We were lucky to catch up with Jonaé Richmond recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jonaé, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard
The biggest difference in between our firm and the industry standard is rarely do people expect to see young, black women owning and operating an engineering firm. We are not what typically fits the perception of owners, and even working professionals in the engineering/architecture industry.
We are very glad to break those barriers and perceptions to be a positive example for young, black women aside us and the future young, black girls behind us. If we can do it, we want every other woman alike to know that it is within their grasp and capabilities as well.
Jonaé, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
This architecture/engineering plan has truly been paved by God. I got my degree from Texas Southern University in Sociology/Psychology and cringed at the thought of even considering a career in engineering (I was horrible at math and it was always my least favorite subject!). I was getting back into the workforce after taking some time of with my newborn daughter and even with my degree and experience, finding a position in my field was proving to be very difficult. I was aligned to receive an opportunity as an Executive Assistant at a design/engineering company.
During my time in this position, I was able to use my past experience in running/growing businesses part time to see problems and present working solutions for them. Some of the problems were small and some of them were big enough to be a threat to the company. These problems exceeded my scope, but I had the confidence and initiative to contribute my input to assist.
When I observed the results of my action and feedback, I even surprised myself with the natural knack I had for operating a business. I was happy to be recognized as an equal with ownership and after a year and a half, I was offered a VP position. The pride and excitement I felt was indescribable. If you would have told me ten years ago I would be running an engineering company, I would have thought you were crazy!
This has not come without opposition. I’ve been downplayed, dismissed, and disrespected for simply being a woman. I’ve experienced harassment and inappropriate passes from my male counterparts and clients, I’ve been ignored and undermined, but I never let it stop or defeat me,
Fast forward to last year, my sister and took a leap of faith to build a business of our own. Nothing was more satisfying than received our registered firm number from the state. We were officially ART Engineering, Inc.. We now offer property research, permitting, design, engineering, inspection, and consulting services for both commercial/residential properties/developments. We have very seasoned consultants, designers, and engineers that rarely see a problem they cannot solve.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to learn to reject other’s expectations and opinions placed upon me. Learning to live for me was the most rewarding decision I made. I was classified as a “goodie two shoes” for a good chunk of my life. To a degree , I still am simply because most people do not know what I had to lose and sacrifice behind the scenes to get where I am. It took me listening to other people and losing everything I had to learn that I knew what was best for me. In retrospect, I now know that even when I didn’t know what was best for me, I FELT IT. My intuition was never wrong. I put my full trust in myself and God and haven’t lost since.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
A big reason that we have fostered brand loyalty is because all we know is solutions. Projects have come across our desk that have red tagged, dead, and ruined; the clients at this point think there is no way the project can be revived, or resolved. These types of clients have also went to more than one firm before they come to us with no luck. We solve the issues, and even when we cannot propose a feasible solution for the project’s issue, we are able to conjure a bigger and better plan than the original. Our consultants are very educated, knowledgeable of the codes, and do not take no for an answer. Once we figure out one troublesome project, our clients always come back with the next.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.artengineeringinc.com
- Instagram: @artengineeringinc
Image Credits
Photos by @_SheShootsPhotography_
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