Washington Business Fall 2019 | Washington Business | Page 52

how i did it
recognizing opportunities
Garman’s very first full-time job served as her launching pad into the
industry. She worked for a fire sprinkler contractor in Thurston County,
first as a secretary and then as the office manager. In that role, she learned
about the accounting side of running a small business. She then served as
the office manager for a fencing contractor before moving to a position
with a general contractor.
“The owner of that company taught me how to read a spec book, how
to read drawings, and how to put a bid together,” Garman said. “He
basically taught me the fundamentals of construction and gave me my first
opportunity to actually lead projects.”
He also taught Garman how to design pre-engineered buildings. At
the age of 26, she took on her first high-profile project: the design of the
Thurston County Coroner’s facility. The state-of-the-art 7,000-square-foot
building was touted as the best medical examiner facility in the state when
it opened in 2003.
At that point, Garman was hooked. She briefly worked for Span
Construction and Engineering Inc. in Madera, Calif., but missed the Pacific
Northwest. She returned to Washington and began working for a general
contractor who pushed her to obtain her U.S. citizenship.
“At the time I was married, and I had started a small tile company with
my husband, which was the genesis for RHD Enterprises,” Garman said.
“Once I got my citizenship, the contractor I was working for gently nudged
me from the nest and convinced me that I should go out on my own and
pursue my 8(a) small business certification.”
learning, learning, and more learning
In the early days, Garman spent much of her time learning how to run a
small business. She took classes through the SBA, and she reached out to
people in the industry to ask for advice.
“It’s a little intimidating to ask questions of people who have been in the
field a long time when you’re just starting out, but there’s a tremendous
amount of value in it. I’ve found that people are so willing to share their
lessons learned and advice,” Garman said.
52 association of washington business
“It’s a little intimidating to ask questions
of people who have been in the field a
long time when you’re just starting out,
but there’s a tremendous amount of value
in it. I’ve found that people are so willing
to share their lessons learned and advice.”
words of advice
Go to networking events. “When you’re a small
business owner or entrepreneur and you’re just
starting out, it’s really hard to get out of the day-to-
day grind and go to marketing events and network.
But I have found that anytime I do, something
amazing always happens. Some connection is made,
or an opportunity presents itself.”
Take advantage of local resources. “There’s so
much support available for small businesses in
terms of training, coaching, or resources. I wish that
I hadn’t been afraid to reach out for help when I first
got started. But at the same time, I wasn’t aware of
all the resources that were available.”
Reach out to those who have paved the way before
you. “Look up the leaders in your industry and
ask if you can take them out for coffee or have a
few minutes of their time. Have a list of questions
prepared, and pick their brain. The feedback you
can get from sitting down and talking with industry
leaders is priceless.”