When Stephanie Rodriguez thinks about what it means to be tough, she doesn’t picture someone who is the loudest person in the room, never backs down, or refuses to show emotion. 

“I think that tough isn’t always about being fearless or unemotional or unaffected,” she says. “It’s more the ability to adapt and recover and to keep moving through that.” 

It’s a perspective she’s earned through experience. As a project manager for a general contractor, President of NAWIC’s Miami Chapter, and newly appointed National Tradeswomen Committee Chair, Rodriguez has faced skepticism, learned to advocate for herself, and discovered that confidence doesn’t require changing who you are. 

“You don’t always have to become hard to get through things,” she explains. 

Stephanie's introduction to construction came courtesy of her father, a carpenter who built screen enclosures and awnings in South Florida. Whenever she and her brother got into trouble as children, their punishment was going to work with Dad. What was supposed to be a consequence turned into an early education in tools, fabrication, and building things from scratch. 

"My dad was not like other dads," she recalls. "He knew I was interested, and he cultivated that in his daughter. Every time he worked with a tool, he called me outside to know what it was, what it did." 

Despite that experience, Stephanie had no intention of following her father into construction. She discovered set building and a love for theatre, eventually building sets for productions and then running her own theatre company. She later took a part-time data entry position with a general contractor, where her boss recognized her potential and encouraged her to consider project management. 

When the pandemic forced her theatre to close, she accepted it, and saw that other opportunities awaited. It was an unexpected career change, but one that made sense. 

"I didn't necessarily plan a career in construction, but I've been building things my entire life," she points out. "I love to work with my hands. I love to know how things work. I love to see a product start from nothing and then turn into something." 

Moving into project management brought challenges beyond learning a new position. As a Hispanic woman and member of the LGBTQ community, Stephanie sometimes felt she entered a room with “three strikes against me before I even spoke a word.”

She struggled to find the best way to assert herself. Early on, she thought toughness meant adopting the loud, forceful behavior she sometimes saw from men in the industry. But over time, she realized that effective leadership didn’t require becoming someone else.

“I wish that someone would have just told me, ‘Be authentic, be you, and you will be enough, and you will get the point across as yourself.'”

That lesson has shaped how she handles difficult conversations. Stephanie recalls a situation in which she identified a problem early in a project, raising the concern, and proposing a solution. But the team didn’t take her advice. Three months later, when the issue resurfaced, someone questioned why she hadn’t pointed it out. Fortunately, she’d documented everything, and a co-worker confirmed that she’d raised the warning. The experience reinforced the value of speaking up with confidence, investing in preparation, and respecting your colleagues, but also yourself.

“Sometimes that doesn’t mean that I have to get loud or that I need to be disrespectful,” she explains. “It means that I am sure in what I’m saying.”

Her theatre background has helped her develop those communication skills, which she now shares through a confidence class. She encourages others to understand different perspectives, establish boundaries, and communicate clearly without feeling obligated to match someone else’s intensity.

Stephanie credits much of her success to people who recognized her abilities and encouraged her to grow. Her father taught her that tools weren’t just for boys, her boss saw leadership potential she hadn’t recognized in herself.

“Having male allyship is extraordinarily useful in a male-populated workplace.” For Stephanie, a male coworker became a friend and a loyal advocate who defended her expertise, even when she wasn’t present. That advocacy was important.

Today, Stephanie is providing that same encouragement and mentorship to a young woman entering construction management. This former intern regularly calls when she’s struggling, asking Stephanie to remind her why she belongs in the industry and why she needs to keep pushing forward.

Supporting someone else has also strengthened Stephanie’s own resolve. “If I’m mentoring someone else and reminding them of how important it is for them to do what they’re doing, it’s another mantra for myself on a tough day.”

NAWIC has provided another source of encouragement. In four years as a member, Stephanie has found professional opportunities, lasting friendships, and a network of women who understand the challenges she faces.

“When you have trouble feeling like you belong in the room, it’s really great to have a room you know you belong in,” she emphasizes. “NAWIC provides that.”

For Stephanie, those relationships reinforce a lesson she wishes she’d learned sooner: You can be empathetic without being weak, establish boundaries without being unkind, and stand your ground without becoming someone you’re not.

Ultimately, she believes toughness isn’t measured by how intimidating you are or how much adversity you can endure without showing emotion. It’s about resilience, authenticity, and the willingness to keep moving forward.