A Message from Our CEO: Show up for what matters

Managing capital projects means showing up every day, for every stakeholder, across every project in your portfolio. That's hard to do when your team is working out of email threads, spreadsheets, and disconnected systems.

Watch her message, then read on. 

I’m going to be honest with you this month.

I was supposed to be at the CMAA Focus 26 conference a few weeks ago. I’d had it on my calendar for months. I was looking forward to reconnecting with colleagues I only see once or twice a year, learning from some incredible sessions, and being there for one of Andrea Rutledge’s last events as CEO of CMAA before her retirement this summer.

But life had other plans. My family needed me, and I made the call to stay home.

If you’ve ever had to choose between something you were really looking forward to professionally and something your family needed from you – you know that feeling. It’s not easy. But it was the right call. Because as much as I love this industry and the people in it, showing up for your family has to come first.

The Silver Lining

Here’s the thing about missing the big conference – sometimes the most meaningful connections don’t happen in a convention center.

I was lucky enough to spend real, one-on-one time with Andrea Rutledge when she visited Pittsburgh for our CMAA Three Rivers chapter event. No crowded hallways, no rushing between sessions. Just a genuine conversation between two people who care deeply about this industry.

And we recorded a podcast episode together that I cannot wait for you to hear. Stay tuned for that one.

Building Connections Is Live

Speaking of the podcast – I’m thrilled to share that Building Connections is officially out in the world! You can find it now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

In our very first episode that every project manager needs to hear, I sit down with Justina Hyland, who led the Reimagine Adobe project – a massive renovation of Adobe’s headquarters in downtown San Jose. Three high-rise towers, 3,000 offices, and a company going through a complete transformation from boxed software to the cloud.

But what I love most about this conversation is what happens toward the end. I asked Justina a question that doesn’t get asked enough in our industry: How do you take care of your mental health when you’re managing that level of stress?

Her answer was simple and powerful: Take control of your schedule. Leave work at work. Set boundaries. You cannot work around the clock and survive. And celebrate the wins along the way – because the work is too hard to only focus on what’s next.

Listen to Episode 1 with Justina Hyland

What I Learned from a Morning Walk (and Mel Robbins)

Justina’s words about boundaries and self-care really hit home for me. Because this winter, I made a change of my own.

Inspired by Mel Robbins, I started a new habit: stop hitting the snooze button, get outside by 7 AM, and walk. Every single morning. No matter what the weather looks like.

And if you know Pittsburgh winters, you know that means rain, snow, wind, and some mornings where every part of you wants to stay under the covers. But me and my dog Bowzer have been out there every single day.

The idea is simple: take advantage of that early morning sunlight, clear your head before the day starts, and prove to yourself first thing that you can do hard things. If you can get yourself out of a warm bed and into the cold at 7 AM, you can handle whatever the day throws at you.

It sounds like a small thing. But it’s changed how I show up for the rest of the day – for my team, for our customers, and for myself.

It All Comes Back to Showing Up

If there’s a thread that ties everything together this month, it’s this: showing up.

Showing up for your family when they need you – even when it means missing something you really wanted to do. Showing up for yourself at 7 AM in the rain, because you made a promise to yourself and you’re going to keep it. Showing up for this industry through real conversations – not polished marketing, but genuine stories from people who’ve been in the trenches. And showing up for construction owners every single day with tools and resources built specifically for them.

That’s what drives everything we do at VPO. And it’s what Building Connections is all about real people, real projects, real lessons that make all of us better.

Here’s to showing up – for the work, for each other, and for ourselves. And here’s to Building Better, together.