Jane Gimler
Company name: ABC Texas Coastal Bend Chapter
Title: President
SHALE: Tell me about your company.
ABC Texas Coastal Bend Chapter is the leading association providing the most valuable resources for the Coastal Bend construction industry, dedicated to our members’ prosperity and promoting the free enterprise system. We are the construction industry leader who is committed to developing a safe workplace and a high-performance workforce.
SHALE: What interested you most about your industry?
Their belief in the Merit Shop philosophy. They believe in the free enterprise system, the right to run your own business free from outside interference, rewards based on merit and freedom to compete for the work you want.
SHALE: What does your typical day at the office look like?
Well, since COVID-19 has hit our country, things have changed in our daily lives. Instead of face-to-face meetings, we have had to adjust to “virtual meeting,” which has been a challenge to some. And instead of sending mixer and event notices, we have to send COVID training and webinars. It’s been an adjustment. But we have been blessed that our industry and construction have been deemed “essential.” We have been open and trying to get all the important information out to our members.
Right now, we have adjusted our events and are still offering in-person and virtual training. I think this will be the new norm.
SHALE: What do you like most about your position and/or industry?
That I get to have a voice. This industry is mostly male-dominated, and for the Board of Directors to choose a woman to run their organization means that they are open-minded.
SHALE: What about your career makes you most proud?
One important part of my job is putting together meetings. Our members need help meeting someone with the “owners” big industry; it could be Moda Midstream, GCGV, SDI or member to member. If they make it work, and you see the end result of that meeting coming into fusion, that makes me so happy!
SHALE: What advice would you give to young women interested in entering your industry?
It’s very simple: Love what you do. If you don’t, then you need to move on. Remember the vision and stay true to yourself, and the rewards will come — I promise. If you want an easy job, this is not the position for you. I love my job, and I’m thankful every day.
Jennifer McIntyre
Company name: NMW llc
Title: Managing Partner
SHALE: Tell me about your company.
NMW LLC. is a woman-owned and operated Oil and Gas sales and operations consulting company. We specialize in contract sales, operations and administrative services to clients. Some of our clients include: JGK/Firestone Energy — union and non-union construction and reclamation, L and L Pipeline — mainline pipeline construction, Roughcut Oil and Gas — roustabout and hydro-vac cleaning, Bluewater Energy — oilfield trucking, PPC Lubricants — Shell lubricants, Navigator — wireline and directional drilling services. My mentor, now partner, Ellen Montgomery and myself have over 40 years of combined experience in oil and gas.
SHALE: What interested you most about your industry?
Like many in the industry, I didn’t set out to work in the oilfield; the oilfield found me. Working in corporate relocations, I got to know many of the players moving to the area when Marcellus and Utica really started picking up. I pride myself on always going above and beyond, that’s how you are remembered, and I was soon asked to bring that drive and work ethic out into the field.
SHALE: What does your typical day at the office look like?
No two days are ever the same. I am very involved in many of our local charitable, industry-based organizations. I sit on the board for the Appalachian Pipeliners Association as the Director of Membership, and the Appalachian Chapter of the American Association of Drilling Engineers as Marketing Chair, and am Secretary for the Pittsburgh Chapter of Oilfield Connections International. So, one day I could be organizing/running a clay shoot or networking luncheon to raise funds for scholarships; the next day, I could be walking a ROW for a bid walk or jumping in my truck at 1 am to help a pressing situation in the field. That’s one of the things I love most, the variety, spontaneity, and challenges. Bottom line, the less I’m in my “office,” the better job I am doing for my clients and customers.
SHALE: What do you like most about your position and/or industry?
I love being self-employed. No boss in this world will hold me as accountable as I hold myself. Failure and/or poor service are not options. My love of the industry resides strictly with the people. I have spent more time with my colleagues, clients, and friends in the field than I have my family at times. So much so that they have become just an extension of my family. I truly believe there is no other industry as passionate, loyal, and hard-working as the oilfield.
SHALE: What about your career makes you most proud?
I have come a long way, personally and professionally. I have been blessed in recent years to be able to mentor several other young women entering our industry. It can be a hard, mean world out there, but young women must be warriors and learn that the only thing that makes a dream impossible is the fear of failure. Do not fear failing; failure builds character, and I promise you, fail once, and you will never want to repeat the mistake again. Learn from it, and move on. I think I am most proud that my children have grown up with such a strong work ethic. Mom working as hard as she has; missing birthdays, holidays, and the occasional sporting event means that the family can live happily. Hard work and hard work alone brings success. My saying, “Hustle and heart will set you apart.” Work hard, and give harder.
Miranda Jones
Company name: BP
Title: Vice-President Health, Safety, Environment & Carbon
SHALE: Tell me about your company.
BP is probably best known as a global oil and gas company. Earlier this year, a new strategy was announced to reimagine energy for people and our planet-and get BP to net zero. This commenced a journey that will reshape our business in the coming years, transforming us from a global oil company to an integrated energy company focused on reinventing BP to deliver energy solutions for customers and create value for our shareholders.
SHALE: What interested you most about your industry?
As a child, my Dad and Grandpa worked in the industry, which piqued my curiosity. As I grew older, I gained a greater appreciation for how life-changing energy is. As a child, energy wasn’t always affordable for my family. I remember learning that there were over a billion people in the world who lived without electricity, either because of access or affordability. I know what it is like to wake up to a cold house because my Dad disconnected the heater because we couldn’t afford to run it. I recall visiting friends’ homes who only had Coleman lanterns to light their homes. These experiences are my motivation to provide safe, reliable and affordable energy in a way that shows care to our planet.
SHALE: What does your typical day at the office look like?
I am not sure there is a typical day, but one thing I can almost always count on is it will likely start earlier than I would prefer. On an “office” day, which could be at a BP office or working remotely, meetings can start at 4 or 5 AM, as we coordinate across global time zones. Prior to COVID, I regularly traveled to visit our operating sites and meet with our teams. I also prioritized meeting with our broader stakeholder community.
SHALE: What do you like most about your position and/or industry?
Without a doubt, the common thread across every position I have held and every company I have worked for is great people.
SHALE: What about your career makes you most proud?
I am going to sound a bit repetitive here, but again, it comes down to the people. I am most proud to serve with the great people in this industry. I have been humbled by great friendships and have learned so much from the people in this industry.
SHALE: What advice would you give to young women interested in entering your industry?
For young women and anyone interested in the energy industry: Keep an open mind, be a listener, seek out learning, have empathy for others, embrace change, honor yourself in your choices, and trust your gut.
Stephanie Montagne
Company name: Crowned Country
Title: Owner/Operator
SHALE: Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started with CrownedCountry.com.
I was in the dental field for six years, and then when COVID hit, all the offices had to close. Opening a boutique had always been something I’ve wanted to do, but in my mind, it was something that was far fetched – just a dream. But then this year, little by little, it started to become a reality. I had already begun to get my license for the boutique, so when I was laid off, that was the final push.
SHALE: Was becoming a fashion entrepreneur something you always wanted to do?
My father was an entrepreneur, so I had always grown up in that lifestyle, but fashion is always something I’ve always been passionate about. So, if I was going to pick any type of business, fashion is what I would have picked above anything else, hands down.
SHALE: The fashion industry is a big place. How did you know where to start?
I did tons and tons of research, and I actually had everything set up to go to market in Dallas before COVID hit. And when it hit, it shut down the market. So, I had to figure out a way to contact and reach vendors all online. So far, I haven’t even attended a market.
SHALE: What would you say is the hardest part of your job?
I would say shopping is the hardest part of my job. I have to shop at wholesale vendors and buy everything in mass bulk. You can’t just buy one piece. You have to buy a massive box of one shirt in multiple sizes, and then just hope and pray that it sells.
SHALE: That’s a lot of pressure. How do you choose your items?
Some of it is my personal style, things I would like to wear, and part of it is going outside my comfort zone. Sometimes, what’s trendy isn’t something that I would wear myself, but I know it would sell. And I try to keep a wide variety — clothes that are more fitted, more loose, casual things, and things you could wear to work. All ages shop with me, so I try to keep it very versatile.
SHALE: Did you have a customer base when you started?
It started mostly with family and friends, and I have all the usual social media. It makes it easy to shop from there. You just click on the picture, and it takes you to where you can purchase the item. Plus, I use social media and email to let people know when we will be at events. That is one of the best parts of my job. I’ll go to an event, and someone will tell me, “I drove over an hour to be here because I saw you were going to be here on Instagram, and I wanted to come see you.” It’s humbling to know that someone would drive that far to come to a booth, but that is also what’s awesome about the job.
SHALE: Do you have a storefront?
We don’t have a storefront. That’s not in our plans with everything that is going on. But we do different pop-up events. We have a couple of fall and holiday markets coming up. I always post on social media where we’re going to be that week.
SHALE: In this day and age, it’s hard to stand out online. What is it, do you think, that makes Crowned Country stand out from the crowd?
The clothes that we carry are really cute, and they’re really good quality. I also try to keep everything very reasonably priced. Plus, we offer free standard shipping in the U.S. Most of the time, when people place an order, we have everything on hand. So, we can ship either the same day or the next day.
We also carry seasonal lines for different seasons and holidays. But once we sell out of those, they are gone. We won’t be ordering more until that season or holiday comes around again.
SHALE: We understand you are also a wife and mother. Tell us a little about your family.
My husband does marketing for the oil and gas industry. He is definitely the backbone of this company. He encouraged me to start everything, and he is at every pop-up show I do.
We have two boys, a seven-year-old and a four-year-old, and we are expecting our daughter in February. So, we have our hands full.
