Teely Byrd, vice president of GCG Construction Inc. was on the path to construction from an early age: he grew up in the industry and donned his first hard hat at age 2. Still, that didn’t stop him from feeling intimidated when he first started in the business due to his age.

“I was often the youngest person in the room,” Byrd says. “Being surrounded by seasoned professionals was intimidating and it often kept me from realizing my potential.”

In time, the American Society for Healthcare Engineering-certified professional overcame his fear and began to trust that he deserved to be where he is. Now, he’s helped guide GCG Construction Inc. to numerous awards for commercial construction projects.

To others just beginning their careers, Byrd says: “Learn everything you can, know that mistakes will happen—consider them valuable lessons and not failures. Its only failure when you give up trying.”

Byrd enjoys boating, fishing, and proudly cheering on the sidelines of his children’s athletics.