Another Year at the SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500 Wisconsin Regional
Three years ago, if you would've told me I'd be spending a Wednesday genuinely excited to watch a bunch of guys lay brick, I probably would've laughed.
But here I am, fresh off another SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500 Wisconsin Regional, with hundreds of photos, hours of footage, and already looking forward to next year.
Or, as I like to call it, the Mason Olympics.
When I first started managing social media for Chevalier Masonry, I knew next to nothing about masonry. Half the time I had no idea what the guys were talking about on jobsites. Now I know what it means to clean a joint and what a quarter-inch tuck point is. I'd call that progress.
And while I've learned quite a bit about masonry over the past year, I think the biggest thing I've taken away from working with Chevalier has very little to do with brick or stone.
One of my favorite parts of working with Chevalier has been getting to know the guys beyond their work.
Spend enough time on jobsites and you start hearing about their weekends, their families, and everything else going on in their lives. And if you've spent any time around the Chevalier crew, you know there's no shortage of personalities.
So when I show up to SPEC MIX, I recognize their wives, catch up with familiar faces, and know a little more about the families cheering from the sidelines.
Last year, I watched Doug compete with his son Mason tending for him, while Doug's dad, who was also a mason, was there watching. Three generations of masonry, all in one place.
This year, Doug and Mason came back and took second place, with two of Doug's brand-new grandbabies there to watch, including Mason's little one.
I don't know, there's just something really cool about that.
Seeing the families, friends, and people who take time out of their Wednesday to show up reminds me how much this trade means to the people who are part of it. And getting to know those people has become one of my favorite parts of the job.
I give these guys a lot of crap. Honestly, probably more than I should.
But something I don't say nearly enough is how much I respect them.
I've had a front-row seat to the work they do, the expectations they have for themselves, and the pride they take in doing things right. And while I'm usually there with a camera in my hand, I've picked up quite a bit just from being around them.
Especially when it comes to running my own business.
One thing I've come to appreciate is that the expectations you see throughout a business usually start at the top. There's a lot that comes with being a leader, and when you care deeply about what you've built, you tend to hold yourself to a pretty high standard. Sometimes, though, your own brain sets that bar a whole lot higher than it actually needs to be.
And as someone who's pretty good at being her own worst critic, I can relate to that more than I'd like to admit.
Watching that kind of pride and accountability firsthand has pushed me to be better in my own business. But it's also reminded me that I can expect a lot from myself, care about doing things well, and still acknowledge that I'm human. I'm going to make mistakes, I'm going to have days where things don't go exactly as planned, and that doesn't take away from how much I care.
And I think that's something I'll carry with me long after the camera is put away.
It's also part of why I take my role with Chevalier so seriously.
When I'm on a jobsite or at an event like SPEC MIX, I'm not just representing my photography business. I'm representing theirs, too.
The way I show up, the way I treat people, and the photos and videos I create all reflect on a business they've spent years building.
That's a responsibility I don't take lightly.
And somewhere along the way, I became their honorary crew member. While I'm pretty sure that title comes with absolutely no benefits, it's one I'm genuinely proud to have.
I started this job knowing next to nothing about masonry. Now I'm genuinely invested in how the guys are doing at a bricklaying competition, catching up with their families, and looking forward to the next time I get to spend a day with them.
I might not tell them how much I appreciate them very often, and I'll probably go right back to giving them crap the next time I'm on a jobsite, but I'm really proud to be part of this crew.
And I'm grateful they trust me to tell a little bit of their story.
Until next year, Mason Olympics.
