Interview with Tarolyn Buckles: CEO of Onyx Enterprise

Written by Meera Manek on Saturday, 07 August 2021. Posted in Interviews

Image courtesy of Tarolyn Buckles


Business can be a daunting field, especially for women. It’s much harder to network and gain respect as a woman, and more so as a woman of color. Tarolyn Buckles, however, fought through the challenges and successfully navigated the business field as she founded her own business. Buckles is currently the founder and CEO of Onyx Enterprise, a construction and civil engineering firm based in Detroit, MI. Girls For Business had the pleasure of interviewing her a few weeks ago to learn more about her experience as a woman in business.

Buckles has worked in the industry for over 33 years. She was introduced to engineering at 10 years old, and she wanted to work as an architectural engineer until she was 15; however, while she was attending the University of Michigan to earn her degree in structural engineering, she participated in several summer programs with MDOT (Michigan Department of Technology) and began to work for them as well. She worked with waste management for 5 years after that and came back to Detroit to launch her firm in 2007. In 2011, she joined MetCo, a small business, where she gained the knowledge that allowed her to learn how to operate a business. 

Her day to day activities as the CEO of Onyx Enterprise can range from working with employees to talking to current and prospective clients. She explained that she always starts her day by talking with her employees (she currently has 10 employees) and checking in on how they are doing on their projects. Her job is not always centered around an office because a lot of her job includes work on construction sites. Additionally, Buckles spends time writing proposals in order to begin new projects (transportation, roadway, bridges, water resource). One of her main pieces of advice for anyone looking to run a business is to always look at financials, invoices, and never be behind on finances.

The best part of running a business, Buckles informed us, is working for yourself. “It’s a joy being your own boss and having the freedom to pursue projects that you believe in. Being the architect and engineer of your own future, choosing employees that fit your needs. The most rewarding part is having an impact on the community.”

Completing projects and gaining clients is one of the most rewarding parts of Buckles’s job. One of her biggest successes was competing on a major project in the city of Detroit. Buckles’s passion for her projects and her city made her the best candidate for this project, and when she won this project, she believed it was a testament to her hard work. She has won many monumental awards as well, including winning over 7 awards for Woman in STEM and others like Entrepreneur of the Year.

As for advice to high school girls, Buckles made it clear that the key to big achievements are big dreams. “Set high goals, and pursue your passion where you have your highest impact. It won’t feel like work when you are working for your passion. There is no opportunity too big. Everything will line up to your goals if you put in the work!”

About the Author

Meera Manek

Meera Manek

Meera is a Business Analytics Writer at Girls For Business.

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