Meet Amanda Calderon | Custom Home Builder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Calderon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, what inspires you?
Inspiration exists for me in many things, but sometimes the most simple things. The gift of life became the most profound blessing to me back in 2017 when I experienced respiratory failure and spent almost a week in a coma. Within a year I was diagnosed with lung cancer at only 28 years old. After years of fighting chronic pneumonia and fighting for my life, I survived the experience being a completely changed woman.

Today, I am inspired by parts of life that once seemed dull and muted. Smiles from a stranger inspire me to be kinder, strength witnessed from my combat veteran husband inspire me to fight, fight, fight for love and a better tomorrow, and seeing days come and go that I did not expect to see inspire me to be enthusiastic about working hard for an exciting future. Being faced with the mortality of the human condition enabled me to witness life through more sophisticated and brilliant spectacles.

What should our readers know about your business?
Prior to my experience with lung cancer, I was actually a nurse and received my BSN from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. In 2018, I faced the overwhelming task of choosing what to with my life all over again. I had only ever worked in health care. I was blessed to meet my now husband, John, who reminded me of all the years I spent helping my father in construction growing up and encouraged me to continue learning. Though, back while helping my dad build his first home I was a very unenthusiastic teenager and would have preferred anything but manual labor, I realize now that I obtained a lot of valuable experience in my younger years. Despite being the begrudging free labor for my dad, I enjoyed watching my dad work on CAD drawings (the drawings used to complete building projects) and made hundreds of my own over the years. Everything from horse stables to castles, and offices to dream homes, I had drawings of them. Thinking of those years, where I saw the ingenuity, brawn, and drive required to be a builder, I realized…THIS is what I want to do!

I suppose I am grateful for the naivety that followed me as I traipsed across construction site after construction site learning this entirely new career. I may have been a less eager worker had I realized then that the mechanical understanding and knowledge in construction doesn’t use any of the same pathways in the brain that I had to develop over years to have a scientific way of thinking. Fortunately, I wasn’t the wiser and remained blissfully unaware of all the “uh-oh” moments approaching on the horizon. Truly, this career change meant starting back at square one in a field with very few women.

Despite knowing so little at the time, I knew I wanted to be a custom home builder one day and accepted each challenge along the way. My husband (who it turns out must have been blessed by the Saints to have the patience to teach me my construction ABC’s), and I worked diligently for years to get me the experience and knowledge base needed for such a career change. We made it to a point where I had experienced phase after phase of construction, over and over again, before focusing on the design aspects. With additional experience learning CAD programs, local codes, and state regulations, we finally formed our LLC, Home Constructors! Despite the overwhelming challenges that were faced up to this point, I am eager to continue learning and have found genuine passion for building and renovating homes.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Because of the beautiful landscapes that surround the Front Range in Colorado, I would spend most of my time with a friend outdoors. There are innumerable trails and places to see wildlife and nature. Some of the most friendly people you’ll meet are exploring the great outdoors near and around Boulder. Colorado boasts some of the most beautiful state parks in the USA, as well as plenty of places to dirt bike, cycle, and enjoy water sports. As for eating and drinking, I don’t go out much but I do enjoy ordering food in from my favorite places in Broomfield Pho Duy (Vietnamese), Heaven Dragon (Chinese), and El Tapatilo (Mexican).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I owe so much of the successes I’ve had in life to strong men.

First, my father, Mark Stanton, who passed away at 49 years old. He showed me strength a woman can have and taught me how capable we all are in this world, regardless of age, sex, disability, race, or socioeconomic standing. Even the most painful, wretched conditions that can come about in life can be used to overcome and win.

My brother, Luke, who has become such a strong and positive man. I forever am grateful for his humor and our bond.

And especially my husband, John Calderon. He and God are my rock and my shield. John’s background in the military, as a combat diver (force recon Marine), and being authentic cowboy made him the perfect man for me. It’s not common today for women to find men with such strength and honor. John’s wisdom is instrumental in my successes today and I would not be where I am without his unwavering support, tenderness, respect, and priceless knowledge in the business world.

Website: https://www.homeconstructorsllc.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeconstructors

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandacalderon88