Women are breaking barriers while building homes in the construction industry, proving they can succeed in a male-dominated field.
Nikki Compress and Gabrielle Romero are living their dreams.
"I'm the construction coordinator, so my job consists of raising any red flags that we might see in the construction field," Romero said.
Romero focuses on problem-solving, while Compress is in charge of the groundwork.
"So, stormwater, sewer, dry utilities, gas, all the earthwork, as far as digging lakes and managing the vendors," Compress said.
Both women work in a field where hard hats and heavy machinery are the norm, proving that construction is not just a man's world.
"When I tell people I work in the construction industry, they are shocked," Romero said. "They're like, 'Oh, you're very poised. You're brilliant. What are you doing in the construction industry?' And I tell them there are a lot of careers."
Compress was one of only a few women working in her field when she first suited up in a hard hat.
"There was one other woman superintendent," she said.
She estimates that women make up only about 30% of construction jobs on the Gulf Coast.
"Our CEO is the only woman," Compress said.
Romero has always known she wanted to work in construction.
"My husband's background and a bit of my mom and dad building things is what got me into it," Romero said.
After graduating from Florida Gulf Coast University's construction management program two years ago, she joined the Taylor Morrison team.
"I think women have a lot of different qualities than guys. And I'm not saying we're better than guys or that guys are better than us. I just think we bring different perspectives," Romero said.
They said their attention to detail is helping them build new relationships. But navigating a male-dominated field means needing to prove, persist and push past doubts.
"You almost have to prove yourself, unfortunately, because they don't trust you," Compress said. "If you're a young woman in the industry, a lot of these guys have been doing this for 10 years, maybe even more. So they're stuck in their ways and very stubborn."
But they said they are starting to see more women apply for construction jobs.
"I encourage women to come into the field," Romero said. "Don't be scared. Learn a lot because all this information is so important to know, and you learn so much."
As they build homes, they are also building a future where more women can wear hard hats and call the shots.