In this episode of The Comms Exchange, developer and designer Mimi Spiehler shares how she (and her brother David Fuselier) transformed a 1925 Spanish Colonial Revival church in Uptown New Orleans into The Josephine, an immersive cultural venue that blends historic preservation, digital projection mapping, and community-centered programming. Mimi opens up about what it means to be a woman leading large-scale projects in construction and real estate development, navigating gender dynamics on the job site, and building workplace confidence in male-dominated spaces. She and hosts Rachel Ledet and Christianne Brunini explore how women’s perspectives, attention to detail, and communication styles shape better outcomes—for projects, teams, and communities.
If you care about women’s roles in the construction industry, empowerment, professional growth, and how design, storytelling, and courage can revive sacred spaces, this conversation is for you.
Key Takeaways
- Women’s empowerment in construction: Mimi shares how she built confidence as one of the few women in her construction management classes and on job sites, and how she’s learned to hold her ground in male-dominated rooms.
- Gender dynamics & leadership: The episode explores how women are often conditioned to “be agreeable,” and how recognizing those patterns helps women navigate power dynamics and advocate for their ideas.
- Workplace confidence grows with experience: Mimi explains how knowledge, repetition, and learning from mistakes over nearly two decades in the industry have strengthened her voice and leadership style.
- Women bring a different lens to projects: From communication to detail orientation, Mimi highlights the unique insights women bring to design, development, and client relationships.
- Reviving The Josephine as a community hub: Listeners get a behind-the-scenes look at the structural challenges, design decisions, and risk-taking involved in turning a decaying church into a vibrant cultural venue for weddings, concerts, yoga, theater, and neighborhood gatherings.
- Innovation meets heritage: The team discusses how digital projection mapping, thoughtful naming, and storytelling allow The Josephine to honor its sacred history while offering a modern, immersive experience.
- Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship: Mimi talks candidly about being a mom of three while running complex projects, and how trusting her instincts has guided her professional growth.
- Courage to keep going: From sleepless nights to unexpected construction surprises, Mimi’s story underscores that big visions require resilience, partnership, and the belief that “if it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”
You can learn more about The Josephine, visit online https://www.thejosephinenola.com/
