Level Up Stronger

In this season at Level Up Stronger we're speaking with women across the globe who have found careers in the male dominated trades industries. It's often hard for many women to see themselves in these male dominated careers but there are a whole lot of kick ass women who are not only working in trades but thriving, so we explore how they got there, what it's like now, and get their advice on how to get started.

In today's podcast we meet Julia Wiser a commercial electrician. As an apprentice today is tougher than ever, especially for girls in the trades like Julia. A major electrical construction company recognized Julia's skill and passion for electrical, so they hired her - a woman in a male dominated industry and are providing on the job training and paying for her to go school!

Julia like all women in trades is super inspiring!! Did you know that less than 3% of all electricians are women… so you can imagine that there might be a lot of challenges and barriers to entering this career for any women considering this field and a lot of challenges to thrive.

Julia sat down with me this week to discuss how she became an apprentice electrician and how we can bring more women to the trades. In our conversation she describes what it's like to land a job that guarantees you can go to work while learning your craft. She shares the joy of finally realizing she can do anything she sets her mind to, and the relief of having a steady paycheck and a career path with exponential growth!

IEI, a small woman owned business with diverse leadership, focused on innovation, and investing in and empowering employees; at the onset of COVID had to pivot to further to adapt which allowed them to springboard to meet the unanticipated challenges of the future. IEI does this by utilizing an understanding of environmental, construction, and facilities and property management services to connect clients with superior skilled staff who provide innovative and creative solutions to achieve their goals.

Melinda Schnabel, Vice President of Housing for IEI and her team have faced major work challenges during the pandemic and had to find creative solutions to be able to provide the same stellar services to the housing authorities that they assist. The team pivoted to implement virtual housing quality inspections. A virtual process was developed and this critical work got back on track to allow timely placement of program participants and ensured safe living conditions were maintained in the housing programs.

Rushan Abayagunawardena and Chiran Witanachchi of IEI in Columbia, MD will share how their team quickly adapted to perform COVID-19 wastewater sampling to predict and minimize further spread. Rushan is Vice President, Environmental Division, and Chiran is an Environmental Engineer. The company provides a wide range of environmental and facilities management services including drinking water, storm water, and wastewater sampling. In this episode we'll find out more about how they were able to Level Up Stronger and put this experience to a new use with the advent of COVID-19 and the need to track the spread of the virus.

Today we're joined by a panel of veterans to honor their service, as well as the service of all past and present members of the U.S. Armed Forces. We have representatives from the US Army, Marine Corps, and Navy who are currently working for IEI throughout the U.S. in various capacities in the civilian sector ranging from Project Manager to BAS Technician. IEI has received the Hire Vets Award from the Department of Labor for three consecutive years and continues to actively recruit and employ veterans like Barron, Jose, Joe, and James. In this episode we'll find out more about how their military service shaped them, some of their fondest memories and challenging moments, and how it helped them Level Up Stronger and excel following their military careers.

In today's episode we have the pleasure of speaking with Ed and Eddie Velasco of South Florida Coastal Electric, a father-son team working together in commercial and industrial electrical contracting, along with Ed's wife Dania who is also instrumental in the operation of the family business. They've worked on some great projects including the Marlins Ballpark and have incorporated technology into their operations to better serve their clients and proactively detect maintenance issues to create safer spaces. We'll find out more about their pathways into the profession and how their skills from one generation to the next complement each other, as well as perspectives on how women can excel in the field.

In today's episode we have the pleasure of speaking with a panel of women who work as part hazmat demolition crew, working full time on a large multi-year asbestos abatement project. Jessica, Sunshine, and Yulitza all come from varying backgrounds and experience. Today we'll talk to them about how they came to be part of this industry, their experiences and the challenges they face in a primarily male dominated construction adjacent trade, how they balance their work activities with family commitments and other responsibilities. As well as some words of advice for anyone considering entering this field of expertise.

We have the pleasure of speaking with a panel of Building Automation Engineers from IEI, a woman owned small business in Columbia, Maryland, that performs facilities management throughout the United States. IEI has an in-house BAS team that assists clients with sustainability, reduction in operating and energy costs, and overall controls maintenance costs. Our panel of technicians has nearly 50 years of experience in worldwide Building Automation Systems (BAS) and energy management controls.

Meet Julie, CoHost of Level UP Stronger and owner of A2M Ventures, who found herself lacing up her work boots overseas for her first job out of college and has continued with diverse positions throughout the US and overseas during the 25 years of her professional career. She's stepped out of her comfort zone time and again to take on new roles in various fields, and most recently she's pursuing her passion in historic preservation seeking, among other things, to find out how we can protect our past as we move into the future. And all of this while raising two amazing children as a single parent. Our goal today is to give you a glimpse into what her journey has looked like and how you can envision moving forward with your own dynamic journey using your experiences in ways you never thought possible.

Tiffany Lederle is the founder of Level Up Stronger and Vice President of IEI, a woman-owned facilities management company. Tiffany has over 15 years of experience in facilities management and federal contracts management. Tiffany will share with us how she got into this field and how she's excelled in a male dominated industry. She'll share with us for tips to success, as well as some of the obstacles she's encountered along the way with the recent pace of change. She'll also give us an idea of how she plans to prepare for the future and what this will look like for the workforce that accompanies her on this journey.