HAZARD GIRLS

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 episode, you’ll hear about some of the reasons behind the skills trade gap that exists, and the work that Women Gone Global Partners is doing to fill it. Their philosophy is based on their ultimate goal of developing and enhancing communities; they believe that the best way to do this is by equipping women with skills, and we couldn’t agree more! If you want to get involved in one of Women Gone Global Partners’ exciting upcoming (virtual) projects, stay tuned till the end.

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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 of Rock, and Aladdin. People in the STEM community, however, know her as the founder of Handy Women, a 30,000 member Facebook group that is all about DIY home improvement, building, and fixing done by women. She is also an author, speaker, and published poet. Today she shares how she followed her dreams from France to the USA by herself at the age of 20 without being able to speak any English. She provides some insight into the gender ratio of Broadway musicians, shares her experience of being a woman in this male-dominated field, and explains what is currently being done to create more equality and diversity. She explains the biggest challenges she has faced in Broadway and how the book Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg influenced her outlook and career. Tuning in you’ll also hear how she is inspiring, supporting, and celebrating women through her Handy Women Facebook group and YouTube channel, and you’ll find out about her poetry books, Naked (Truth) and Power (Truth). Tune in for all this and more!

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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, Tanya steers the company to take a very active role in the communities they invest in and to uphold responsible development practices. In fact, Tanya and her team preserved the largest commercial building in downtown Dallas by relocating it just eight blocks away, brick-by-brick, to the historic farmers market.

Tanya is also extremely passionate about lifting up women in the workplace. That's why she looks to hire female contractors, vendors, and business partners to show the integral need for women in real estate, development, and urban revitalization. 

Through innovative techniques, a love for the authentic charm of cities, and dedication to giving women a space in the industry, Tanya is paving the way for a revolution of thoughtful restoration and building.

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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, Tanya steers the company to take a very active role in the communities they invest in and to uphold responsible development practices. In fact, Tanya and her team preserved the largest commercial building in downtown Dallas by relocating it just eight blocks away, brick-by-brick, to the historic farmers market.

Tanya is also extremely passionate about lifting up women in the workplace. That's why she looks to hire female contractors, vendors, and business partners to show the integral need for women in real estate, development, and urban revitalization. 

Through innovative techniques, a love for the authentic charm of cities, and dedication to giving women a space in the industry, Tanya is paving the way for a revolution of thoughtful restoration and building.

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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 Elevator, an international skill-sharing, networking, and jobs resource for professional women in film and television. The organization has over 4000 members and has been featured in Forbes as well as named Best in LA by LA weekly. In our conversation, Jen shares how she originally trained as an actor because she was good at it and enjoyed it, but realized that she didn’t find the working life of an actor fulfilling and decided to pursue directing in order to have a more active career. She worked her way up by starting out in production roles that are generally more open to women. Jen reflects on how it was only once she actively started pursuing directing that she realized she had never worked with a female cinematographer, sound engineer, or first assistant director in her working life. Later we discuss Glass Elevator and how it has helped women connect, and we hear some of the success stories of women who have found work through the platform. We also speak about the #MeToo movement and why disenfranchised people alone can’t solve disenfranchisement, the dominant culture needs to get onboard. For all this and much more, join us today!

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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 best life choice she has ever made! Judaline’s goal of opening up male dominated industries to women is becoming a reality through her NPO, Tools and Tiaras, which aims to educate girls from a young age about the trades, and ensure that they know they also belong in that world. This inspirational woman has also founded, and been involved with, numerous other initiatives aimed at empowering women and girls, and in today’s episode we discuss the types of work these organizations are doing and the pride and joy that Judaline feels when she sees the progress that is being made. Judaline also highlights the important role of male allies, and explains why she believes that education around these topics needs to start from a very young age. You can love tools and tiaras at the same time; jobs don’t have genders.

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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 manufacturing sector. She is the president of the WIM Education Foundation, the 501(c)(3) arm of Women In Manufacturing, which provides effective and affordable educational opportunities for women in this field. Allison is also a frequent speaker at industry events and serves on many industry boards and committees. In this episode, she shares how she got into the world of manufacturing and realized the need for a trade association for women in this sector. She explains how the organization has grown and continues to grow, how it is structured, and the different kinds of programs it offers, from industry-focused programs and mentorships to social activities and support programs. Tuning in today, you’ll hear how the organization continues to identify and address the challenges faced by women in manufacturing and how it is affecting positive change in the sector.

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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 on community projects related to sustainability.

The Dovetail Workwear team was founded when three friends saw firsthand how poorly made most women's garments are in comparison with their male counterparts. Though many companies have taken it upon themselves to put out '”pink and shrink” versions of men’s wear claiming them to be female attire, these outfits don't offer any real solutions because they're not tailored for our bodies.

This business was founded to create workwear that empowers women across many industries, making the apparel a tool of its own. The founders say they made their startup funds from pre-sales with friends and family as well as continuing research into solving problems for female workers in jobs like farming or construction, and the quality of their products is helping make women, and in part their communities, thrive.

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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 World, a farm-journal foundation project. She was formerly appointed to Minnesota’s Agency board, was past coordinator of Common Ground agriculture advocacy group, and has also spent time serving on the boards of Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom, Minnesota Soybean Growers, and Northern Crops Institute Council. Our second guest today is Alisha Nord Donnelly, who is a fifth-generation farmer from Wolverton, Minnesota. Alisha currently resides in North Dakota where she works for the North Dakota Farm Bureau as their Southeast Field Representative, spends many hours on the road visiting with farmers and ranchers, and learns about the different policy issues within the state. Tuning in today you’ll hear all about American Agri-Women and the policies being involved, and how they’re getting the word out for other young women to get into a career in agriculture. We also hear from our guests about their current jobs and the organizations that have molded and influenced them as they were growing up, like 4H and the FFA. Stay tuned for all this and more!

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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 builder and trained as a carpenter for three years building docks in marine construction. She then expanded into the sales side of the business, and she is now a saleswoman for Decks and Docks Lumber Company. Lynley also started her own wood-working company, Wild Oaks Creations, and was recently nominated as a Top Woman in Hardware and Business Supply, and featured in Hardware and Business Supply Dealer Magazine as a rising star! Tune in to hear her inspiring story about creativity, carpentry, and how to thrive in a non-traditional field.

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