Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Encalade.
Hi Alicia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey began back in 2014, when I first got into permitting. Back then, I worked for Plaquemines Parish. A small Louisiana parish outside of New Orleans, where I was raised. In Plaquemines, we mainly permitted mobile homes. There were very few new construction homes, being built at the time. After working with the Parish for more than a year, I decided to move to Atlanta, Georgia. I got a job with the City of Atlanta through a contract with Safebuilt. I moved to Atlanta in January 2016. I worked with the City of Atlanta and Safebuilt to make the permitting process easier for homeowners and everyone involved in the process. As a result, we started the Express Lane. An express permit allows people (contractors/homeowners) to get building permits for minor alterations on the same day. The Express Lane worked so well my team and I were recognized by the Mayor at the time, Kasim Reed. I later met a permit expeditor who told me I would be great doing this career and I should start my own business.
After learning all I could learn and getting all of the training that was available to me, I decided to leave government and work in the private sector to learn about construction, scheduling, and more. I worked for a construction company from 2018- 2019. I later started my own business with l the advice from a fellow expeditor and it has been great! I’ve been running my business since 2019 and it has been an experience and a ride for sure.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I can say sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t. It all depends on the project. There are times I want to give up, but I know this is something I love and I can’t give up on it. This is my livelihood. One obstacle for me is overcoming the slow days. Those slow days are when there’s no income coming in and I am just working for “free.” This can happen when I’m working on a project longer than I should…
Another obstacle that I faced is just getting men (male contractors/clients) to listen to me! lol. As a woman working with men in construction, they all think they know everything. And don’t get me wrong, some may know everything when it comes to building, but when it comes to permitting, that’s all me! Some clients will give me pushback when asking for certain things that are needed and that is a struggle for me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I operate a permit expediting/consulting company. I work with homeowners, investors, general contractors, and others with residential and commercial properties. My services include permit expediting, mobile notary, architectural services, plan review services, construction project management, and more. I also assist with getting business licenses, renewals, food service permits, and more. I have worked in this field for over five years and I am very knowledgeable about the processes and what I do. A building permit is something that is needed to do construction to your residential or commercial property. A few things set me apart from other companies: My years of experience working for the City of Atlanta as a permit technician, and working for the City of South Fulton as a Zoning Plans Reviewer, and working with a private construction company who have built over 20+ subdivisions and townhomes, and a high-rise building in Midtown Atlanta.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
People can work with me, collaborate, or support me by simply reaching out via email or visiting my website www.aliciaeconsultinggroup.com. They can also follow me on Instagram @ae_consultinggroup
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aliciaeconsultinggroup.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/ae_consultinggroup?igshid=MmlzYWVINDQ5Yg==
Image Credits
Credit: Directed by Brandi Nicole for the photos of me in the pink suit ONLY
