Angela Coldwell is an award winning chemistry and physics teacher. She founded Honour The Work as a result of conversations with industry members who shared how K-12 students and adults generally aren't aware of how rewarding and diverse, skilled trades and AEC careers can be. Combining a love of hands-on learning, educational research, and projected workforce needs, the idea of grades 1-6 STEAMS Kits was born.

Honour The Work serves to spark interest in young learners through books and building activities; connect youth and adults to useful resources through their website; and tell the stories of people in the industry via social media.

Find more about Honour The Work and Angela Coldwell here:

https://honourthework.ca/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/honor-the-work/posts/?feedView=all

https://www.instagram.com/honourtheworkca/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-coldwell-aba836124/

Based in South-Western Ontario, Build a Dream is an organization that delivers specialized programs to encourage and empower women and girls to explore careers where women are under-represented, while also working to create a gender-balanced workforce and change global perspectives on women's contribution to society.

McKenna Goodwin is a Red Seal Endorsed General Carpenter. She currently works for Build a Dream as a Career Coach, working directly with tradeswomen and industry partners to improve the recruitment, retention and support of tradeswomen.

Pinky Sabhnani is a dedicated Project Manager and the Employment Programs Lead. Armed with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a minor in Business Administration, she thrives on understanding human behaviour and optimizing processes.

Find more about Build a Dream, McKenna and Pinky here:

https://www.webuildadream.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/webuildadream/

https://www.instagram.com/webuildadream/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckenna-goodwin-rse-443093248/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pinkysabhnani/

Just over a year ago, Jade Schaal was a teacher, specifically an ABA paraprofessional working with students on the autism spectrum.
A gut instinct told her that the trades needed to be her next adventure and she took a leap of faith. Today, she is a sheet metal apprentice working in an HVAC fabrication shop and attending school through the union 2 nights a week.
It's been just over a year since she stepped foot into Airside Sheet Metal and she couldn't be happier with the skills and confidence she's gained. Endlessly thankful for support from her workplace, co-workers, teachers, union, family and friends, Jade wants to share her story and encourage others to try something new.
In this episode we talk about the joy of learning new things, the confidence that come from building competence and the importance of encouraging others by sharing your story.

Find more of Jade and her work here:
https://www.instagram.com/semicharmlife/

Adrienne Clarke joined Aecon in 2006 and has worked in many areas including running the utility locate team, the change-management department, and project management of the training and innovation centre.
Today, in the position of General Manager she is responsible for Aecon Utilities Training and Innovation Centre, Aecon Golden Mile Joint Venture, and A3F which is a Joint Venture with the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation and Aamjiwnaang First Nation.
In this episode we talk about the difference between construction in the office and the field, being engaged by new challenges and the joy of learning, and innovations in DEI that have real impacts for business and the communities its serves.

Find more of Adrienne and her work here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-clarke-31660880/
https://www.aecon.com/press-room/news/2022/09/16/aecon-women-in-trades-program-helping-women-trade-up-and-launch-rewarding-careers-in-construction
https://www.aecon.com/join-our-team/diversity-programs/aecon-golden-mile

Victoria Monardo has been working in construction for 10 years. She is currently a full-time machine operator for a sewer and water crew with Hebster Construction.
Over the years she has developed a wide variety of skills within general construction especially in landscaping. In her spare time, she runs her own landscape construction business, building and installing everything from interlock and retaining walls to grass and garden beds.
In this episode, we talk about the prejudice that still exists around female operators, the importance of persistence to overcome hard things, and the joy and satisfaction of doing what you love.

Find more of Victoria and her work here:
https://www.instagram.com/victoriamonardo/
https://www.instagram.com/digginitlandscape/

Jess Deyong co-founded dollHOUSE design + build in April 2020 at the height of the Covid 19 pandemic. Over the next three years, Jess has guided the business through approximately 75 renovations to Century Homes in Hamilton, Ontario. From kitchens to bathrooms and basements to attics, Jess aims to juxtapose old and new to create vibrant, functional and stylish living spaces that work for each and every client. As part of the core of dollHOUSE's values, Jess and the crew strive to empower and build up women in the trades industry. 
Jess is the founder of Facebook groups "So, You're Thinking about Moving to Hamilton!" and the "HamOnt Home Improvement Community" and is extremely passionate about restoring Hamilton century homes, balancing charm and character with modern updates. She has been interviewed by the CBC and led design workshops focusing on kitchens, bathrooms and renovations for investors. She and the team are currently developing a series of DIY Workshops for women and members of the LGBTQ community to learn the basics of home renovations in a safe, judgement free space.

Find more of dollHouse and Jess's and her work here:
https://www.instagram.com/dollhouse_collective/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/dollhousehamont
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-deyong-8b5093a/

In a past life, Kelly McNamara worked as a Kinesiologist, doing functional assessments and ergonomic consulting for industry. Today she is an Apprentice Carpenter with Freestone Construction in Fernie, British Columbia.
Pursuing carpentry full-time has altered her trajectory in such a positive way that, as she says: "I can't NOT share this journey." As a member of British Columbia Center for Women in the Trades initiatives and via social media, she uses her platform to help break down the concept of traditional gender roles that still linger within the trades. 
In this episode we talk about following your joy, creating and finding brave spaces and the importance of advocacy via organizations and social media to normalize women in trades.

Find more of Kelly and her work here:
https://www.instagram.com/macs.edge/
https://bccwitt.ca/

Carys Cao has been on a number of career paths ranging from teaching to insurance and even some work in corrections. Today she is a Journeyperson Handyman with LiUNA 183.
She currently works new homes in their final stages, just before closing, cleaning up any minor deficiencies before the new homeowner moves in. She also services the warranty program which gives her a unique opportunity to work around people many of whom are women and kids who may never have seen a trades-woman before.
Carys is on a personal mission to improve construction work culture and hopes to increase female visibility and membership as a LiUNA Ambassador. She is passionate about mental health in the trades. Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and ADHD, she is working to make all workplaces safer for neurodivergent humans.
In this episode we talk about the benefits of being a female identifying handyman, the important support of her union, and the statistics that prove that things ARE getting better!

Find more of Carys and her work here:
https://www.instagram.com/carys_like_paris/
https://liunalocal183.ca/
https://www.instagram.com/thebpdbunch/
BPD Bunch: Season 2, Ep 3 BPD & Working https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS8xAuYL95s

Sparky, Boots & Smoko's Live Panel is a collaboration of Lia Lamela, Alexis Armstrong and our own Lindsay Reynolds. These three ladies have come together as fellow podcasters and passionate advocates of story-telling and open conversation about women and other under-represented goups in in STEM, Trades and the Construction Industry.

This episode is a recording of their first round-table conversation.

The next one will be LIVE!!

Michelle McCollum has over 30 years of experience in construction. Her career started in Edinburgh, Scotland where she spent 15 years working in municipal government. In 2008, she and her family moved to Canada. 

Today, she is Vice-President, Facilities and Sustainability, for George Brown College where she leads the development and deployment of the sustainability strategy, campus planning and the evolution of the college's physical footprint.

Michelle is a highly skilled public sector leader and social responsibility advocate. At the start of her career she was consistently the only woman in every room and had to learn to navigate the stigmas, misconceptions and outright offensive behaviour of the men who populated the workforce. Although so much has changed, there is still much to do and Michelle is passionate about imparting her wisdom, confidence and encouragement to the next generation.

Find more of Michelle and her work here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-mccollum-96b5b750/

https://www.linkedin.com/school/george-brown-college/

https://www.georgebrown.ca/

The Smoko Podcast is sponsored by Peggy Workwear: workwear designed for, with, and by women. From the shop floor to the boardroom, Peggy Workwear creates workwear which fits and functions for your everyday! After all, we've been in your boots. 

www.peggyworkwear.ca

Peggy Workwear Instagram

www.smokopodcast.ca

Smoko Podcast Instagram

McKenna Goodwin is a Red Seal Endorsed General Carpenter from Ottawa, Ontario. She started her apprenticeship framing houses at age 16 and completed her apprenticeship with UBCJA Local 93 at age 21.

Today, McKenna is a Career Coach for the non-profit organization Build a Dream and works directly with tradeswomen and industry partners to improve the recruitment, retention and support of tradeswomen. She is also the Vice-Chair of the technical committee developing the CSA Z301 Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility in Apprenticeship Programs standard.

Find more of McKenna and her work here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckenna-goodwin-rse-443093248/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/webuildadream/

https://www.instagram.com/webuildadream/

Christina Murray has demolition in her blood. After graduating from high-school, she started working on sites as a labourer and eventually took on heavy equipment operation and dump-truck driving. Her choice made her the 4th generation of her family to work in Demolition.  In 2009 Christina joined Budget Environmental as the Demolition Estimator. Then in early 2022, the entire Budget Group, including Budget Demolition was sold to York1. Since the acquisition, Christina is has become the Director of Business Development for the Infrastructure Division, which includes Demolition, Excavation, Shoring, Construction Services and Telecom.   The demolition and civil sectors continue to be some of the most male-dominated and "old-school" in the industry, but Christina navigates them like the native that she is: with comfort, ease, class and positivity. She is a passionate collaborator always working to improve the future of her sector and our industry.  In this episode we talk about the myth that you need to be good at everything to be taken seriously, the importance of not being afraid to ask questions, and all the coolest parts of demolition work .    

Leanne Stephenson has been working in project management for general contractors for 15-plus years.

She grew up in a small town, raised in a working class family daughter and granddaughter of carpenters and found her own path to construction through the co-operative education program at Fanshawe College. Most of her career has primarily focused on large commercial construction management retrofit projects.

Today she is the mother of two young daughters, devoted community member, driven in her life and career by a passion for social and environmental initiatives. 

In this episode we talk about the joy of watching things get built and knowing you had a part in it, confronting the 60-hour-work-week and insisting on work-life balance, and overcoming other's expectations of gendered roles in the work-place.

Terry Petrie is an experienced Construction Project Manager with nearly 20 years in the industry. Her well-rounded career has included Institutional, Commercial, Renovation, Facility Management, and complex Design-Build Finance Maintain projects. In short - she has been exposed to everything.

Throughout her career she has engaged in stakeholder management, contract negotiation, and mentorship of the next generation of project managers. She cares deeply about ensuring fairness in project delivery and brings her passion to every project and team that she is on.

In this episode we talk about Terry's crazy winding path to a career in construction, how she still draws on her military training, and how the industry has changed for women over the past 20 years but still has its work to do.

Mahtab Pezhman graduated from the University of Toronto with a civil engineering bachelor's degree and a business minor in 2018, but instead of working for an Engineering firm, she found a career in construction coordination and project management.

She quickly realized that what she enjoys the most is the broader perspective of the construction industry as a whole and as a business and today she is a Project Manager for First Capital REIT. In her spare time she is heavily involved with several not for profit organizations such as Toronto Crew, Women's Leadership Initiative (WLI) within ULI and Toronto Community Benefits Network.

In this episode we talk about humility, curiosity and the sense of empowerment that comes from an evolving career in construction.

Kristi Slade has been taping and finishing drywall since she was 16 years old. A woman of many talents, she worked to pursue a few different careers and hobbies including taping, cooking, and restoration. Kristi pursued all these equally until a friend introduced her to the taper's union and a career in commercial drywall finishing.

It has been almost 8 years since she joined the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT). Since then she has become more involved by becoming the women in trades rep for Canada.

In this episode we talk about the joy of working hard, the benefits of a supportive union, and the opportunities that exist in life and in construction no matter where you come from.

Find more of Kristi and her work here:
https://www.instagram.com/kristi_slade_/?hl=en
https://linktr.ee/kristislade?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=cc59770d-e3d5-44f8-b917-e7df81a12ded

Tamika Tulloch is a Millennial Mother to a three-year old son and has recently started her apprenticeship as a Labourer with LiUNA. Before construction she was an educational assistant for ten years where she spent her days molding the young minds of the future but her teams were understaffed, underpaid, and overworked and she always had this feeling that she needed to do something more to make her life more fulfilling.

Her passion for her new found career and inspiration to others has already earner her the title of YWCA's Honorary Woman of Distinction for 2023.

In this episode we talk about importance of supportive teachers, family influence and the diverse opportunities of careers in construction.

Lia Lamela spent over a decade in medial esthetics, but recently went from Botox to bolts, faces to fixtures, esthetics to electronics, and has now traded in beauty treatments for an electrifying life!

Today she is an electrical apprentice specializing in building automation and the host of The Sparky Life Podcast.

In this episode we talk about the (seemingly) insurmountable obstacles that block our way, Lia's unquenchable fire to change the world, and the strength of a hard-won but persistent positive outlook.

Find more of Lia and Sparky Life here:
Instagram: @sparkylifeoflia
https://linktr.ee/sparkylife
https://open.spotify.com/show/4PKgW3PEpWHcIpDbxJKr5c

Mira Polski has wanted to be a carpenter since she was just 5 years old.

In high school she took all the woodworking courses including a dual credit program and graduated with college credits in welding, masonry, plumbing, electrical, and (of course) carpentry! A summer co-op on a framing crew set her up with a company she continued to work for while completing her Renovation Technician Diploma at Conestoga College.

In 2021 Mira graduated with distinction and 6 months later she started her apprenticeship, and today she is a Level 2 Carpenters apprentice, a KickAss Careers Ambassador, and she's just getting started.

In this episode we talk about manual work in a 5'2" frame, opportunities to learn the trades in school, and the importance of networking and spreading the word!

Find more of Mira and KickAss Careers here:
@chill.builds_polski
https://www.kickasscareers.ca/

Camryn Malaney grew up in a family deeply rooted in construction. Hailing from Buffalo, New York, she inherited her passion for the industry from her father, who has been working in development throughout her whole life.
Today, she is the Director of Construction for Habitat for Humanity South Sarasota. The role allows her to work in her deep-seated passion for community service and allows her to be not just a builder of structures, but a builder of dreams and a catalyst for positive change. Her commitment to Habitat for Humanity reflects her dedication to helping others and creating pathways for individuals to thrive.
Camryn has not only shattered glass ceilings but has also laid the foundation for her own success, as the 2023 Construction Woman of the Year & as a 2023 Young Professional of The Year Nominee.

Find more of Camryn and her work here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/camryn-malaney-00ba86249/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/habitatsouthsarasota/

https://www.habitatsouthsarasota.org/

Sarah Osterlee has been landscaping since she was 13, by 18 she earned her Red Seal and at 20 years old she received an associates diploma from the University of Guelph Ridgetown. Today, she is a Red Seal Horticulturalist who owns an operates her own landscaping and gardening company, called Empress Gardens.

Sarah struggled with ADD her whole life and finds the outdoors and the extreme physical demand of gardening to be both a calming and satisfying way to spend her days. With a passion is biology, landscaping also allows her to be surrounded by plants every day, solving problems from beautification to storm water management to growing the biggest pumpkin possible

In this episode we talk about the importance of Red Seal, the joys and challenges of starting a business, and the trifecta in construction that is science, skill and art.

Find more of Sarah and her work here:
https://empressgardeningservice.com/
@empress.gardens

Rylie Swanson started working for Rubaroc straight out of university, after graduating with a degree in business. She was initially hired as as a communications assistant with the role of managing the socials, website and other marketing activities. Her past experience in cinematography, web design and digital design, made this a great fit.

As part of her role she spent time on site to capture media and develop training, but seeing how satisfying it was to install, she wanted to try it out for herself. As it turns out, she loved troweling rubber, so now (as long as the weather's good) she spends her days planning the work managing the sites and installing beautiful and very cool rubber surfaces for Rubaroc.

In this episode we talk about finding creativity in construction, the importance of supportive managers, and how letting go of perfectionism has actually made us better.

Find more of Rylie and her work here:
https://www.instagram.com/rubberrylie/

Elizabeth Juarez currently works as a Journey Level Instrument Mechanic for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. She boldly left college at 22 to pursue this career with no background in the utility industry and has been learning it all on the job. Now, with nearly 10 years under her belt, her femininity has become her superpower, and she is starting to see clearly that honesty, courage, communication, collaboration, and grit are just as important as the technical stuff.

In 2023, Liz started a coaching business for women in non-traditional roles. By leaning into her fears and insecurities she has found a boldness and confidence that she seeks to share with other women in trades.

In this episode we talk about the momma-bear side of femineity, sharing knowledge and experience, and the importance of bringing your whole-self to your work and your life.

Find more of Liz and her work here:

https://www.instagram.com/beyourselfej/

Alicia Woods started working in the mining and supply service sector over 20 years ago as part her family's business. She started in administration and sales and over 15 years, worked her way to General Manager.

Motivated by her own experiences on site, she set out to improve the underground mining experience for women and designed the covergall (female coverall). In 2014, she successfully pitched her business on Dragon's Den (like Shark Tank in the US). The Covergalls' workwear line has since grown and has evolved to be so much more than a workwear company. Covergalls now exists to conquer three main pillars: Health and Safety, Diversity and Inclusion, and Education and Advocacy.  

Alicia has appeared at speaking engagements across North America and is focused on motivating and educating her audience. She works to inspire, encourage, and equip the women breaking barriers and challenges companies to be a part of the change by working toward increasing diversity and creating inclusive work environments.

In this episode we talk about being empowered by the right "uniform", the importance of our father's encouragement, and how working to build our own dreams is paving the way for others to build theirs.

Find more of Alicia and Covergalls here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciawoodscg/
https://covergalls.com/
https://www.instagram.com/covergalls/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/covergalls-inc-/

Shawna Peddle has been working on the tools as an HVAC service technician since 2018, she started in residential and recently made a switch to commercial. Shawna now works at TRI-AIR Systems as a third year 313A/G1 HVACR Apprentice. She's also a member of UA Local 787, Ontario's Commercial Refrigeration Union. 

Shawna loves diagnostic troubleshooting, she's a strong advocate for education, and believes that knowledge is power in the Skilled Trades industry. Shawna is an ambassador for the Women in HVACR Canada Organization and KickAss Careers, she enjoys sharing her journey, and she actively promotes the Skilled Trades as a great path for anyone who is hungry to learn and desires a rewarding career.

In this episode we talk about the joy of geeking out, the little known applications of HVAC-R technician skills, and the importance of being generous with our energy for change and improvement.

Find more of Shawna and her work here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawna-peddle-043408148/
https://www.instagram.com/hvac.optimist/

Sydney Schultz is a Red Seal Power-line Technician Journeyman for SaskPower in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. She was born in Weyburn, Saskatchewan and grew up on a farm with two younger brothers. Out of high school she was encouraged to pursue university but realized it just wasn't for her. Instead she found her way to drilling and worked in the oilfield for five years.

Concerned about the inconsistency of work in the oil sector and knowing that there would always be a need for power in her lifetime, Syd took an opportunity to apply for the local utility boot-camp. Today she is 7 years in and still the only female red seal at SaskPower.

In this episode we talk about the power of persistence and the need to prove people wrong, how the learning never stops, and the challenges of parenting while traveling for work.

Find more of Syd and her work here:
https://www.instagram.com/sydpschultz/

Shannon Tymosko started her electrical apprenticeship at the age of 31 after her first career as a Child and Youth Worker just couldn't pay the bills. Her journey to the trades was supported by the YWCA Hamilton's pre-apprenticeship programs. Today, she is a third year apprentice with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local 105, in Hamilton Ontario.

Shannon is passionate about people, growth, and change and advocates for the skilled trades at every opportunity. She is a tireless ambassador of this message, working with OYAP and Tools in the Trades, to name a few, and on LinkedIn and other social media as Lady.Voltz.

In this episode, we talk about the difference between finding a job and finding your passion, the confidence that comes from competence, and how work in the trades allows one to thrive and not just survive.

Find more of Shannon and her work here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-tymosko-b160b4a7/
https://www.shannontymosko.com/
https://www.instagram.com/lady.voltz/
https://www.tiktok.com/@lady.voltz?lang=en

Laura Hutt went to Algonquin College for Civil Engineering Technology. She started her career in coordination and assistant project management roles for restoration and civil construction companies. While working for PCL Construction in Ottawa she had the opportunity to work an out of town project and move into site supervision.
Shortly after starting in a fully on-site role, Laura founded Women In Steel Toes. WIST is a hub of content and resources including a podcast, blog, Instagram feed and work-wear partnerships that supports a diverse and integrated construction workforce.
In this episode we talk about the need for affordable women's work-wear that is available in stores, the impact of sharing stories with WIST, and why "toughening up to fit in" is a lie.

Find more of Laura and her work here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-hutt-wist/
https://www.womeninsteeltoes.com/
https://www.instagram.com/womeninsteeltoes/

Tessa Ferzli has been a 402A Red Seal Brick and Stone Mason since 2020. She was just 21 at the time making her Canada's youngest female red seal mason. Unlike most of our interviews to date, Tessa actually came to masonry through a Home-Building course in high school, after trying her hand at everything from pouring foundations to shingling roofs, she found a resonance with masonry.

Today she is Manager/Estimator at a residential masonry contractor in Ottawa, Ontario. She is also a lover of tattoos and rescue dogs, and one of four founding members of Women on Site (WOS).

In this episode we talk about work ethic and the drive to achieve, how hard construction can be and the importance of support networks like WOS.

Find more of Tessa and her work here:
https://www.instagram.com/tattedbrickie/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-ferzli-rse-026b25b8/
https://www.instagram.com/women.on.site/

Lorraine Kearsey-Carter is a Certified Psychological Health and Safety Advisor and the President of Rubicon Safety, a company that she founded in 2012 to focus on fall-protection, confined space and rescue solutions.
She has over 20 years of Sales & Project Management experience in the Construction & Building Industry, and holds many certificates in Occupational Health & Safety.
Everywhere she goes, Lorraine is an advocate for Workplace Mental Health & Women in Trades.
In this episode we talk about the origin of our super powers, the relationship between site safety and mental health, and the real importance of speaking up.

Find more of Lorraine and her work here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorraine-kearsey-carter-058a5313/
https://rubiconsafety.ca/

Adrienne Clarke and Jami Snow return for a different kind of episode. Adrienne and Jami have worked together at Aecon just over a year leading an innovative joint venture called Aecon-Golden Mile. AGM was created to expand economic opportunities for residents of the Greater Golden Mile that are facing barriers to the labour market. 
In that short time they've each and both been active parts of some of Aecon's coolest initiatives and are here to share more about that and the unique dynamic of their working partnership.

Find more information about AGM here:

https://www.aecon.com/join-our-team/diversity-programs/aecon-golden-mile

Darci Spiteri is a 2nd year Electrical Apprentice with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 105 in Hamilton, Ontario. It took a few years of searching after high school, but her journey to the trades finally began in 2018, when she received the Second Career Grant from the Provincial Government. After graduating from 5-month Pre-Apprentice Program, she found IBEW and was the only female in her apprentice intake.

While Darci has been on her own journey, she has also be actively supporting, inspiring and advocating with the growing community of women in trades on social media. In particular, she is a founding member of Women on Site an online (and sometimes in-person) super supportive community of women in Ontario, Canada who work on construction sites.

In this episode we talk about the courage it takes to learn, how supportive community can give us the freedom to think BIG, and the wisdom of "sticking with something".

Find more of Darci and her work here:

https://www.instagram.com/sparks_to_sparkles/?hl=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/darci-spiteri-9306bb21/?originalSubdomain=ca
https://www.tiktok.com/@sparks_to_sparkles
https://www.instagram.com/women.on.site/

Kerri Banville grew up in a union family and has been working as a carpenter in Ontario, Canada for over 20 years. In that time, she has worked for various well known companies in the GTA as a tradeswoman, but also taking on roles as a health and safety officer, assistant superintendent, performing job-costing, estimating, planning and oversight.

Most recently, Kerri has landed her dream job as Business Rep for Carpenters Union Local 27.

In this episode we talk about the unique advantage that unions have always provided for women entering trades, the importance of being yourself and following your passions, and the exciting prospect that the next generation might follow in their mothers' footsteps to find fulfilling careers in construction.

Find more of Kerri and her work here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerri-banville-a9a871130/
https://www.ubc27.ca/

Jayne McLean, is an energetic and passionate construction professional with close to two decades of experience in the construction industry. Not only has she been involved in delivering everything from large scale commercial and institutional projects, to home renovations, but she is also the mother of 18 month-old twins.  
She is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), holds a BSc in Quantity Surveying and MSc in Construction Management from the University of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. She is currently Director of Project Delivery at BDA Inc, in Toronto Ontario and a Construction Adjudicator under Ontario's new Construction Act.
In this episode we talk about challenging the process, the purposes behind our construction projects, prioritizing family, and how "killing it" on the outside can be killing you on the inside.

Find more of Jayne and her work here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayne-mclean-bb6696175/

Samara Sampson is a Red-Seal certified sheet metal worker and member of SMART Local 285. She was one of two female apprentices to receive the inaugural BOLT scholarship and is the most-recent winner of HVAC Tactical's "Lady of the Trade" Award.

She is a strong and vocal advocate for women in trades, using social media to highlight her work on-site, advocate for women in trades and create connections with and between other construction women.

She's a strong supporter of Support Ontario Youth (the organization behind the BOLT scholarship), an ambassador within her international union, an OBC Tradeswomen member, AND she is one of the co-founders of Women on Site - an online (and sometimes in-person) super supportive community of women in Ontario, Canada who work on construction sites.

In this episode we talk about the importance of trades, how having fun is key to building courage and confidence, and the encouragement to just "keeping going".

Find more of Samara and her work here:
https://www.instagram.com/wingnutless/?hl=en
https://www.tiktok.com/@wingnutless
https://www.instagram.com/women.on.site/
https://www.supportontarioyouth.ca/scholarships-bolt/