It is not often we meet someone who has such a deep, moving, compassion for the plights of others particularly where access to clean, safe drinking water is concerned. Alanna has been working for years to help those with water insecurity find stability and she has offered her services and expertise as a well technician in order for them to have water and the assurances that they are safe to use and consume it. It takes a special person to be a steward of the earth and a particular heart to hold the needs of others closely to theirs. It is with great honor that we introduce such a special person to you in Alanna Dye of Northern Virginia Drilling.
What is your area of expertise?
While I have many capabilities, my main area of expertise now is as a water well technician and installer, but there are so many more pieces to it than that (sanitization, being a liaison, training others). I’ve been a well technician now for seven years total.
What impact do you want to have? Personally/professionally?
My ultimate goal and desire is to make sure everyone has sustainable water needs met. Water is the second most vital, basic need. You need oxygen and you need water. People simply do not realize how many people are out there, here in the US and locally, who do not have access to safe, clean drinking water. Having a well drilled is thousands of dollars, and that is not something everyone can afford. Having a well drilled is a luxury for a lot of people but it is a necessity for all of us and I want to make sure everyone has access to get their basic needs met.
What did you do prior?
My first job was at 711 as a cashier. I’ve been a vacuum salesman, a bartender, hairdresser, service writer, in the construction industry in various forms. My last job was as a Home Health Aid. I loved that job, and I loved the women I took care of, but it was very difficult and their deaths took a huge toll on my heart.
Favorite free time activity?
Art! I love to create! I do resin, paintings, craft, I just love the creative process and the outlet it gives my brain.
Mantra?
I push myself, even when I don’t want to. I just have to push and push and push. I am absolutely a driven person and failing is never an option. I guess if I had to have a mantra, it would be: “PUSH!”
What podcasts do you learn from or where do you get your inspiration from?
I’m more inspired by daily situations and life in general, whether it’s work or personal. What I see in front of me, who I see around me, who I interact with at jobsites and trades, these are the everyday people and situations that inspire me. I learn from watching what is happening around me and there is always so much to learn!
How do you maintain a balanced life? Challenges faced as family and work both collide?
The idea that such a thing as a balanced life exists anyway is ridiculous. Between work, children, home, pets, life, there is always something going on that might throw us off kilter. I find that the best thing I can do to feel like I am balanced is to listen to myself, my body, and take the time each day (or when I can) to be present in the life I am living. I love my job, I love my coworkers, and I love that there is something new and different about each day.
Who helped you most in your career?
In this path, my best friend’s mom, Renee. She worked for Northern Virginia Drilling for about 19 years. I needed something different after the losses I had experienced as a home health aide, combined with the fact that I was starting from scratch, just myself and my youngest son. I started as a helper, and then went to well chlorination and paperwork after that. The position that I am in right now did not exist before me. In fact, the position created by me led to the development of my own division inside the company. I am so incredibly blessed with this company and this position. I have never felt more belonging than I have with NVD, and they are such good people. Whenever I make my affirmations, I acknowledge the fact that NVD and my best friends Mom got me here today. My boss, Chris, has been my biggest cheerleader. He pumps me up, helps me so much and teaches me even more. He gave me the freedom to take my own stance and forge my own path. They support me, teach me, challenge me, and always push me to be better. Chris, and all the people at NVD, changed my entire life; I went from homelessness to maintaining my home, my child, and myself, with no aid from anyone.
Mistakes made and lessons learned?
I don’t know if there is one or a few that jump out at me. I can fully say that I have made a lot of mistakes and I am grateful enough to have learned a lot from them.
Any patterns you’ve noticed over the years about women and work and things they could be doing better to advance their careers?
I feel that there is a common misconception, from social media, news, etc., that a female working in a male-dominated industry is synonymous with being harassed (either sexually or otherwise), and I want to let you know that is NOT the case at all, in my experience, across the different fields I have worked in. The women on the job sites do not get treated any differently than one of the guys. I believe women should be doing more to get into these fields, to push into it. In my job, I am very well respected, not just by my coworkers and individuals I meet on jobsites, but by companies we work with and builders. I have never witnessed or experienced the behaviors in real life that are portrayed throughout media. I think women should push more, break more glass ceilings, and I think that if and when they do, they will be surprised to find what is there.
Advice for the next generation?
Be Yourself!! The only way to be happy and be good at what you do is to be yourself. Pursue what makes you happy, be good in life, don’t take yourself too seriously, and always pick yourself up again whenever you fall. There is always more to learn from and more to do, but you are the only one who can give the world what *you* have to offer; don’t compromise on who you are because there are people out there who need exactly who you are and what you have to offer.
Female mentor or inspiration?
That’s a hard one! I have always loved Amelia Earhart. She was a woman in a time when women were told they couldn’t wear pants or fly planes, and she broke massive barriers just by pursuing her dreams, and being who she was made to be. That is so inspiring to me. As much as I love Amelia Earhart though, my idol is Lucille Ball. Everything about her, her relentless drive, her unceasing desire (and ability!) to break the mold and do things that women had not done before, all of who she was and what she accomplished galvanizes me.
How do you support other women in business? What support do you think women in business need?
I try my best to always ask and be aware of anything I can do to make anything better. There are so many ways for women to support each other in business that are not money-related necessarily. I have so many friends in small business, artists, chefs, crafters, flooring ladies and I will always go small and local for all my needs before I purchase elsewhere. I love supporting women and small businesses though recommendations. Whatever the need may be that someone is looking for, I got a girl who can do it and do it well.
Any foreshadowing from your childhood that you’d become an entrepreneur?
I never thought I would be here now, but I have always loved water. I grew up in Florida and I have always been a water person. It is uncanny that I ended up and want to end my working career in the water industry.
Do you swear by a morning routine or daily schedule?
I am a morning person! My brain works best in the morning, so I wake up at 3AM every morning and take an hour-long bath. I will do my thinking and planning while I get relaxed to take on the day and I start my day fresh and rejuvenated. My job is very physical and can be hectic, so starting my day relaxed from a bath does the trick for me. When I get home from work, I’ll cook dinner, take care of my dog, create some art or sometimes I will watch something, and then I get ready for bed to do it all again the next day!
Do you work with a team? Number?
On a daily basis, I work by myself mostly, but I am interchangeable as well. Our teams are small, two or three people; the water side only has six people on it. I love my team when we are together. I feel it’s less of working with your coworkers and more of working with your brothers or buddies.