Pat Miller is the owner and president of Blue Diamond Construction, a company she built from the ground up. With a background in accounting and business, Pat’s journey into construction was an unexpected one, sparked by her desire to support her family. After facing the heartbreaking loss of her husband to cancer, Pat took the reins of the business and rebuilt it, proving her resilience and determination. A passionate advocate for women in construction, she encourages more women to explore the industry and emphasizes the importance of showing up in the field. Pat is also the author of Kicking Karma’s Ass: Unbelievable Stories of Strength, Resilience, and Perseverance, where she shares her personal and professional journey with humor and heart.
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Pat Miller: Yeah, it’s scary. But it happened. And I always say, without, you know, being I don’t know, I always say my husband’s death allowed me to become the woman I was destined to be. So he did not. He did not die in vain. He allowed me to become the person and the woman I was destined to be. Because, you know, when you’re married and, you know, old school, I always took the backseat. I was always in the office. I was the necessary evil. I was doing the construction, you know, bids and the procurement and, you know, the administration, the accounting was never out in the field. And now I have to do both. But it keeps me busy. You know, it didn’t give me time to think about grieving. That’s for sure.
Alka Bahal: And not only are you sort of having to rebuild the business, but you’re a woman in the construction company, even now in 2024. That’s rare. I can only imagine when you first started the business.
Pat Miller: Yeah, I mean, I often tell the story, I would come out on the job sites in the early 90s. And I was not welcome at all. These men were very, very, they just didn’t think of job site was a place for a woman. He asked me for coffee or do this and go get that. And then they realized that my signature was on their paychecks. So, you know, my husband, he was he was a man’s man. So he said, just play the part. Just don’t listen to them. You know, we’re a team. I’ll take care of the field. But, you know, fast forward 30 years. It’s not as bad. You still have very, a lot of similarities, because, you know, the mindset is still there. You know, I’m older now, but children learn what they live, right? So if they live with, you know, men that think women shouldn’t be on job sites, that’s what they’re going to learn. But it’s getting better. It’s getting better. I’m a little bit different. I always tell everybody because I’m in the field, I actually go out and lay the project out with my lead guys. So I am in the field, I do have work boots, I do snap lines, I am responsible for the entire project, I put the walls where they’re supposed to be. There are a lot more women in the industry. And I’m proud to say that. That’s one of my things that I want to work on before, you know, I leave this great earth is making sure women know they have options. Construction gave me a very good life. It really did. It allowed me to raise my children, to be for them after the bus, to allow them to see the, you know, the flexibility of seeing them play sports. And, you know, we all like nice things. It gave me a good life. And I want women to know it is an option. And now more than ever, Alka, because there’s so many different opportunities in construction. But I urge women that are in construction to get out on the site. You know, it’s important to show your face. There’s nothing more than seeing it actually being put together. A picture only gives you part of the whole equation. So, you know, that’s where I am now. I am in the field and in the office. So I do both now.
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