Tiffany Avila

Work hard and treat people with kindness. The human connection is far more valuable than any work. I want people to know I see them and I appreciate them.

Truebeck is like a sports team – it has an energy and ambition that compels it to win. When I interviewed for my first job here, I met the founders and knew immediately we had the same energy.

I’ve worked in different parts of the AEC industry – real estate, architecture, structural engineering – and construction has been the most rewarding. My favorite days are when I can put my boots on and talk to the people in the field. I’m in awe of their talent and knowledge.

I’m passionate about new ideas and great design. Growing the brand value is my perennial ambition. Great companies are built on strong brands.

A great leader has emotional intelligence. Success or failure is most often the result of how we manage ourselves and how well we manage others, not what we know.

In college, at USC, I struggled with selecting a major. Business school, criminology, social issues, journalism, I had broad interests. I ultimately switched from Business to Communications, after a pivotal conversation with my mentor. At the time, I never could have imagined how important communication is to business and my own personal success.

When I think about how I’ve changed over the course of my career, I’ve learned to not take myself too seriously. Yes, I’m a perfectionist and a competitor, but I choose happiness over everything. At the end of the day, I want to leave the office smiling.

Our biggest opportunity is to nurture a culture that makes Truebeck a cherished place to work. We want to inspire people to reach their highest potential, to not settle for ordinary, but to raise the bar. That’s the spirit of the company.

Creating a high-performance company requires culture management – an iterative, proactive process. Culture is everything.

On paper, we’re a construction company, on the ground we’re builders, and in life, we make places for the world to work. Contributing to society at that level is incredibly meaningful.

No one succeeds alone. I value teamwork the most. I often say, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” Playing competitive basketball and tennis taught me a lot, that’s where I fell in love with being part of a team.

At Truebeck, you’re given a lot of opportunity, if you want it. My advice to every new employee is to focus on improving something, anything. We have a culture of continuous improvement. Make it happen.

When people start on my team I give them an exercise on values. They start with 50 values on index cards, and narrow them down to their top 10, then their top five, then three. It’s always a tremendous self-discovery. Learning what’s important to them makes us both successful.

Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard. I preach this to my son, and do my best to live it. I’m a big-time competitor.

Creativity and results drive me. A lot of people have ideas, it’s who gets it done that matters.

Making movies is a great interest of mine. It’s a very powerful storytelling medium. I like to make movies that make you feel.

Learning is a lifelong process. I’m curious, I love research, and I believe wisdom and discernment are two of the most important leadership qualities.

I really enjoy post-game interviews and sports talk radio. They’re a great lesson on communication, public speaking and authenticity.

The most rewarding part of my life is my son. There is no close second.