Hazard Girls
EPISODES
On today’s episode, we are visited by the Queen of Concrete, Lupita Vazquez, a leader in the male-dominated construction industry and an integral figure in the Hispanic construction community. Tune in to hear Lupe tell the story of how she entered the world of construction after being told it wasn’t for her, the elevator pitch …
Read moreSn. 2, #25 Lupita Vazquez: Cutting Through When Things Get Hard with the Queen of Concrete
Excelling as a woman in a male-dominated industry is no easy feat but, looking at Michelle Seiler Tucker’s career, it is clear that with the right focus, tenacity, and ability, it is totally achievable. On today’s episode, Michelle tells us the story of how she came to build a hugely successful business, offers listeners expert …
Our guest today is Dr. Nicole Tschierske, founder of Into Action Coaching, is a scientist who has turned herself into a career coach, specifically to help women in science and technology get noticed in their companies and grow in their careers. Dr. Tschierske studied food chemistry and holds a Ph.D. in chemistry. When she felt …
Read moreSn. 2, #23 Dr. Nicole Tschierske: Advancing Your Career in STEM Through Coaching
Jill Morley is an award-winning screenwriter and documentary filmmaker. Her feature documentary, Fight Like a Girl, is about women using boxing to fight their demons and empower themselves. In addition to her many award-winning screenplays and films, she is a contributing writer to periodicals like The Village Voice, Bust Magazine, and The New York Press, …
In today’s episode of Hazard Girls, we are visited by two impressive guests from the National Association of Women in Construction, Anne Pfleger and Kristey Stewart. We open today’s episode with a conversation about how Kristey and Anne entered the world of construction and the ‘aha moments’ that sparked their passion for empowering women in …
Valencia McDaniel and Erica Jean-Baptiste are on a mission to solve the issue of the skills trade gap in construction through the company that they co-founded; Women Gone Global Partners. Both women come from different backgrounds, but they have the same dream, and their partnership is giving the construction industry a female face. In this …
Read moreSn. 2, #20 Valencia McDaniel and Erica Jean-Baptiste: Equipping, Growing, and Building
When people think of male-dominated fields, broadway music is not usually the first to come to mind, but the truth is that women are a minority in orchestra pits. Today we talk to Geraldine Anello, a Broadway musician who has worked as a conductor, keyboardist, and pianist for many well-known shows, including Kinky Boots, School …
Read moreSn. 2, #19 Geraldine Anello: Women in Broadway Music and Home Improvement
With a background in energy, finance, and real estate, the owner and president of Wildcat Management, Tanya Ragan, brings to the table a multi-faceted skillset that’s diverse and incredibly powerful. But leading Wildcat Management to success comes with another big responsibility — that of stewardship. Regardless of the projects she and her team work on, …
Read moreSn. 2, #18 Tanya Ragan: Preserving the Cities That Make Us
If we only rely on the people who are being disenfranchised to solve that disenfranchisement, then it will never change. In today’s episode we speak with Director and Filmmaker Jen McGowan whose recent feminist horror, Rustcreek was lauded by Harper’s Bazaar as being “Exactly What Hollywood Needs Right Now”. Jen is the founder of Glass …
Read moreSn. 2, #17 Jen McGowan: Directing, Filmmaking and Feminist Horror Movies
Only 3.5% of jobs in the trades are held by women. Judaline Cassidy, our guest on today’s show, is a tradeswoman on a mission to change this. As a young girl growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, Judaline’s dream was to study law, but circumstances led her to become a plumber, and this was the …
Read moreSn. 2, #16 Judaline Cassidy: Jobs Don’t Have Genders
29 percent of the manufacturing sector is made up of women and very few of these are in leadership roles. Our guest on today’s show, Allison Grealis, is passionate about changing this. Allison is the founder and president of Women In Manufacturing, a national trade association focused on supporting, promoting, and inspiring women in the …
Read moreSn. 2, #15: Allison Grealis: Empowering Women in Manufacturing
Kate Day has had a long-standing love for the environment, in all its forms. Whether as an arborist or eco-research assistant, she always puts her best foot forward to ensure that our natural resources are protected and preserved. Kate’s devotion to environment and community led her to Indonesia with Mercy Core where they work tirelessly …
Read moreSn. 2, #14 Kate Day: Empowering Women Through Apparel with Dovetail Workwear
Enhancing lives by advocating for agriculture is something that our guests today are passionate about doing for agriculture and the families behind it. Karolyn Zurn holds many positions within the agricultural world; she is the current President of American Agri-Women, the past President of Minnesota Agri-Women, and the lead Minnesota farmer for Farmers Feed the …
Today on the Hazard Girls Podcast, we talk to tradeswoman and businesswoman Lynley Oakes of Wild Oaks Creations. Lynley is a carpenter and lumber saleswoman based in Jacksonville, Florida. She started out in a corporate office, and then from there switched into trades as a construction site assistant. Within a week, she was promoted to …
Read moreSn. 2, #12 Lynley Oakes: Carpentry, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship
Brought up in a mining family that had no time for gender stereotypes, Allyson Hawley, our guest on today’s show, was surprised when she began her mechanical engineering degree with hardly any fellow women students. Throughout her career in the male-dominated mining industry, Allyson has received a lot of support but has also experienced a …
Not only does clothing have the power to impact our confidence and productivity, but, in industries like mining, it is also essential for keeping people safe. However, when items are designed only with men in mind, they can do the opposite of what they are intended for when worn by women. Our guest today, Alicia …
Read moreSn. 2, #10 Alicia Woods: Creating Gender Equality in the Workplace
Your gender doesn’t limit your abilities or your career options. As a woman, you are just as capable as any man to be successful in building your own business. Today’s guest is Rachel Street, the President of Hestia Construction. She is also a real estate agent, designer, TV star, and the host of the television …
When your car breaks down it can feel like defeat, and shopping for a car without the right knowledge can be overwhelming. That’s why today’s guest has created a safe space to help the average consumer learn how to better buy and understand their vehicle investment. At Mechanic Shop Femme, car education is empowerment, and …
Read moreSn. 2, #8 Chaya Milchtein: Automotive Independence Through Education
The construction industry is one of the best industries for women to gain parity and is a sector with one of the smallest gender pay gaps. This does not mean there is not still a great deal of work to be done in the space. Rita Brown is a passionate and proven advocate for the …
Read moreSn. 2, #7 Rita Brown: Working Toward Parity and Equity in Construction
There is something so transformative and powerful, especially for young women, when your own hard work and skills are out in the world, being utilized for good by other people. Today’s guest is Emily Pilloton, the Founder and Executive Director of Girls Garage, a non-profit that has taught thousands of young girls how to use …
Read moreSn. 2, #6 Emily Pilloton: Creating Truly Diverse Leadership Positions
Just because you may work in a field dominated by men doesn’t mean you can’t be glamorous. Scientists and engineers can look however they want to look, all the while doing some really awesome stuff. Today’s guest is a rocket scientist by day and an editor in chief by night. Having graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical …
Read moreSn. 2, #5 Caeley Looney: By Girls in STEM, For Girls in STEM
Transitioning from one male-dominated industry to another is not easy, but it is something today’s 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 …
Read moreSn. 2, #4 Jhanel Wilson: From Chemical Engineer to Real Estate Investor
Welcome back to part two of this interview with businesswoman, author, and a master storyteller, Mitzi Perdue. As the past president of the 40,000 member American Agri-Women, the widow of chicken magnate Frank Perdue, and the daughter of Sheraton Hotels Founder Ernest Henderson, Mitzi has been deeply involved in some highly successful U.S. family businesses. …
Read moreSn. 2, #3 Mitzi Perdue: “Rice, Chicken, and Agriculture” Part 2
Today’s guest is Mitzi Perdue, a businesswoman, author, and a master storyteller. She is the past president of the 40,000 member American Agri-Women, the nation’s largest coalition of women in farming and agribusiness. She is also the widow of chicken magnate, Frank Perdue, and has been deeply involved in the Perdue family businesses for many …
Read moreSn. 2, #2 “Rice, Chicken, and Agriculture” with Mitzi Perdue: Part 1
As women in construction, planning to change the dynamic of our industry seems feeble if our meetups, retreats, and gatherings consist solely of women talking to women about how great women are and how to get more women on job sites. Today we welcome Kristina Mahler, a marketing-minded, small business strategist who has found her …
Read moreSn. 2, #1 Developing the Construction Workforce with Kristina Mahler of CREW Collaborative
Amanda Allred is a professional licensed land surveyor in six Western states, and she joins us today to talk about the educational and career journey that got her to where she is today. Amanda has owned and operated her own surveying firm and is the district land surveyor for the US Army Corps of Engineers …
Read moreSn. 1, #23 Exploring the World of Land Surveying with Amanda Allred
This week we welcome Melissa Gaglione, the president of Safety4Her, a women’s safety and work gear brand aimed at supplying women with personal protective equipment (PPE). In this episode, she joins Emily to talk about her experiences as a woman in a male-dominated industry. Melissa also works in the trucking industry, running operations with her …
Read moreSn. 1, #22 Safety Wear for Hardworking Women with Melissa Gaglione
Today on the podcast, we speak with Joan Melendez-Misner, a rocket scientist, science communicator, and influencer who has 14,000 followers on Instagram. When she is not making waves with her TikTok videos, Joan is a Mission Integration Systems Engineer at NASA, where she works for the Launch Services Program, managing space and aeronautical flight systems …
Read moreSn. 1, #21 STEM, Rocket Science, and Girl Power with Joan Melendez-Misner
Today’s guests are four women who make up an all-female geologist crew in Montana in the United States, in one of the world’s largest platinum mines. The mine they work in is part of a leading international precious metals mining company with a diverse portfolio of platinum group metal operations, known as PGM in the …
Although women are contributing to the transformation of public transport, they frequently remain less visible and their role in making transit safer, more inclusive, and sustainable is not always acknowledged. Today’s guest is Inessa M. Vitko, the Chief Operations Officer of CTRAN in Vancouver, Washington. Inessa leads C-TRAN’s largest department, which includes all fixed-route and …
Read moreSn. 1, #19 Being an Empowered Leader in the Transit Industry with Inessa M. Vitko
Today we welcome Angela Cacace to Hazard Girls – a woman who has continuously inspired women throughout her career. From being a barber, to a business-owner, to founding the viral hashtag “#MoveOverBob,” Angela has had a profound impact on the way that women take on non-traditional fields. Listen to Angela’s inspiring story!
Many factors prevent women from being represented in the trades, one of these being the perfectionism a lot of girls feel very early on in their lives. Not only does this stop them from trying new things, but it also makes them believe that being skilled should come naturally. One non-profit, Girls Build, is looking …
Read moreSn. 1, #17 Instilling Confidence in Girls Through the World of Building with Katie Hughes
Often times, as women, we are forced to be more thoughtful and intuitive about how other people respond to us in these specifically male-dominant fields. We then have to sometimes alter our own behavior based on how we think someone else is going to respond. Our guest today is Richelle Moreno, a single mother of …
Read moreSn. 1, #16 Empowering Women in Construction, with Richelle Moreno
Learning something new is always a challenge, especially when it involves a trade. Getting your certification and qualification as a trades-person is a journey often filled with failure and in such a process, it is important not to let the moment of failure negate the longevity of success. Our guest today is Deila Ray. Deila …
Read moreSn. 1, #15 Empowering Women in Industry: Tradeswomen of the Year 2020, with Deila Ray
The automotive industry is still resistant to the idea of women as powerful drivers, that drive sports cars, and that build and work on cars themselves, but one woman is working to change that. Today, we are joined by EspoResto’s CEO and the founder of Women in Porsche, Laurina Esposito. With nearly 30 chapters worldwide, Women …
Read moreSn. 1, #14 Women in the Automotive Industry with Laurina Esposito
There is a persistent gender gap in STEM careers across the world. This gap begins in education, fueled by gender stereotypes and expectations regarding “women’s work,” but one woman in STEM is looking to stomp out those stereotypes! Today’s guest Chloe Gharios, a Civil Engineer working in the power industry in Los Angeles. She has …
Read moreSn. 1, #13 Working to Close the Gender Gap in STEM with Chloe Gharios
In this episode of the WAM Podcast, your host Emily Soloby speaks to Charli K. Matthews, the founder and CEO of Empowering Brands and also the founder of Empowering Pumps & Equipment, and Empowering Women in Industry. Charli is a truly dynamic individual who has had a fascinating career path, from working in the pumps …
Read moreSn. 1, #12 The Power of “Can” with Charli K. Matthews
Camaraderie and a support system are an important part of what makes a job welcoming. For women in construction, who find themselves in this male-dominated space, reaching out isn’t always so simple. This is what prompted today’s guest, Kathryn Hart, to create the online community, Space to Build, where women in the sector can access …
Read moreSn. 1, #11 Creating Spaces for Women in Construction with Kathryn Hart
Remy Drabkin is a pioneering winemaker who impacts her industry as a top producer of non-traditional grape varieties. From an early age, Remy was inspired to preserve and promote the spirit of Oregon’s winemakers, designing her first wine label in 5th grade. Today, she is the owner of the renowned Remy Wines, Three Wives Wines, …
Read moreSn. 1, #10 Celebrating Pride in Winemaking with Remy Drabkin
Engineering is a typical example of a field that has been traditionally male-dominated. Our guest today, Amy Kaur, and her online community Engineering Gals, are doing a great job in trying to disrupt this status quo. Amy is a civil engineer in training, employed in the water industry. She is a graduate of California State …
Maritime engineering is a very male-dominant field, often with only one or two women aboard a ship at a time. Our guest on today’s episode of Hazard Girls is Serena Webber-Bey, a United States Coast Guard licensed Chief Engineer of Steam and Diesel Unlimited Horsepower Vessels. She has been sailing with the Maritime Engineers Beneficial …
Read moreSn. 1, #8 Women in Maritime Engineering with Serena Webber-Bey
Today on the show we welcome Skyler Mapes, a native of Oakland, California. Skyler is the co-founder of EXAU Olive Oil, which she founded in 2017 alongside her husband, Giuseppe. Prior to starting out in the olive oil business, Skyler worked in both the design and wine industries. She became interested in olive oil after …
Read moreSn. 1, #7 Turning Challenges into Successes with Skyler Mapes
Architecture is well-known for being a male-dominated field. However, a new kind of architect is rising through the ranks in search of community and support rather than competition. Joann Lui is one of these architects, and she is doing great work to help women in the field thrive. As an associate at Gensler, a large …
Read moreSn. 1, #6 Being a Woman Architect and Building Your Personal Brand with Joann Lui
As a feminist, entrepreneur, author, and speaker committed to social justice, today’s guest understands the value and beauty of humanity and wants to empower others to spread a message of inclusion and social change. Dr. Janelle Briggs is the CEO, co-founder, and business strategist for Stackhouse, a Tucson, Arizona-based container living company that specializes in …
Not everyone takes the same route to success in male-dominated fields. Today’s guest is Luticia Miller, an executive at an energy services company in Canada. She started out as field laborer and welding apprentice and worked her way up as one of the only women in her field, having no formal degree at the time, …
Read moreSn. 1, #4 How to Own Your Space and Never Stop Learning with Luticia Miller
Architecture and design is a predominantly male-dominated field, with roughly only 17% of the leadership positions held by women. Today’s episode of the Hazard Girls podcast features an extremely driven, multi-talented, and philanthropic woman who also works in an architectural leadership role. Benita Cooper is the principal architect and owner of Benita Cooper Design, based …
Read moreSn. 1, #3 Women in Architectural Leadership Positions
Our guest today, Taylor Luckett, is a project engineer at Holder Construction where she coordinates construction projects such as on-site trade management, material coordination, and cost management. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from the University of Houston and is a member of the National Association of Black Women inConstruction (NABWIC). Tuning …
Read moreSn. 1, #2 Finding Your Groove in Construction Management with Taylor Luckett
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. Today’s 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 …
Read moreSn. 1, #1 Busting Gender Stereotypes and Reducing Food Waste with Alison Mountford
