Meet Linell Grudnitzki, RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Ones to Watch Recipient

Linell Grudnitzki is the President and CEO of The Grudnitzki Group of Companies and LG Mining Services and a champion for women entrepreneurs. Throughout her career as an entrepreneur working in male-dominated spaces, she honed her skills as a business owner, team leader, and a disrupter of the status quo. Through her businesses, her involvement with Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WESK) and her advocacy, Linell strives to close the gender gap in Saskatchewan. She works to advance the successes of women in the construction trade and is passionate about working with youth to develop their skills within the trades.

Linell serves as a trades mentor for Junior Achievement World of Opportunity’s Day and speaks at various conferences and events where she raises awareness on how to engage women in non-traditional roles. Linell was a recipient of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal by the Government of Saskatchewan for her efforts in business and commerce. She is the founder of the Women in Trades for Saskatchewan Facebook page which creates a safe environment for women to discuss their challenges and successes. GC Construction is currently the only woman-owned company in the Construction Distribution and Transmission space that does procurements with SaskPower.

I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur when… I recognized that traditional career paths couldn’t contain my ambition to bring my visions to life. There wasn’t one singular moment that defined my entrepreneurial career, but rather a cluster of moments that led me to the final decision to live my most authentic entrepreneurial life. 

Entrepreneurship is made for me because… it allows me to use my creativity freely. I have always been fiercely independent and a tad rebellious. Traditional employment didn’t always appreciate or encourage these traits in me. 

The impact I hope to make through my work is… to encourage more women to join a trade, or even more so, encourage a woman to own her own company in male-dominated spaces. I believe if someone can see you achieve something, they may believe that they can do it also. 

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned on my entrepreneurial journey is… to surround yourself with people who genuinely have faith that you will succeed. From your peers to your corporate lawyer to your banker. There is no room or time in your life for those who do not have your back. 

The best advice I’ve received as an entrepreneur was… to trust the process. I am constantly reminding myself of this as I go about my journey. Some days it may seem like you are never getting ahead, or you are not where you were hoping to be yet. It’s all part of the journey.

I surprise people when I tell them… that I have a healthcare background. I grew up in a time when trades weren’t a common career choice for girls. Looking back on it now, it makes sense to me that I now run a construction company, but to others, it’s a shock that I didn’t start off in a trade.