WD’s founder and CEO, PariSima Hassani, had the pleasure of speaking at IAW (Iranian-American Women) Foundation’s 10th Annual Leadership Conference. She spoke at the “Career Paths… Opportunities and Challenges” workshop, specifically on strategies for women in the workplace. She has a diverse perspective as an entrepreneur, executive, first-generation immigrant, and former working mother in a male-dominated industry (Architecture, Engineering, Construction). PariSima shared a lot of insight for women on how to forge a path towards a fulfilling career, rise and succeed as a leader, and break down barriers in the workplace. Her advice to career women can be summed up into the following:
Find Your Passion. Cliché maybe, but truly essential. I urge you to find joy first above all while forging your career paths, because success is not a simple, straight line or a walk in the park. It is messy, full of ups and downs, requires honest and often painful self-reflection, endless hard work, and at times it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The good news? You’re the pilot and you chart the course, no one else. So follow your heart, buckle up and enjoy the ride.
Do The Hustle. I never let being a woman in a man’s industry get in the way of what I wanted out of my career. If I encountered an obstacle, I found a way to overcome it. I didn’t sit around waiting for opportunities, I created opportunities for myself. It all comes down to having the right attitude, selecting the appropriate approach, and committing to your aspirations. When you’re working with 25 colleagues and you’re the only woman, be THE PERSON in the room who brings value and substance to the group. Be neither intimidated nor arrogant, and show them that you belong, because you do. Be flexible. Know when to lead and when to provide support; know when to go it alone and when to ask for help; and know which battles to fight and which to concede. While being conscientious about gender in the workplace is important, do not look at every situation through a lens of gender (this isn’t us vs. them).
Better. Faster. Stronger. Smarter. Want to surpass your male peers? Break through the glass ceiling? Then you will have to be ten times more knowledgeable than your male colleagues. You must be willing to do whatever it takes - extra research, extra education, extra charisma. When you walk into that meeting with 30 men, you better know your stuff more than anyone else in that room. If you want to get ahead, you cannot be average. The only way to increase gender diversity in the workplace is to get more talented women and women leaders in these industries who are willing to take on these challenges. It is not an easy path, but if you work hard and earn it, you will earn it for all women.
Empower ALL Women. Today, there are many more opportunities for women in the workplace than there were 25 years ago, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. In male-dominated careers where social conventions of gender roles are still prominent, it is easy to fall into the trap of being cut throat with our female peers. This is only reinforcing all the challenges women face in the workplace. We need to empower each other and help break down barriers for all women - millennials, gen x-ers, baby boomers, single professionals, mothers. I am not encouraging preferential treatment, but there’s no reason to go out of our way to make another woman’s life hard simply because our path to success might have been a longer and harder road. We are all in this together.
Fulfilling Career + Motherhood. Yes, You Can Have It All. A defining moment in my career was when I felt like I had to choose between my dream job and my daughter. Many years ago, I had the opportunity to work for one of my professional idols, Richard Meier, on the design of the Getty Center Museum. But the 15-year project was going to require late nights, weekends, 24/7/365 of my attention. At the time, I was a single mother with a six-year-old daughter. It was an emotional decision for me, but I turned down the job offer to watch my daughter grow up. This does not mean I gave up my career for motherhood. Seizing a new opportunity, I moved to California to create the fulfilling career that I desired, while also being the involved mother that I wanted to be. And here I am, 30 years later, the founder and CEO of my dream company, Westgroup Designs, and a proud mother to a Public Defender.
My Fellow Female Entrepreneurs and Leaders, Lead the Charge. As women entrepreneurs and leaders, we are an example to all women and cannot take that responsibility lightly. We need to show younger female generations that their future is not limited because of traditional gender biases in the workplace. Be a beacon for female talent and nurture them, so they feel empowered and confident in their professional roles. Do not let them feel pushed out of traditionally male-dominated careers. It is not our titles, but the workplace environments we create and lead that say a lot more about our stance on gender diversity. We cannot sit around and wait for other companies to break glass ceilings and us to follow, we need to lead the charge. Talent is hard to find and worth its weight in gold, so our workplace environments need to engage all talent by making staff and office culture a high priority.
Appreciate Your Achievements. In closing, I ask you to stop focusing too much on everything you “didn’t do” or “haven’t done yet”. As women, we tend to be very self-critical and thinking our efforts are never enough. While relentless persistence and drive are tenets of success, not appreciating the value of our achievements and what we bring to this world can be just as toxic as apathy and laziness. You don’t have any significant achievements you say? Did you graduate college? Have you ever received a promotion? Are you juggling a career and raising a family? I would say you have at least ten significant achievements. So, every once in a while, take a moment to appreciate yourself and your many achievements.
Due to extensive experience and positive relationship with DSA, Westgroup Designs was contacted and immediately took on this 19,662 square foot, fast-track restoration project to repair the buildings affected by fire, smoke and water damage. In close collaboration with DSA, structural approvals were obtained in one week so the restoration process could move forward immediately. The structural upgrades have already been completed, allowing the high school to reopen the cafeteria, kitchen, and auditorium. These places had suffered both water and smoke damage from the fire.
Portables have been integrated for the displaced classrooms and WD is moving forward with building restorations and replacements, including new finishes, cabinetry and furniture. Westgroup continues to keep the pace on this time-sensitive project, with construction scheduled to begin in February.
We are looking for highly-skilled architectural and interior design professionals in all practice areas, including K-12, Higher Ed, Aviation and Transportation, Wellness, Commercial and Civic. Experience with Revit is desired, and expertise with presentation deliverables, graphics or 3D rendering a plus!
Show us what you’ve got! Resumes and work samples can be submitted here.
Check out our company culture on Instagram.
With the most recent purchase of the 155,000 sf Canyon Corporate Center, Hines is one of Orange County’s five largest office landlords on a square footage basis with an office portfolio that tops 3 million square feet. Hines is a global real estate investment firm with a presence in 19 countries and a portfolio totaling 531 properties, representing over 186 million square feet.
Hines has a robust redevelopment vision for the former Fisker Headquarters and
sought an Architecture and Interior Design team that could partner with them to “transform the [1970s office building] into one of the most unique and differentiated office environments in the Anaheim Canyon submarket.” Westgroup Designs was excited to take on the design challenge.
Westgroup Designs developed conceptual design options for the Canyon Corporate Center that would strengthen business outcomes for Hines, honing in on the goal of attracting flex-office and creative-office tenants. Specifically, WD proposed strategic improvements to interior and exterior spaces, with a focus on flexible tenant spaces, engaging common areas, place-making building facades and pedestrian-centric outdoor areas.
Hines and Westgroup Designs are immediately moving forward into design development with construction scheduled to commence later this year.
To learn more, read the Hines' press release here.
Read the original OCBJ article here.
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Westgroup Designs’ new office transformed from commercial modern to the dapper twenties; with jazz musicians strumming and crooning, cards and dice in the casinos, and plenty of ritz to go around.
Looking stunning in their 1920’s attire, “men and women came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars” (F Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby). With a variety of activities, guests could gamble in the casinos, dance the night away with live music provided by a talented jazz trio, dabble in the dapper photobooth, and gaze into the future through WD’s 3D Virtual Reality ViewMaster.
Feathery, fringed, and dripping with pearls; the night replicated that of the Great Gatsby- rich in details and heaps of fun! To see more photos from the night, click here.
For more Westgroup Designs updates, check us out on Instagram and Twitter.
WD is at the finish line for construction for the San Diego International Airport Taxi Terminal and Offices, opening January 18, 2016. WD's design of the new building provides a space for the employees of the airport taxis and rental car buses to rest between shifts. It also acts as a connection for bus drivers to the airport. A key design feature includes an enclosed patio with a stainless steel ornamental screen, connecting both exterior and interior which allows for natural light to enter in. An oasis of landscaping around the building will provide a shelter from noise to create a place of tranquility for employees.
The new 3,700 sf building has separate break rooms for taxi and rental car bus drivers and training room for rental car bus drivers that overlooks the runway. In addition, the new airport taxi terminal changes taxi drivers' queue and payment systems for airport access, and provides a space for drivers to have access to the new Consolidated Car Rental Center (CONRAC). This center replaces 85 separate rental car buses with just 16 constantly circulating buses, which in return will clear out the airport traffic lanes, bettering the flow of the airport.
WD's resulting design enhances both the day-to-day working experience of employees and the airport's taxi and bus operations.