In this episode, Greg Wilkes sits down with Dr Gretchen Gagel — 40-year veteran, board adviser and founder of the Women Thriving in Construction Institute — to unpack the talent shortage crippling the industry and show exactly how getting more women on site (and in the C-suite) accelerates profit, safety and culture for everyone.

🔹 Key topics covered

✅ The numbers that matter – from China’s 16 % female workforce to Indonesia’s 1.6 %, plus why the UK & Australia are moving the needle with government-backed culture standards
✅ Unconscious bias & dominant culture – practical ways to spot the hidden habits that stop women applying (and drive good men away too)
✅ Quick wins on site – flushing loos, correctly-sized PPE and split shifts that turn “death, dirt & divorce” job sites into professional workplaces
✅ Recruitment that works – the 53 % female school-build project and how to write ads that attract skilled women without lowering the bar
✅ Retention & progression – mentors, sponsors and quarterly one-to-ones that create a 99 % engagement score and fuel 2× revenue growth
✅ Leadership superpowers – why mixed-gender teams literally score higher IQ points and the neuroscience of the 12-lane female “super-highway” brain
✅ Small-builder playbook – define your values, keep every coaching meeting, publish the dashboard and watch performance lift across the board
✅ Gretchen’s big vision – scaling the best grassroots programmes worldwide through the Women Thriving in Construction Institute

If you’re struggling to find good trades, juggling half-staffed projects or just want a happier, higher-performing crew, this conversation hands you the blueprint. Tune in, challenge the bias and build a construction business where everyone thrives. 🎧👷‍♀️👷

Gretchen Gagel One Sheet

Gretchen Gagel Book Summary

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