19. The Art and Science of Estimating with Yesenia Garcia, NTD Mechanical

In this episode of "Pressure Tested," host Kelly Roberts goes boots-on-the-ground with Yesenia Garcia, the VP of Sales and Marketing at MTD Mechanical. With 25 years in the industry, Yesenia shares her incredible journey from answering phones as a 19-year-old temp to becoming a powerhouse executive in the construction world. Kelly and Yesenia kick things off by tackling the industry's biggest hurdle—the talent gap—and how the Garland ISD P-TECH program is changing the game by showing high school students that construction careers go way beyond just swinging a hammer. Kelly digs into the nuts and bolts of MTD’s success, exploring how they built a $30 million business by owning the "dirty air" renovation niche that other contractors are too scared to touch. But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. The duo gets real about a massive "Pressure Tested" failure: a disastrous expansion into plumbing that cost the company $300,000 and nearly forced them to close their doors. They unpack the gritty leadership it took to survive that crisis, retain talent when competitors were offering "dollar raises," and the importance of transparent communication with the field. Finally, Kelly highlights Yesenia’s recent recognition as the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association’s Executive of the Year. They have a candid conversation about the "confidence gap" women face in the trades and why it is critical to "have a voice" in the boardroom. Yesenia also breaks down her disciplined 5 AM routine and the tactical 15-minute "Daily Huddle" that keeps her sales and engineering teams aligned and moving fast.