Hazard Girls
EPISODES
“Hazard Girls is about women in male-populated industries.” Today on the Hazard Girls Podcast, we are discussing what we do on this podcast! You will hear all about why we do the podcast, what our mission is, whom we interview, and why we need to shift the terminology from “Male Dominated” to “Male Populated.” We …
With us today is Nancy Surak. She is a Senior Advisor and Managing Broker for the Tampa Bay office of the Land Advisors Organization. Nancy has more than 20 years of commercial real estate experience and has specialized in land brokerage since 2005. Tune in as we dive deeper into the commercial real estate industry …
Joining us today on the Hazard Girls podcast is the inspirational Jennifer Todd. Jennifer is a lawyer, the founder of an NPO called A Greener Tomorrow, and the founder and president of LMSGeneral Contractors and is here with us to discuss being a woman in the construction industry. We discuss Jennifer’s journey to getting her …
The entrepreneurs who win the ‘game’ are the ones who keep going when the going gets tough! Joining us today on Hazard Girls is the CEO of Health-Ade, Daina Trout. Daina has an impressive resume and is passionate about gut health. In this episode, you will hear all about the positive effect kombucha and other …
As women in construction today, we deal with microaggressions in the workplace. But what was it like when sexism was a blatant part of women’s working lives? Here to tell us all about this is author of Tower of Lies, Trump’s ‘woman in construction,’ and incredible speaker, Barbara Res. Today on Hazard Girls we discuss …
According to the US Department of Agriculture, Americans waste more than $161 billion each year on food, with most of it ending up in landfills. Our guest, interviewed by host Emily Soloby of Juno Jones Shoes, is a creative problem solver on a mission to end this kind of household food waste. Chef Alison Mountford …
Transitioning from one male-dominated industry to another is not easy, but it is something our guest, Jhanel Wilson, has managed to do successfully. Jhanel is a Philadelphia-based chemical engineer turned real estate investor with a portfolio of over 10 million dollars. Her strategy focuses on small multifamily buy-and-hold, and she now teaches others in STEM …
There appears to be a growing trend of women and minorities pursuing careers in STEM, but there is still a long way to go. Only 17 percent of civil engineers in the US are women, while minorities make up approximately 31 percent of civil engineers nationwide. And while many women and minorities may obtain a …
Women have always been perceived to be weaker and less physically capable than men and the freedom that today’s children have has taken many years to achieve. Today on Hazard Girls we are joined by Emily’s mom, Rosemarie Heldrich Kiser. Rosemarie was a female track runner in the 1960s; a time when women did not …
Women in the safety industry need allies and the space to find their own voices! More importantly, PPE needs to be designed specifically for women’s bodies to ensure safety and efficiency. Joining us on the Hazard Girls podcast is the co-founder of the Iowa Women and Safety Conference and founder of The Safety Rack, Amy …
As a woman in the construction industry, all you want is to be treated as an equal in the workplace. Joining us today to discuss this topic is the director of Crew Collaborative, Kristina Mahler. We talk about how far the company has come since we last met with Kristina, the difficulties of starting a …
Welcome to another installment of the Hazard Girls Podcast! Today on the show we get together with Nora Casanova, the Logistics Manager at Karsten Interior Services, a commercial construction subcontractor in Houston, Texas. Nora has three degrees to her name, including International Business, Supply Chain Management, and Entrepreneurship from the University of Texas, and is …
Navigating your time and boundaries while creating a business you love and cultivating client relationships is no easy feat. As a woman, being able to accomplish these things comes with even more challenges. Using more than 30 years of experience, Pamela explores all things networking, giving us a look at techniques that we can use, …
Knowing what drives your ambition is a key aspect of what motivates you to keep going! Without figuring that out for yourself first, you’re much more likely to give up on goals. Our guest on today’s episode of Hazard Girls is Andrea Janzen. She is the founder of Ambition Theory, a professional coaching and leadership …
Today’s guest has been in the construction industry since the 80s, a time when gender equality was not what it is today. Julie Laughton is a designer, general contractor, and the CEO of Julie Laughton Custom Homes, a unique one-stop-shop design-build service. Between New York City, where she began her career, and Orange County, California, …
As part of our series of chats with diversity specialists, today we’re speaking with Mercedes Gamor. Mercedes is the first-ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Specialist at Prime Electric, one of the most prolific electrical construction contractors on the West Coast of the US. Today, she joins us to talk about how Prime Electric is going …
There is a distinct difference between building a sellable business and building yourself a glorified job. Returning to the show to preach the importance of starting with the end in mind and planning your exit, is the admirable Michelle Sieler Tucker. Michelle is a world-renowned expert in the field of mergers and acquisitions, and a …
Futurists are people who plan for the future by looking at trends and identifying what’s coming instead of only looking at the past. To explain more about this profession and the profound value it offers, today we are joined by Rebecca Ryan, a top 50 professional futurist, as well as an economist, best-selling author, and entrepreneur. She is also on …
Our guest today is Libby Mendiratta, the Executive Vice President at G.E. Frisco Company, a family-owned business specializing in supplying lumber and building materials across the Mid-Atlantic region. Libby has been in the construction industry for over 20 years and she oversees the entire division of the business that serves state and federal contracts. She …
Joining us in conversation today is Kuma Roberts, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Arrowhead Consulting. Tune in to learn the difference between ‘DEI’ and ‘D and I’, and why the focus has shifted from the latter to the former. You’ll hear why everyone has something to contribute to the conversation around diversity, and how …
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 “command and control” leadership style is common within many organizations, but in today’s episode, we’re going to be discussing why a more inclusive and collaborative form of leadership holds so much value. Today’s guests are Shannon Karels and Kathy Miller, both of whom have had many years of experience leading manufacturing operations and implementing …
Architecture is a unique career that bridges the gap between the worlds of construction and art, and most architects have creative hobbies. Today’s guest made her creative hobby a full-time job when, after 15 years as an architect, she transitioned into the world of sustainable fashion in 2019. Namita Reddy is a professional architect and …
One of the latest and greatest trends in business is to hire a coach to help you streamline your company and clarify your thinking. Today’s guest is Coralee Beatty, a business coach, a consultant, and a mom. Coralee was the owner of a mechanical contracting business before she moved into coaching, where her specialty is …
Nouchelle Hastings thought she was going to be a doctor, but when got to college she realized what she really wanted was a different kind of challenge and chose to pursue a career in business development. Today she is the holder of two prestigious accolades; Women of the Year and Most Powerful and Influential Black …
When Katya Echazarreta moved from Mexico to the United States at the age of seven, she couldn’t speak a word of English. Three years later she was as fluent as a native. Eight years after that she was beginning her Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering at UCLA, and to date, she has worked on five …
It’s well established that women tend not to apply for jobs if they don’t meet all of the criteria that the position requires, while men will apply when only meeting 60% of the desired skills. This needs to change, and talking to us today about this very issue is executive coach, mold-breaker, and podcaster, Claudia …
From the age of 5, Kimberly Fiock knew she wanted to be a scientist. Today, at just 25 years old, she is working at the cutting edge of experimental pathology research, on track to receiving her PhD! This journey has not been without its hardships; on top of her mental health struggles, Kimberly has dealt …
This episode’s guest is the incredible Stephanie Garcia, who’s here in her pink hard hat to tell you not to let anyone dull your sparkle! She’s the Quality Manager for Rogers-O’Brien Construction, has been in the construction industry for seven years, and is currently the secretary for the San Antonio chapter of the National Association …
Many women, contrary to their male counterparts, hold back from applying for positions because they feel under-qualified. Our guest today is an example of someone who refused to fall into the imposter mindset and went for the position she deserved! Joining us on Hazard Girls is the awe-inspiring Buna George, Executive Director for The Greater …
Many of us think the style of leadership taught and practiced in the military is fairly rigid and uniform. Debunking this myth today, is Dr. Janet Polach, retired marine, executive coach, speaker, expert in developing new managers, and now author. Janet talks us through why she entered the marines, and how the leadership skills she …
Today’s guest is a true pioneer in her field, being both the first woman to hold the Teaching Lab Technician position at Sinclair Community College and the youngest member of the department! Welcome to Hanna Weaver, an ASE certified master tech, full-time lecturer, and now a Master’s candidate. We talk to Hanna today about how …
Today’s episode of Hazard Girls is the premiere episode interviewing a woman in tech! We are so excited to welcome Catherine Dummitt, VP of marketing at Narvar, and honorary Hazard Girl through her work building diverse teams and bringing women into the workforce. Join us to hear about Catherine’s experience in the world of tech, …
Imposter syndrome isn’t something that people are simply born with. More often than not, it’s a consequence of a wounding experience. Joining us today to talk about this and so much more is musician, culture consultant, and leadership and life coach, Dr. Nancy Williams. Dr. Williams has an impressive musical background, with a doctorate in …
From raking leaves into floor plans as a teenager to being nominated as Cape & Plymouth Business’s 40 Under 40’s, Krista Manna’s success has been meteoric. Join us today as we talk to Krista (architect, property developer and flipper, and interior designer) about what inspires her, and how she started working in this industry. We …
Growing up with a carpenter dad who built their family home gave Danielle Schroeder a solid foundation from which to explore her interest in math, science and construction, which eventually led her to find her niche in transportation related civil engineering. Being the first engineer in her family, Danielle had to learn a lot through trial …
Many women in the construction industry come to the sector via another career, and today’s guest is no different. When Janet Bates studied theater and dramatic literature, she never envisioned she would be the trailblazer she is today. Currently, Janet is a Client Solutions Manager at JE Dunn and is also involved in a number …
How does being a high school rodeo champion prepare you for becoming a welder? This week on the Hazard Girls we get together with Kaylin Leas to talk about her journey into the male-dominated industry of welding; why she first was attracted to it, and what receiving the Empowerment Women in Industry Tradeswoman of the …
From paralegal to power tools, Jennifer Cline has taken the DIY world by storm! Tune in today as we hear from Miss Dewalt herself about how she started on the path to a DIY influencer, and why she feels it’s her purpose in life to challenge stereotypes in the tool and makers industry. When tragedy …
One of the biggest issues many female entrepreneurs face is having to do it all on their own, and that can lead to overwhelm and, sometimes, detrimental decision-making ability. But don’t fear, Danielle Hayden and Kickstart Accounting are here! Author of The Profit Planner book series, host of Entrepreneur Money Stories podcast, and owner of Kickstart …
The trucking industry is stereotypically male-populated. However, it doesn’t have the glass-ceiling so many other male-populated industries are infamous for. Talking to us today about why this is the case are Debbie Sparks and Kellylynn McLaughlin. Debbie started her career in marketing and is now the Vice President of Women in Trucking, and Kellylynn is …
It was Isra Banks’ mother who first encouraged her to become an architect. Now a mother herself, Isra is passionate about building healthier, just, and more sustainable cities for the next generation. As a licensed architect in Massachusetts, two years ago Isra launched her own architecture firm, TriVek Architects. She also has a YouTube channel …
In this episode, we are thrilled to hear from Charli K. Matthews, Founder and CEO of Empowering Brands, Founder of Empowering Pumps and Equipment, and Founder of Empowering Women in Industry. Charli is also the co-host of The Empowering Industry Podcast and, in today’s episode, she shares some exciting details about the upcoming Empowering Women …
Today’s guest is on a mission to provide you with the community and education you need to scale your business, be a high-performance leader, and achieve the success you deserve. Known as the Pivot Queen, Kate Hancock is a serial entrepreneur, international speaker, and community builder who has founded ventures such as Bintana Sa Paraiso, a high-end boutique hotel in the Philippines, and …
In this Episode of Hazard Girls we are joined by Amy Nicklaus to chat about entrepreneurship, the risks involved, the obstacles faced, and the importance of building the right team. Amy is the founder and CEO of Nicklaus Marketing & PR, a full-service marketing agency with a heavy focus on digital marketing and product development. …
Jennifer Zhang started a watch company six months out of college. She was broke and had just quit her full-time job. Within two weeks, she had launched a successful Kickstarter campaign and turned a $1,000 investment into $91,000. Her company, Rotate Watches, which offers novice engineers all-in-one kits to build their own mechanical watches, went …
As many of you may know, we were recently at the National Association of Women in Construction Annual Conference (NAWIC) in Charlotte, North Carolina. While we were there, we got to meet so many interesting women, working on all kinds of innovative and exciting things in construction, but one of our favorite presentations was the …
This week on Hazard Girls we continue our conversation on diversity and inclusion. Here to help us shed further light on the topic is Julia Hodum, Director of Inclusion and Diversity for the North American arm of the Schindler Group, a Swiss company and leading global mobility provider of escalators, elevators, and related services. In …
Today’s guest, Rebecca Francis, is a Diversity and Inclusion Specialist with IEA, Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives Inc. Tuning in, you’ll hear what her role entails and how she uses her background in education to teach employees on who to go to if they have a complaint, and Rebecca shares what she thinks about the goal …
On this episode, we chat with Sarah Marie Liddle, a certified professional coach for small businesses and individuals seeking to live well and productively. She is based out of Canberra, Australia, where she offers positive psychology and wellness tools to help professionals bring more balance and productivity into their day. You’ll hear how Sarah Marie …
