Mitchell Wall’s own Carol Wall was recently featured in an article of the June issue of Design STL by St. Louis Magazine titled “Five St. Louis women of design share their stories and offer advice.”

Carol Wall – Past Owner, Mitchell Wall Architecture and Design

Starting Out: I took over running the firm when my husband passed away 19 years ago. The challenge I faced was that I’m not an architect, not a designer, and now I’m running an architectural firm. There was blatant sexism and a huge pay disparity. It was impossible to have your voice heard. I’ve always been feisty, and I just took charge. Early on, I remember a client telling Mitch [her late husband, Mitchell Wall, with whom she co-founded the firm], “I don’t want to work with that pushy broad.” I was fortunate to have great advisors. Being a woman, I made sure to bring other women into the field and grow those women. Today, we’re a group of eight: We have three men and the rest are women, and there is no pay disparity.

Career Advice: Don’t be afraid of change. If you’re unhappy where you are, don’t settle. Don’t be afraid to move to a different firm. Don’t waste your time. We have a short amount of time on earth, so make sure where you’re working meets your design philosophy and that you’re comfortable in the work place.

Click here to read the full article

Photo by Kevin A. Roberts