Get Inspired with Monica and Girl Build
Episode #91: Welcome to another inspiring episode of the She Builds Show! I’m your host, Stefanie Olson, and on today’s episode, we have the privilege of introducing a remarkable guest who is a true force to be reckoned with: Monica Miraglilo. Monica is a multi-talented individual with a burning passion for empowering women to pursue their dreams fearlessly. She is deeply invested in the building and development industry, a domain traditionally dominated by men. However, Monica firmly believes that women are equally capable of excelling in this field and is determined to shatter those gender barriers.
Join us in this captivating conversation with Monica Miraglilo, as she shares her personal journey, insights, and invaluable advice for women aiming to make their mark in any industry. Prepare to be inspired and motivated by her infectious energy and unwavering belief in the power of women.
ABOUT MONICA MIRAGLILO:
Aside from her professional pursuits, Monica is also a devoted mom and wife, a savvy entrepreneur, a skilled renovator, and a model with an eye for style. She approaches life with a positive attitude and takes it one day at a time, always enjoying simple pleasures like good food and good company. Monica is an inspiration to women everywhere who are looking to break down barriers and achieve their goals.
CONNECT WITH MONICA:
• Website: https://linktr.ee/stylewmonica
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlbuild
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stylewmonica/?hl=en
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-miraglilo
WAYS TO CONNECT WITH STEFANIE…
• Website: https://shebuildshomes.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shebuildsbetter
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shebuilds.homes
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shebuildsshow
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:
0:01 Welcome to the She Builds Show.
0:03 I’m your host, Stefanie Olson, a licensed general contractor who builds new construction, renovates and designs your vision today.
0:12 More than ever we need raw, authentic women who are willing to rise above society’s norms, break those glass ceilings and encourage each other to boldly build the life we were meant to live.
0:24 So, honey, what are you building?
0:27 All right, you guys.
0:28 Welcome to the She Builds Show.
0:30 I have an incredible guest today, Monica with Girl Build and I am so stoked to have you here.
0:38 Welcome to the show, Monica.
0:39 Oh my God.
0:40 I am super excited to be here everyone.
0:43 My name is Monica Miraglilo CEO and founder of Girl Build and I am still Oh my gosh.
0:51 OK.
0:51 So I want to know all the things.
0:54 But the first thing I want to know is I just like, where did this start?
0:59 Where did this come from?
1:00 Give me a little bit of a background.
1:02 I just always am fascinated by people’s stories and that brought them to where they are now.
1:09 So give me a story.
1:11 I started off, I would say I initially was a model for several years and I traveled afar, I traveled to Europe and, you know, the European countries, I traveled to New York and Florida for many years.
1:26 I’m originally from New York, but I lived and resided in Philadelphia.
1:32 Most of my life, I model as I said, I had the opportunity to travel to Italy and I lived there for six months.
1:41 And while I was there, I was super inspired by all the architectural structures, the museums, the ming, the food.
1:50 And I was just saying it was just amazing.
1:52 And I fell in love and basically, I went there to be a model.
1:58 I gained 10 pounds and he sent me home.
2:00 And so OK, I like it would be so hard not to.
2:06 And so I went home and I brought those aesthetics with me.
2:11 I mean, I had to bring something back with me, right?
2:14 And so I bought those aesthetics back with me and I always kept them dear to my heart.
2:19 And then fast forward, I became pregnant.
2:22 I was with a longtime boyfriend for many years and I became pregnant and I felt as though if I had my child, I wanted to give my child a home and I had a daughter.
2:37 And two years later, I kept searching and searching and I was still modeling in the Philadelphia area.
2:42 I was working at Q DC full time as a model and then afar, I was doing different things in New York.
2:49 And DC and Florida, like I said, and then finally I bought this house and at the time I was dating, it broke up with my daughter, Savannah’s father.
3:01 And I started to date this man who became my husband Michael and he was an Italian guy.
3:06 Of course, I had the, and I, I did finally get my tire though.
3:12 That’s where the last name is.
3:14 Ok.
3:14 It’s Italian.
3:15 Oh, I’ve got it.
3:16 That’s why I can’t say it.
3:18 Yeah, exactly.
3:19 And so I found him and we were dating and then he was just like, I found this house and he was like, you can’t buy that house.
3:26 And I’m like, what are you talking about?
3:27 He says you can’t buy that house because if you do it and I was like, whatever happened to you, I’m going to buy the house because I had a vision and it just like, super inspired me because it was like a old stop home.
3:40 It had all this character, it had the stone and I was just like, oh my gosh.
3:44 And if you know anything about Philadelphia, Philadelphia, even though it’s gone through a big transition as all of the other cities in our country is right now.
3:52 It had so much charm and it has beautiful architectural structures of the homes.
4:00 Like I was in the Chestnut Hill slash East Falls area, which were all stone homes.
4:06 And when I say they like re like charm in character they did like the stone.
4:13 Here you are the big stone fire place and just the wood and the plaster.
4:18 And I just was like, oh my God, this is my dream home.
4:22 So I bought the house.
4:24 I didn’t care what he says.
4:25 My mom thought I was crazy.
4:26 Everyone thought I was crazy.
4:27 So I was a single mom living in his house and I didn’t have a lot of money.
4:32 I was basically robbing Peter to pay Paul.
4:35 It was just on my modeling career.
4:37 And I say, you know what, I’m gonna figure this out.
4:41 It was a Mount Pit.
4:42 But I figured that I knew I can make this house become a hole, right?
4:48 And so I sat there one day with my daughter sitting on the floor eating oodles of noodles like I was dead broke and I was just like, oh my God, what did I just do?
4:58 And then finally, eventually I got up and I said, you know what, I’m gonna rip this place apart and I’m gonna go step by step and that’s exactly what I did.
5:05 And every single day I went to Home Depot and I went up into, and I asked a guy, I said, excuse me, I need help.
5:13 I’m ripping up my floors.
5:14 What do I need to do?
5:16 I’m ripping out the cabinet.
5:17 Can you show me?
5:18 I was bringing guys to my home, which is something you don’t do today.
5:22 So, but I was bringing them home and I was like, can you please show this to me?
5:26 I will make you some food because not that you know this, but I am a very good cook.
5:31 And so I was like Egypt Deli if you could just help me, you know, and then you will get to be in my pregnant.
5:41 Now, just get at the end of the day I learned, I watched and I learned and I watched and it became so like I was like, I couldn’t tell you how much I just enjoy being a part of something that I was going to create and make this house a home.
6:02 And so like I said, I started to rip out the cabinets, the flooring the walls.
6:07 Then eventually my boyfriend, he got in there.
6:09 He started skipping the wallpaper.
6:12 I started to come over and then bringing over her little mills because she saw that I was doing things and it became a masterpiece.
6:19 It became a showcase and then it became a ripple effect.
6:24 People started to see me, my neighbors were looking out their windows.
6:27 Like, what is this girl doing?
6:28 Like I was taking out tons of trash, constantly dragging in sheet rock by myself.
6:35 I did not care.
6:36 I was not going to wait for anyone to tell me what I can and cannot do because I had a purpose and I had to make it work, right?
6:43 And so I continue on my mission until my home was a showcase.
6:49 And then I started to get work.
6:50 I started laying tile for my neighbors.
6:52 I started doing a little little projects for them.
6:55 And then I was just like, you know what people were reaching out to me 24/7, I put a little ad in Craigslist and I’m like, if you need a little handy woman, if you need any help, I’m here, I’m your girl and people are hiring me.
7:07 And I was like, wait, this is really happening.
7:09 Like I get, that’s like no one never really just hired someone without any experience.
7:15 But I had so much I would say great or I just had so much in me like, where I wanted to make it work and I was not going to let like, whatever you needed to do, you’re gonna figure it out.
7:27 Exactly.
7:27 And I figured it out.
7:29 I made mistakes.
7:30 I’m not gonna say I didn’t, but I was able to make them on my home.
7:34 So if I were to go somewhere else, I would know what not to do.
7:39 Right.
7:39 And then eventually one day I sat down my husband and he eventually moved in, we got married and we had a child.
7:47 He was sitting in the living room one day and I was in there and I was thinking, you know, each time that I ever did a project for one of my clients, I would give them like this really cool vintage pillow that I would make out of like a vintage spot.
8:03 So I would go to thrift stores all over New York, Philadelphia, wherever I could find them and I will put them together and mash them together like one side would be different from the other.
8:13 And I would give it to my client as a thank you for believing in me and also to accessorize their home for whatever I did for them.
8:21 And they became a hit and people were like, wow, this is great.
8:24 It’s a one of a kind piece.
8:26 And so one day I was sitting with my hats and I was like, you know what I wanna do like a pillow store or something.
8:32 And then he was like, what are you talking about now?
8:34 Like, because I’m always doing that, I guess Monica, we are not opening a pillow store.
8:40 I’m like, yeah, we can do it.
8:42 How about like, let’s do a pillow, like almost like a build a bear but with pillows.
8:47 And so it got in my head once it was in my head, it was no stopping.
8:52 You were finally I said to him, I said I wanna let you know something.
8:55 I found this place.
8:57 I signed the lease.
8:58 I’m opening a store in a couple of months.
9:00 It’s called fill-a-pillow and he almost lost his crap.
9:04 He was like, are you kidding me right now?
9:06 You were so crazy and I was like, well, I told you I was gonna do it.
9:10 What do you think?
9:10 I was just talking?
9:11 And so I opened the store.
9:15 I was pregnant with my son, which was the worst thing I had to go on bed rest.
9:20 I had to get someone to run the store, someone that I work with.
9:23 When modeling who came in, she literally took over.
9:26 She had worked at Sax on 5th Avenue and had all her clients that would come in.
9:31 And basically, I started a store called Fill-A-Pillow, which was a high end store, which was at the time, not a necessity, but it was a luxury.
9:40 But I was in the right area.
9:42 I was on the main line in habit for P I and the women ate it up, we eat pillow parties, girls night out, you can come in, pick up fabric and trim and get a pillow made.
9:52 The same exact day I had the state of the art thing just downstairs.
9:57 We were working it like no other.
9:58 And I’m telling you, we were kicking out these custom pillows every single day.
10:02 People were standing at, the women were standing at the doors waiting to come in.
10:06 It was so Children were having their pillow parties.
10:09 It was just so much fun.
10:11 And then I had to go on bed rest and then things like, you know, I had to let someone take over, but it was fine.
10:16 Eventually I came out of that.
10:18 And then I realized, you know, this was going really well.
10:21 We started doing window treatments, outdoor cushions, we started doing everything that was really accessorized in a home.
10:27 And then I was getting more and more jobs women were asking me to come and help give them, you know, design tips and things like that, which is something that I decided I did not want to do.
10:37 And so what, how do we get that you’re like, and I’m out.
10:45 So I was like, you know, I can do these things because this is something I love doing.
10:49 And that’s something that I want to Kate to do because of someone who is taking up so much of my time because I’m a shaker.
10:56 I like to get, keep it moving, move and move and move.
10:58 And I have things planned out way I need to, to make sure that my lifestyle is working accordingly because not only do I do that, I was open the store, I got pregnant still working at QVC, which was 24 hours.
11:10 So I was back and forth.
11:11 Sometimes I never even slept.
11:13 Then I would go home, make a full course meal for my family and be a mom and a wife, you know, so it was just so much pulling at me.
11:21 I couldn’t have one more thing pulling at me.
11:23 So eventually I realized I’m a one man show in every business that you start, you need a tool.
11:32 I had people that could work for me, but I needed a business mind behind my creativity because I’m a creative mind.
11:40 But you need to have someone that is behind you that can reel you in.
11:45 Have you ever read Traction?
11:47 No.
11:48 Oh, yeah.
11:48 Girl, you need to read it because if you’re called the visionary and the person you’re talking about is called the integrator.
11:54 Oh, well, that’s exactly what I need it.
11:56 Right.
11:57 So, read that, I’m sure you figured it out on your own.
12:00 But that is exactly what they describe it as.
12:02 Ok.
12:03 Well, I’m going to read that book because see, this is something that I need to focus on because again, I can come up with the best ideas, but I need that integrator to me the end and they’d be like, no, no, no, Monica, stop it here.
12:18 This is how we’re gonna do it.
12:19 Like I’ll think outside the box and do it and make it happen.
12:23 But all the stuff behind the doors is like killing me as I’m doing it.
12:27 Like, you know what I mean?
12:28 And so at the end of the day I realized that and I was like, you know what, I can’t do this anymore.
12:34 And it was so unfortunate because it was such a great business and people really loved it.
12:38 But like, every 30 days the rate came around and every 30 days I had to pay and I had to buy more merchandise and I had to do this and do and it was just overwhelming having a new baby still trying to, you know, maneuver.
12:52 And so I decided to close my store.
12:53 This was in 2010.
12:55 So I had the store from 2006, 2010.
12:58 And this gentleman walked in and he came in the right store.
13:02 He goes, I came here because someone sent me here and told me that I need to come in the store.
13:07 He goes, this is a beautiful store and you have a great eye kit.
13:10 And I said, thank you.
13:12 You know, I didn’t know who I was talking to.
13:13 And he goes, I love your steak.
13:15 How would you like to come work for me?
13:18 And I was like doing what?
13:21 And I could teach you how you can incorporate your style into building.
13:28 Wow.
13:28 I gave me like poo, I don’t know where this is going, but I did.
13:33 And I said, OK, well, in my theory, nothing beats a failure but a try.
13:39 Right?
13:39 So in everything I’ve tried, I did it, it might not have worked, but at least I tried.
13:46 I stepped out, right?
13:47 And you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take exactly.
13:51 So I said, what’s another try?
13:54 I’m going to step out and see what this guy has to offer.
13:58 And his name was Tony Lu became my mentor and my very best friend.
14:05 And so he took me under his wing and he brought me down to my first project with him and really funny, the guy that my mentor, the guy that taught me everything I know his name is Tony also.
14:18 Yeah, that’s so cool.
14:20 I know that it is cool.
14:21 And so he wanted me to do cushions for the lobby of an apartment building that he was developing.
14:31 And so we did the order for him and I came down and he was like, what do you think about this?
14:37 Real, what would you do here?
14:39 And I said, well, I can do XYZ, I can get you some furniture, we can, you know, make this come alive.
14:45 And so he gave me that chore to do.
14:47 So I did that.
14:49 And then he reached out to me a lot of time and he says, do you think you could pick out some pink colors for me?
14:55 And I say, yeah, sure, absolutely picked up the paint like in like a couple of minutes.
15:02 I got in the paint.
15:03 He goes, you did this that?
15:04 So I’m like, yeah, what’s the big deal like?
15:06 You know, for me, it was easy, right?
15:08 And he was like, ok.
15:10 But then the next thing he says, why don’t you come in on the on the site?
15:14 I want to bring you on the site.
15:15 I want you to look here, tell me what you think as far as how we should like, you know, lay this out and I was thinking to myself, why is he asking me like 1000 buildings?
15:26 Like, are you kidding me?
15:27 I was like freaking out but he was paying me every time he did, he asked me, I am me and then all these guys are just like all the guys like, what is this like a booty call?
15:36 Like what is he bringing this girl on?
15:38 Like we don’t need her.
15:39 We’ve been doing this for like over 25 years.
15:42 Like what is happening here?
15:44 And so I was just like, it was none of that.
15:48 And she literally valued.
15:51 Yeah.
15:53 Yeah, he really valued what I can bring and he thought that I could bring in something new and fresh and put me on this site.
16:03 And then I help with the first project, I did a little bit things in the Hawthorn beer, I guess some design meaning like as far as bringing in some staging for the properties so that they can sell the properties.
16:16 But then after that, he owned like half of like the area and he owned like, he’s just, he was definitely a big developer.
16:23 He started to bringing me on the site and then I started to pick out all the finishes and then I started to do all the layouts and then I started to like, work closely with the guys and then I started to actually borrow from them and I started to apply all that knowledge to everything that he wanted me to do.
16:40 Like I just was like, learning everything and his biggest thing was Monica.
16:45 If you want to build, if you want to really get into this business, what you need to do is build from the ground up.
16:52 He goes, we rehab and we renovate a lot of homes here.
16:59 But like, basically he, you know, he goes and he renovates and rehabs them like not new construction, but he just takes the original character and turn them into a masterpiece.
17:09 So he like has to go in and basically take everything down to the studs of the choices so that he could start new and give a good product.
17:17 And that was his lesson to me.
17:19 He says in everything that you do, you always want to feel good about a product.
17:23 When you’re given a client, you never want to go to bed at night and feel like that.
17:27 Oh my God, you gave someone something that you’re gonna regret.
17:31 So I took that and I carried that with me and everything that I did and he was right.
17:36 And he’s like, you know, you want to, you know, be known for having like a product because it is longevity, right?
17:46 That people know that if they’re gonna purchase a product from you, that they’re gonna get a good product, right?
17:54 And so I took everything that he said I learned from him.
17:58 I saw how he did everything.
18:01 I took some of his aesthetics and I tell him, I’m like, I don’t doing that now.
18:05 It might be because you taught me.
18:07 He goes, that’s why I taught you.
18:09 And so my husband started to see me working closely now in these net and he didn’t like it.
18:19 And he was like, OK, like, maybe we should do this too.
18:24 And so we started our construction company together and basically we started doing the work.
18:32 Now, my husband’s never done construction before.
18:35 He’s never picked up a hammer like he wanted to do this.
18:39 And I so like, oh my God, here we go.
18:43 We gonna stay married or not.
18:45 And I have, it’s gonna go one way or the other.
18:49 So it was so hard.
18:51 It was so hard.
18:52 So what year was that, that you decided?
18:56 So we started our company.
18:58 I was staying in 2012.
19:00 Ok, Michael.
19:02 And I, my husband’s name is Michael and it was tumultuous.
19:06 It was so hard.
19:08 It was like, I thought I was going to lose my mind because here I had something finally for myself where he was not involved in that I can go.
19:18 And I was passionate about because this is what I love to do.
19:22 I love to read things.
19:23 I love being a part of things that people love.
19:27 Like I love to decorate and design and everything and make spaces, you know, turn into like a home or, you know, I just love it.
19:36 I love to do.
19:37 And now my husband’s involved and so he got involved and we fought and I was trying to tell him what I learned.
19:48 So his first project, he purchased a home and he wanted to put a band aid on it.
19:54 This is what most contractors do when they are flipping homes.
19:58 They just wanna go in there, put new sheet rock up, not even deal with it.
20:01 Just go in and put their little electric and change the, you know, receptacles and, you know, change a little bit of lightening, put a little floor on top of another floor and all that.
20:11 Right.
20:12 All the should.
20:13 Exactly.
20:14 So, I was like, my, yeah, that’s not the way you’re supposed to do it.
20:17 Don’t tell me I’m doing it, blah, blah, blah, 20 plus $1000 later.
20:24 He ends up ripping everything out after I told him to not do a band aid.
20:30 Like that’s the way you’re supposed to do it.
20:32 I’m trying to tell him very nicely.
20:33 I’m like, well, you know, Tony said that, but I’m doing it this way.
20:37 Don’t tell me I was like, oh my God, I was just like pregnant, right?
20:42 All I had to do was go in there.
20:44 I was like, ok, whatever you say.
20:45 So eventually he had to take everything down and I never had to say to him I told you so I just like stood there and I was just very humble.
20:54 I just, like, in my mind I knew I told them so.
20:57 But I couldn’t tell him, I told him and he, so eventually he, from that mistake because it cost him some good money.
21:05 He started to listen.
21:07 Right.
21:08 Yeah.
21:09 Thought it did, like, you know, take into what I was trying to say and he eventually got it.
21:14 So then what we learned to do was we decided to have a lane for each one of us.
21:20 So my lane was to go in, lay out the space work with the mechanicals.
21:26 When I say mechanicals, I may the electric, the h back, the plumbing mechanical crew, make sure that they were laying things the proper way.
21:36 Go in there, work with the framers and get everything worth it.
21:41 Then my husband would take it from there and execute my plant, get everything done, get it to a white box, we call it a white box where everything sheet wrap and one coat of paint.
21:54 And after that, I would come in and I’ll work with them and we would do all the finishes.
21:59 Then he would go to the next project.
22:01 So we ended up doing that system and we would do about 10 to 12 properties a year for that period.
22:08 And it worked.
22:09 It was awesome.
22:10 We started to develop a name.
22:12 Everyone was reaching out.
22:13 Oh my God.
22:14 Would you mind showing me how you do this.
22:17 The investors wanted to invest in our properties.
22:20 We started doing so many properties and we had a one of a kind piece because each property that I designed or laid out was an original one.
22:29 And he wanted to focus on basically coming out with a system where we could just do the same thing.
22:36 But in my mind, I felt like each house is different, each buyer is different.
22:41 So each person that walks through the door, they are not gonna feel the same energy that the next person or the person before them.
22:49 So, whatever I felt when I walked in that door was the way that I laid that house out.
22:54 I have a question about that.
22:55 Do you have to do that with nobody else in the house or can you like, I’m like, so adamant about like having an hour or two to just like sit in the house and sometimes I’ll just sit on the ground and it out much.
23:10 Well, what, I don’t know, I could be around people, but I always go back.
23:15 So initially walking through, I’ll walk through with my husband or I’ll walk through with the framers and then they’ll be like, well, what do you think?
23:22 And I’m like, well, let me walk through and then I’ll get a sense of how I want to do it.
23:27 But for the most part, we kind of laid them out similar because all the row homes in Philadelphia that we were doing at the time, they were kind of the same.
23:37 Yeah.
23:37 Yeah.
23:37 On the square footage.
23:39 So we laid them out accordingly.
23:41 And then once I went back then I knew how I was going to do my finishes by, you know, whatever I kept, as far as if I kept a piece of molding from the exterior of the home or if I kept like a real nice header or something like that or a piece of trim, that’s how I design aesthetically, how you know what I mean?
24:01 Yeah.
24:02 So there was just so many different things.
24:04 Philadelphia, like I said, has a lot of charm and there’s a lot of character.
24:07 I love to expose the brick walls.
24:09 We will also expose the river rock which were in the basement because it was something no one else is doing because one, it was very labor intensive.
24:18 But what I will say is when you are in this business and I haven’t gotten too far.
24:23 I hope I’m not talking too much again, too far out.
24:25 Were you in this?
24:26 You’re getting great.
24:29 You could get so much more done as opposed to hiring people to subcontract and it’s less expensive.
24:37 So I will say that.
24:39 And so for me initially, I would have to come in and work side by side with the guys that we were hiring because I needed, you know, I needed manpower, right?
24:51 But it was very, very interesting to see how a lot of them received me as a woman, my workers.
24:58 Now when I work with Tony, the guys I proved myself I didn’t walk in there with, oh, I’m a woman.
25:05 Oh, don’t you know, now I walked in there with an attitude knowing that I was going in there, I was gonna learn from them and I was gonna prove to them that I can do it just like me if not better, right?
25:16 And so they learned to respect that and understand my whole vision.
25:22 And once I started to like really design with them and do work with them, they were like, holy crap.
25:28 You’re so good like that, you know, they were like, we really didn’t think that you really were, you know, that good.
25:33 And we thought that, you know, this is a big go like show like, you know, and they were very like supportive and that was one of the things that made me feel like a part of a family, right?
25:43 And I felt like I can really learn from these guys and I would ask them questions.
25:47 I was like, you know, how do you do this?
25:49 And they was so willing to help because they wanted to help.
25:53 It wasn’t because I asked them, but they knew that I was like really into this and it was my passion.
25:58 But my point is being in the whole process of working with my, my husband Michael, we had this great system and then all the guys that I work with that I hired, I must have fired about five or six of them because they had the attitude.
26:14 They want to take orders from me, but they weren’t doing it right.
26:18 And see, they were used to band aid flips.
26:21 They were used to just getting it in and getting out and being fast.
26:24 I was about quality.
26:26 I was about doing the things right?
26:27 Because I was taught by the best.
26:28 So I was not going to settle for.
26:31 Oh, no, this is the way I do it.
26:32 No, no, no, we’re not doing it the way you’re doing it.
26:34 We’re gonna do it my way or it’s the high way.
26:36 And so it became a thing.
26:38 Three guys that last they lasted all the way till I went to Florida and they still work.
26:43 One is working with me now today, but we pumped out a lot of inventory, a ton of inventory and we were fast.
26:49 I had a three month lead time or in and out done three months on to the next one.
26:55 Like it was a system and this is the way we have to follow it accordingly for it to work, right?
27:01 So all these things were working in hand in hand.
27:07 And then I was getting, like I said, we had tons of investors coming in and we had tons of, I even had a couple of guys say this is a Monica and Mike property.
27:16 We want to do it just like this.
27:17 I literally like follow you.
27:19 And I think while you’re aesthetics, I’m like, oh my God, I’m so flattered because you really did great work too.
27:24 We became like, you know, a thing in Philadelphia and my husband and I, and then I started getting a lot of women reaching out and women that were like, oh my God, I would love to be your apprentice.
27:34 I would love to work on an can you show me how to do this?
27:37 Can you do this?
27:38 And I just decided, you know, I had Tony who helped me and me to.
27:44 So now I need to get back and be able to teach other web it and help them.
27:49 And so I started girl build and girl be was born in 2020.
27:56 And originally the reason why I started girl Bell was because being a model, I always been around beautiful people and wearing beautiful clothing and just, you know, being in beautiful spaces, right?
28:10 And I said I cannot wear another fricking hard piece of clothing on my behind.
28:17 At this thing, these boxy pants and this hard I was dying.
28:22 I was just like, this is not me.
28:23 I can’t do this anymore and messing up my nice clothes.
28:26 So I decided I wanted to start a clothing line.
28:28 I wanted to do clothing for like a utility line for women like us.
28:34 We’re stylish, we’re cute.
28:36 We want to look cute and still be other, you know, construction site.
28:40 So, I was like, yeah, I want something cute, like, you know, overalls, cargo pants, cute t-shirts, tank tops.
28:47 And, I mean, I know a lot of times you’re not gonna really be that cute because you’re gonna get all jacked up and stuff, but you can’t still look cute.
28:54 You don’t have to be looking all rugged and hard and like, you know what I mean?
28:58 I can’t think of that thing, right?
28:59 So I started it with that in mind.
29:02 I said I’m gonna start girl be the clothing line.
29:05 So we started doing that and I start giving out t-shirts and stuff and cool hats and things like that.
29:10 By the way, I love your hat.
29:11 Oh, thank you.
29:13 Now, I said, yeah, you know, this is cool.
29:16 So then I started women, I was doing like little trade shows and they were loving the the cargo pants I was selling and some of the jumpsuits and overalls and then I started to mentor it and started to like, you know, have the a lot of discussions or going on to some of the women’s sites and helping them get through the entire process and teaching them the ropes and things like that.
29:38 And then I developed the workshops on girl belt.
29:41 And so Girl Bell was derived primarily because of the clothes, but it also was to empower women to give them a platform to let them know that I am here or that there are other women here that will be able to provide for them the support and because not a lot of them get their support and we’re a very small percentage of the construction industry, but we are coming in like blazing fire right now.
30:09 I just got if I get it like I’m just like, oh my God God, these women are like bad asses like Pharrell.
30:16 Like we have some pretty inspiring bad.
30:20 I agree.
30:21 I mean, I’m really impressed with the women that are reaching out that I’m following that you have that you developed and brought all your podcasts and so forth.
30:30 I mean, amazing.
30:31 And so I said, I’m gonna do this platform to empower them, inspire them, give them confidence, the support and the resources that they need.
30:41 I want them to feel like there is someone here for them because there’s not been a lot of times that there was, you know, there’s been a lot of times that, you know, you might come across this business and be shut down right now.
30:55 We don’t have that and now we are being canceled more than ever in anything and everything.
31:00 And I’m just like, no, no, no, this is not gonna happen.
31:02 We are unstoppable.
31:05 We are the backbone of building everything, we build families, we’ll build relationships, we build strong men to go out and provide for our family.
31:12 So what better way than to build each other up?
31:14 And I say it all the time.
31:16 So this is our time.
31:17 You know, I want us to be able to come to Girl Bell to have those resources.
31:22 I’m starting to work with other women who are helping me to bring it all together because not only am I wanting to build them in structure and I want to build them in their mind, their body useful.
31:35 Absolutely important that we are strong, stronger than ever before or so that we can plant the seed so that we can make sure that our Children and those in front of us can really learn from us like we are, the teachers have to be equipped with knowledge because it’s key.
31:56 And so I want every one of us to understand that this is why my platform is here, not just to help them build home, but to build their inner soul.
32:07 You know, I want them to understand that, you know, it’s important to eat properly, to sleep well, to get the proper nutrients, to be able to express themselves and be OK with that and not have someone tell you no, that’s not OK.
32:23 No, it is OK.
32:25 Period.
32:25 There is no other person on this earth better than us.
32:29 No one, there would be no people if it wasn’t for us.
32:32 Period.
32:33 I don’t care.
32:34 I could say it.
32:35 So with all that said, I love what I do, I’m gonna shut up and you could ask me any questions.
32:42 Oh my gosh, you are incredible.
32:45 And honestly, our like deep inner longings align so incredibly, like your vision and your, the way you look at the world and, and even like our journey, you know, I spent, I don’t know, 10 years flipping and then kind of went into the same mindset of when I created.
33:09 She builds.
33:10 It was like I want her to build her body and her mind and her soul.
33:15 And I want it to be completely all encompassing and, and have a healthy marriage and, and to have the care of yourself and be a good mother and also be a bad ass in your business.
33:25 You know, so that a message that you’re throwing out on the east coast is so aligned with what and the reason why I created mine as well.
33:36 And I think it’s so cool to have women like you who have gone through that journey and are so willing to give back because that is I think imperative.
33:47 And I think you’re also the one thing I always kind of say is I’m not doing like calling my name.
33:55 She builds to exclude anyone.
33:57 It’s to bring light to the fact that I am here.
34:02 And you can be too and there is someone like me, someone like you to look up to and to know that you can totally do this if it’s been the thing in your heart and you’ve been the, the young girl that’s been by herself and totally interested in things that are not of the norm and hopefully catch those girls a lot sooner in life than you.
34:26 And I possibly found it, you know, and that’s the whole goal is to really get these young girls to know that they can work with their hands and be ok with that.
34:36 It’s not just a man’s thing.
34:38 It’s, you know, we can do it too and I, I felt like we can do it all.
34:43 We really can and we do do it all.
34:46 But it’s super inspiring.
34:48 And I watch so many of the DIY.
34:50 These girls are on hardcore.
34:53 Oh my God, this is so great.
34:54 Like I too am patient to do DIY.
34:57 I’m like I seven layers of paint on no piece of bargain.
35:05 I like I got house sprained by then.
35:08 Thank you.
35:09 Sorry.
35:10 I know I’m terrible.
35:10 But like it’s just not my gift patience.
35:13 That’s so funny because I like look at them like, girl you, I’m getting… I’m going to have a whole section with just DIY’s because I’m not, I’m not that girl.
35:23 I’m like, let’s go next.
35:24 Yeah, I’ll tell you what to do all day, but for sure are great.
35:31 I love it.
35:32 Like I said, if we plant the seeds properly, then it could flourish.
35:36 Yeah, I would have played the young minds because it’s important more than ever now.
35:42 You know, I don’t feel as though we need to be distracted with all the things that we have gone about.
35:49 Let’s be positive.
35:50 Let’s think of things that’s gonna help us to grow so that we can be one right?
35:56 Because we all want at the end of the day and not excluding anyone.
36:01 I don’t want to be my message because I’m not.
36:03 But this is our time.
36:05 This is for us to really embark on and to realize that, you know, we don’t have to be canceled from a man’s supposed to be trait that we have get involved.
36:17 And you know, listen, there’s not a lot of women that’s gonna get in there and really physically do it.
36:22 But there are architect, women out there, there are women, women who are designers, there are women who are form it that I mean, the project management is like one of the most beautiful jobs.
36:33 Yeah.
36:33 And let me tell you, let me tell you how much smoother that job goes.
36:39 There’s not because we’re like seven steps ahead of everything, right?
36:42 A lot of mistakes being made.
36:44 Let’s just say that, you know, there’s not someone doing it over and over again.
36:48 We do it one time and we do it really good.
36:51 You know, I just want women to know that I’m here.
36:55 I do have the workshop that do the workshop which gives you an overview of how you can build a home, a rehab in the row home industry.
37:08 My next step on will be to build a home and I do new construction and everything, but I don’t get that detailed in this first set of workshops.
37:19 Yeah.
37:20 And Girl Bell is national.
37:21 We’re all over.
37:22 I’m in Florida now, I’m doing things down there.
37:26 We’re doing things in New York.
37:27 We’re doing things in Boston, we’re doing things that, you know, all over.
37:31 I’m actually going to be going to Chicago soon.
37:35 You know, there’s just a lot of different things, but I’m looking for ambassadors for all over that can like really carry the load and we’re gonna start to put together a full trade show and bring us all together.
37:46 Oh, that sounds amazing.
37:47 Well, if there’s any way I can support you or be a part of it and I love it and I think they are, they are very, they are, yeah, very connected but it’s very good.
37:57 Like we all need to, like come together because this is our community.
38:03 It is, it’s our tribe, this is our tribe and this is our community and there is so like I said, I mean, women that need to come together, there’s pain and plumbers and electricians.
38:13 I mean roofers and I’m just like, oh my God, like I wouldn’t even think of getting on a roof.
38:18 Like I just look above and I’d be like, OK, make sure I I’m not kidding on our roof.
38:23 Like, no way.
38:24 But there are some women on the roof.
38:27 I’m like, are you kidding?
38:28 Right.
38:29 And it’s amazing.
38:31 I am stoked on it and I’m finding more and more and what’s great is there’s a company that I’m a part of, I’m not sure.
38:38 I think you might be too.
38:40 Me.
38:41 Yeah.
38:43 And so she’s got all these different women from, all over the country and, like, they’re going out and they’re getting jobs at contractors and so forth and people’s homes.
38:52 I mean, it’s, it is awesome.
38:54 I know I was super excited when they reached out to me.
38:57 I was like, yes, I will do whatever I can to support you.
38:59 Ok.
38:59 So Monica tell people where they can find you.
39:02 Follow you hire you.
39:04 Yeah.
39:05 So you can follow me at girl Bell dot com or at Girl Bell on Instagram or at Style W Monica, which is where most of my design aesthetics come to life.
39:16 Girl Bell’s platform is more of like teaching and trying to like get women inspired.
39:22 Yeah.
39:22 And then like where if they did want to hire you to do any sort of jobs, what locations and stuff are you in?
39:30 They can basically, I’m all over.
39:32 To be honest, I’m going to fly to Martha’s Vineyard.
39:35 I’m going back to Orlando.
39:37 So I’m all over.
39:38 I will fly wherever if someone wanted to reach out to me, I’m available, but I will say I’m not a decorator.
39:48 I only get to down here lane.
39:49 Right.
39:51 I’m not interested in decorating.
39:53 I’m not either.
39:54 I’m like, once it’s done it’s done and then not come, put your furniture in.
40:01 That’s the right thing.
40:02 One of the things I will organize, like nobody’s business.
40:06 But like, I think I’ve had the same couch in my house for 10 years and I moved it around at least 25 times and every Christmas that moves location and I’ve never been happy with it.
40:17 I’m like, and I’ve had a stager come in and be like, what do I do with my couch?
40:22 I mean, listen, I can do it.
40:23 It’s just that I don’t want time consuming what our minds and what it is.
40:27 Yeah.
40:29 So I just want a lot to do with like comes Exactly.
40:32 And one of the things I do when design is I design my homes around family and entertaining.
40:38 So that one of my spaces is a place where you can gather, have a glass of wine or have family.
40:44 Right?
40:44 So by the I’m done, you will know exactly where to put that out.
40:49 Us.
40:49 Right.
40:50 Always thinking about where it’s gonna go.
40:52 Absolutely.
40:52 And how, where you gonna sit and where you’re gonna eat your popcorn, how you gonna watch your movie or are you gonna put your legs up or are you gonna all be at the, I’m always thinking about where it’s gonna go because I got to put it there for you.
41:03 So by the time of there is nothing more for them to do except I put that chair or that couch in that space where it needs to be.
41:10 But yes, they can definitely reach out to me.
41:12 I also have a website called Monica Maria and I also, I make my own furniture called Willow.
41:18 I have to write a willow girl.
41:20 What else do you do?
41:22 I’m a cook and that’s what I love to do.
41:25 I cook like, you have no idea.
41:28 Oh, my gosh.
41:29 Like you read out, I mean, you have no idea.
41:32 Like, really, like, everyone gathers at my home and like, literally all the models back in the day before I moved to Florida were so upset.
41:39 They’re like, I can’t believe you move because every holiday I would have like at least 30 girls in their family sitting at my table if they were from out of town and I would make a whole entire meal.
41:49 He had the best parties the best time ever.
41:51 But I love that.
41:52 Like, I just love to make the best food.
41:54 My favorite is Arman.
41:57 Even the, he can’t believe I make it.
41:59 And I’m like, yeah, I did make that from scratch so good.
42:03 No, I’m only kidding guys.
42:05 I think I, no, I, I really do love to cook.
42:08 It’s one of my things like things that kind of like make me I get to kind of chill call me.
42:14 But yes, monicamiraglilogirlbell.com or you can instant message me to Girl Bell.
42:21 Awesome.
42:22 All right, Monica, it’s been such a pleasure to get to know you and to be inspired and encouraged by you and what a blessing you are to this world.
42:30 Oh, thank you.
42:31 And so are you and I cannot wait to see what you have in store for the future.
42:36 You are incredible and I thank you for putting this together.
42:40 I really do appreciate.
42:41 Absolutely.
42:41 All right, darling.
42:43 Take care, you bet.
42:44 Ok, bye bye.
42:47 Thanks for joining me today on the She Builds Show.
42:49 My name is Stefanie Olson.
42:51 My hope is that this episode leaves you feeling empowered and ready to boldly take that step into building the life that you envision one 2×4 at a time.
43:00 And if you can do me a quick favor, please leave me a five star review on iTunes.
43:05 I get giddy over reading the reviews each week and I will choose one special person to win some.
43:10 She builds swag.
43:11 Make sure you add your name to the review and I’ll reach out if you’re the winner.
43:15 Thanks again for hanging out.
43:16 Be sure to visit me at theshebuildsshow.com where you can ask me questions and share with me what you’re building.