Friday, November 17, 2023

Have you learned of Alexandra, aka "the little operator"? In the family business since age 14, of installing septic systems in New Hampshire


The construction industry can be a challenging workforce, and combined with a digital presence where you need to be relatable yet true to yourself poses an even bigger challenge. This balancing act leaves Smith wondering how to gain attention online by focusing more on work than her own appearance. (5 foor tall) 

She wants to be relatable to her followers and prove you can be a “normal girl in the construction industry” if you are hardworking — a lesson she learned on her own being surrounded by male figures her entire life. In fact, she started her social media journey in hopes of connecting with likeminded women.

 “A lot of the reason why I started my social media page was because I didn't see anybody else like me doing what I was doing.”


Alexandra explains that she has a decision to make in the future about returning and taking over the family business. However, she says that her main priority is to stay in the field without getting sucked into the six-days-a-week, twelve-hours-a-day pressure that many industry workers fall prey to. 

Being self-employed, she was working for the family business full-time, but kind of works for a couple of contractors in the area who, you know, don't specialize in septic systems. They'll do the site work, she comes in, and puts the field in and does all the connections and things like that.

That's getting her foot in the door in the industry, because working in septic systems in particular, it's a lot of word-of-mouth recommendation.

She's learning from everyone who's been doing this for such a long time, yet still working for the family business mostly doing septic systems with them and residential house lots. But getting her name out there for people who need septic systems, for companies that can't find help, whether it's too expensive to keep them full-time and keep them busy, or they're just a one-man crew, and they just needed help for one day.

She also wants to use her social media presence to encourage healthier lifestyles and a return to focusing on what’s important in life, inside and outside the job. 

She often discusses what it’s like for women in construction, how she tries to let girls know there’s space for normal girls in the industry, and how she avoids scrutiny as a woman by keeping her content focused on her work.

 She also has a shared love of equipment as a huge part of her relationship with her dad. And Alexandra spoke at CONEXPO 2023 emphasizing that while it’s important for her to advocate for women in the industry, she also wants to make life better for everybody in construction by encouraging new ways of conducting and organizing business, so people have more freedom.

1 comment:

  1. Thumbs Up to the young lady! Maybe there is hope for the young people today after all.

    ReplyDelete