We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andrea Pender. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andrea below.
Alright, Andrea thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you take vacations? Why or why not?
This is such a great question! Yes, I take vacations and I think everyone needs to use their PTO (paid time off). There are statistics that show you come back a better performer after a vacation. Take the time off – rest, recharge, and come back stronger! We live in a world where work/life balance is a new buzz word and many people are realizing it is something we need to prioritize. Vacations help with our work performance and our mental health.
During the holidays last year my husband and I sat down and picked out dates to do something once a quarter. It might just be a long weekend, but it is really exciting knowing we have a trip to look forward to in a few months! We have a big map of the United States in the entryway of our house and we add a photograph once we visit a new state. 2022 is all about visiting new states to fill in the map!
So far this year we have visited:
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Portland, Oregon
Key West, Florida
We have plans to finish out the year visiting:
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Salt Lake City, Utah
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I have an interesting story of how I landed in the engineering world. I graduated from Purdue University as an English major and taught 7th grade English right out of college. I then moved into the world of photography and owned my own business specializing in outdoor family portraits and corporate head shots. Twelve years later I was ready to make a change. My husband worked in the commercial construction industry and I had heard stories for years and wanted to jump into this world as well. An engineering firm took a chance on me as their marketing coordinator and then realizing business development was my true passion I found RLG Consulting Engineers and haven’t looked back!
RLG Consulting Engineers is an engineering firm specializing in civil engineering, structural engineering, forensics/strengthening, and surveying. We work on a wide range of projects including healthcare, industrial, multifamily, K12, higher education, senior living, and more.
I am most proud of working for a firm with a great team of engineers that has been in business for nearly 70 years. It’s really great watching the engineers grow and become more confident in the business development side of the business. It’s so great watching them use the business development skills I have taught and suggested over the years and grow into subject matter experts and trusted advisors to our clients.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
I am an avid reader and always encourage people to read more! If you hop over to my Instagram account you will see all of the my book recommendations! I can’t pinpoint one book specifically that was a game changer, but I am frequently reading books to help grow, both personally and as a leader. The last couple books I read were “Leading Change” by John P. Kotter and “Mental Training for Ultrarunning” by Addie Bracy. Both of these books had really great action items to help you grow.
As the President of the Park Forest Library Friends organization I always remind people to use their library card! It’s free and you have access to all the books, audio books, magazines, newspapers, etc…you could imagine!
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
I really enjoy getting to know my clients on a personal level. I have meetings with them to learn about what work projects they are currently working on, but I also spend time getting to know them as a person. I want to know about their hobbies, their family, their pets, all the fun stuff that makes them who they are! I always say that people do business with people they know, like, and trust. If something is missing from that equation they will work with someone else.
I always remind my engineers that it takes time to build a relationship. I read, years ago, that it takes an average of 18 months before you get the opportunity to propose on a project with a new client. Building genuine relationships is definitely a long game, but very much worth it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rlginc.com
- Instagram: @theandreapender
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreapender/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/izuG6e7OxtM
Image Credits
Professional Head Shot – Vanessa Corral