After a series of layoffs within the Newark public school system in 1974, Marjorie Perry — then a physical educator — decided to pursue sales and marketing.

“All I knew is that I wanted to be extremely prosperous,” Perry said. “I wasn’t sure how that looked or how I was going to get there.”

Her search led her to successful work with 3M, Johnson & Johnson, United Airlines — and a chance meeting with Ralph Lauren while flying first class.

“He said, ‘You have the entrepreneurial spirit. You will never become wealthy working for anybody else,’ ” Perry said.

She took his business advice to heart. In 1987, Perry created MAPP Production, a consulting company focused on helping entrepreneurs succeed in the marketplace.

Five years later, one of her clients would ask her to become a partner in MZM Construction & Management Co. in Newark, which specializes in construction and construction management, waste management and transportation and renovation.

“I bought out my partners in 1994 because they could no longer handle entrepreneurship,” said Perry, CEO and president. “The rest is my beginning.”

Her extraordinary entrepreneurial journey through the construction industry would include losing $1 million in 1998. Though it took her until 2006 to once again become profitable, MZM Construction & Management Co. is now a multimillion-dollar business with nine employees.

“That’s the sign of a true entrepreneur — you keep moving and you don’t stop until you finish,” Perry said.

MZM Construction & Management Co. has worked on several high-profile projects, including landscaping for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, excavation and concrete work for The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, safety control services for MetLife Stadium, beach nourishment and replenishment for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District and complete room renovations for Marriott Courtyard/Residence Inn hotels.

As for Perry, she works hard as an award-winning motivational speaker, business consultant, author and educator these days.

Along with running MZM Construction & Management Co., Perry was named to the board of the state Economic Development Authority; serves on the board of Newark Regional Business Partnership, the foundation board for Kean University, and the advisory board for the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship at Montclair State University.

She also teaches entrepreneurial studies and serves as the first woman co-chair for New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Perry spoke to NJBIZ to reflect upon her successes and what she anticipates in the year to come.

NJBIZ: How does one go from being a physical educator in Newark to working and traveling all over the world in sales and marketing for large corporations?

Marjorie Perry: One of the things corporate America was looking for in the 1970s was diversification — they wanted employees who looked like their consumers.

NJBIZ: Seems like you’ve often been in the right place at the right time — from discussing business next to Ralph Lauren on an airplane to being asked to join up with clients at MZM Construction & Management Co.

MP: I knew nothing about construction, but I was good with operations and business development. There were a lot of lessons, though. I always thought that if you got the education, put in the time, followed best practices and planned, eventually, it would all work out. … What I didn’t know is that the construction industry was a sexist, racist, financial machine that you really needed to understand without relying on your team to know it better than you.

NJBIZ: You often talk about how losing $1 million in 1998 shaped who you are as a businesswoman. How did that happen?

MP: I was recruited by another person of color to come and do concrete for a project. I said I didn’t do that, but the company said, ‘Don’t worry; we’ll show you how. We’ll mentor you.’ It was all a setup. They knew I didn’t know anything and they knew I wouldn’t catch (my mistakes) before it was too late. They said they would pay me eventually while I was doing all the work. They got as much out of me as they could — probably about $750,000 worth of free work, plus another $250,000 in fines, lawsuits and bank fees.

NJBIZ: Most young people in business would probably walk away after experiencing something like that. What kept you going?

MP: My father always said, ‘If you take on something, you need to finish it.’ I probably could’ve walked away because that’s what bankruptcy laws are for — but I saw that as a complete failure. … I was really down on my luck — but I did not keep it to myself. The Port Authority heard about what had happened and thought I had enough talent to support me. They decided that I had too much to fail.

I was the Port Authority’s first protégée for their mentorship program. They wrapped me up with Railroad Construction Co. (and later, Turner Construction), which oversaw and took me on to make sure that I would become knowledgeable in the business. They made sure that I executed the projects properly while hiring the right project managers, supervisors and laborers.

NJBIZ: That certainly helped you to sustain and regrow your business, but what was your personal recovery process like?

MP: I hired a life coach. I signed up for therapy. I even went back to school to get my MBA in finance from NJIT during this time. I needed to keep my mind strong because I had no partner who understood losing a million dollars.

I was a woman in an all-man’s world — women aren’t raised to wipe their hands clean and walk away. We have to keep going. I also kept giving, I kept speaking, I kept serving. You don’t know how much giving back supports you during hard times, but it would honestly take my mind off what was going terribly wrong. If I was having a bad day, I’d go and help build a shelter or volunteer at a soup kitchen. I kept my mind on a higher power. Before I knew it, I was stronger and more confident, and by 2005, I had paid all my debts off.

NJBIZ: That takes a tremendous amount of willpower. What do you attribute your strength to?

MP: Coming out of inner city Newark, we know how to survive no matter what. Kids who have everything given to them don’t learn that survival instinct. Our family had that very early on — that we are a force to be dealt with once we can get control of our emotions. You don’t have to rely on outside validation if your mind is strong. You just have to wake up in the morning knowing that you did a good job.

My mentor was also (Arnold) “Gig” Gordon Manville, a civil engineer from Railroad Construction Co. He would make me go back and study over and over. He said, ‘When you get past me, I’ll know that you’ve learned this. Once I’m impressed, no one can take advantage of you again.’ He knew I wasn’t afraid to hear the truth.

NJBIZ: Having gone through so much in your entrepreneurial career, what advice do you find absolutely necessary to impart to others?

MP: Be clear that you don’t know what you don’t know. If you take something on, be an expert or be humble enough to ask what the risks are going to be. The mind needs to grow and be nurtured in order to become successful. Follow the 80/20 rules before you launch into something that you know nothing about. Also, know your team. Know their mental capacity. Make sure they are experts in the field — not just recommendations or friends that can do you favors.

It can be very lonely being an entrepreneur. Are you able to stay focused when by yourself? If your thoughts grow too dark in those moments when it’s just you, you won’t be able to see opportunity. That’s key to staying creative.

NJBIZ: How often do people request you as a mentor?

MP: I take on maybe one or two mentees a year that I check in with quarterly to see the progress that they’ve made. I also sign up for the seven-week mentorship program for young entrepreneurs with the Newark Regional Business Partnership. …

Out of the 25 people who take my card after I speak, at least a dozen follow up. But they don’t always have good questions, which means they’re not ready for me. I’ll send them instead to small business development centers and incubator programs around the state. That’s where they need to start. Because I’m going to talk about margins and growth plans — higher-level strategic thinking — not just creating a business plan. I am a boot camp kind of coach!

NJBIZ: As a successful businesswoman yourself, what qualities do you think women leaders often share?

MP: They are clear, focused and do not get extremely emotional; they are not rattled by outside influence; they surround themselves with good partners in both family and business; they’re very big givers as their causes are near and dear to their hearts; they tend to stay grounded in who they are and do not get caught up in their success; they’re great negotiators because they know they’re worth and have done their homework; and you cannot break into their inner circle without earning your way in.

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