It’s one thing for Lerin Nicole Byrd to co-own GCG Construction Inc. in the male-dominated industry of commercial general contracting. It’s another to for her to have taken the business to the heights she has.

Byrd has partially led the company to several awards over the past decade, including the 2018 BIA Commercial Contractor of the Year, 2018 Gulfshore Business Best Remodeling Firm, and multiple Summit Awards, among others.

She also kept the construction company—which she owns and operates with her husband and 2018 Gulfshore Business 40- under-40 honoree Teely Byrd—alive in one of the worst economies since the Great Depression.

All of this, in addition to owning the real estate company, Pure Property Inc., and mothering two children—Ava, 13, and Vance, 11.

“My approach to business is direct, organized and what I hope is also synergistic,” Byrd says. “In construction and real estate, there are literally many moving parts and pieces. Our goal is to keep everyone—from the client and design teams to the subcontractors and suppliers—on the same page for a successful project.”

Byrd’s best advice for budding professionals?

“Learn as much as you can about your field of work,” she says. “Become a leading resource and a dependable asset for others. Never stop learning and finding creative ways to bring fresh insight to your profession.”

Byrd enjoys volunteering, reading, spending time with her family and proudly cheering on the sidelines of her children’s athletics.