Finding Drive and Career Satisfaction Through Ironworking with Kasia Sznel

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello and welcome. My name is Mike Fiend. I'm with the ULA network. I'm here today with Jesse from Learnings and Missteps. I'm here with Kasha Schnell from Iron Workers Local 40. Welcome, Kasha. Jesse, thank you very much for having us.

SPEAKER_01 0:13

Yeah, Mike, thank you, my man. For you and I connected a while back. Obviously, the energy was we were a match on terms of energy. And you had an idea of like, hey, you asked me if I needed any help. And I said, yes, if you can help me with amazing women that are out there in the industry, and you've come through every single time. I'm super excited because Kasha, you and I, it's the first time you and I have ever met. I am grateful for you trusting both Mike and I. And I promise, I'll be nice. I'll be nice. I won't be I won't be too rough about things.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Tell me how we we actually connected through and I had the pleasure of meeting Kasha at a 9-11 Memorial in Manhattan when Iron Workers 4361 put together their team run. I've been working with Brian Brady and the local for some time, and uh they've always been an inspiration to me on working with Brian and uh just as you know I love taking photos of some of the the guys and and women that are out there doing their job, which is very inspiring. And Brian made mention of Kasha one day, and I actually there was a there's an article that was written about her in the in the news, uh which I reposted, and then just going to the run, I actually ran into her and said, you know, you you've been an inspiration to me, and just knowing I've been doing some work with you, Jesse. I thought she'd be a great uh person to uh to interview, learn a little bit more about, and again on a Saturday morning, you know, with some coffee, yeah, a little bit and see, you know, exactly, exactly. There you go. You know, how uh Kasha started a career, and you know, again, I'll shut up. I like to talk a lot, but I'll I'll let I'll let Kash take the role here.

SPEAKER_01 1:42

So, Miss Kasha, good morning. I'm in San Antonio, Texas. I don't think we said that already.

SPEAKER_03 1:47

Yeah, no, I have no idea.

SPEAKER_01 1:49

Yeah, yeah. And I haven't had any breakfast tacos, and that's just so that my teeth aren't all full of you know, gung followers. How are you doing today, Miss Kasha?

SPEAKER_03 1:58

I am doing really good.

SPEAKER_01 2:00

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:01

Excited about this? I'm really excited. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night because my puppy's sick, but I am really excited.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

Good, good, good. So, what was the first thought that went through your head when Mike reached out to be on the podcast?

SPEAKER_03 2:14

Well, I saw him at the Labor Day Parade, and you know, he said hi, and I was like, Oh my god, hi. And we we we did get in touch like a few months ago, maybe, or like a year ago or something, and we just we talked about like interviews and stuff and stuff like that. And I we just we both kind of just I guess got busy and we didn't reconnect about it. And so I was I told him, I was like, if you ever meet anybody to interview, like I'm more than willing, especially like you know.

SPEAKER_01 2:37

Oh yeah, that's Mr. Michael Fina, not sure if you guys remember him. Uh, we we interviewed him a few episodes back, and turns out that we have a similar or maybe even kindred spirit. Uh, and he offered to help. And I'm like, bro, if you could help me out finding some amazing women out there in the industry for me to interview and highlight and celebrate, please hook it up. And man, he's been coming through. Miss Carol Raftry uh was connected to us through Mike. And now Miss Kasha, who is she just graduated her apprenticeship, which is like a super big deal, and you're gonna hear about it as she describes her journey through life because, like a lot of people, I'm sure you probably noticed a lot of the folks that we've interviewed so far. Construction wasn't like the first thing they did out of the gate. It's clear that being an ironworker has sparked something within her, and you're gonna feel it as you listen to the conversation. You know, one thing that comes through is her mindset. And it's interesting because I don't doubt for a second that the mindset she has has been within her for a very long time. She talks about her parents and how they instilled a sense of courage and a fierce sense of independence in her. But she talks about how there was a period of time, a couple of different careers uh that she was working on that she just wasn't all there, like fully, fully present until she started working in the trades. And then she reveals to us like her ultimate dream. And y'all gotta listen all the way to the end of it because I'm gonna need everybody to pour out some positive manifesting energy towards Miss Kasha so that she can realize that dream because I don't think it's that difficult. And I think like a lot of you folks out there know all you got to do is take one step. And when you got momentum and you got support from a community, it makes that step much less scary. So let's help her out. Speaking of helping one another out, gotta give a shout out to our patrons out there that have been contributing. I don't know if y'all have been looking at the the YouTube post yet. There's some new lighting going on. I've got some new um whiz banggy gadgets that I'm just having so much fun redesigning this poor room. Uh, but it's a good time. So, patrons, I appreciate y'all for for contributing and continuing to be supporting us with dollars, baby, because it's them dollars that buy the things, they pay for the things, and also I want to shout out to all the freaking awesome people that came to the lean in love book signing that Miss Jennifer Lacey and I had in New Orleans uh just last week. Today's October 24th. It could not have been better. I mean, we had people in from Finland, we had people in from all over the country. Miss Lynn commented that that experience was just a room filled with influencers, with people that are contributing and pouring their time and energy into making this industry a better place. So, love y'all very much for showing up. I hope y'all appreciated the signatures. Apologies for not spending a whole lot of time. We kind of got missed out a little bit on all the socializing. Super grateful to y'all. I'm gonna stop talking now. We're gonna get you some more Miss Kasha, and I'll see you on the other side of the conversation.

SPEAKER_03 6:05

I've been interviewed a few times already, and and I think it's so important to like you know, tell people about ironworking, you know, and uh and I I personally didn't know about ironworking until I was 27. I think I've heard about it a little little, but I was like, oh, I'm a girl, I can't ironwork, you know. And my friend, he kept you he's an iron worker, he kept telling me just take the test, and I was like, no, you know, and then that was when I was like 24. And uh anyway, so I'm really excited to do this interview. But yeah, Mike's awesome. And Brian Brady, you know, told me about Mike and everything, and I think he does a lot a lot for us, you know, and a lot for unions, and I think it's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

But what I love, and like that's this is the whole purpose of this podcast, right? Is to help people become aware of like the multitude of amazing trades that are in the industry, which are like 100% careers, Kasha. And you said you were 24. Did you say you were 24 or 27 before you like got into it?

SPEAKER_03 7:02

So I heard I I heard the words iron working suggested as a career to me when I was like 20 around 24 for my friend, because he's he's an iron worker, his brother's an iron worker, and I just I honestly was just like, There's there's no way like an iron worker, I don't even know what that is, but it sounds like it's like some like you know, break men, you know, and that's it, and there's no women allowed, it's an all-boys club. That's what I thought, you know. He kept telling me, he was like, No, just take the test, and I was like, no, no, no. And that and then like I just into the story now. I, you know, I went to college, I got my degree in political science, the minor in criminal justice at John Jay College, and I wanted to be a lawyer. I was like that, I'm great at arguing, you know. And my mom once said you should be a lawyer, you know, because like you know, my army is at things and whatever. And um, so I was like, I'm gonna be a lawyer. So I went to college, I got this, you know, degree, and then I I get out of college and I have an internship with a law firm, and it was a really good law firm. It was a personal injury law, so it was interesting seeing like you know, the like the police side of like police reports and investigations. That was cool. But I wound up leaving that law firm and getting a job at another law firm, completely different law, trademarks and stuff like that. And it was a great law firm, it was really good. I was a paralegal. I was in a certain paralegal, I was like a paralegal in training or whatnot, and I was doing paralegal work and I it was a great law firm, but I just didn't have that drive. Like I I was wanting to wear like a suit to work, you know, be presentable, but I once I was in the office setting, I did not have a drive. And that is the truth, like 100%, you know. So I wound up getting laid off because I didn't have a drive, you know, and I and I wasn't the best employee I could possibly, it wasn't a bad employee, I just wasn't the best. And my house didn't really have structure, you know. I it did, but like kind of did what I wanted, you know, and uh started with my gas company again, like I did in college as a contractor, small renovation stuff, regular, not like I'm working at all, just like you know, apartments and houses, and you know, working with families very hard. And he's an amazing person and he's like a great employer, but we just kept clashing heads and I wasn't being responsible again. Like I wasn't thriving, like I didn't know where I was gonna go from here, you know, and and you know, again I would be like late to work, I wouldn't show up. It was like, you know, daddy's little girl, and like, you know, so that's that's really like I missed that part of it. Like, that's really it. Like, I did not have a drive, you know, and and I was kind of sick and tired of not having a drive. So I talked to my dad, and he was like, You should open up your own renovation company. We have connects already, and I was like, okay, started looking into it, and like there's too much, there's insurance, and all of this, and I was I was just like, that is a lot. And then I was like, let me, what about unions? You know, what about like joining a union? Like, I heard a lot of good things about unions, but I'm like, which union? So I at 27, 26, I think I was still 26, I started doing research and about unions. I actually had a drive to do research about unions. I started doing research and I I found a bunch of unions I was interested in, but there was really only two that stuck out to me, and it was operating engineers and also ironworking. So I did more research and I decided that that iron working looks super exciting, right?

SPEAKER_02 10:32

Because they go on top of these buildings.

SPEAKER_03 10:34

This is this is what I knew about iron working back then at that moment. There's buildings and there's big pieces of metal, that's what I thought it was, and then like there's guys at the top, there's guys on the bottom, and I was like, this is cool. I watched videos, and I I talked to my friend that was like, I was like, Did you say you were an ironworking? And he was like, Yes, I've been telling you to take this test for years. So I was like, when does it come out? And he's like, in six months, you know, and so I turned 27 and I took the test and I waited, and I just honestly I didn't know. I didn't know what was gonna happen. So I just waited, and then I forgot which month it was, but maybe May or something, or maybe later on, 2018, they emailed me saying, Hey, you pass your writing test, come in, come on in for a physical in August. And I was like, Okay, you know, yeah. So now I'm driven again because now it's something about this career that is just making me really excited. So, you know, for I was looking up and talking to my friend what you do for a test, and I started to climb a column. So a column is like a tall metal, tall seal struct, you know, tall seal, well, it's like a structure, whatever. And uh climb it in a certain amount of seconds. So I was like, uh oh, can I do that? So I now that train stations, even though it's illegal, and you can't do it if you don't do it, if you're thinking about it. But I started climbing columns and training and and I would just go with my friend and give you my lookout, and I would just climb up. It's only like a few feet, it's not 12 pounds, but and I'll come right back down, I'll climb again, I'll do that for like five minutes until like somebody walk by and run away. And so I was practicing climbing columns before this test. And then my other friend brought me to this column in Sunset Park area, kind of that's like outside and exposed. And I climbed and I climbed that column a little bit, and he was like, I think you got this. And I was like, Okay, so I took the test and the physical, that was when I was 27. I'm 31 now. So I took this physical in 2018, and the first thing you have to do is climb the column, and I got the column in 27 seconds, which is I don't remember what passing is. And then you're like, all right, next part. And I was like, oh, okay. So then I go to the next part, and it's like you could climb a ladder. And I remember I was super excited. So, like, and I was like, I have to climb ladder. So I climbed that and I flipped a little bit, and I was like, oh god, because like then my ego got in the way, and I was like, Oh, I got this, you know, I just climbed this this metal thing. So then you go up, and then you know, you could pull up a bucket of bolts. I think it's about 50 pounds, you can't drop any bolts, drop it back down, you know. And I realized that during that physical, the hardest thing people were struggling with was the column class. And it wasn't just people that were people that were small, people that were small were actually pretty good at it. It was people that were extremely muscular because it was hard for them to like reach over flexibility, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And I was just talking to somebody actually yesterday about this because he wants to be kind of an anger and uh he you know, he couldn't the top, you know, we're talking. I was like, Can you do this with your arm? And he did, and he couldn't. I'm like, with your leg, and you know, it's about flexibility, and sometimes you know, the muscles and I guess get in the way. Um, but some guys are fine that are muscular. So I got up the column, the ladder, everything, and then the hardest part of that test was the chainfall pull. I have never used a chainsaw, so I didn't understand it's so I didn't understand. So for any of you who doesn't know what a chainsaw is, the best way for someone to describe it to you without that even you've seen it is like you know, when you are walking on the street and you're by a store and they have the gate that goes down and there's like the the chain that they pull, yep, it's like that chain, but like a lot stronger and a lot bigger, and it's heavier stuff. So like it's not just yeah, it's like you know, so that's the best way to describe it to anybody that's not in the trees. And it sounds intimidating, and I thought I had it, and I did eventually, but I was pulling on, pulling on, and I was like, oh my god, like in my head, I was like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna die. Like I'm gonna have a heart attack. Like that's what's gonna happen. And I'm like, I'm like, oh my god, should I just in my head? I was like, should I just stop? And there was an instructor there, and he looked at me and it's like he saw it in my face, and I was almost done anyway. I just didn't know because you don't know, right? Didn't really tell you, and then he was like, Don't stop. And he just don't, he's like, Don't even think, and it's like he was in my head, yeah. So then I just so I just went harder and I was like, Okay, okay, and I just kept going, and then I finished. He was like, Okay, that's it. He was it I thought I found you don't know, like you don't know your time or anything is like a time limit for it. He's like, my god, I was like, I was like super excited. So then you have to go and get drug tested. So and it and it's great, like I think that it's it's important, you know. For say you know, like I think it's important, drug testing is important for various reasons. But the main thing is the main thing is if you can't go three years in school without doing drugs, then do you really want this? Number one, and number two, it's about safety, you know, like doing drugs on a job site. So, anyway, so Brian Breedy tests us for drugs. He goes, Well, here a sample, and I think urine, yeah. My problem is I peed before the column climb three times, so I couldn't pee. So I had to be there for three hours or two hours. Yeah, and I had either for two, three hours to stay in there, and I just kept talking water on the guy that does the testing, he was like the urine test. He's like, it doesn't even you don't even drink any more water. He's like, You could just wait, and I just sat there for like two hours.

SPEAKER_01 16:04

Oh, just yeah, prepping for the test.

SPEAKER_03 16:07

Yeah, yeah. I was just like, I couldn't because I was so nervous before this test because it meant so much to me. And at the moment I didn't know why it meant so much to me, but like now I know. Like, I think like the universe wanted me to be an ironwork on that. I didn't know anything about iron working when I was taking that test. I knew just a little bit, and like it's so much more than what I what I thought it was, you know. And it's beautiful, it's a you know, you have to have a drive. Like, that's the trick to be an iron, you have to have a drive, specifically an iron worker. There's other trades that are a little bit slower, still great trades, and they work hard, but ironworking is like go, go, go, go, go, and you know, you're lifting heavy things all day. It's a very dangerous career. You have to be like smart when it comes to safety, you know. And I'm not talking only about glasses and stuff, I'm talking about like you do the wrong step while you're in the certain game and you take the wrong step, and you don't only possibly hurt yourself, but you possibly hurt your partner, you know. So it's like super, super important. I'm working is you have to be like conscious of like what you're doing, but it's a great career. It's it's honestly, it has changed my life. So that drive I was talking about that I didn't have when I was that a law firm, which is great law firms, and at my dad's job, which he's amazing, he's a great boss and he takes care of his employees. I just didn't have the drive. And then I came to ion working and I was not late to work, I was not missing days compared to who I was before ion working and where I am now is actually a different person. And I don't know if the career changed me, the structure of the career changed me, or my drive just became so much stronger. I don't, you know, I don't want to mess up.

SPEAKER_01 17:46

What I love, and I'm gonna use this as a data point to prove a theory that I have is you know, you went to school, right? You went, you're working a law degree, you had the job working with the lawyers and the paralegal office, and and there's this thing that that we think, or I think we tell our youth, you need to go get your so you can get this like fancy job. Maybe, maybe it's not a fancy job, but it's like a more traditional job. That's probably better words, right? A more traditional job that they were all fully aware of, and then we get in the environment and discover like, oh, this is not this is not for me. And so the theory is this, and it's part of the reason why I'm so passionate about this, is I think folks like you and I, we thrive under certain conditions. And if the conditions are physically engaging, there's a little bit of risk and excitement, yep, there's a lot of teamwork and camaraderie, like and we get to interact with our space with our hands, you got all of me. You will get all of me all the time. If I gotta sit down and listen and stare at something, you ain't getting nothing from me, right? Like it just it just adds this element of engagement. I mean, to use your language, it's it pulls everything you got and just makes you makes it so much easier than sitting there and cranking through other kinds of work. And that's not to say that the other kind of work or the other types of education are less than, but they're not designed for me. What do you think about that?

SPEAKER_03 19:17

I you could have not said it better. I've never I I've tried to put in some words and you just did for me. And hands-on teamwork and just the fun part, like commodity, like you said, it's not just teamwork, it's like you're you're with these guys eight hours a day and you're working in the same games on the same floors. You develop friendships, you know, like lifelong friendships, you know. You guys might not hang out outside of work, whatever, but like at work, it's like a family. You might not like everyone, but but you you care about everyone, you know, and no matter what, there's a lot of like joking around and fun times, and there's a lot of emotions, like all kinds of emotions on job sites, you know. You but I totally agree with you. Like, I need to be challenged. I I just realized that recently too. I can't just not have something. Like I like I just graduated my apprenticeship. Yes, this like last week, right? So it was an amazing experience, and I just feel like I'm excited to go work and everything, but I just feel like I need a new challenge. Like, I don't know why, but like this is I'm still doing this, this is great, but like I need something, like I don't know, it could be anything, it can be like a workout regimen, something, right? But I just feel like I need a new challenge in my life, and that's like it's so funny for that because I was just thinking, like, what's wrong with me? Like, what is wrong with me? Like, I just did this hard thing for three years, so it's not easy, right? It's not it's not super hard if you're willing, you know, with three years of eye working, but it's like you go to work in the morning and then you go to school either two nights a week and Saturdays, or depending on what year of school you're in, and then you go to school after work, and school's in Queens. And I lived in Brooklyn and then Staten Island and whatnot, so it's not super close, you know, and and you get home, it's like 11 o'clock, and then you stay up for work at four or five, like depending on where you live, maybe even 3:30. So, you know, and just in general, like the job again, line working is not a career for for people that aren't like don't want to like just go, go, go.

SPEAKER_01 21:50

Yeah, you can't just go through the motions.

SPEAKER_03 21:52

No, you need to be like, yeah, you need to be that person, that apprentice that comes on the job site and is like, okay, what do I do? What do I mean to do? You're fire watching, okay. When you're fire watching and you see a formal walk by, first of all, don't be on your phone, right? You just be watching the fires and then you say, Is there anything I can do in the meantime? Can I learn something? Can I do something? And you know what they gave me? They gave me a rope and said, learn how to tie knot. So I would watch, yeah. So they would teach me a knot, like a knot a week, and I would learn how to tie it. And I would be watching fire watching because you can't really do much else. And when I first started, I was doing push ups like a crazy person. I don't know why. I'm just like, all right. But yeah, you know, and it's like you have to be that apprentice when you first start that's going, going, going and wants to learn, learn, learn. If you come on that job site and you got like, you know, you're sick, you're in for six months, you're a fanist, and you think you got it all, you don't have Anything, you know, and we're continuously learning. You know, if somebody says if somebody's any trade and they're like, I know everything, it's impossible. There's new things coming out, there's things that maybe you don't know how to do a certain way. So, but anyway, it's it's it's it's a really accurate people that that have a thrive that want to thrive that that don't stop, you know. Let's reset, like we have to just keep going. Like we're just those people, and that made the way you said it, I can't even say it now, but it made a lot of sense to me.

SPEAKER_01 23:06

We got it on, we got it recorded. So we can so you know, man, there's a couple, there's a few things, and I don't want to lose track of them. The one that's really sticking out to me is this this drive or this appetite that you have or that you've discovered, right? Because it sounds, correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like when you were going to school and you got that first job as a paralegal, it was kind of like you're just kind of wandering, meandering through life. And then bam, you just go, you went, you did this apprenticeship, you were practicing climbing columns, which I think is amazing. You're working out like you're totally like you're lit up, and now you just completed your apprenticeship. Gradual, congratulations, by the way. That's phenomenal. And you're kind of like, what's next? What am I gonna do next? And so, with all of that, one thing that I I've seen a lot in our fellow trade workers out there is by doing the work, you kind of develop this weird sorcery of knowing how to figure things out, like whatever it is, give me some material, give me some tools, and I'm gonna make something happen. And I think that skill is transferable in so many areas of our life, right? Because think about all the craft workers that you know that have started a business of their own or have a little bit of a side hustle going on, or they're doing started some new nonprofit to help benefit people in their community. And so, with that, like what is this next thing, whatever it is? I know you probably don't have the name of it or know what it is, but what's that other kind of weird little idea that you've had in the back of your head and you said, I don't think that's very realistic. You got anything like that going on? Huh?

SPEAKER_03 24:44

Well, like there's a few things that that so like you know, when I first you know what? I I need a second, I need a second because it's I always so you you mentioned communities, right? And like this is something I'm probably not gonna do because if we s we've tried the the office work and it's it's not I just I know about like some raw stuff, but again, I wasn't a lawyer, I was trained to be paralegal, I was like an assistant paralegal, but basically a paralegal. But I always had a thing for politics, right? So I always was like, maybe I should somehow get involved in our community. And they were talking about that actually at our last union meeting. So one of I I can I I don't know how to I I I don't know what the guy's name is or what really he's doing, but he's I think on the community board, I don't know for sure, in the Bronx where he lives. And you know, they talked about the union meeting and he's an iron worker. So you were talking about it, and I was like, wait, iron workers can we can still do that? Like we can be like involved. So, like that definitely brought something back in my head because I was always like interested in politics and uh and like volunteer work anyway, I think is super important, like for everybody. Like, I don't care which thing you volunteer with, but like I volunteered at animal rescues specifically two one most recently, and I you know, I was going to school and I was volunteering and I was barely sleeping, but it made me feel whole, you know, and it made me feel whole, it made me feel like like right inside, you know. So that's also a big thing for me. So I I do volunteering the last few weeks I haven't been able to because it's just been insane with like everything in life, but it's just now I'm like I want to like now it's like find some free time just so that you can go and like clean up animal poop, like it's weird, but I love it, and like you're saving animals and you're healthy, so that's my thing, right? But I think that that's super important too, and I think it kind of kind of all goes together, sort of with like like definitely with community, but like sort of with politics, you know. So I don't know if I can somehow intertwine that one day, but that's that's definitely something I my my dream in life. I will tell you what it is.

SPEAKER_02 26:55

Tell me now.

SPEAKER_03 26:56

Okay, I want to open up an animal rescue, but when I retire, I want to have an animal rescue. I don't know if it's gonna happen, but that is something that I want. Like that is something that I've always wanted. I want all kinds of animals. If I win the lottery, I'm not the first thing I'm not doing is buying a house in a fancy boat. I'll come second. The first thing I'm doing is buying a farm and having an animal rescue. And I know the exact people I would hire to like help me run it. So that's like if anybody wants to donate like 10 million bucks to me if you have an animal rescue, I am very willing to do that.

SPEAKER_01 27:32

I love, I'll tell you what, girl, like as you're saying that it's gonna happen. I mean, you've got the energy, the drive, a commanding presence. You you're gonna make it happen. And I'll say this you're gonna make it happen way before than you you think you can. I hope so. Yeah, you just it's just like climbing that beam, just climbing that column, just don't let go, right? Keep going, don't let go. Or, like that instructor said, Don't stop. You just gotta keep going, and and it's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_03 27:58

Oh my god, I'm so let me tell you that guy, I I can't even tell you which guy it was, and I don't really see him around, but I can tell you the exact facial expression and the energy that he gave me that day. You know, they say they say people might not remember what you said, but they remember like how it made them feel, and that made me feel, and I remember we said, but it made me feel well like it gave me hope, you know. And I hear those words in the back of my head every time because you know, like I said, i'm working is not easy. You know, those days you're working crazy. When I first got in, I was working a lot of overtime. Yeah, so I went from like being like a lazy butt basically at my you know, my dad's office, my dad's job, trying, but just like no, he again, he's amazing. It's me. I got him the problem. Yes, doing whatever I wanted, you know, like to like overtime, overtime. That's how I started the business. But overtime, overtime, overtime. I thought I wasn't gonna make it. I was like, I have no life. I don't uh I barely sleep, like I have no social life, and and I was like, I I can't stay after like three months. I was like, oh my god, can I just like I I really was like because they can become like emotionally drained and like mentally, like sleeping, not sleeping and stuff, not that I wasn't sleeping, but so like you know, thank God for like my union brothers because I was like, oh my god, and they just saw it in my face and they were just like, don't give up, trust me, the overtime stops, and then comes back and then stops, and I'm like, okay, and then the overtime stopped. We got in a new job, and it was a brand new job, so we're getting like a running bad twice a week. So I went from making like a nice amount of money to making like you know, a big difference, big difference, yeah, it's a little good, but a big difference. But honestly, like I just want to say this again i'm working has changed my risk like 100%. And if if someone listened to this and they don't know what iron working is, that is all right. Go Google it, go look at videos. There's a lot of videos online, and don't look at the part that it's like all like the gung-ho stuff. There's other stuff behind the scenes that's like also like not as gung-ho, but it's also like amazing with the detail work and everything, and not everything is raising game. Raising game is awesome. I've been like built a smaller company and I've been like the my home brands, but I've been in that raising game, you know, and it's my favorite game to be in, but um, but there's other games too, you know, that that's you know, that aren't always as high-leveled when it comes to high working, you know, that are that are amazing. Like you said before, there is teamwork, but like if you're in a bolt-up game, sometimes you have partners, sometimes it's just you, but it's beautiful because you get to bolt up and you get to like meditate all day while you're bolting up, you know, and it's just like yeah, it's like super chill, but like it's not chill, you still gotta like get your bolts in and like move, move, move. But you get to like kind of like relax and be in your head and not like have to hear other people themselves. And yeah, so it it's very, it's very it's a very diverse kind of it's very different, like the the different games you're in with an iron working, structural ironworking or ironworking.

SPEAKER_01 30:49

That's that's what I did. One of the things, and I didn't know it at the time, but now I know, you know, a few years into doing I started as a plumber apprentice with the apprenticeship, and well, you're never at the same place for more than let's say 10, 12 months, depending on the size of the project, right?

SPEAKER_04 31:07

Right.

SPEAKER_01 31:08

And so always meeting new people, always, you know, a year, maybe six months, four months, whatever, I'm gonna be going to a different place. And every day I come to work, my work area looks totally different, like it transforms on the hour. And I think it's that change of pace, that change of scenery, change of of everything again, help me stay engaged because going to the same, I mean, there was you know, I was in the I'm not really a plumber, I'm too pretty to be a real plumber. But I love it. Right, like I was in the office for a while and and it was it drove me nuts, and even worse, I drove people nuts because of my energy. I'm loud and I'm having like if I send an email, I'll hit send and I'm like, bam, I sent the email. People are like, what the hell's wrong with you? Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_04 31:56

I'm just saying the exact way.

SPEAKER_01 31:58

It's so funny you say that. That's so funny. Yes, yes. But out of the job side, changing conditions all the time, the elements change, the people change, the environment changes. It's captivating, right? Like, it's enough to keep me fully engaged, and then that little extra, we'll call it manic energy to go and do other things, right? Yeah, let's go start, let's go start a farm, let's go start rescuing animal. Like it's it's it's amazing, so amazing. Okay, so uh amazing story. Thank you for bringing the energy. I know this this conversation is gonna inspire a bunch of people. And along the way, going through apprenticeship, even before apprenticeship, when you're a young lady in school, I'm sure you've had uh a tremendous amount of experiences. So, what I'm wondering is is there a significant learning that you've had as a result of a painful misstep?

SPEAKER_03 32:54

Oh yeah, you know, I've been thinking about this a lot since you had to have a speech and a painful misstep. I wouldn't say there was anything painful specifically. Like I don't I don't say there's anything painful when it comes to career-wise. So there, you know what? There is, but I didn't do it, it didn't actually happen. So when I was like 20 something, I was dating the side.

SPEAKER_01 33:19

Oh yeah, I gotta interrupt the flow just a little bit. Can you hear that music in the background? Little groovy music, anyhow. This little segment of this interview exists and is only available on uh YouTube. That's right. We got a YouTube channel, learnings and missteps, check it out, or you can go to learningsandmissteps.com and find our YouTube channel there. And while you're there, you can also click on become a member uh to contribute some money, like funds, straight up. I'm just gonna say it. 80% of that is going to be donated to the Skilled Trades Alliance because the Skilled Trades Alliance mission is very much in line with the Learnings and Missteps mission. Uh, and we're going to support great things and great people, and you signing up as a patron will contribute to that effort. So we appreciate you deeply for doing that. Also, I don't know if y'all heard or not, just in case you missed it, I'm an author now. Jennifer Lacey and I have co-authored a book. You gotta check it out, Lean in Love, 5S Love Letters. It's on the Amazon. The whole goal of that book is to just help one person. And so far, we've gotten several several people from the no BS tribe, from the LM family that have indicated to us that something, at least one little thing in the book has helped them. And so we've kind of exceeded our goals. But to exceed the goal and continue helping people, that is the ultimate privilege in the world. So while you're out there on the Amazon, on the YouTube, on the LinkedIn, all the socials, leave us some reviews, leave us some comments, let us know you're out there. I know you're there, I see the statistics, the data, but I don't get to interact with y'all, and that makes me a little bit sad. Anyhow, I'm gonna stop my whining. Appreciate y'all very much. Go to the YouTube to catch this learning and misstep backstage pass. And here we go, back to the conversation.

SPEAKER_03 35:27

I just want to say like Brian Brady, he's the head coordinator of this of our school for 4361. He's a really amazing human being. Like the the education that he gives us completely shapes us for our career, you know, and and the way he does it, it may I believe it makes us more responsible and more able to show up and more able to volunteer time, you know, because I think that's a big part of it too. Like you can, once you become an apprentice, you can volunteer time at school, you know, you can help out, and you should help out because the union does so much for us. Local 40 M361 do so much for us. If you are a union member, there is almost no link that they will not go to to help you if something is going on. You know, from personal experience, I've had stuff going on and they were there for me, you know, and it is like a family. Like, I might not know everybody in local 40's office personally. You know, I'm not in their names, but like it's a big family, you know, it's a huge family. You know, there's guys on other job sites that don't know me, but like I know that if anything ever happens, like they would be there if there were a situation and you know, we were all in the street and somehow they saw me getting hurt. I know they would step in, you know. Like I know no matter what, it's it's like a big family. And and and just in general, the union and Brian Brady does so much for the apprentices and so much for the for the iron workers and the journeymen and stuff. And and it's just amazing. I think that's a big thing of too, like why people should try more when they're an iron worker, because it's not just like, yeah, you get hungry, and it's like go enjoy your life and work for us. It's like they are there for you, they fight for you. You know, it's it's truly an amazing career. And what I said today doesn't even like paint it perfectly, it doesn't even paint it how it's you painted. Like, I don't have the words to describe how amazing, how amazing our human is over 40 and 361 is like the friendships that I have built is I know are gonna be lifelong friendships with other female iron workers, with male iron workers, like amazing friendships that I can talk to them about anything and I can learn about iron working too. Wow, you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:30

Sounds like a super nurturing community, right? And I mean like that's what it is is we we can grow and thrive independently, but when we're surrounded by amazing people that are gonna breathe life into us, like the limits, there are no limits, right? It's endless possibilities.

SPEAKER_02 37:46

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 37:47

And then with like the intensity that you have within you, like you need that, right? We need that because we can affect change. We I mean, I I think we're always like we can change the world one world at a time. And if I can interact with somebody authentically with all the intensity I have, the better off we're gonna be together going now. You mentioned like the misstep sounds like like more than you're like the matrix, like Neo in the matrix, right? Like dodging all these bullets. So I'm wondering like that's pretty damn courageous to to say no, I'm not gonna move. And yes, I'm going to leave this career and start this whole other thing that's super non-traditional. Where do you think the courage to make that type of those types of decisions came from?

SPEAKER_03 38:34

My mom and my dad.

SPEAKER_01 38:35

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:36

So listen, they're great people that divorce, but we actually came to America when I was four years old, so I wasn't born here. Okay. So, so you know, like I remember in school people were like, you can be whatever you want to be. And I was like, I can't be president, I wasn't born here, you know. But but like, you know, my mom and my dad, like my dad, my mom came here, they didn't speak any English, they had two young children. My mom worked two jobs, I went to college to try to like get like a GD or whatever to learn. I mean, she went to high school in Poland, and my dad was working two jobs sometimes, sometimes he worked one job, and uh a lot of things happened in like the first like seven years, you know, and there was times we didn't have food, you know, and it's and it's not on them. They they tried. It's just when you're an immigrant and you come here, I don't know because I was a kid. So for me, it was like hey, you know, yeah, I was like, Yeah, cool, you know, but like you know, for example, I just can't imagine how hard it was for them. And like, you know, they push class, you know. Right now they both have like pretty amazing lives, you know. Like they came here with a hundred dollars, like actually, like for two children, you know, and there were times we had to go to the grocery store parents and birth and neighbors and borrow food. And you know what? The guy gave it to us because we live in a neighborhood that you know was mostly immigrants, and uh and he was a great guy, and I think we still owe him a little bit of money, not okay. Um, but he was an amazing guy, this guy in the grocery store, and uh and my parents tried really hard and they fed us, like we were fed. We didn't get the Nike sneakers, we didn't get any of that stuff, but but you know what? They fed us, they clothed us, they brought us to school, and they kept hustling, man, they kept busting their butts off just to like provide for their family, and they eventually got divorced, which is fine, but they went their separate ways. And my dad kind of like opened up his own like small renovation company, and it's doing great for him, you know. And yeah, my mom like went from different like it was small medical field, but she like gradually got higher and higher, and now she's a respiratory therapist. And and uh and she honestly she still has loans, you know. She she she like works six days a week if she didn't have to. She takes 13-hour days, 12-hour days at work, and then she comes home and she likes care of the puppies that are here and helps me take care of them, and then she asks me if I'm okay, you know, how's that all? You know, like she's just they're my inspiration. Listen, like they're we're different people. I'm she really like I thought I was a doctor for a while, which I wasn't, but it's gonna take anything because I just I never really spent to my family like that. But but you know what? The one thing that we have for each other is love and also the fact that like everybody is a go-getter. My brother, my mom, my dad, all go-getters, they don't want anything handed to them. We don't understand things being handed to us. Like, I mean, you know, I personally don't understand even now. And I think it's also like slightly a sickness because somebody's like, I don't even know what to say, but like somebody's like, Oh, I'll pay for the coffee. I'm like, no, you can't, right? And it's like a coffee. I always like to pay for their coffee too, but they can't pay for mine because it's like this weird in-grained thing in my brain.

SPEAKER_02 41:35

I don't know why.

SPEAKER_04 41:36

But it's almost like you can't, nothing can be handed to you.

SPEAKER_03 41:39

And something around, there's kind of the lottery saying, I'll take that money, I'll take that hand in, you know, but like, oh like you know, and like if I find 200, I'll pick it up. Maybe I'll give it to somebody else that needs it if I see them, you know. So so it's uh that's that's where you get it from. That's how you have it, but that's where I get it from because we worked hard, man. Work really hard. Like I've seen it as a child, and it was it was inspired.

SPEAKER_01 42:01

Fantastic. It's an amazing, amazing. You're gonna be like a celebrity. You watch. Yeah, you're gonna be out there, yeah. Man, you got it going on, sister. Okay, so we're gonna round third base, sliding in the home. I don't know if you're into baseball, but I'm a baseball.

SPEAKER_02 42:15

Maybe you're fan.

SPEAKER_01 42:16

There we go. Didn't somebody just break a record? I don't know. I haven't been watching.

SPEAKER_04 42:21

I have no time, I've been so busy. Oh, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 42:23

You've been so busy working, focused. I got it. I got it.

SPEAKER_04 42:26

Also, like you know, with the graduation and everything, get ready for it. And we got a new puppy like two months ago, and he's crazy right now, and he's sick right now, so it's been like since you got a lot going on, but you need it, right?

SPEAKER_01 42:37

You need that, yeah, you need that activity, so it keeps you going. So, going forward, thinking crazy out into the future, what footprint do you want to leave on this world?

SPEAKER_03 42:49

Footprint, okay. So we kind of talked about it, you know, like kind of ask you, but what so just in general, when it comes to iron working, any kind of building that I help build in some sort of way, if it's in the raising game or that was in the bolted game, or I was in the detail game, like it doesn't matter. When I drive by that building, which I've done before, you know, I drive my buildings I help build, I'm like in awe, you know. I'm like, no one's gonna know that that I put that in, that I put that bolt in, or that I did, but like something about it is just nostalgic to me, you know. And just in general, I just want to say when I was younger, I used to hopefully the cops don't come. I used to explore abandoned places because that's what I did, but I didn't do it for the for the excitement. I did it because this is weird, right? I did it because I wanted to see the history of the building. So, like a lot of kids do it because they want to like go break stuff. No, I was going there and I was like, whoa, look at those little documents, or like look at how that wall is being held up. Like, that's why I used to go explore in the buildings, maybe still do sometimes, but anyway. So, not recently, but and that so that's like a part of the I think that's what intrigues me with building like a building, like building the steel part of it, because that's gonna be the longest, you know. Like after everything else goes down, like that's gonna be the longest. So that in itself is a footprint. Like, even though it's not me and my name will not be connected to it, that in itself is a footprint. And I don't want to knock down guys that you know put a cheat rack, but that sheet rack's gonna come down. But like, no, no, they're great. They we need these guys, so we decided I'm not knocking. All the trees are phenomenal. I know some amazing screen fitters, I know some great companies that are just awesome guys. I know some great listen, girls, guys, whatever, right? But like, so I'm not knocking anybody. I'm just saying, like, steel stays at the longest, steel like really stays in the longest when it comes to like a footprint. like in life in general to just kindness like I don't even know how to explain that but just kindness wherever kindness takes me I'm not saying I'm a really kind person because I haven't I have an attitude problem I'm a girlfriend you know and I'm an immigrant so it even adds to it so I have an attitude problem sometimes you know that can be tamed usually is but like but like I feel like kindness I think you kind of mentioned it before like when you ask a certain way with a person maybe not exactly this is what I got from it earlier when you engage somebody in a certain way if you engage them angrily or you cut them off they're gonna be pissed off they're gonna go out there and put that into the universe that's gonna keep spreading and if you spread kindness if you spread kindness and you just hold the door from somebody and not expecting like a thank you just even doing it without looking you know or or just telling somebody I hope you have a really great day today like just little or big kindacks whatever they are right changes the world that that's what you were saying earlier. It spreads so if you spread anger if you spread resentment if you spread fear you're gonna spread it. And if you spread love and kindness and faith and that doesn't mean religious just like faith and like that things will work out that is what is going to be spread you know and it's depending on which way you want the universe around you to go and I really believe that you know do I follow it 100% no sometimes I have bad data that's it you know but like you know I think it's super important to spread kindness and that is a footprint that everybody should thrive to leave in the world. Like that's my opinion oh my god mic drop you get an animal shelter I want to get an animal rescue that's that's it so 10 million dollars if anybody has it wants to donate it I would like to start an animal rescue.

SPEAKER_01 46:19

I love it. We're gonna work on that LM family y'all heard it you got a spare 10 million laying around hook us up we'll make sure Tasha gets it so we can start that animal shelter so this animal shelter will it be up in in New York or does it matter what part of the world?

SPEAKER_03 46:35

I you know what I think it's important to is if it let's just say it happens next year. I think it's important to have it not directly in the city because it's too much money and honestly I don't want to be in the city like I it's too crowded for me. Like I grew up in Brooklyn and it's too crowded now. But like I think somewhere near you know somewhere near the city. So upstate or Jersey it honestly for me like it doesn't even matter as long as the animals have a safe place to be like it doesn't matter like I can have a tiny okay like a bathroom and like a nice bedroom and living room for the house and the rest of it can be just for the animals like I really don't care. Like you know like I really don't maybe maybe eventually I'll put like a little pool in and gate it up so they can't jump over it because I don't you know want anyone drowning you know but but yeah so like that's really it like you know and and the rescue I want here for I don't have to say their name so I would oversay their name but they're an amazing rescue. They deal with huskies that's all I'm gonna say in their jersey. So put it together they're amazing and they they save a lot of huskies and you know my husky passed away chip cancer two years ago and she was like I wish I can't show she was like my heart right she was my heart and she I and she was like the person I was like working extra car for too and I wanted to like get her a house and I was crazy but that was like my child so when she passed away my whole life changed and I kind of like you know was very depressed you know and uh depressed but I was very like upset and I wasn't myself and and what saved me was like volunteering and wow yeah yeah like 100% service to others yes is liberating it's 100% liberating from all the pain and all the misery you go do something to help other people smile and it'll change your your whole perspective yeah well I'm gonna ask a favor of you miss Kasha what is it?

SPEAKER_01 48:19

I don't have 10 million dollars but I you know yeah no no I'm gonna ask that you continue to paint the picture of your animal rescue continue to get very detailed about what it's going to look like what it's going to feel like what the colors are what the size is how many people are going to be coming and just keep keep adding detail to that would you do me that favor?

SPEAKER_03 48:42

Yeah I can do that I never thought of that actually to like just paint it and see what happens from it you know like in my head because it makes it real you know you got it you got it sister do you have a good time no it was actually a lot of fun and honestly it wasn't stressful at all and I just I was able to be myself so it was a great time I love it I'm gonna bring up Mr.

SPEAKER_00 49:00

Mike oh wait I gotta bring him up back here boom I know so much about you now you know I really forgot you were there some animals you know and I gotta find 10 million dollars for you those I didn't yeah we gotta get that I don't know how much it is but I was just the mic was a safe like a very safe number probably to do it with two million we could do some stuff with 10 million oh man we could do all kinds with 10 million oh man this was been amazing i Mike thank you my man oh no fantastic that was great gosh you you got a lot to say love it and love to learn more about you and again you do inspire so many other people learn more about the iron workers and just the trade in general it just again it gets me inspired because you're moving America you're building America and you know the camaraderie and teamwork is some things that I just love and just being a part of you know like I said as a one step removed from the brotherhood like I'm a vendor supporting but I just love to play a bigger role and figure out how we could support you guys and your continued growth. So I love it and continue to watch you and we'll get the photos and we'll we'll we'll start the network a little bit more but all good stuff. So thank you and thank you Jesse too for putting everything together.

SPEAKER_01 50:04

What do you think about that footprint kindness and that little dream about the animal sanctuary I do not think it's too far. So if y'all can find her out there on the socials hit her up give her a positive word and also share her story with with other young adults out there because she has an inspirational story and it's 100% true. So now time for the shout out for the LM family member we got a review from Kim and I'm not sure which Kim it is but I know one super amazing Kim which is Princess Kim so thank you Kim if it was you and if it wasn't thank you also other Kim Kim says my favorite is the reps and the huddles very concise uh shout out she gave us which is fabulous it's really the energy it takes to first click and buy the book and then read the book and then go out of one's way to go in there and give us a review and then it's a positive review. So I'm grateful. I know Jennifer's grateful got nothing but love for the LM family for the no BS tribe this community continues to grow and there's so much that we can do in terms of serving one another and leaving the world better than we found it. So until the next episode be cool and we'll talk at you next time peace oh my goodness you're either driving down the road or just so enthralled with the with this whole podcast that you went all the way down to the very very very very end of it and we appreciate you and just we're going to take this as an indication of your dedication so we got a little special request of you a call to action because everybody tells us that like you need to have a call to action so here's the call to action be kind to yourself go out there and share a smile with someone