Brit Fuller, chief operating officer at Nashville, Tennessee-based Building Company Number 7 (Build Co. 7), said she fell into construction by accident. Working for a company that outsourced administrative and marketing tasks for businesses, she landed a construction client, which led to the creation of a new arm of that company.
Build Co. 7 specializes in historic renovations in the East Nashville area, which is what drew Fuller to the company.
“I love the idea of preserving historic value in residences and buildings, especially at a time when it’s common to have the double lot, tall and skinny thing. It’s nice to be a part of preserving some of that culture and the look in the city,” she said.
When Fuller landed at Build Co. 7, she was inspired by the people on the team, setting out to create an employee-centric workplace.
“As much as possible, I like my team to make decisions together,” she said. “Everyone within the company has their own expertise, and sometimes it needs to come down to that person’s expertise, and occasionally it needs to come down to some hierarchy of decision-making. But as much as possible, we as a team make decisions together.”
Build Co. 7 Owner Matt Millsap has played a pivotal role in advancing Fuller’s career. She said he is a great partner, ally and friend.
“He has given me a lot of free rein and trust to do what I do, and to be able to manage my own schedule, workflow and work-life balance,” she said. “He has given me a lot of freedom to create and innovate and operate in the ways that work best for me and the team at large.”
As a member of the C-suite at Build Co. 7, Fuller has a direct line to helping more women enter the construction industry. Her advice to other leaders and business owners is to talk to women and see what they need.
“Construction can be tough, especially if you’re out in the field, if you’re a trade worker,” she said. “Historically, women have not been treated well. We have been encouraged to take it on the chin. That was a sign of a good woman construction worker, if you could hang with the guys. We’re not quite close to being through that. [Leaders should] talk to the women in their lives, talk to the women in the field and see what is working and what is not, and listen to women who take the lead on what needs to change in the industry for women to not only be tolerated and accepted, but valued for the work and insights that we bring to the table.”
Fuller works hard to ensure anyone joining the Build Co. 7 team will model respect for everyone, but especially women.
“Whenever I am recruiting talent, I am looking for how I’m being interacted with and spoken to by men,” she said. “How is that going to affect the overall team? It’s not just about me. I have other women on the team, and there are some people who very obviously do not want to take direction from a woman; that’s not going to work out. It’s been interesting figuring out creative ways to suss out if someone isn’t going to be harmonious with the team.”
There are currently five women, including Fuller, on the Build Co. 7 team in a variety of positions, including selections coordinator, project management, house crew worker and executive assistant.
Outside of work, Fuller enjoys hiking and any activity on the water in the Pacific Northwest. But even in her free time, Fuller likes to focus on people and their relationships at work and in their personal lives.
“I like to know what makes people tick, how we operate, why we do the things we do,” she said. “I like to know about sociological, anthropological, psychological phenomena in people. As a person with ADHD and who is autistic as well, having learned that about myself later in life, learning how I best operate and what I need, and how other people work, and how we create symbiotic relationships out of that is very, very important and meaningful and interesting.”
