10 Qs with Brittany Perkins Castillo
CEO of AshBritt
6. HAVE YOU READ A RECENT ARTICLE OR BOOK THAT INSPIRED YOU?
Recently, I have been going through founder/CEO books (Nike, Disney, etc.) and biographies of U.S. presidents. Email me for recommendations! I also really enjoyed the book Bad Blood and The Drop Out podcast. Those did not inspire as much as catch my total attention, and I highly recommend the book and podcast.
I grew up in the industry. I worked at and was around AshBritt at various stages of my life, left for 12 years, joined the Board of Directors, and then was proud to have the opportunity to return in a leadership role. A lot has changed in AshBritt's 30 years, and in my 6 as CEO -- diversity in the industry is one of those items, especially diversity in leadership!
2. WHAT PROJECT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
Community engagement really energizes my work life. I enjoy attending conferences, learning from others, keeping up on topics, and learning. This website is one way I engage - I've gotten to work with an awesome, smart intern and share resources I review and collect. I sit on various boards, and try to volunteer as much as I can with work and two little ones. Right now, I am focused on engagements that support the growth of women in the EM industry. Stay tuned for more, and please share any resources and ideas!
2017 California Wildfire Mission, under contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. I led that project for 6 months from CA. On that mission, AshBritt led clean-up and response efforts for what was then the most destructive wildfire in CA history. We had over 1,000 people employed, over 1,700 trucks/equipment, and hired over 80% local contractors. After the project, we gave $1 million back to long-term community recovery projects.
3. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE A ROADBLOCK FOR WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRY?
For some reason, I always win raffles.
Exposure to the industry and to the spectrum of personally and professional fulfilling jobs and careers.
9. ANY TIPS FOR WORK/LIFE BALANCE?
Try not to be too hard on yourself. The mental exhaustion of being hard on yourself, over thinking, re-thinking, etc. will wear you down and just isn't worth it.
4. SHARE A HOT TOPIC OR TREND IN YOUR FIELD!
COVID put a spotlight on the the emergency management industry. It showed everyone, across the globe, and particularly in the U.S. were EM professionals led response efforts, what EM does and how EM impacts life, communities. I think this spotlight provides a great opportunity to highlight our industry to an ever wider audience, and bring more people and more diversity into the industry.
10. SHARE YOUR BEST CAREER ADVICE.
Learn to be decisive, especially important, and often more difficult, for the over analytical type (like me!).
Work hard, be flexible and keep a great attitude. Ask to help on projects that interest you; always follow through.