Katherine does not advertise other than word-of-mouth and the signs posted in her clients’ yards.  "I never start two jobs at once; I stagger them three weeks apart," she says.  "One summer I scheduled five kitchens, all for friends.  I didn’t have a summer.  Now I only schedule the amount I know we can do.  I like the size I am."

Although she is very careful not to put down her male colleagues, Katherine says there are many advantages to being a female contractor.  "In most cases it’s the woman homeowner you work with, and as a woman I’m in tune with detail," she says.   "Women ask me about colors.  I tell them I’m not a designer, but I’ll give them my opinion.

"You hear a lot of horror stories, but I try to give them a realistic view [of a renovation project].  I say, ‘It’s going to be hard on you, your family.  It’s going to cost more, take longer, and be really messy, but you are going to get a great product at the end.’  I tell my women customers it’s like giving birth.  Women understand.  A dust-free renovation just doesn’t happen."