The Women in Construction Conference in Washington, DC had a reason to celebrate Thursday. In its ninth year, there were a record number of attendees: 240 to be exact. Women from all facets of the construction industry—from green building to construction law to estimators—descended on the Renaissance Hotel to discuss the unique challenges and innovations being made by women in the industry. 

Here are the biggest takeaways from the day.

Workplace diversity is just good business

"I asked my staff once, 'what is the definition of inclusion?' and one person told me: '‘Inclusion is about contribution. I never feel like I am contributing, I never feel like I am learning anything. I feel that I was just put there for the photo op," said Beverly Thomas, director of Regional Contracting.

Despite the diversity-just-to-have-diversity mindset, Thomas argues that women and minorities should take those opportunities to make their voices heard.

"Once you do get to the table, you have the right to make demands. To make sure that you are mentored, that you are properly trained, that you are able to grow—not just be a photo op," she said.

Though some women and minorities may just feel like they are just fulfilling a status quo in the industry, that isn't always a bad thing, according to a panelist.

"30 years ago, we wouldn't even be having this conference because there wouldn't even be enough women in construction to fill a room," said Stella Fiotes, executive director of VA Office of Construction and Facilities Management. 

"Diversity in construction is just good for business—the industry needs people of all different backgrounds and mindsets contributing their ideas," she said.

Who run the world? 

For women who decide to enter into construction, the stakes are high and continue to be. So for some women who encountered behavior they didn't find agreeable, they found more success by striking out on their own.

"When I decided I wanted to pursue engineering in high school, my boyfriend—the best farmer in the town— told me 'why can't you just be a teacher?' My dad bet me $200 that I wouldn't make it," said Wanda Lenkewich, owner of Chinook Systems.

"I'm a girl from small-town Western Canada, and now my biggest client is the Pentagon. How did this happen? I was persistent, and I love what I do," she said.

Finding a niche need in the industry and doing it better than anyone else was also voiced as a key component to forging a path.

"I knew I never wanted to be a general contractor, so I started looking for the greatest void in the industry, which I found to be glass and glazing," said Tamla Kirkland, managing member of BellRose Glass & Glazing. 

"People looked at me like: 'you know that's a complicated trade, right?' But for me, my grandma always told me to do a good job at something or get out of the way, which has always been my philosophy," she said.

While these construction business owners found their calling by going their own way, they stressed the importance of having someone to cheer you on.

"Spend as much time as you can getting mentored. When I was getting started there were no women, and I couldn’t get a man to hold that role either," said Karen Sugar, president of Sugar Associates.

"There is nothing like having a professional mentor help you through the process and give you confidence," she said.

Lean in

The hard work doesn't stop once women are able to crack the glass ceiling of the industry. Women at the top say it can be just as hard to assert themselves once they've made it to the C-suite.

"To be a leader, it's important to have convictions. If you're wrong, you're wrong, but that's better than being wishy-washy on a decision," said Julie Howard, chief operating officer of Navigant Consulting.

Women leaders also stressed the importance of going after what makes you uncomfortable in order to open life-changing doors.

"Some of my best successes came when I went seeking out opportunities that were not comfortable to me," Howard said. "For women, that's often hard. I think, as a whole, men have a much easier time going after those unsettling opportunities. Know that you're smart and capable, and take the plunge."

Encouraged by the steady increase in attendees over the past few years, conference co-founder Barbara Werther announced that the Women in Construction Conference would be expanding to a west coast-themed event next year in Phoenix.