Merit Matters

In closing out our all in podcasts, Tammy interviews Alyssa Sullivan, of Sullivan painting. They dive into Alyssa unexpectedly, and suddenly, taking on the role of Acting President. Throughout, the pair discuss what it means to be all in, and how to remain committed even through challenging times.

In our first podcast highlighting our all in campaign, Tammy sits down with someone she considers to be all in, in every area of his life. Scott Seelye has been with Merit over a decade. Listen along as he and Tammy discuss what all in means to him, and the journey he took to becoming the committed individual he is today. They talk work life, family, and what your life can look like when you're truly all in.

Claudia Johnson came to the United States at 14 as a refugee, and has been impacting her community for the better ever since. Her career as a nurse, including time at Western State Hospital, identified her passion for the underserved, and those individuals that the commonplace healthcare system was having difficulty helping. She has channeled that passion into building an enhanced services facility in Lakewood, Wa. Her facility will support individuals struggling within the mental health system to become self sufficient and independent, showing them they've had the power to do so all along. Her goal is to fill the gap that currently exists in our community within the mental health field. Merit is honored to be building her facility and help facilitate her cause!

Audrey Birklid sits down with Merit Principal, Tammy Birklid, to discuss all things Merit. They duo go over how the last 65 years has shaped how Merit does business today, as well as look forward to the Merit of the future. Tune in for our first podcast of 2022, our kick off to celebrating 65 years of Merit!

This month on our Merit Matters podcast we are doing a mini series on gratitude. At Merit, we believe gratitude plays a crucial role in our workplace, at home and as a whole. Merit's Principal, Tammy Birklid, recently sat down with some of our team members to discuss how they find ways to implement gratitude into their work and personal lives, and what benefits they see from doing so. On this episode, our Equipment Manager, Miles Langer, joins Tammy to discuss how he finds ways to cultivate a culture of gratitude within the workplace and in his personal life by getting to know people on a personal level and creating a family oriented environment. Tammy also shares the importance of having gratitude from both leaders and employees.

This month on our Merit Matters podcast we are doing a mini series on gratitude. At Merit, we believe gratitude plays a crucial role in our workplace, at home and as a whole. Merit's Principal, Tammy Birklid, recently sat down with some of our team members to discuss how they find ways to implement gratitude into their work and personal lives, and what benefits they see from doing so. On this episode, Adam Coleman, Project Manager at Merit, joins Tammy and shares what he's been thankful for this past year as well as hard lessons he's learned that have made a positive impact on his life. Tammy also elaborates on why she believes gratitude plays a pivotal role in workplace productivity.

This month on our Merit Matters podcast we are doing a mini series on gratitude. At Merit, we believe gratitude plays a crucial role in our workplace, at home and as a whole. Merit's Principal, Tammy Birklid, recently sat down with some of our team members to discuss how they find ways to implement gratitude into their work and personal lives, and what benefits they see from doing so. In this episode we have Merit's Controller, Danielle Welch. Danielle has been with Merit for almost 10 years. Together, Tammy and Danielle discuss how they've found gratitude throughout the years at Merit through the good and challenging times.

"Collaboration early on is the best way to be innovative as a group. It allows you to think through constructability issues that I may not see because I am not on site swinging a hammer." We had the pleasure of speaking with Josh Gobel of TAS in our most recent podcast. Tammy and Josh discussed the benefits to Team-Build and how it is both of their preferred methods of project delivery. It optimizes the product for the Owner and makes everyone's jobs easier. Josh is one of our favorite architects we've worked with, give this a listen and you will understand why!

As part of our mission, we value being able to feature local organizations on our podcast that are impacting the lives of our community members. In honor of September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we interviewed Kristen Bishop, from Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. Kristen has been a Certified Child Life Specialist at Mary Bridge Children's since 2012. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in Child Life. She has the deep honor and privilege of serving pediatric patients and their families. Listen in to hear how she helps to empower and encourage people in the midst of some of the most difficult healthcare circumstances. As a part of her role, Kristen also trains and supports students whose goal is to become future child life specialists. To help aid her mission to bring light to these families lives, she has a Facility Dog named Olaf. Olaf works alongside her to bring motivation and comfort to patients. Kristen believes she has the best job in the entire world and looks forward to many years of serving the community in this capacity.

On this episode of Merit Matters, one of our Superintendents, Matt Wyble, sits down with Tammy to discuss leadership and his journey that brought him to where he is today. We recently had a a campaign titled #ChallengeAccepted that Matt played a large part in creating. He first heard the phrase while listening to his child's TV show and loved the idea of having a challenge accepted mindset when it came to challenges. When Matt brought this to Tammy, she ran with it. To honor Matt's involvement we wanted to share this interview, where he and Tammy take a deep dive into Matt's career, and who he views as amazing leaders. Listen in to hear how he went from not even knowing how to swing a hammer, to becoming a seasoned Carpenter. Matt talks about building buildings, but really how he is building himself.

We conclude our #ChallengeAccepted series with a part two from former Merit Owner, Len Zarelli. Tammy and Len discuss the different project challenges as well as managing personnel. They dive into when Tammy took ownership, the weight of that role, and how the duo took that on together. Tune in as we listen to two of the most important leaders in Merit history walk down memory lane, and share their growth along the way.

Katie Musgrave is the Philanthropy Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound. Throughout this episode, Katie and Tammy talk about the challenges brought on by Covid, and how the Katie tackled them in her role at the Boys and Girls Club. From shifting to working at home all day, to finding ways to still serve their community through that time, there's no denying Covid was a challenge. Merit has been a dedicated supporter of the Boys and Girls Club throughout the years and we are honored to pair up with them through our Challenge Accepted Campaign. Katie has been committed throughout this entire process and we are excited to share her take on #ChallengeAccepted. Her willingness to be candid about a friend's struggle with cancer was brave, and will undoubtedly bring hope to many.

This episode brings a very special guest, Len Zarelli. Len is the former Principal of Merit. With over 30 years of experience and almost 15 of them spent with Tammy, the duo had no problem coming up with challenges they had faced together. Listen along as they tackle contracts, communication with employees, and being thrown into a role before you're ready. With both Tammy and Len being in the industry for so long, there was too much to fit into one episode! Stay tuned for part two of Len's interview.

On this episode of Merit Matters we speak with Lorraine Glynn, a Project Architect for BCRA. Lorraine has over 10 years of professional experience. While she has a large variety of project types she has worked on, her current focus is in the behavioral healthcare sector. Lorraine graduated with her B.S. in Architecture in 2009, after switching from an interior design major. This episode focuses on the challenges specific to the design and construction world, and how the two interact together. Tammy and Lorraine talk about mental health facilities, and the important work done throughout these buildings. Throughout the duration of her interview, Lorraine weaves in the challenges that she's faced, and the important strategies she has implemented to overcome them. "You have to find that balance of engaging your staff and keeping them feeling consistently important and impactful in the work that you do." - Lorraine on keeping her team positive during challenging times.

On this episode of Merit Matters, we sit down with Merit's newest team member, Audrey Birklid. Audrey comes to us with her Law Degree, and her Bachelor's in Communication. You may notice the last name, and yes, she is our Principal Tammy's favorite daughter. We discuss how she landed here at Merit, her eagerness to learn the industry, and the duo's favorite (and not so favorite) years together. With an emphasis on growth, we discuss Audrey's goals for working at Merit and how she hopes to accomplish them.

On this episode of Merit Matters, we met with our safety team to discuss their roles and what working safe means to them. We hear an authentic conversation between co-workers about the real dangers involved with construction, and why it is critical we do everything we can to limit them. One of the things that makes our safety team so valuable is the diversity in job descriptions they each have. We have project managers, estimators, superintendents and project engineers all working together. Utilizing everyone's perspectives really allows us to integrate safety protocol into our culture. This was an opportunity for us to sit down and emphasize why safety is so important specifically to Merit, but also share why it should be important to you. Check out our safety page to learn more: Construction Safety — Merit Construction - Tacoma, WA (meritnw.com)

Special guest, Gary Polain, Founder and Principal of Ozmosis Leadership, sits down with Tammy Birklid to discuss how his early career as a Mechanical Engineer led him to a passion for helping others succeed in what he calls "Human Engineering" — Forging long-term relationships with prime movers of organizations—CEOs, presidents and business leaders to help them build profitable, preferred places to work. Gary shares his insights on the importance of personal development, learning to be more curious and asking more questions. He also reveals the most important skill of a leader as well as the number one mistake he sees leaders make. A native born Western Australian, Gary began his professional career as a Mechanical Engineer specializing in power station design, dust pollution control and mine ventilation systems. Gary has over the last thirty-two years committed himself to a most accomplished career in ‘Human Engineering'. Gary is an expert at developing strategies that get management teams working collaboratively and effectively to create long-term, measurable change. He has given keynote presentations throughout Australia, Canada, USA and England, and has either trained and coached over 16,000 people. He consults to multi-national corporations, small businesses, associations and community service groups on a variety of subjects including: Strategic Thinking, Executive Coaching, Leadership Development, Change Management and Consultative Sales. For more information on booking Gary Polain for your conference or event, or to learn more about his services visit http://www.ozmosisbiz.com/

If you could leave a legacy for future generations, what would it look like? At the beginning of this year, we had the privilege of building a project with the Rachel Lynn Henley Foundation for a very deserving young lady. Following the completion of the project, Nate Henley and Kelly Lauricella, of the Rachel Lynn Henley Foundation, joined us on our Merit Matters podcast. Together, they shared the heartwarming story about the tremendous legacy their sister and cousin left for their family; a legacy that not only lives on through them, but one that is making a difference in the lives of many throughout our local communities. MORE ABOUT NATE & KELLY: Nathan Henley and Kelly Lauricella are both very close to the foundation. Nate is Rachel's older brother. He grew up with her in Tacoma, attending all of the same schools and even shared some classes with her in high school. He now serves as the Vice President of the Rachel Lynn Henley Foundation while working full-time as the manager at the Lakewood Casa Mia Italian Restaurant. Kelly Lauricella is Rachel's cousin. She grew up in Tacoma and now resides in Lakewood with her husband and five pets! She started off her career in the engineering world, but realized that her passion was with helping others. She now volunteers full-time as a Director and Secretary of the Rachel Lynn Henley Foundation and gets to help bring smiles to amazing kids and young adults each day. ABOUT THE FOUNDATION: The Rachel Lynn Henley Foundation was founded in 2015. Rachel Lynn Henley was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma in 2007 when she was 14 years old and she fought fiercely and gracefully for 7-1/2 years before her battle ended peacefully on June 2, 2015. During her fight Rachel developed a passion for helping others, particularly kids and young adults dealing with a cancer diagnosis. One of her dreams was to create a foundation to provide support to various cancer research organizations focusing on pediatrics and sarcomas, as well as organizations that support the daily lives of those living with cancer. In an attempt to carry out her wishes in the best way possible, Rachel's family created the Rachel Lynn Henley Foundation. The foundation provides an opportunity to contribute toward a cure and provide support to those who are affected by cancer. It brings great joy to Rachel's family knowing they are doing something that she not only wanted to see come to fruition, but that she was deeply passionate about.

Meet our newest team member, Jared Johnson. Jared comes to the construction industry with 10 years of local program and project management experience and will be joining our Senior Estimator, Scott Seelye, in the Estimating Department. Client relationships are a top priority and in his role as an Estimator, Jared's attention to detail ensures that the end result best serves the client's needs. Being Tacoma grown, Jared joined Merit to continue building the Puget Sound community and partner in that process.

This week on the Merit Matters podcast, Tammy sits down with Josh Dunn, Founder and CEO of the local publishing company, Premier Media Group. Josh is the creative leader behind Premier Media's award winning publications including 425, 425 Business, South Sound and South Sound Business magazines. He is passionate about being an entrepreneur and helping lead, grow, and cultivate his local business community. "Our intent is to shine a light on all the amazing things going on for our consumer magazines as well as for our business community...What matters to us is to be a breath of fresh air" —Josh Dunn Together, Tammy and Josh discuss how entrepreneurs and business leaders can find ways to grow their brand by honoring and elevating those around them and by serving their community well. Learn more about Premier Media' publications at premiermedia.net

On our latest Merit Matters episode, we sit down with Andrew Browne, Precept Wine CEO and Founder of Browne Family Vineyards. Browne shares how he got started in the wine industry, lessons he's learned, and the type of legacy he wants to leave for his family and community; all of which were greatly inspired by his late grandfather, William Bitner Browne. Browne Family Vineyards is dedicated to building meaningful relationships with their community through innovative new wines, exciting collaborations, and customer nirvana. With tasting rooms located in downtown Walla Walla, Seattle's historic Pioneer Square, and their newest one in Tacoma's Proctor District, Browne Family Vineyards offers an inviting and uplifting gathering space built on a legacy. Learn more about Browne Family Vineyards at: brownefamilyvineyards.com

Meet our client The Tacoma Mountaineers and special guest Geoff Lawrence, Volunteer, Former Board President and Former Tacoma Branch Chair of The Mountaineers. Geoff is an outdoor enthusiast and although he loves the world-class instruction from The Mountaineers, what got him hooked years ago was The Mountaineers Community; a community that has continually supported one another with their time, talent and treasure for over 100 years. In this episode Tammy Birklid, Principal of Merit Construction, and Geoff Lawrence take you through The Mountaineers' rich history in the Pacific Northwest and how the organization is continuing to find ways to make it possible for everyone to experience the great outdoors. Geoff also shares how The Tacoma Mountaineers are working towards becoming a net-zero energy building in an effort to protect the wonders and beauty of the PNW.

Special guest and Merit's new client, Joe Moyer, President of Skookum Archers, shares how one of the largest and oldest archery clubs in Washington state is expanding to further serve our community with intention and purpose. Listen in to find out how this local club is making it possible for all to safely enjoy their 40+ acre facility. Learn more about Skooum at https://skookumarchers.com/ #meritconstruction #buildwhatmatters

This month on our Merit Matters virtual series we are highlighting conversations around our latest campaign, "Build What Matters." Today we are featuring special guest, Jeff McInnis, a Member of the Board of Directors from Safe Streets. Jeff shares why he is passionate about Safe Streets, what their mission is and how they are building what matters with in the community. He also discusses stories about youth that have been impacted by this organization and what Safe Streets is specifically doing to empower today's youth to build stronger, safer, and more unified communities. Stay tuned until the end to hear Jeff share something special that Safe Streets is doing on December 21st to bring light and hope to neighborhoods, schools and businesses around the Sound.