Women At Work

Five designers, architects, and business owners reminisce about the early years of their careers— and offer advice.

- Jen Roberts

Starting Out: I took over running the firm when my husband passed away 19 years ago. The challenge I faced was that I’m not an architect, not a designer, and now I’m running an architectural firm. There was blatant sexism and a huge pay disparity. It was impossible to have your voice heard. I’ve always been feisty, and I just took charge. Early on, I remember a client telling Mitch [her late husband, Mitchell Wall, with whom she co-founded the firm], “I don’t want to work with that pushy broad.” I was fortunate to have great advisors. Being a woman, I made sure to bring other women into the field and grow those women. Today, we’re a group of eight: We have three men and the rest are women, and there is no pay disparity.

Career Advice: Don’t be afraid of change. If you’re unhappy where you are, don’t settle. Don’t be afraid to move to a different firm. Don’t waste your time. We have a short amount of time on earth, so make sure where you’re working meets your design philosophy and that you’re comfortable in the work place.

SUSAN BOWER

 PRINCIPAL, BOWER LEET DESIGN

Starting Out: When I started architecture school at the University of Kentucky, there were only a handful of women—literally five and one female instructor. A lot has changed. I think it’s a great time to be practicing as a woman. We’re getting a lot more positive press, and women are assuming more roles of responsibility. For female architects, there are two major challenges to face: lack of construction knowledge and the fact that there aren’t that many female clients, particularly in the corporate world.