 0:05:54.520 And I can tell you I'm not sure that I 0:05:54.600 --> 0:05:58.360 would have joined the family business so soon if my 0:05:58.400 --> 0:06:02.279 mother had not stepped in and solicited my help. And 0:06:02.520 --> 0:06:05.400 you know, following her lead has probably been one of 0:06:05.400 --> 0:06:09.640 the best things I've ever done, because there's the ability 0:06:09.800 --> 0:06:13.680 to create your own destiny and when you have your 0:06:13.680 --> 0:06:18.600 own business, and and so I look back, it's been 0:06:18.680 --> 0:06:25.800 thirty years, thirty one years, and you know, it's it's 0:06:25.880 --> 0:06:29.040 it's been a terrific ride. That's amazing. UM. And so 0:06:29.360 --> 0:06:31.760 I'm not sure I would have done that on my own. 0:06:32.160 --> 0:06:35.440 I had to be kind of forced. It sounds like 0:06:35.480 --> 0:06:37.520 it was a good decision in the long run, and 0:06:37.720 --> 0:06:40.719 especially given the long and rich history. Thank you so 0:06:40.800 --> 0:06:43.560 much for sharing that with us. So once you're doing 0:06:43.640 --> 0:06:47.039 how did you make your own mark and execute your 0:06:47.080 --> 0:06:52.760 own vision for the company? Well, research and understanding that 0:06:53.400 --> 0:06:57.600 I had a portfolio, UM, but that portfolio really did 0:06:57.600 --> 0:07:01.400 not apply to New York as US. New Yorkers know, 0:07:01.680 --> 0:07:05.080 we're the greatest place in the world. We don't want 0:07:05.080 --> 0:07:07.799 to hear from people coming from out of town. We don't, 0:07:08.000 --> 0:07:11.600 you know, we we have enough of our own here UM. 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:16.200 And so coming from uh Washington, d C. Where I 0:07:16.240 --> 0:07:20.240 was in school, and then having this portfolio basically from 0:07:20.320 --> 0:07:26.120 the southeast, UM, really only helped me in deciding what 0:07:26.280 --> 0:07:30.280 areas I wanted to go and pursue. And I knew 0:07:30.320 --> 0:07:34.800 that that would be architecture and construction management. And so 0:07:35.560 --> 0:07:38.720 being a salesperson, I can say, well, we did this 0:07:38.800 --> 0:07:41.680 work over here in the South, but you know, we 0:07:41.720 --> 0:07:44.400 know New York is different. But I've been here working 0:07:44.440 --> 0:07:47.480 all these years, and now I understand, you know, all 0:07:47.520 --> 0:07:51.600 the idiosyncrasies around construction here in New York City. And 0:07:51.680 --> 0:07:58.000 so my strategy was to first develop strategic alliances with 0:07:58.120 --> 0:08:02.560 companies like mine that were much bigger, the Turners, the Skanskas, 0:08:03.120 --> 0:08:06.640 and a lot of those companies are are gone now 0:08:06.680 --> 0:08:10.880 because they've all been swallowed up, and so too developed 0:08:10.960 --> 0:08:16.120 strategic alliances with those companies as well as participate in 0:08:16.200 --> 0:08:21.040 the newly formed m w B E programs. UM. I 0:08:21.080 --> 0:08:24.520 believe when I first started my business, that was probably 0:08:24.640 --> 0:08:27.440 year one or two that the state had an m 0:08:27.600 --> 0:08:31.200 w B E program and the city was beginning to 0:08:31.200 --> 0:08:34.760 start there's with the school Construction Authority. Can you tell 0:08:34.840 --> 0:08:37.160 us what the m b W A program? I know 0:08:37.200 --> 0:08:38.640 what it is, but can you tell us what that 0:08:38.760 --> 0:08:40.800 is and the world that it played in sort of 0:08:40.840 --> 0:08:44.840 your decision making. So m w B stands for women 0:08:44.960 --> 0:08:51.439 and Minority Business Enterprises and those are programs UM geared 0:08:51.520 --> 0:08:56.760 to engage minority and women owned business firms. To be 0:08:56.840 --> 0:09:02.920 a minority and women owned business more than so of 0:09:02.960 --> 0:09:06.880 the company has to be owned by a woman or 0:09:07.360 --> 0:09:12.200 a minority. And over the years, New York State, in 0:09:12.280 --> 0:09:16.000 New York City and various agencies and now the private 0:09:16.000 --> 0:09:21.560 sector have set up programs where UM they challenge the 0:09:21.679 --> 0:09:24.840 A E C community which is my community and goods 0:09:24.840 --> 0:09:28.480 and services to make sure that they hire these types 0:09:28.520 --> 0:09:34.040 of businesses. And early on, let's say the goals were 0:09:34.600 --> 0:09:39.800 you know, ten or five percent of city agencies would 0:09:39.880 --> 0:09:44.599 go to MWB E firms. That has now grown to 0:09:45.960 --> 0:09:49.719 UM and so these firms have been very instrumental and 0:09:49.920 --> 0:09:54.839 leveling the playing field for firms like ours and given 0:09:54.920 --> 0:09:58.440 us the ability to get started with very little capital 0:09:59.160 --> 0:10:04.600 UM and very little access quite frankly two decision makers 0:10:04.800 --> 0:10:08.640 when it comes to contracts. These programs UM have given 0:10:08.760 --> 0:10:15.520 us direct contact with UM city officials and and commissioners 0:10:15.760 --> 0:10:20.040 UM who make the decisions on you know, most of 0:10:20.040 --> 0:10:25.839 the contracting community, contracting community for a EC and that's architecture, 0:10:25.920 --> 0:10:29.440 engineering and construction. It sounds like, no, it's that a 0:10:29.440 --> 0:10:32.200 great program, but so they given where we are right 0:10:32.200 --> 0:10:34.880 now with the economy, that would seem to me we 0:10:34.920 --> 0:10:37.880 need programs like that more than ever. Yes, And you 0:10:37.920 --> 0:10:41.600 know what, Sharon, we are seeing now more because what 0:10:41.800 --> 0:10:47.880 happened over time is there became a disparity within the disparity. 0:10:48.000 --> 0:10:52.280 So what a disparity study is conducted by an agency, 0:10:52.400 --> 0:10:57.040 a city, a state to determine first what is the 0:10:57.120 --> 0:11:01.920 capacity to contract with minority and women on firms and 0:11:01.960 --> 0:11:08.000 then UM what the actual goals should be as far 0:11:08.080 --> 0:11:11.240 as minority and women on firms. So women firms may 0:11:11.280 --> 0:11:16.280 have a goal, minority men may have a goal UM, 0:11:16.480 --> 0:11:20.160 Minority women may have a goal. And what happened over 0:11:20.280 --> 0:11:24.480 time is more women businesses begin to get more work 0:11:25.080 --> 0:11:29.640 then the minority businesses, and now the disparity studies are 0:11:29.720 --> 0:11:35.720 showing a disparity within the disparity. So recently various UM 0:11:35.760 --> 0:11:39.320 cities like New York UM and the State of New 0:11:39.400 --> 0:11:45.520 York have started to begin programs targeting black business or 0:11:45.800 --> 0:11:51.640 Latino business because that is where the disparity, you know, 0:11:51.920 --> 0:11:57.720 lies with the Latino and black female receiving you know, 0:11:58.800 --> 0:12:02.160 much less work than than all the other categories within 0:12:02.200 --> 0:12:06.400 the m w B program. So in that regard as 0:12:06.440 --> 0:12:10.160 a woman not only working in construction but leading a 0:12:10.200 --> 0:12:12.600 construction company, can you talk a little bit about what 0:12:12.720 --> 0:12:16.839 challenges that you faced or continue to face UM as 0:12:16.880 --> 0:12:22.800 an entrepreneur. Early on, it was all about capital. UM. 0:12:22.880 --> 0:12:26.920 We could not get a lot of credit. UM we 0:12:26.920 --> 0:12:31.720 we UM had to meet payroll. So how do you 0:12:31.800 --> 0:12:36.000 pay payroll while you're waiting for your invoices to go 0:12:36.160 --> 0:12:40.920 through a New York City or New York's State UM 0:12:42.360 --> 0:12:46.600 Procurement department. UM. And you know what was interesting is 0:12:46.720 --> 0:12:51.920 I knew some investment bankers then, and UM five investment 0:12:51.960 --> 0:12:57.560 bankers actually invested in McKissick. And that's how I really 0:12:57.600 --> 0:13:00.440 got my business off the ground. They each gave me 0:13:00.520 --> 0:13:03.199 five thousand dollars and I had it. They gave it 0:13:03.240 --> 0:13:05.400 to me for six months, and at the end of 0:13:05.480 --> 0:13:09.040 six months, I gave them six thousand dollars. So back 0:13:09.080 --> 0:13:13.720 then that was a good return. That's a real good return, 0:13:13.840 --> 0:13:18.280 it really is. That's that's that's creative finance. I mean, 0:13:18.679 --> 0:13:22.520 in particularly, you know, the access to capital. You figured 0:13:22.520 --> 0:13:25.160 out a way to to solve for that by reaching 0:13:25.720 --> 0:13:28.480 I guess to your own networks. UM. So of a 0:13:28.520 --> 0:13:31.000 lot of women entrepreneurs have probably have done the same thing, 0:13:31.120 --> 0:13:34.320 because we do know that access to capital has been 0:13:34.360 --> 0:13:39.360 a big challenge for women entrepreneurs. And you know, again 0:13:39.400 --> 0:13:41.800 with the economy being as it is today, this this 0:13:41.800 --> 0:13:45.800 this issue is really prominent. I totally agree with that. 0:13:45.920 --> 0:13:48.920 I mean, you know, as a result of the interests 0:13:48.920 --> 0:13:52.560 of these investment bank because I've never forgotten that and 0:13:52.600 --> 0:13:56.360 what that meant for me. So all along the way, 0:13:56.960 --> 0:14:02.360 I have tried to help firms. UM. But recently, about 0:14:02.400 --> 0:14:07.719 a year ago, a good friend of mine, a black engineer, 0:14:08.800 --> 0:14:12.360 we started a firm called Legacy Engineering for the sole 0:14:12.440 --> 0:14:18.920 purpose of giving young engineers ownership and allowing them to 0:14:18.960 --> 0:14:23.240 be entrepreneurs. UM. And I say that because our model 0:14:23.400 --> 0:14:26.480 is we are owners of the company right now. We've 0:14:26.520 --> 0:14:31.680 brought in for young black engineers and in five years 0:14:31.760 --> 0:14:35.840 returning the entire company over to them and we will exit. 0:14:36.480 --> 0:14:40.240 And so that's setting up you know, black businesses for 0:14:40.320 --> 0:14:44.200 the future, but also mentoring them on how to be 0:14:44.360 --> 0:14:48.760 business owners. Yeah, we just don't do it by ourselves. 0:14:48.840 --> 0:14:52.120 We've hired consultants to come in and teach these young 0:14:52.160 --> 0:14:55.400 men really how to be owners. So hopefully in five 0:14:55.480 --> 0:14:57.440 years they'll be ready to take it over, because I 0:14:57.520 --> 0:15:01.560 know I'll be ready to pass it over. I like 0:15:01.640 --> 0:15:05.560 the name Legacy Engineers to I understand that the need 0:15:05.640 --> 0:15:10.000 to pass to be time on. We'll be back with 0:15:10.080 --> 0:15:22.680 senecas made by women after this short break. You were 0:15:22.720 --> 0:15:27.600 talking about challenges, and you know we have had to 0:15:27.760 --> 0:15:33.200 deal challenges. My company has overcome slavery, okay, slavery dem 0:15:33.360 --> 0:15:37.480 craw But when it comes to my last thirty years, 0:15:37.880 --> 0:15:40.040 you know, I think one of the things we deal 0:15:40.120 --> 0:15:43.720 with and struggle with as a minority firm is people 0:15:44.360 --> 0:15:49.360 I still think that we provide our services are inferior 0:15:49.840 --> 0:15:54.760 and that they cost more. And you'd be surprised how 0:15:54.800 --> 0:15:59.920 I still here that um that you know, we don't 0:16:00.120 --> 0:16:05.680 have any reach. Um, you know that we're not thinking 0:16:05.800 --> 0:16:10.680 on the scale of a larger business owner. UM. And 0:16:10.680 --> 0:16:13.560 and they're kind of like that can be you know, 0:16:14.440 --> 0:16:17.400 in your face, or it could just be a microaggression. 0:16:17.560 --> 0:16:21.400 I mean, it's it comes in so many different ways 0:16:21.440 --> 0:16:24.080 that sometimes you have to sit and think to yourself, 0:16:24.680 --> 0:16:27.840 do I even want to deal with that right now? Now? 0:16:27.880 --> 0:16:32.040 I know that you've worked one some incredibly impressive projects 0:16:32.600 --> 0:16:35.120 along the way. Can you tell us a little bit 0:16:35.120 --> 0:16:38.920 about some of those projects? And how did you know 0:16:39.600 --> 0:16:41.600 when they take a risk on a big project and 0:16:42.000 --> 0:16:44.200 how did you how did you tell like put ones 0:16:44.280 --> 0:16:47.160 weren't quite the right fit for you? We have had 0:16:47.200 --> 0:16:51.640 the players are working on some very wonderful projects, iconic 0:16:51.760 --> 0:16:55.920 projects for New York. UM. You know, we were on 0:16:56.040 --> 0:17:04.760 the tappan See Bridge, LaGuardia Airport, um Delta Terminal, Columbia, Manhattanville. 0:17:05.600 --> 0:17:10.919 We oversee the MTA's capital program and report directly to 0:17:11.040 --> 0:17:15.119 the board on every project that's over a hundred million dollars, 0:17:15.119 --> 0:17:18.320 which is most of them. UM. So I would say 0:17:18.400 --> 0:17:22.280 we report on somewhere around three hundred projects to the 0:17:22.359 --> 0:17:26.040 board on a monthly basis, and we've had that contract 0:17:26.040 --> 0:17:29.399 for ten years UM and so that we are I 0:17:29.440 --> 0:17:34.119 am blessed to have that UM. Because of that contract, 0:17:34.200 --> 0:17:38.240 we've been able to build a national transit package and 0:17:38.480 --> 0:17:45.240 we are working in l A, Florida, Miami, Dallas, and Chicago. UM, 0:17:45.280 --> 0:17:48.639 so we've been able to expand off of that one project. 0:17:49.400 --> 0:17:54.240 UM risk is a whole another story. I mean, we've 0:17:54.280 --> 0:17:57.880 taken on projects that we probably shouldn't have and that's 0:17:57.920 --> 0:18:00.159 the best way to learn, you know, it's a peri. 0:18:00.200 --> 0:18:02.480 At the time that you know, most of our work 0:18:02.600 --> 0:18:05.960 was general contracting. We were lumps on bidding it and 0:18:06.119 --> 0:18:08.879 you know, in in that environment you can take on 0:18:09.119 --> 0:18:11.920 ten good jobs and one bad job and go out 0:18:11.920 --> 0:18:15.400 of business. And so, you know, we had our ups 0:18:15.440 --> 0:18:18.720 and downs in that area of work and I think 0:18:18.760 --> 0:18:22.280 now we've gotten it to where, you know, we're we're 0:18:22.280 --> 0:18:25.600 comfortable with the risk that we take there, but that 0:18:25.600 --> 0:18:32.280 that comes with experience having been hurt on projects before. 0:18:32.640 --> 0:18:36.480 You know, our new projects were getting interest from UM 0:18:36.640 --> 0:18:40.720 the tech world, so UM in the last two months, 0:18:41.000 --> 0:18:44.959 you know, we've worked with Amazon, UM, we've had several 0:18:45.000 --> 0:18:48.880 interviews with Apple, and Microsoft has a project coming up 0:18:49.280 --> 0:18:52.080 and so that's exciting. We're seeing a lot of movement. 0:18:52.160 --> 0:18:56.520 There are k through twelve or higher. It all those 0:18:56.560 --> 0:19:01.480 sectors UM seemed to be moving even during this you 0:19:01.520 --> 0:19:04.480 know COVID period. I was gonna ask you a little 0:19:04.480 --> 0:19:07.199 bit about COVID and we know that a lot of 0:19:07.280 --> 0:19:11.280 companies have had to pivot their business models and operations 0:19:12.040 --> 0:19:15.960 due to the pandemic. UM. How has COVID impacted your 0:19:16.000 --> 0:19:19.880 business and how have you been able to pivot? So 0:19:20.000 --> 0:19:25.640 it's impacted the the construction industry overall in that we 0:19:25.760 --> 0:19:30.040 have new policies. You know the number of of workers 0:19:30.080 --> 0:19:32.320 that can be on a site, so you have to 0:19:32.320 --> 0:19:37.080 work on shifts, the ppe required, you know, the cleaning 0:19:37.200 --> 0:19:41.920 required to all these things have a cost um and 0:19:41.960 --> 0:19:45.680 we're working through that UM. For our company, a lot 0:19:45.720 --> 0:19:49.280 of our work is was was deemed central because we 0:19:49.359 --> 0:19:53.679 do hospitals, UM and infrastructure work like at the m 0:19:53.720 --> 0:19:58.280 T a UM. So out of our hundred and forty people, 0:19:59.280 --> 0:20:02.399 we probably had at twelve or thirteen people who were 0:20:02.440 --> 0:20:05.720 furloughed and most of those have have come back to work, 0:20:06.040 --> 0:20:08.880 and so you know, we've kind of been blessed through this, 0:20:09.760 --> 0:20:14.680 but it has been devastating for companies that are strictly 0:20:14.920 --> 0:20:19.320 K through twelve. The School Construction Authority, all of their 0:20:19.359 --> 0:20:25.080 work was was suspended and just now beginning to come 0:20:25.080 --> 0:20:29.560 back online slowly. And then the private sector, the entire 0:20:29.600 --> 0:20:34.960 private sector was suspended. Office buildings, residential, retail, all those 0:20:34.960 --> 0:20:39.080 projects were suspended under Governor Como's law. But they're all 0:20:39.119 --> 0:20:43.280 coming back on online now. At Terminal one, we are 0:20:43.320 --> 0:20:47.840 the program manager for the new JFK terminal at Terminal one, 0:20:48.520 --> 0:20:53.760 which is where Carlisle. Carlisle has teamed with Jim Rentals 0:20:54.040 --> 0:20:58.080 from Loup Capital as well as Magic Johnson Enterprises the 0:20:58.240 --> 0:21:02.480 build Originally it was a six billion dollar terminal. We've 0:21:02.560 --> 0:21:06.040 now reduced the scope somewhat and will build out parts 0:21:06.040 --> 0:21:09.840 of the terminal later because the airlines are saying they 0:21:09.880 --> 0:21:13.560 will not be back on line full scale, and this 0:21:13.640 --> 0:21:17.920 is optimistic till The good news is that we're fighting 0:21:17.920 --> 0:21:22.840 food through this difficult moment um and being resilient, you know, 0:21:23.000 --> 0:21:27.159 particularly as New Yorkers were pretty resilient people. Um, you know, 0:21:27.200 --> 0:21:29.200 as you know, having gone through your nine eleven and 0:21:29.400 --> 0:21:32.600 the number of other prices at this time, knowing what 0:21:32.680 --> 0:21:35.960 you do know, um was the one piece of advice 0:21:36.200 --> 0:21:40.359 that you got that was crucial to your success or 0:21:40.400 --> 0:21:44.280 your career path. I would say there are two specific 0:21:44.359 --> 0:21:47.760 things that I have taken for me. One is out 0:21:47.760 --> 0:21:52.360 of my grandfather and his brother's book, and that is relationships. 0:21:52.920 --> 0:21:55.600 Because those they were two men, black men, do a 0:21:55.640 --> 0:22:00.280 business where there were no MWB programs. Everything that they 0:22:00.320 --> 0:22:04.160 did was based on some relationship that they had. Um. 0:22:04.200 --> 0:22:06.800 And the same was true for my father. Um. So 0:22:06.920 --> 0:22:11.040 building relationships, UM, I think is key. But I also 0:22:11.080 --> 0:22:14.400 think it's important to think big. You have to think 0:22:14.440 --> 0:22:18.600 outside of the rim of what you can see. UM. 0:22:18.640 --> 0:22:21.840 I think you need to. You know, for me, it 0:22:22.000 --> 0:22:25.959 was standing in Jersey City looking across the water at 0:22:26.160 --> 0:22:30.800 huge Manhattan saying to myself, one day, I'm going to 0:22:30.880 --> 0:22:35.800 be the largest black owned construction company over there over there, 0:22:35.840 --> 0:22:38.520 because I wasn't even living in Manhattan. And so I, 0:22:39.000 --> 0:22:44.720 you know, I think having the thoughts, um of where 0:22:44.800 --> 0:22:47.960 you can go. You know, I heard someone say recently 0:22:48.000 --> 0:22:52.120 the Green Book, which used to tell black people where 0:22:52.160 --> 0:22:57.760 they could stay in the South, is really just Airbnb today. Um. 0:22:57.840 --> 0:23:00.639 And so that's this think of that could have been 0:23:00.680 --> 0:23:04.480 a possibility for the person who came up with the 0:23:04.520 --> 0:23:09.280 Green Book. Yes, that's that I like that analogy, so 0:23:09.320 --> 0:23:13.119 I assumed that that your advice to young entrepreneurs who 0:23:13.160 --> 0:23:15.639 are moving up in their career path. It sounds to 0:23:15.680 --> 0:23:17.800 me that you would give them that same piece of 0:23:17.840 --> 0:23:22.240 advice in terms of building relationships and thinking big, any 0:23:22.240 --> 0:23:26.400 other surposal wisdom that you would would share with them. 0:23:26.440 --> 0:23:29.200 You know, it's it's really the truth of the matter 0:23:30.040 --> 0:23:33.800 is being an entreeur manure has uh, it's ups and downs. 0:23:34.359 --> 0:23:37.600 You know, it's gonna be an abb and flow um, 0:23:37.640 --> 0:23:40.320 and they're gonna be some really low periods. It's not 0:23:40.440 --> 0:23:45.840 always good. And my road that I traveled, I would 0:23:45.880 --> 0:23:49.200 say I have been working at this for thirty years 0:23:50.040 --> 0:23:54.639 and it's only been the last five years where I 0:23:54.760 --> 0:23:58.680 felt like, you know what's Cheryl, You're fatherily at a 0:23:58.800 --> 0:24:03.600 point where you feel comfortable. Yes, you're not worried about 0:24:03.680 --> 0:24:06.680 what's coming around the corner with respect to anything that's 0:24:06.720 --> 0:24:09.600 in my power. You can stand in your own shoes 0:24:09.920 --> 0:24:14.320 and talk to anybody about anything in your industry um 0:24:14.359 --> 0:24:19.320 without feeling you know, nervous or inadequate. And you know 0:24:19.440 --> 0:24:23.120 you're being recognized in your industry by your others as 0:24:23.160 --> 0:24:28.720 being a mentor, um, as giving back to minority firms. Um. 0:24:28.800 --> 0:24:33.760 And so I'm just saying it's a journey. It's a journey. 0:24:33.920 --> 0:24:36.639 It's a journey, yes, but you know it's it's a 0:24:36.920 --> 0:24:40.399 it's a journey that um, you have navigated it quite 0:24:40.400 --> 0:24:43.520 well and I do know about the ups and downs 0:24:43.680 --> 0:24:49.040 uh career paths. Um. And you know, being positive it 0:24:49.119 --> 0:24:53.439 is really important. So in this moment in time, what 0:24:53.640 --> 0:25:00.240 makes you optimistic? Well, UM, I think that based really 0:25:00.520 --> 0:25:04.600 people are good or they weren't good. They want the best. 0:25:04.960 --> 0:25:09.159 And in this period where you know the ratio inequalities 0:25:10.000 --> 0:25:12.120 that other people are seeing it, I mean, I think 0:25:12.119 --> 0:25:16.120 we've been seeing it forever. When I was nine at 0:25:16.119 --> 0:25:20.200 a friend's house for birthday party and we came outside, 0:25:20.240 --> 0:25:24.560 there was a huge cross burning in the yard in Nashville, Tennessee. 0:25:25.200 --> 0:25:27.520 So I mean that kind of changed my existence in 0:25:27.600 --> 0:25:32.439 my world. Um. And so what I'm seeing now is 0:25:32.960 --> 0:25:37.119 everybody is beginning to understand, if they want to, that 0:25:37.160 --> 0:25:40.639 there is a racial inequality in this country and a 0:25:40.680 --> 0:25:43.480 lot of them are thinking we need to do something 0:25:43.520 --> 0:25:48.160 about it. And that is extremely encouraging. So I mean, 0:25:48.200 --> 0:25:52.879 I hope it really amounts to something. I'm optimistic there. 0:25:53.080 --> 0:25:57.880 Um as well, and we look forward to what the future. 0:25:57.880 --> 0:26:00.400 We can we can we create a better world? Um, 0:26:00.680 --> 0:26:04.040 which is important. It is so as we lined down, 0:26:04.160 --> 0:26:07.280 let me ask, is there one particular question that you 0:26:07.400 --> 0:26:10.439 wished I have. I should have asked you who is 0:26:10.480 --> 0:26:13.320 my mentor? Oh, that's a good question. Who what's your 0:26:13.720 --> 0:26:20.040 who is your mentor? My mother? That's great, that's great. 0:26:20.880 --> 0:26:26.360 Here's a lady who had a master's degree in psychology, 0:26:26.520 --> 0:26:32.200 who took over a business in the eighties early eighties 0:26:32.640 --> 0:26:37.480 when women were not supposed to be in construction, and 0:26:37.640 --> 0:26:41.439 she had the foresight and fortitude to know that she 0:26:41.520 --> 0:26:45.880 needed to hold onto this business and make sure that 0:26:45.960 --> 0:26:50.160 her three daughters, not a son, her three daughters followed 0:26:50.160 --> 0:26:54.240 in her footsteps and in the footsteps of their ancestors. 0:26:54.840 --> 0:26:57.760 That's great. I'm sure she's extremely proud of you. But 0:26:57.920 --> 0:27:01.280 you have accomplished. I do know that you've got some 0:27:01.640 --> 0:27:05.400 brilliant sisters. I've met at least one of them. Yes, 0:27:05.440 --> 0:27:10.080 you have, Yes, my sister. It is the architect of 0:27:10.200 --> 0:27:14.520 record for the Martin Luther King Memorial, as his program 0:27:14.600 --> 0:27:19.040 manager for uh the African American Museum, and as his 0:27:19.119 --> 0:27:22.159 program manager for the Barack Obama Library well, it sounds 0:27:22.200 --> 0:27:25.919 like the blood really was running deep from your ancestors 0:27:25.920 --> 0:27:27.600 in terms of you had no choice but to be 0:27:27.760 --> 0:27:29.840 in the field that you that you're in and what 0:27:29.960 --> 0:27:33.800 a great uh you know, legacy and to to see 0:27:33.800 --> 0:27:37.560 your family business thrive um you know as it as 0:27:37.560 --> 0:27:41.199 it has. Thank you so much for joining us, and 0:27:41.240 --> 0:27:44.360 I know that our listeners will be inspired by what 0:27:44.400 --> 0:27:47.439 you share with us today. So thank you so much, SCHRL. 0:27:50.400 --> 0:27:54.000 What an amazing family one with the legacy that continues 0:27:54.040 --> 0:27:57.840 to grow. Your three valuable lessons I took from the 0:27:57.880 --> 0:28:04.440 conversationist it should advises think big, think outside the realm 0:28:04.480 --> 0:28:07.080