Sn. 4, #1 Mollie Elkman: "The House That She Built"

Sn. 4, #1 Mollie Elkman: “The House That She Built”

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A few years ago, a house in Utah was built by a team made up entirely of women. Today’s guest, Mollie Elkman, is the owner and president of Group Two, and she and her team were responsible for the sales and marketing side of the build. As the project was nearing an end, Mollie saw the potential of this story to positively impact the lives of so many women and girls, and she embarked on a journey of writing The House That She Built. The book highlights 18 of the trades that are involved in building a house, from excavators to plumbers to landscapers, and it has become an invaluable tool used to educate women and girls and other underrepresented groups about the career paths that are available to them. Tune in today to hear Mollie’s story; what led her to the construction world, what she loves about working in this industry, and how she hopes the future of the construction industry will be impacted by The House That She Built.

Photo courtesy of Mollie Elkman

MEET YOUR HOST

Emily Soloby

Emily received her BA in Women’s Studies and JD from Temple University. Early on, she worked as a legal advocate for women in domestic violence cases. After practicing law, Emily began working on the business side of things. She is the co-owner of AAA School of Trucking, a truck and heavy equipment safety training firm, which she has spent the last 10 years growing into a thriving national business through government and military contracting and corporate partnerships.

As an executive in the transportation industry, darting from client meeting to trucking range required safety boots that met her style standards, and when she couldn’t find them anywhere, she created Juno Jones Shoes. Emily trained in shoemaking in Cuernavaca, Mexico and at the Brooklyn Shoe Space, and assembled a powerhouse team of designers, consultants, and industry experts to bring Juno Jones to life. Through Juno Jones Shoes, Emily is fulfilling her dream of not only providing women with safe, stylish footwear options for their jobs but of helping to normalize and empower women in traditionally male-dominated fields.

For more information go to junojonesshoes.com.

SPECIAL GUEST

Mollie Elkman

Mollie Elkman spent her childhood surrounded by home builders, yet it wasn’t until she joined the industry herself that she recognized how often she was the only woman in the room. She quickly discovered that just as she was brought into a family business by her father, so were the majority of other women she was meeting throughout all areas of home building. Over her career, Mollie formed friendships with people who proved that not only are jobs genderless, but everyone benefits from a workforce that embraces diversity and inclusion. One of those friends shared an exciting and ambitious project they were involved in…an all-woman-built home. As Mollie learned about each of the women involved in the project, she could feel herself becoming more and more inspired by their stories. She hopes that young readers everywhere will feel inspired too.

Mollie Elkman is the President and Owner of Group Two, a leading new home marketing partner for builders.