Molly Sandlin
President and Founder
CAET Project Management Consultants LLC
CAET Project Management Consultants LLC was founded by Molly Sandlin with the idea of providing quality construction management and owner’s representation to clients in the commercial aviation industry.
She identified a need and formed a team with these values and qualities: Collaborative; Accountable; Excellence; and Trusted – CAET. CAET also happens to stand for Caleb Austin and Ethan Tyler, Sandlin’s twin 8-year-old boys.
Work – and family – go together for Sandlin, president of the company. She works along with her husband, Jason Sandlin, who is vice president of the Keller-based firm.
“I love to work. I love the challenge, clearing hurdles and celebrating success,” says Sandlin. “When I can peel myself away – because work is never done – I want to be with my close friends and family staying up late on weekend nights playing games while our children are growing bonds that they will stay with them forever.”
That work/life balance applies to the whole company, says Rachel Basham of CAET Project Management, who nominated Sandlin.
“Even with the rapid growth of her company, she … offers opportunities for her employees to work modified schedules so they have time for their families and other commitments,” Basham said.
Sandlin is involved in the Women’s Business Council Southwest (WBCS) and gives time and support to promote fellow woman-owned businesses.
The company works with their local school, the Keller Center for Advanced Learning, to host high school interns annually. She is also an advisor to Women’s Enterprise Texas and gives back to her alma mater, the University of Texas at Arlington, by speaking to future business owners and spending time judging business competitions at the university.
Sandlin counts her mother as the most significant role model in her life.
“She taught me grit and not to give up because she had plenty of times where she could have and she never let me down,” she says.
Sandlin has shown plenty of grit herself.
– Robert Francis
What advice would you give young women rising to a position of prominence?
Find one or two significant support groups or organizations that support and share your courage and determination for success. For me it was being part of the Women’s Business Council-Southwest and being part of the business school at the University of Texas at Arlington.
The WBCS brought me a network of support and mentoring that has helped me grow personally and professionally. Being part of UTA has offered me the chance to change students’ lives while changing mine.
I think most people find it really difficult to present and speak in front of large groups – I sure did. I participate in events where I can speak in front of a lot of students about my journey as an entrepreneur for them to learn from my successes and failures but also to continue to improve my skills as a speaker.
Who is the most significant role model in your life?
My mom is the youngest of three. She lost her dad at a very young age and her mom when she was a young adult. Her life was filled with challenges and struggles but she knew she always wanted to have a daughter and to be able to give her the world. I am not sure if she knew what the world was going to be but this is what it was.
We grew up in Vermont and had to walk a half a mile to the bus stop, shovel snow and mow the lawn. I had to start working when I was 15 years old to pay for ice skating lessons because she didn’t particularly appreciate me freezing the driveway to go skating on.
She moved to a different town and worked crummy jobs where she was under-appreciated to make sure that my brother and I could go to a better high school.