Business Visit to New York | and a Lesson Worth Sharing
Using My Interior Design Skills in New York | This Is Only the Beginning
I’ve been a little quiet lately—because I was in New York working. A reminder that real skills travel with you, and one hard-earned lesson construction taught me about clarity, contracts, and why mistakes are tuition.
If you’ve been wondering why you haven’t heard from me in a week, here’s the truth:
I was in New York. Not just visiting—working.
I had a few opportunities that required my presence, and I was able to put multiple skill sets to work. One highlight was tapping back into my interior design background, where I designed and created accent walls in a New York apartment. It was a powerful reminder that when you build real skills, they travel with you.
While there, I also met with a real estate company. The conversations were forward-thinking and energizing, and I’m looking forward to sharing my experience, helping establish systems, and supporting their operations in a meaningful way.
That trip confirmed something I’ve known for a long time:
Real skills don’t stay in one lane. They open doors.
And that leads me to today’s lesson.
“Mistakes Are Tuition — Pay Attention”
One of the hardest lessons I learned in construction had nothing to do with tools, labor, or materials.
It had everything to do with clarity.
Early in my career, I believed being flexible made me a good partner. I wanted to be helpful. I wanted to be easy to work with. At the same time, this industry made me stronger—every time I had to pause, regroup, and restructure.
Construction taught me what the classroom never could.
• Relationships matter—but so do systems • Trust is important—but documentation is critical
It also taught me a harder truth.
This industry is political. It can be unforgiving. And yes—there is backstabbing.
But instead of breaking me, it sharpened me.
Every setback forced growth. Every lesson added wisdom. Every experience made me stronger.
What I didn’t understand early on was this: Every undefined task quietly becomes expected work—often without conversation, documentation, or compensation.
Not because people are intentionally taking advantage, but because boundaries were never clearly defined.
The Lesson Showed Up Again
Later in my career, I worked in the Housing Department for the City as a licensed Lead Inspector certified by the State of Michigan as a Lead Supervisor. My role included entering homes built before 1978, assessing conditions, writing scopes
of work, and coordinating lead reports based on what I observed. And overseeing work on properties with lead hazards. The city had grant funding available to help residents, but that funding came with strict requirements.
Timing mattered. Documentation mattered. Compliance mattered.
On one project, a contractor was selected, and a start date was set. That date came and went.
No crew. No call. No response.
When I finally reached the contractor—just before moving to the next bidder—I learned he was still working on another home, continuing to add tasks that were never put in writing.
That decision slowed everything down.
• No defined endpoint • No documented changes • No accountability
And the result wasn’t just a delayed project—it was a homeowner left waiting, despite having approval, funding, and a schedule.
The Takeaway
Here’s the truth every contractor and owner eventually learns:
Unwritten work creates written problems later.
Clarity protects everyone. It keeps projects moving. It preserves trust. And it prevents one “small favor” from turning into a chain reaction that affects multiple people.
That’s why I quote, “mistakes are tuition”.
The lesson isn’t the mistake— it’s whether you learn from it or keep paying for it.
This thinking runs throughout my upcoming book release, CONSTRUCTION IS NOT FOR DINGBATS - Mistakes Are Tuition - Pay Attention, Learn the Lesson, and Don’t Enroll in the Same Class Twice”, and it’s why I’m sharing these real-life lessons here.
Let’s Talk
If you’re:
• Thinking about starting a construction company • Already running a construction business • Or trying to understand scopes, documentation, and systems
What do you want to know?
Ask the question. If I’ve lived it, I’ll share it.
More to come.
— Angela
A. R. Boone Construction
by Angela Boone
