Article Submitted By:  Elena Hercule
Chapter or Area South Florida
Phone Number (954) 415-6774
Email ehercule@hjconstructiongroup.com

Why Membership with NABWIC?

For many black women in construction, opportunities are the only difference between us and other businesses. The game changer is "access!"

My daughter and little sister are avid Hamilton fans, so the Hamilton track was the record of choice for every car ride in the summer when we went to Boston as they sang every track word for word, dancing and laughing. So, there's this song, "The Room where it happens," from the Hamilton soundtrack where Aaron Burr sings how He wants to be "in the room where it happens." He's referencing the meeting where Hamilton negotiated with Thomas Jefferson to get his vote on the federal bank as Jefferson got the State Capitol in the South.

As a NABWIC member, one of the most powerful services that NABWIC provides is that "NABWIC gets you in the room where it happens." What you do once you get in the room and get the contact it's up to you, but many members have been able to leverage that contact and turn them into contracts. Once you realize that and commit to strategically optimizing the access that NABWIC provides, you're on the up and up.

As an organization, NABWIC has been on the ground for years. The current climate focuses on the new infrastructure bill and the recognition of the value women, in our case, black women, bring to the construction field. The time is now for black women businesses to join NABWIC and for everyone that supports their contribution to society, including Professionals that provide services to the construction industry.

We must join forces because in doing so, not only do we amplify each other's voices, we connect in our similarities and gather the courage to show up authentically. As a black woman in construction, having the courage to embrace our identity, all of whom and what we are, permit us to show up authentically. We bring so much more value than when we're just trying to blend in a world that lets us be invisible for a very long time. So as history, her story unfolds and shines a light on what we've been doing in our quiet corners and the value we bring to our communities; let us embrace each other. An African proverb says, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." So, this is an official invitation to come home, come in the room, and get support, so you can gather the strength to go further and reach higher.

Give us a chance to transfer knowledge and the lessons learned. Allow yourself to create on an existing foundation, so you don't waste time recreating previously completed items when you can take the time to develop new, innovative, and unique things that we all need to step up and show up, what we so sorely need.

Your invitation to NABWIC awaits. Lean in the power of our community and for your voice to become unique and as loud as possible. Remember, "When you got skin in the game, you stay in the game. But you don't get to win if you don't play in the game." (Hamilton lyrics)

See you in the room, whether you're leveraging the contacts, shovel-ready, just getting started, or a proud supporter/partner of NABWIC. The future awaits us to show up as a community and as individuals. See you there.