The Doubt Tax: Technical Mastery and Breaking Barriers
General engineering licensee Jennifer Todd joins Natasha Ozybko to discuss her law background, the "doubt tax" women pay, and the future of AI in construction.
In this forty-ninth episode of Conversations with MOXY, host Natasha Ozybko sits down with Jennifer Todd, a nationally recognized thought leader, advocate, and founder of the nonprofit A Greener Tomorrow. The discussion covers Todd's multifaceted career as a general engineering licensee and law school graduate, the launch of her "Breaking Barriers" documentary series, and her insights into the "doubt tax" that women pay in male-dominated industries.
A Career Built on Continuous Evolution
Jennifer Todd’s entry into construction was by happenstance after graduating with a psychology degree. Starting as a receptionist at a small firm, she gained a holistic understanding of estimating, project management, and field operations. Her career is marked by a relentless pursuit of technical and legal authority:
Technical Mastery Witnessing experienced male colleagues fail a certification test inspired her to take it herself; she became the youngest Black woman in California to earn a general engineering "A" license.
Legal Strategy Recognizing how litigious the industry is, Todd founded LMS General Contractors while simultaneously attending the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.
Disaster Recovery Over twelve years, her firm managed over $1 billion in disaster recovery and hazardous material demolition (asbestos, lead, and mold) for federal agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers and GSA.
Breaking Barriers: Visibility and Storytelling
Todd created the Breaking Barriers: Women at Work series to provide the visibility she wished she had seen early in her career. The series, which has reached a global audience and is notably viewed 76% by men, features five core themes: Authenticity, Resiliency, Legacy, Champion, and Groundbreaker.
Humanizing Leadership The series showcases diverse women leading multi-million dollar companies while successfully managing roles as mothers and wives.
Cultural Impact Featured stories, such as Dina Kimball of Royal Electric, demonstrate how inclusive leadership benefits the entire organization, including male workers who appreciate clearer, more steadfast cultures.
Educational Tool Todd encourages sharing these stories in technical colleges and universities to show young women that they can thrive as engineers, welders, or electricians.
The "Doubt Tax" and Internalized Insecurity
A significant portion of the conversation focuses on The Doubt Tax, a concept Todd penned for MOXY. She defines this as the penalty women pay in male-dominated industries: the constant questioning of their own capabilities despite high qualifications.
Over-Preparation: Todd notes that women often feel they must acquire ten certifications or degrees to feel equal to male counterparts who may only have two.
Managing Others' Comfort: She argues that "imposter syndrome" is often the internalization of knowing that the people on the other end are not prepared to have a woman in that space.
The Exhaustion of Compliance: Todd emphasizes that as women age, they often become clearer about their value because they realize shrinking themselves to accommodate others' insecurities is exhausting.
The Future of Infrastructure: People and AI
As Todd looks toward the next phase of her career, she is focusing on the intersection of culture and technology.
Trust and Technology As AI and automation evolve, Todd argues that construction firms need high-trust cultures to ensure workers feel safe implementing these tools without fear of being eliminated.
Data-Driven Inclusion She stresses that diversity is no longer an altruistic goal but an economic necessity. With Millennials and Gen Z making up half the population, and a shrinking talent pool of traditional workers, companies must adapt to survive.
Operationalizing Empathy Todd believes putting people first is the only way to innovate and solve complex problems in the built environment.
Conclusion: Normalize Leadership
Jennifer Todd concludes by urging men in leadership not to wait for a "daughter moment" to recognize women's value. She calls on the industry to normalize female presence in the C-suite and for women to be vocal about their career goals. Her guiding principle remains rooted in the science of people: "We build buildings, but we do it with people. If the people aren't okay, the buildings won't be either".