By Madalaina Hlava
When being the only woman on site means protecting more than just your position
What No One Prepares You For
No one really warns you about this part.
You’re told what tools to bring. What certifications to get. How to troubleshoot a system and handle a conflict.
But no one tells you what to do when a professional conversation takes a personal turn.
When respect starts to feel like curiosity.
When showing up to do your job somehow becomes an invitation you never gave.
In male-dominated fields, the line between professional and personal doesn’t just blur.
It gets crossed. Quietly. Repeatedly. Without accountability.
And most of the time, we’re expected to be the ones who smooth it back over.
Why I Go By Maddie
When I answer work calls, I say, “This is Maddie.”
Because Maddie doesn’t lead them to my Instagram.
Because Maddie gives me a layer of distance that I’ve learned I need.
It’s not that I’m afraid to be found.
It’s that I’m tired of being looked for.
I’ve been asked for my Facebook during site visits.
I’ve had general contractors friend-request me hours after I left.
I’ve had people I barely spoke to follow me online like they were entitled to more than just my time on site.
So now, when I give my number, I say it’s my work phone even though it’s not.
For some reason, that one sentence finally makes people back off.
It shouldn’t have to be this strategic to just do my job.
But it is. And I’ve adapted.
Being the First
I was the first female control technician at my company.
That meant learning everything—not just the systems, but how to carry myself.
How to introduce myself.
How to be firm without being written off.
How to protect my time, my space, and my name.
I didn’t have a woman ahead of me showing me how to do it.
I became that woman.
The Moment They Finally See It
A coworker once told me he didn’t think it was really that bad.
He wasn’t trying to be dismissive. He just hadn’t seen it.
Then he watched it happen—right in front of him.
He saw a basic site question turn into something personal.
Saw how my tone changed. Saw how I managed it without flinching.
After that, he got it.
He didn’t question it again.
That’s the part most people miss.
We don’t make this up. We just get used to navigating it quietly.
This Isn’t About Being Polite
I’m not here to make people comfortable.
I’m here to do my job.
I don’t want people I work with watching my stories.
I don’t want to be tracked after I leave a job site.
I don’t want to explain why a name change or a boundary is necessary.
I just want to do my job.
And I want to leave it behind when I go home.
The Cost of Staying Approachable
Too many women in fields like mine learn to make themselves smaller to avoid attention.
Or more agreeable to avoid being called difficult.
Or more open than they’re comfortable with just to avoid making it weird.
But let me be clear.
There is nothing weird about boundaries.
There is nothing awkward about protecting your number, your name, your social media, or your energy.
If someone gets uncomfortable because you don’t give them personal access to your life, that’s not your burden to fix.
What I’ve Learned
I’ve learned to lead with clarity.
To set the tone before someone else does.
To present my number as my work phone because that one sentence does more than a full explanation ever could.
To use Maddie as a layer of space between who I am and who they think they’re entitled to know.
And I’ve learned that boundaries don’t make me cold.
They keep me grounded.
For the Women Who Get It
If you’ve ever hesitated before answering a call.
If you’ve ever changed your name on site.
If you’ve ever adjusted your voice or your version of yourself just to protect your peace.
You’re not being dramatic.
You’re just navigating a space that still doesn’t know how to respect you.
You’re allowed to do the job and still keep something for yourself.
You’re allowed to take up space without giving it all away.
You’re allowed to draw the line and you don’t need to explain why.
Because the people who respect your presence will never feel entitled to your privacy.
See you next week for Week 5: Rhinestones & Resistance
We’ll talk about how softness isn’t weakness and how femininity in male-dominated spaces is sometimes the boldest move of all.
---------------------
To read her other guest blogs for Section 36 Forevers, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment