Meet Pat
Hi, I'm Pat Miller. My mission is to empower the underdog—the women who weren't handed the roadmap, weren't picked first, and didn't have the perfect résumé, but who know deep down they're meant for more.
I'm the founder and owner of Blue Diamond Construction, a New Jersey-based commercial carpentry and metal framing company I built from the ground up after losing my husband and business partner, Ray, to cancer in 2016. What started as survival became my strength.
For over 30 years, I've thrived in the construction industry—first with RPM Construction, the company Ray and I founded together, and now as sole owner of Blue Diamond. As a highly-skilled metal framer and sought-after value engineer, I've worked hands-on at building sites throughout New Jersey, collaborating with engineers, architects, developers, and tradespeople on high-profile commercial projects from hospitals and medical centers to the iconic revitalization of Asbury Park.
But my biggest construction project wasn't a building—it was rebuilding myself.
Nearly a decade ago, I was dealt a series of crushing blows. I lost not only my husband, but both my parents and one of my brothers in three short years. I almost lost my business, too. But here's what I learned: being the underdog isn't your limitation—it's your power.
From that period of unimaginable loss came my internationally best-selling memoir, Kicking Karma's Ass: Unbelievable Stories of Strength, Resilience and Perseverance, All Told with a Twist of Humor. It chronicles how I "phoenixed up" from grief to rebuild my life both personally and professionally. Since publishing, I've received countless messages from readers sharing their own stories, and it's opened doors to speaking engagements and opportunities to help others realize that sometimes things don't work out the way we want — but instead work out even better than we ever could have imagined.
I was recently named a 2024 Woman to Watch by South Jersey Magazine and an Outstanding Woman Builder by the Women Builders Council. I've been profiled in the Asbury Park Press and featured in a six-part "Spotlight NJ" interview with legendary News12 New Jersey anchor Della Crews.
Through my Growing with the Underdog framework, I help ambitious women stop waiting for permission and start building lives and businesses that reflect their true strength. Whether through speaking, coaching, or storytelling, I show women how to use self-awareness, strategy, and scrappy resilience to grow their confidence, client base, and sense of purpose.
A born and raised Jersey girl, I'm a longtime resident of Jackson where I raised my two sons alongside my beloved 19-year-old bichon frise, Sabrina. I'm proof that you don't have to be the first pick to win the game—you just have to know how to play it your way.
Accolades
International Impact Book Awards
for Inspiration 2024
South Jersey Biz Magazine’s
2024 Woman to Watch
Women Builders Council’s
2023 Outstanding Woman Builder Award
Marquis Who’s Who in America
2020-2021
Inspiration from Pat Miller
