The Safety Diva's™ - Crystal Turner-Moffatt

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in consultancy but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Crystal Turner-Moffatt, CEO of CDT EHS Consulting LLC., located in Milford, CT, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

CDT EHS Consulting LLC and the Teaching Division, The Safety Diva's™ Academy, provide a bridge to safety success through expert, passionate consultation. We utilize a systemic approach to elevate your corporate growth. We are an MWBE-certified firm that was established in 2007. The principals, along with CEO and President Crystal Turner-Moffatt CSP, SMS, ASP, and CHST, bring to your service over 25 years of experience in Safety, Risk Management, Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Sciences, Toxicology, Scientific Research, Biotech, and Pharmaceutical Sciences. We primarily focus on deliverables such as Safety Oversite, Safety Management System Audits, Safety-Based Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Teaching and Training through The Safety Diva's ™ Academy. We are a boutique, customer-centric firm that builds long-term business relationships. We provide new and innovative strategies in auditing and providing risk management deliverables for our clients' small, medium, and large GC's and contractors. We possess both the knowledge and skill sets to service clients from multifaceted settings, including Government, Construction, Manufacturing, Laboratory, Industrial, Pharmaceutical, Hospital, & Academic Settings. Through expert consultation partnered with the ability to listen to your needs, we can resolve any Environmental Health and Safety issues for your organization. CDT EHS Consulting LLC safety and The Safety Diva's™ Academy, teaching professionals are certified subject matter experts. The ultimate goal for CDT EHS Consulting LLC professionals is to provide excellent, professional, and ethical service that exceeds all of your needs and expectations. We will develop a mutually beneficial business relationship with you! We take pride in the fact that "EHS is our Passion" and "We are your Bridge to Safety Success."

Our goal is to target businesses (primarily in construction) that have no corporate safety program and need safety services and will have an increased ability to do business with the government by hiring an MWBE-certified firm. Clients include small and medium contractors and construction clients that have no corporate safety program in place. We provide safety oversite, training, and inspections to reduce workplace injuries and unsafe acts in the workplace. This reduces the time spent understanding safety. We use our expertise to make their tasks easier. This also saves money by reducing OSHA and NYC DOB violations, fines, insurance claims, and worker loss time. Other clients include insurance companies that need independent contractors for workers comp., general liability, workplace, and commercial property inspections. Being safety conscious and improving their "Safety Culture" improves a company's reputation and status in the industry. We provide a bridge to safety success through expert, passionate consultation. We provide safety training, especially in NYC with Local Law 196 and the mandate that all construction workers have at least 30 hours of safety training to work on construction sites. We offer services through client meetings, telephone consultations, online and onsite training, or onsite safety representation. Independent contractors, consultants, and sub-contractor are hired as needed. We utilize a systemic approach to elevate a company's corporate growth. We focus on overall risk management and customer pain points. Our unique brand of consulting services focuses on our clients' most critical safety issues and needs.

Tell us about yourself

I am a Professional Consultant in the field of Environmental Health and Safety. My motto is "EH&S is my passion." My handle is "The Safety Diva ™." I am CEO of the safety firm CDT EHS Consulting LLC, a hard-working consulting practice I established in 2007. CDT EHS Consulting LLC provides a "Bridge to Safety Success" for their clients. I am extremely knowledgeable and have extensive expertise in the fields of Environmental Health and Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Sciences, Construction Safety Management, Corporate Compliance, Toxicology, Bioterrorism Preparedness, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research, and Development. I have more than 25 years of experience in the health and safety field in multifaceted environments. I am a Doctoral candidate at Capitol Technology University and studied in the Master of Science in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (EOHS) program at Hunter College CUNY. I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Wesleyan University and a Bioterrorism Preparedness Certificate from Hunter College CUNY. Raised in Harlem, NY, I have broken down barriers in the construction industry as a safety professional and business owner. I am proud to be a woman of color in a male-dominated industry. I started in Toxicology, looking at human exposure to environmental toxins, then transitioned to Industrial Hygiene, looking at hazards and exposures in Industry, to finally finding my calling in the Safety Profession, where I looked at workplace exposure and risk. I got into the construction field because I followed the level of risk.

Construction is the industry where most workers experience fatalities, accidents, and incidents. With risk reduction in construction, this is where I felt I could make the greatest impact. I was unable to readily obtain jobs at the C-Suite level, so I created my own Safety firm. I studied Toxicology (Human Exposure) and Industrial Hygiene (Industrial Exposure), and that led to Safety, especially in the construction industry, where the majority of worker accidents, injuries, and fatalities occur. Many of our competitors have large revenues and many employees and safety representatives to put on their sites. Thus, there is potential for more revenue. Unlike many of our competitors, our business is MWBE Certified and will have other certifications (DBE, WOSB, SDB, etc.) This will allow our clients to meet obligations required by their government contracts. My research has shown that out of 4, only three firms that show up in search of nyc.gov are MBE certified, and one is WMBE certified. Our clients can trust our expertise and credibility. I have a unique nurturing approach to doing safety on my job sites. CDT EHS Consulting LLC has an individualized and special approach to each client. We do not propose a cookie-cutter philosophy. We put qualified, skilled individuals on our job sites. Many of our competitors do not always put experienced safety representatives on their sites. Many of their employees have construction experience from being in the construction trade and can obtain certificates and licenses but lack the experience of a true safety professional. The Safety business is in a good niche.

I am a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Safety Management Specialist (SMS), Associate Safety Professional (ASP), Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST), Senior Construction Safety Manager, Construction Site Fire Safety Manager (CSFSM) & Senior Loss Control Consultant with a 20+ year record of success overseeing all areas of safety on multimillion-dollar construction, infrastructure, environmental, health and safety projects for government, insurance, and private-sector clients. I am a graduate of The Westchester Women's Enterprise Development Center (WEDC) 60-Hour Entrepreneurial Training Program. I am experienced with behavior-based safety and zero-tolerance initiatives. I am also an OSHA Outreach Instructor (Construction).

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I have established myself as an expert with 25 plus years in the Safety Profession. With my style of safety, I have branded myself the "Safety Diva ™" to stand out in the male-dominated male construction and safety field. As Safety Diva ™, I am all things Divine about Safety. I have a unique approach as a problem solver for my clients, not just as a safety "policeman" who points out deficiencies. I am professional and ethical. I have been hired for difficult over-site jobs that require constant reporting to regulatory agencies because we cannot be compromised to "look the other way" with regard to unsafe acts in the workplace.

I love being with people. EH&S has exposed me to many great people, from individual trade workers to CEOs. For me, safety has been a professional and spiritual calling for 25 years. When I sense danger, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. While on construction sites, I am always doing a visual assessment to spot someone without their hardhat, safety glasses, or hearing protection. A mentor of mine used to drum into my head the importance of using a health and safety plan as an EH&S bible – Sage advice that I took to heart.

When I started managing contractors, I became like a den mother and gained their trust between my deep concern for their wellbeing and use of humor. With so many men in hard hats on the job site and plenty of testosterone flowing, I would always kid around about being their safety wife or safety girlfriend and learned to be thick-skinned about all the teasing, cursing, and inappropriate comments. In the #MeToo era, there is a fine line between joking and offending.

Still, there is an interesting synergy between men and women that's different than when people from the same gender work together, particularly in construction. Women lead from a different perspective, which I think can create a more relaxed, creative, and collaborative environment with family-oriented team building. While men tend to be more analytical, women are more verbal. But you also want the workforce to feel comfortable sharing their problems and frustrations. In the end, we all know that good communication and trust drives success.

Women in EH&S constantly need more education and a comprehensive skill set to be credible and prove their worth. I have four sets of letters of certification after my name because of this very reason. Women also need to learn the vernacular of general contractors, carpenters, and masons, as well as electricians and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning professionals. In addition, it is critical to have field skills. There is no way you can do it safely from a trailer or office. You must get out, boots to the ground, and interact with workers. That is why I love EH&S. I get to interact with people as a work family and use every bit of knowledge from every area of my life and what I have learned throughout my life in totality to be a Safety Professional.

Overall, I continue to be "Safety Diva ™ "and do not give in to facades of conformity. I say to be you, be seen, contribute and continue to educate yourself and others in diversity, equity, and inclusion matters.

As Maya Angelou said, "We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color." She also said, "Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible."

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The choice to be an entrepreneur has been challenging but not difficult to make. I still struggle with being a 100% full-time entrepreneur, although it has been 15 years since I started the company. I still work for others during lean times. I started CDT EHS Consulting LLC because I wanted to be my own boss, an entrepreneur, and serve my clients. There was a lack of opportunities at my level. I embarked on the building of my MWBE-certified safety firm, CDT EHS Consulting LLC, to bring my skills, knowledge, and expertise, as well as the experience of those professionals with which I am affiliated in the field, to those companies and institutions in need. Occupational Health and Safety is a "passion," and being a Safety Professional is a calling and purpose which I practice professionally and ethically. I have a mission and commitment to serving clients and their employees professionally and ethically. Throughout my work history, I have maintained an excellent performance record and rapport with consultants, management, site safety personnel, and employees, including unions. I have earned a reputation for dedication, teamwork, and a trustworthy work ethic.

It's not easy being female in a male-dominated profession defined by manual labor, heavy equipment, and untidy construction sites. There are systemic obstacles in the way and misperceptions to overcome in the environmental health and safety field. I was not asked to attend an important C-Suite meeting I had prepared for as part of the construction safety team in an insurance company I worked for because I cut my hair and went "natural." As an African American woman in a largely white-male-dominated industry, I have seen these obstacles firsthand – and overcame them with a mix of tenacity, personality, and passion for safety. It's also in my DNA. I hail from a long line of entrepreneurs. My parents and grandparents, for example, all had their own businesses. As a Safety Professional and Business Owner, I get to honor my Family Legacy. To me, EHS is a higher calling. But I've been on construction sites where people just didn't want to work with me or share a trailer because of my gender or color. I have also been on the receiving end of uncomfortable comments someone made about both my sexuality and age. The fact is, there's a scarcity of equal opportunity for women in construction, who are usually relegated to flaggers and rarely seen in apprentice roles. Somehow, I managed to swim against the tide.

My personal journey prepared me for these uncomfortable occasions. After attending elementary school in Harlem, I was bussed to white schools and attended Wesleyan University on a merit scholarship. But I've always had to work harder to build credibility and prove myself, especially in a field that's not considered feminine, much like in the film Hidden Figures about African American women at NASA. There were times when my resume had to be worn on my sleeve just to overcome institutional racism and sexism. Therefore, this is why there are so many initials after my name, which shows the scope of my education and professional certifications.

But what's important to realize is that as a woman, I bring unique qualities to EH&S that improve safety culture and significantly increase profitability. Because women are nurturing and highly intuitive regarding spotting danger, they help keep employees out of harm's way. It's a natural inclination, and most Americans believe women are better at creating safe and respectful workplaces than men.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Get into action and stay in action when creating new visions, goals, and possibilities in order to honor your promise and word to yourself to succeed. If need be, don't only have mentors to inspire you but also have sponsors to advocate for you.
Know the impact of a company's, customer's, or client's culture in order to identify risk profiles and identify the company, customer, or client pain points.
Properly evaluate your company's deliverables to know your worth as a business owner to consistently generate increasingly lucrative revenue streams.

Women entrepreneurs who I have emulated and who have hired me on my way up to ownership of my firm have also served as mentors and sponsors. I love to research, teach, and give back to the community, inspiring young people, especially women of color, to enter the STEM fields. EH&S is not exactly an employment opportunity that students learn about in school, and it is hard for young people to imagine themselves working as a safety manager or supervisor when they do not see them in the typical STEM careers. The first real step along this career path, obviously, would be to enroll in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses along the way to benefit from someone's experience. Once the die is cast, mentoring is a tremendous launching pad for newcomers to build confidence, model themselves after an accomplished professional who inspires them, receive guidance on how they should structure their resume, earn valuable certifications, and build a highly rewarding career. Find a sponsor. My most influential sponsor is Deidre Helberg, founder, and owner of Helberg Electrical Supply LLC, the first and only African American woman-owned electrical supply company in Long Island, NY, and founder of the U.S. Coalition of Black Women Businesses USCBWB, in which I am a founding Board Member responsible for Communications Outreach.

When you first begin your career, it is important to enlist a few great mentors. As your career advances toward mid-level opportunities and beyond, you should enlist a diverse slate of mentors and seek out an elite category of advocate: a sponsor.

A mentor advises the mentee sponsors to advocate for their protégés. A mentor can be anyone in a position of experience, while a sponsor is a senior-level executive. Sponsors drive their protégé's career vision. In short, mentors advise you, and sponsors advocate for you.

Mentors are great, but sponsors are key to your career advancement. Mentors provide behind-the-scenes advice and support. They help you to learn. Sponsors are on the front lines and will tell others that you are the person for the job. My support system has always been my parents, husband, family, colleagues, and friends.

I'm deeply indebted to Tom Davey, who took me under his wing when I transitioned from the pharmaceutical to the construction field. Tom was always very approachable and would never micromanage. He let me learn on my own and fall flat, then get back up. After imploring me to closely follow my health and safety plan as a construction safety manager, he noticed and complimented how I evolved from safety cop to den mother.

I would like to thank the many "Safety Gurus" in my life past and present, especially the humble Reagan Tiff-Branch MPh CSP CIH, and the list goes on (she is the real deal) for being an inspiration as a businesswoman, true mentor, and friend.

My mentors have remained people who I can tap into as resources, and together we have pushed each other along in the field. By the same token, my mentees also have taught me well over the years. I consider EH&S a higher calling – almost like a ministry on the job. It feels good to help other people resolve problems, enhance their careers, and see them succeed. But there's so much more to mentoring than that. Safety managers on construction sites, my specialty, have the workers' lives in our hands, so we must be sharp, utilize keen instincts, and ensure that everyone is returned to their family unhurt.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://safetydiva.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cdtehsconsultingllc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safetydivacdtny/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SafetyDivaCDTNY
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cdt-ehs-consulting-llc/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.