10 Years at 35 North: Teakia’s Journey of Growth, Leadership, and Integrity
Ten years ago, Teakia walked through the doors of 35 North as a cost estimator. Her work centered on takeoffs and researching pricing for labor, materials, equipment, and building estimates that help turn ideas on paper into real projects.
Today, Teakia is an ASC estimator where she has worked on more than 450 projects in her 17-year career. She remains rooted in preconstruction and estimating, but her role has grown to include leading projects, working directly with clients, and helping teams find value engineering opportunities. Her career has evolved alongside the company, shaped by new challenges, new projects, and, perhaps most importantly, the people she has worked with.
More Than a Workplace
Ask Teakia what she enjoys most about 35 North, and she does not start with a project, a title, or a responsibility. She starts with the people.
Over the years, she has found herself surrounded by colleagues with different experiences and areas of expertise who are willing to share what they know and step in when help is needed. That environment has allowed her to continue growing while also allowing her to contribute her own knowledge to others.
“There is never a time where I have a question that is not answered,” Teakia says. “We work as a collaborative team.”
That spirit of collaboration has become an important part of her 35 North experience. It is also something she hopes new employees recognize early in their careers.
Her advice is simple: get to know the people around you. Take advantage of the resources available. Learn from the people who have been doing this work for years and take pride in being part of something unique.
A Career Built on Doing Work Well
Teakia has never focused solely on the next title or accolade. In fact, some of the best career advice she has received is to do what you love and let the rest follow.
For Teakia, success means showing up each day, doing her best work, taking responsibility, and acting with integrity.
“The accolades and the titles will come later,” she says.
It is a philosophy that feels especially fitting for someone whose career has been built through years of learning the details, asking questions, solving problems, and gradually taking on more responsibility.
Her growth has not been about moving from one position to another; it has been about learning to see a project completely enough to spot the best ways to add the most value, note design gaps and sequencing issues, as well as identify how different approaches can save the clients money without costing them what they actually want and need. With this knowledge, her confidence has expanded, as well as her capabilities. This is what makes the job fun.
Building Something That Matters
One project that stands out in her career is Fitts-Woolard Engineering Hall at NC State University’s Centennial Campus. For Teakia, the project represents something bigger than the building itself.
Projects like this stay with her long after the work is complete, as the impact extends far beyond the construction site.
Seeing Beyond the Drawings
Over 17 years in estimating, Teakia has learned that a comprehensive understanding of a project requires more than reading a set of drawings.
She says, “you must picture how the project will be built. Where will materials come from? How will they get to the site? What will the site require? How will personnel and equipment move through the project? What challenges might arise that are not immediately obvious on paper?”
Those questions have become an important part of how Teakia approaches her work.
Her biggest learning moment in cost estimating, she says, is continuous because every project presents something new. The more she understands the logistics behind construction, the better equipped she is to anticipate challenges and help create realistic, informed estimates.
The Next 10 Years
When asked to describe the next 10 years in one word, Teakia doesn’t hesitate: agile.
Construction is an industry where circumstances can change quickly. Labor that is available today may be harder to find tomorrow. Materials can become scarce. Prices can increase. Lead times can stretch unexpectedly.
For Teakia, being agile means being prepared to adapt while keeping clients informed.
That means paying attention to what is happening in the market, communicating about those changes, and working behind the scenes to account for them. It is about being proactive rather than simply reacting when a challenge arrives.
Looking forward, Teakia will continue providing clients with service grounded in integrity and accountability while strengthening her relationships with existing clients, developing new ones, and continuing to contribute to the work 35 North delivers.
Her story is ultimately one of steady growth. Of starting with the details of estimating and gradually expanding her role, her perspective, and her impact.
