Confidence works on a spectrum. There are the good days and the complicated days. And sometimes, you don’t have the energy for a good self-talk. That’s where these ladies come in! They got you covered!
I have rounded up 7 podcast episodes of Space to Build to help you move forward in this hectic construction industry. The guests will inspire you to tackle a hard project, advocate for yourself, and chase after the goals you were hesitant about!
To listen to an episode, click the Listen Now button. These link specifically to Spotify. At the end of the post, I give you links to Apple, Audible, and iHeart as well.
Let’s get started!
1. Why Sharing Your Story Matters – with Courtney Kelly (Project Manager and Author)
- What to Expect to Hear:
- The value of asking for help
- How your hobbies or side hustles can help you hone your construction management skills
- How Hurricane Katrina influenced her career
- What it is like to publish and promote a children’s book while working full-time AND pursuing a Master’s Degree.
- Meet the Guest:
- Courtney is a construction project management professional specializing in civil and commercial construction. She is also the author of the children’s book, Celeste Saves the City, which encourages girls of color to pursue careers in civil engineering and construction.
2. Self-Advocacy Starts Now – Jennifer Todd (President)
- What to Expect to Hear:
- Prioritizing yourself and saying NO!
- What to do if you want to move into a trade role.
- Self-advocacy at work to up-level your career.
- How COVID shifted her contracting business.
- A Greener Tomorrow – a non-profit focused on promoting trade opportunities for minorities.
- Meet the Guest:
- Jennifer Todd is President of LMS General Contractors, demolition, and abatement contractor, performing word across the Southeast. She is the Founder, A Greener of Tomorrow, a 501 c3 nonprofit committed to skilled trades opportunities for underserved people. Todd is a 2021 ENR Top 20 Under 40 Professional, 2020 ENR Top 25 Newsmaker, and 2020 CBO Outstanding Women in Construction finalist. Todd is an ASU Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law graduate.
3. Doing it Yourself – Brittany Bailey (General Contractor & DIY Educator)
- What to Expect to Hear:
- How she became a licensed general contractor
- Home rehab
- Homeownership
- Building confidence around power tools
- Meet the Guest:
- Brittany is a Licensed General Contractor, DIY Educator, and founder of PrettyHandyGirl.com a resource with over 1,500 DIY tutorials for everything from home improvement and repairs to crafting and smaller scale DIY projects.
4. Advocating for Yourself – Tonya Hicks (Contractor, Advocate, & Consultant)
- What to Expect to Hear:
- Becoming the first woman wireman for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
- Starting a Contracting Firm
- Starting a consulting business to help women navigate male-dominated industries.
- Meet the Guest:
- Tonya is a serial entrepreneur, mom to two boys, and an advocate for women! She owns an electrical company, a consulting company, and serves as a chairwoman on a Kaiser Permanente established foundation focused on Community Health.
5. Speaking Up – Tenika Chavis (Carpenter)
- What to Expect to Hear:
- Her experiences in the union as a carpenter
- How she plans on pivoting her construction career
- Advice and a deeper dive into finding your voice and speaking up.
- Meet the Guest:
- Tenika is the owner of Lady Carpenter LLC. Her services include general contracting, renovations, and real estate investing.
6. Creating Opportunity – Jennifer Todd (President)
- What to Expect to Hear:
- The importance of representation in construction
- Hiring those without experience
- The COVID-19 impact.
- Meet the Guest:
- Jennifer Todd, Founder and President of LMS General Contractors.
7. Relax, Indulge, Empower – Jade McNair (Superintendent)
- What to Expect to Hear:
- Our experiences and opportunities at Virginia Tech
- Life Post-Graduation,
- Things we struggle with
- Who we are outside of construction
- What turning a hobby into a business looked like for her.
- Most importantly, we talk about empowerment and how that varies from person to person.
- Meet the Guest:
- Jade is a superintendent for a well-known and established general contractor and runs her own vegan skincare line.
You can find all these episodes and more wherever you listen to podcasts! (Apple, Spotify, Audible, iHeart, etc.)
You are always welcome to reach out to me, Kathryn, the host of Space to Build, or any of the guests on the podcast. To connect with the guests, check out the show notes or catch their contacts at the end of each episode.
If you would like to shoot me a message, you can find me on almost all social media platforms @SpacetoBuild or via email, kathryn@spacetobuild.co.