💌 Becoming the Builder: My Journey as a Woman in Construction

Dear Reader,

Before Guild Properties was born, I had a career I truly loved. I worked in finance at Georgetown University — a job that gave me stability, purpose, and pride. But over time, something else kept tugging at me: the passion I had for transforming spaces. I knew in my heart that I wanted to build a life where design and construction weren’t just side projects, but the very center of my work.

In many ways, construction has always been a part of my story. I grew up surrounded by it — my father was an engineer and builder who owned a construction company. Some of my earliest memories are of being around plans, projects, and the rhythm of building. I didn’t realize it at the time, but those experiences planted the seed for the passion I would later follow.

By 2014, I stepped into the construction world myself, starting with the renovation of our own home and moving on to investment properties. Those house-flipping years taught me how to manage renovations, work with subcontractors, and see potential in spaces others overlooked. By 2019, I had a solid foundation and knew it was time to take the next step: becoming licensed as a general contractor.

So in early 2019, I started prepping for the exams and licensing process. Let me tell you — it was grueling. Hours of studying, late nights, and plenty of doubt along the way. Finally, in November of 2020, I walked out licensed with both my residential and commercial building licenses in hand. It was one of the proudest moments of my life.

But that license was just the beginning.

My first official project as a licensed general contractor was in December of 2020: Nicole’s basement bathroom. I’ll never forget the mix of excitement and nerves walking onto that job. It was the beginning of Guild Properties, the first time I was truly the builder in charge.

And that’s when the real challenges began.

Since then, I’ve faced plenty of ups and downs with subcontractors who didn’t see eye to eye with me, or who weren’t used to a woman setting the tone on the jobsite. In the beginning, I’ll be honest — it was tough. But something shifted in me. I realized that I was done letting others dictate how things were going to go. If someone didn’t respect how I wanted things done, then we simply couldn’t work together.

That was the moment I stopped shrinking back and started fully stepping into my role: the builder.

The more I trusted my intuition, the more confident I became. And with each project, that confidence grew — not because things suddenly got easy, but because I knew I could stand firmly in who I was and how I wanted to lead.

“Becoming the Builder” hasn’t just been about projects and permits. It’s been about finding my voice, owning my space, and refusing to let doubt — mine or anyone else’s — keep me from building the life and the company I dreamed of.

With warmth (and a whole lot of gratitude for the journey),
Gaby
Founder, Guild Properties

P.S. To every woman reading this who feels out of place in a male-dominated field: trust your voice, trust your intuition. Confidence isn’t something you wait for. It’s something you build, one decision at a time.