For the majority of 2020, I felt uneasy, like most people. I knew that my life needed to go on, and fast. I ached to leave Dallas for someplace new with fresh faces and fortuity. Amazingly, the right opportunity presented itself after a feverish search, and in November, I packed up my life in Texas and moved out west to Basalt, Colorado, a town wedged in the middle of Roaring Fork Valley and a hop/skip/jump away from Aspen.
Yes, the thrill of four world-class ski mountains being a twenty-minute drive from my house was highly alluring, but I made my move to work at Sinclair Building Architecture Design (SIN-BAD). This design-build firm is owned by Robert Sinclair, an experienced architect, avid mountaineer and skier, and personal mentor. I began as Rob's executive assistant and office manager, working as the "glue girl" who kept everyone on task and optimized for success on various architecture and construction projects. After a quick year in this role, I received my first-ever promotion to Operations Manager where I had more opportunities to drive impact for the company and more responsibility with our clients. By fall of 2022, after two years of working for Rob, he named me Director of Operations, a role that increased my leadership presence and affirmed my commitment to the work that we do as a team.
We're a small firm that punches well above our weight class within the opulent Aspen market and throughout the country. I never could've imagined this job when I was in college, or that my first "big girl" gig would be so chalked full of meaningful lessons, challenging experiences, and downright fun times. I oversee project management, client relations, finance, accounting, human resources, legal, IT, and marketing, and am intimately involved with every aspect of running our company. Every day is different but every week I see the progress we make as a collective. SIN-BAD gave me the chance to dive head-first into multi-million dollar projects, a slate of highly demanding clients, and the heart of small business operations. I'm proud of my time at this company and the incredible projects we've been able to deliver for our clients.
Now, I'm gearing up for my fourth ski season in the valley and continuing to grow as a business leader. Grateful is an understatement.
