Mentorship Looks Good on Paper, But Not Always in Practice

Most professional development in residential construction still happens informally, with a relationship formed on a job site, at a trade event, or simply when a senior person makes time. For those who stumble into those relationships, they can be career-defining. The problem is they typically form by chance.

Many firms never take the step to formalize them, and when they do, there are common challenges that tend to sabotage the relationship before anything productive comes out of it.

Why Mentorship Breaks Down

Time is the biggest barrier, says professional relationships expert Andy Lopata, co-author of The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring. "Both parties have to see the time as an investment, not a cost," Lopata said on the Career Sessions, Career Lessons podcast. "It can't be bumped that easily. It's got to be written in stone or into your diary, irrespective of what's happening."

MORE: How Builder of the Year Marnie Oursler Designs for Beach Living

Beyond scheduling, clarity and accountability are what keep mentorship on track. And Lopata says the responsibility for that runs both ways. "There have been times I've been working with mentees and they open the conversation with an apology because they've not been able to do anything since the last session," he says. "Where does that leave us in terms of conversation? There's nowhere to go."

Inside the WIRC Mentorship Program

Those are the challenges the inaugural WIRC Mentor Matchup program is hoping to address. Launched this month by Custom Builder, Pro Builder, and Pro Remodeler as part of the Women in Residential Construction (WIRC) initiative, the program pairs three mentor-mentee teams drawn from across residential construction, remodeling, and design.

Built around structured monthly sessions, defined themes, and conversation prompts, the mentoring pilot runs May through September and culminates at the 2026 Women in Residential Construction Conference, taking place online Sept. 29-30.

Among the mentors stepping up through the Pro Builder network: Christina Friday Maxwell, vice president of operations at Woodland Homes of Huntsville, Ala., and Rebecca McAdoo, CEO of Garman Homes.

The Custom Builder pair is Marnie Oursler, owner of Marnie Custom Homes in Bethany Beach, Del., the National Association of Home Builders' 2022 Custom Home Builder of the Year, and the first builder to complete a LEED-certified home in Delaware. She is paired with Alexis Swinford, a design assistant at her firm.

"With this structured program that sets aside dedicated time to meet, my goals are to provide Alexis with tools to excel while also providing practical advice from my close to 20 years in the design-build world," Oursler says.

MORE: HalfWay into 2026, Builders and Architects Share What's Working

For Swinford, the program formalizes an aspiration she'd held for years. "I've always admired Marnie and the business and homes she has built in this community," she says. "I often said I would work with Marnie one day, and now that I am, I'm soaking in all the knowledge I can. I'm excited to spend additional time with Marnie to ask questions and learn from her through this program."

The Women in Residential Construction Mentor Matchup program is a pilot, launching with three pairs. But the playbook developed for it is available to anyone interested in running their own mentor program.

Select pairs will share what the five months produced at the September's Women in Residential Construction conference and may be featured on the Women at WIRC podcast.

Relationships are out there. This is just one way to stop leaving them to chance.