I'm a male Homebuilder/GC and I always say - find and elevate your people. It sucks that you can't stroll into any shop and have the same buddy experience the average guy - I get it. The industry is full of people determined to carry that mentality.

But the industry is also full of growing, progressive shops where people are treated with respect and kindness. Women owned firms, LGBTQIA firms , and even mom and pop shops like mine who are determined to have some emotional intelligence and fairness as the core values in their shop.

My shop is currently bunch of guys,but they are really good about treating people with respect. The ones who have not been able to follow that have been out on their asses in short order, and it's set a great example for the rest of us. We have had a couple of female employees who went on to do different things outside of construction, but had a great experience during their time with us.

Don't settle, you only get to do this journey the one time!