Elevate Course - Association of Women Contractors | AWC

Are you ready to Elevate your Business?

AWC has teamed up with the E5 Institute to create an AWC Member Exclusive course for advanced business owners who are ready to take their business to the next level.

The Inaugural Year of Elevate is currently underway, and the next cohort will roll out in October 2023. Watch for application information at that time.

Business Strategy

A wise person once said, “You can’t work on your business if you are always working in it.”

Build Your Business

Investing your time and money into participating in the Elevate Program will pay huge dividends down the road

Are you looking to not only build your business, but build your future as well?

What is the Elevate Course?

Cohort Style Course

Elevate is a cohort style course limited to only 20 participants at a time.

Interactive Workshops

Elevate provides interactive half day workshops taught by industry experts.

Class Time

Elevate classes take place over six months with only a 5-6 hour time commitment (including class time) per month to accommodate the demanding schedules of participants.

Build Your Future

Elevate is a construction industry specific course designed to give owners the training and tools they need to build their business and build their future.

Time & Support

Elevate gives participants the time and support to integrate what they are learning into their businesses.

1:1 Coaching Sessions

Elevate provides participants 1 to 1 coaching sessions after each class to address needs specific to their business.

Mastermind Calls

Elevate brings the entire class cohort into monthly mastermind calls so participants can share what they are learning and implementing into their businesses and learn from other participants in the process.

AWC Members

Elevate provides all of this to AWC Members at a fraction of the cost of similar programs through the generous support of the following sponsors.

The Inaugural Year of the Elevate program is currently underway. We will roll out another cohort in October 2023.

What is the Cost of the Program?

And how much of my time will it require?

Thanks to our generous sponsors AWC will be subsidizing 50% of the course fee. The cohort costs $1,200.00 per participant. AWC members will each pay $600.00.

Each participant can plan to spend approximately 5-6 hours per month on the course. This includes a half-day interactive workshop, a monthly one-to-one coaching call, and one Mastermind group call. Most assignments and implementation exercises can be completed during class time.

This program was sponsored by:

Past Board Member Sponsors

Claudia Osterman

Brigid O'Malley

Cindy Haley

Joelynne Hanson

Kathy Meyer

Jerri Sweeney

LouAnne Loewen

Joan Donovan

Sarah Bazey

Diane Caruso

Mary Cave

Mariaha Dean

Joy Thompson

Kathy Brown Zerwas

Krystal Vierkant

Donna Gulden

Jennifer Thompson

Megan Nord

Kathy Flynn Hanson

Rachel Peters

Keia Isaacson

Stacy Shaw

Sue Blanchard

Nancy Blanchard

Anita Bellant

Marty Christianson

Kelly Thommes

If you are interested in Elevating your business and your future, watch for application information in Fall 2023.

When does the Elevate Course Begin?

The Inaugural year of Elevate is currently underway. We will be rolling out another cohort in October 2023. Watch for application information at that time.

Are There Any Special Requirements that Need to be Met to Take the Course?

The following are the criteria which need to be met for an application to be approved for participation in the ELEVATE Advanced Business Owner Training.

A business owner (or co-owner) within the construction/trades industry
An active majority owner of the business
In current business ownership for five years or more
An AWC member in good standing
Has a leadership and decision making role within their company
Has access to financial reporting for their company
Is able to dedicate 5-7 hours per month participating in the courses
Is committed to growing/changing their current business practice for success

What topics are covered in the Elevate Course?

Class 1 October 2021: “BHAG: Develop the Future Vision and Strategy of Your Business”

Elevate students will learn about visioneering and strategic planning components that are necessary for a successful business and life. Students will develop a vision for their own future business and life. They will also develop a concrete vision for 10 years out, develop a 3 year picture to head towards that vision,and a one year plan that will head towards their picture. At the end of this course, students will have a map for their business going forward including metrics to measure success and quarterly goals.

Class 1: October 2021

Class 2 November 2021: “Unleash the Leader Within: Equipping you to Lead Your Business into the Future”

Elevate students will complete an E5I Leadership Assessment which will help students understand their strengths, communication and leadership styles. Students will learn the basic concepts of leadership and various leadership styles. The results of their assessment will be shared and used in class and one-to-one coaching calls to learn how to leverage their leadership gifts in their specific business.

Class 2: November 2021

Class 3 December 2021: “It’s a Team Effort: Structuring your Business for Future Success”

Elevate students will learn about organizational structure and define what would be the ideal structure for their organization. Students will map their current structure and identify the gaps they have in their teams. Students will learn to maximize their current staff through development, delegation, and clear roles and responsibilities. Students will revisit their findings from class 2 to best lead their ideal organizational structure.

Class 3: December 2021

Class 4 January 2022: “The Numbers Don’t Lie: Understanding and Evaluating your Business Finances”

Elevate students will gather and submit various financial reports after course one. Their financials will be assessed for accuracy prior to this course. In this class, Elevate students will learn how to read and evaluate their own financial statements; and which metrics and reporting are essential for the construction industry. Students will develop their own metrics to measure their success according to the strategy they develop in the first class.

Class 4: January 2022

Class 5 February 2022: “What They Don’t Tell You: The Inside Scoop on Successes, Failures, and the Future of the Construction Industry”

Elevate Students will learn from industry experts who have succeeded and failed in the construction industry. Experts will share everything from, construction contractor trends and forecasts, handling unions; DBE and WOB certifications; submitting RFPs; contract negotiations, liens, contract execution and everything in-between. Topics and experts will be selected based on the make up of each cohort to ensure relevant information. Students will develop their own SWOT analysis of their company based on what they learn. Students will catalog the lessons of success and failures learned from the industry experts and their own experiences.

Class 5: February 2022

Class 6 March 2022: “Exit Here: Planning Your Way Out of Your Business”

In this final workshop, Elevate Program students will learn the three things that make a business sell-able by viewing a business from a buyer’s perspective. Students will walk through the best way to determine a business’ value. They will participate in group discussions with business case studies to see the nuances of a sell-able business. Students will also learn the steps they can take to make their business sell-able. Students will walk away from this class able to determine their own business sale-ability and what steps they should take in the future for their own eventual exit strategy.

Class 6: March 2022