Making the Construction Industry a Better Place for Women with Christi Powell

SPEAKER_01 0:00

When it comes down to like who I am, it's just been something that I've learned like in the last two years because I didn't really want to know who I was. I didn't want to slow down and and think about all the things that brought me to that point. Like they weren't, they weren't all good things. I wanted to move them back and move on. But really, you know, now that I know a little bit about me, some of it's annoying.

SPEAKER_02 0:28

Oh, yeah, that is my good friend, Miss Christy Powell, being like supremely courageous, vulnerable, authentic. You're gonna get that throughout the entirety of this conversation. And just a little teaser, she's also the co-host of Women Talk Construction podcast. So if you want to get more of her and her co-host, Miss Angela Gardner, who's going to be our next guest, check them out. But before you go there, go ahead and listen to the rest of this episode and hear a whole lot more about Ms. Christie's uh process of self-discovery and the resources that she tapped into to ensure that growth was going to be continuing forward. And along with those resources, she dropped some like serious cheat codes for shifting your mindset and experiencing personal growth. And even though, like, we tried really hard to highlight and give her some room to brag about all of the like super amazing things that she's doing out there in the industry, we were not able to cover all of them. And the most meaningful thing about being able to celebrate Miss Christie is knowing that the ripples of impact that she's having out there on the industry, on careers, on women are going to continue. And the LM family will have made a contribution to those ripples. And of course, we're gonna give a shout out to our patrons because y'all have been supporting us along with the LM family. But you gave a pitch-in and you're contributing some cash to help support the mission. And I'm like super excited to make an announcement to current patrons and future patrons. We will be donating 80% of the funds that we get from your contribution to the Skilled Trades Alliance. They're doing amazing work, and it's all about us working together to enhance the image of careers in the trades. So after you listen to this episode, go to learninsandmissteps.com, hit the become a member, and then hit the button, hit the button, hit the button so that you can like serve up a double scoop of contribution, both supporting learnings and missteps and also supporting the Skilled Trades Alliance. And I ain't gonna be standing between you and Miss Christy anymore. So here we go, baby, Miss Christy Powell. What's going on, LM family? I'm here with Miss Christy Powell, who is oh, you know what, Christy? I owe you um a post. I was uh driving around the other day. I went to this bar uh not barbecue, this coffee shop here in close to my house. I didn't even know it was a coffee shop. Um and there's an 84 lumber building in the back. And I saw the hey, you know what? I need to take a picture there and and give a shout out to Miss Christy.

SPEAKER_01 3:28

I would love that. Good, good. It's early for me, by the way.

SPEAKER_02 3:33

Is it really all it is? Thank you for waking up so early.

SPEAKER_01 3:37

No, no, I'm I'm a sleeper, like on the days that I don't have to work. I love to sleep in.

SPEAKER_02 3:42

Love to sleep in how late do you prefer to sleep in on the weekend?

SPEAKER_01 3:46

How late? Um, just I just want to wake up when I want to wake up, right? Like when my body wakes up. My my Saturday is like, let's just wake up when you're ready, right? And my whole family's that way. I've trained them well, right? But yeah, so the house is super quiet, you know, and nobody has to go to work in school. And so we all just sleep until we're ready to wake up.

SPEAKER_02 4:13

Oh my and so when you wake up on Saturdays, do you wake up just all fabulous and put together?

SPEAKER_01 4:19

Oh no, that takes work, and I don't even know that fabulous is the word, but I prefer no this is why I love camping. I prefer no makeup, no curling iron, you know, yes, like sweat pants or not sweatpants, yoga pants, you know.

SPEAKER_02 4:38

Yep, yeah. Well, I'm camping, I'm heading to the to Garner State Park this afternoon.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

Oh, nice! So once we I would love to see that sometime in person.

SPEAKER_02 4:49

You know, I've been there one time before with a group of friends, and I just remember like a big old rope swing off a big old giant tree and messing around in the water, but I didn't do much hiking, so I'm I'm staying. I'm gonna go today and I'll be there until Tuesday. So I'm definitely gonna be doing some hiking and nice having a good time out there.

SPEAKER_01 5:09

Are you camping?

SPEAKER_02 5:10

Yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 5:11

In a tent, oh yeah, yep, that's what I'm talking about. Yeah, girl, are you like roughing it?

SPEAKER_02 5:18

Yeah, I got uh 20 pounds of charcoal, I got some meat in the freezer, I got some prepped vegetables, and and that's what we're doing. Like, it's just me, and the most beautiful thing is it's just me. I'm going camping by myself, so I can be in my thoughts, and oh, gonna do it. And I'm gonna sleep. I'm gonna do what you just said. Yeah, I'm just gonna sleep until I wake up, right?

SPEAKER_01 5:43

Go to bed when you're tired, right?

SPEAKER_02 5:44

That's it. That's it. I got a couple of books. Uh, Henry Nutt just released a book, the seven. So I got that one.

SPEAKER_01 5:52

Writing that down. I gotta write that down. I forgot about his book.

SPEAKER_02 5:55

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, so super excited. All right, well, enough about me, Miss Christy. Um, thank you for getting up early in the morning.

SPEAKER_01 6:07

I loved being here with you.

SPEAKER_02 6:09

Oh, we're gonna have some. And you know, I'm silly and goofy, so thank you for tolerating that. Uh, so what should the LM family know about you, Miss Christy?

SPEAKER_01 6:21

Um, that's a really good question. So um, as I was thinking that through, and I'll I'm just gonna share a little bit with you. The last two years of my career have been in a different role. Uh so I was on a fast track, boots on the ground, in sales, in building supplies, and around a lot of men, very few women. So honestly, I'm what I'm gonna about to tell you about me is all new.

SPEAKER_03 6:49

Oh, let's hear it.

SPEAKER_01 6:51

Right. So, meaning I didn't even know who I was or what drove me or why I did the things I did, why I thought the things I thought until I had to slow down. And then when I took this role, I didn't know how to dress like a girl, walk like a girl, talk like a girl.

SPEAKER_03 7:12

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_01 7:13

None of it, right? Like I have been around men for 27 years. Yeah, and um even though I was the softer of the bunch, right? I still have I have um a a male brain mentality, right? Like I I like to hunt, I like to fish, I like race cars, I like, you know, I like anything that's that you can get your hands into and learn, right? Like I just my brain works like that. So when you when you back in the day when I switched to emotions, it would be weird for me. Like way weird. Like, let's not get emotions in here, right? But what are those things? Get them out of here. Yeah, why are we doing that right now? But yeah, so when I say that, I slowed down a minute and I started meeting some women in my field. I wanted to know more about myself because they liked me. Oh like I was so surprised. Okay, because my whole, my whole, you know, high school years and first few years in a job and accounting, there was that always that you know, that struggle with women, right? Like the drama, and that was totally not me. And so um, I kind of just like ooh, this is not my thing, right? So I'm not going shopping, I'm not doing drama, you know. I learned all the things I didn't want to do. So in my mind, I still had that mindset that all women, that's how girls were. And because I've always been very driven, career has always been, I want to say number two, but I I fight with God in my career, like me and God talk about that on a regular basis.

SPEAKER_03 8:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 8:54

So I can be a workaholic, but it needless to say, um, when it comes down to like who I am, it's just been something that I've learned like in the last two years, because I didn't really want to know who I was. I didn't want to slow down and and think about all the things that brought me to that point. Like they weren't, they weren't all good things. I wanted to put them, move them back and move on.

SPEAKER_03 9:20

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 9:20

And um, but really, you know, now that I know a little bit about me, some of it's annoying. So I'm very excited and passionate. You can probably already tell just by the few minutes we've talked, right? Like, and if I'm not excited and passionate, it's like I'm missing out. Like that's how I feel. Like something's not keeping me excited or passionate. Um, I'm missing out. I love people, I enjoy adventures. My favorite adventure is getting up in the morning and wondering where God's gonna lead me for the day.

SPEAKER_04 9:59

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_01 10:00

It didn't used to be that way. I used to be a control freak. Now I'm like, okay, whatever comes my way today, like let it be for you, right? Like, let it be for other people. So that is me, and the adventure of him leading my steps has been so fruitful. Like, I get to meet people like Jesse that's changing the world with his podcast, right? Really, and Jen and Adam, and you know, people that are really passionate about what they do and they care about people and they love people. So um, I love being a mom, and I'll be honest with you, I would have never told you that three years ago.

SPEAKER_02 10:39

Really?

SPEAKER_01 10:39

Yeah, I mean, I've always loved my girls, don't get me wrong, but the whole mom thing was not um, it was never something I aspired to be. I'm not sure why. Still haven't worked through that one yet, you know. I still am in therapy occasionally, but um I love learning. I'm an adrenaline junkie, I love doing things for the very first time. I love watching other people do first things.

SPEAKER_02 11:09

Oh my god, is that not like amazing?

SPEAKER_01 11:12

Yes, especially my kids, like especially my girls. So I think probably that does it. Like, I've been a firefighter. When I say I love learning new careers, I literally spent my entire career before I found what I do now, yeah, switching jobs on a regular basis because it wasn't driving me enough.

SPEAKER_02 11:34

You get to a point and it's like, okay, I need it's like, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:37

I'm at like I my my worth is not here anymore. Like I'm doing this mundane thing all day long. This is not this is not for me.

SPEAKER_03 11:47

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 11:47

So um, but when I found this industry, which I fell into construction, um, I fell in love because every day is different. Yeah, every day is new, every day's new people, like it's new everything, right? Like every day's new everything.

SPEAKER_02 12:03

Yes, new problems, new everything.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

And that's challenging, right? Like that keeps you on your toes. And I've always needed something to keep me on my toes.

SPEAKER_02 12:13

Okay, so there's a lot. It amazing. That is a lot, isn't it? It's good, but it's like there's so much. Oh, I want to go dig in everything. But it sounds like there was this point in the last two to three years that was a real reflection point for you that and you said that it caused you to pause and slow down. Yeah, can you tell us a little bit about that?

SPEAKER_01 12:36

Um, just just taking a new role. Okay, right. So I had been in, I had been boots on the ground, like I said, out in the field, fighting the fight, and and now I'm fighting the good fight, little different fight, right? Like I was fighting the fight all day, you know, materials being on the job site on time, making sure the labor's there, making sure we have the right labor for all of the um, you know, for all the jobs that my customers were working on. And thankfully, and I I have had customers who have followed me everywhere, literally. And I never moved lumber suppliers unless my customers actually were telling me they were struggling. Okay. So so we would move, I would move based on the fact that you know, this this group of of folks that I've been helping all these years were not getting what they needed. So, anyway, needless to say, that was just my main focus. And you know, being in construction, that it's really hard to slow down. Oh, yeah. So that was consuming. Like I would be on job site all day long, and at night I would be working on blueprints as soon as my daughter went to bed. So I have a 15-year-old, and so then she was, you know, you know, she had a bedtime, right? She had to be at school on time. So we'd do dinner, I'd put her to bed, and then you know, I'd work on blueprints the rest of the night. But I did that for a long, long time. So there was no time to actually get in my own head, I guess you'd say. I know exactly. Sorry about that.

SPEAKER_02 14:12

No, yeah. Sometimes we hide there. I know I hide.

SPEAKER_01 14:16

Yes, I did hide.

SPEAKER_02 14:17

I got work to do, I got all these problems, I got all these feelings to process, negative. I'm gonna go work.

SPEAKER_01 14:22

Yeah, well, it's always been my crutch, actually. Like when I'm happy, it's like an it's like an addiction, right? So when I'm happy, I want to work, when I'm sad, I want to work, when I'm mad, I want to work, because work makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something. Yes, and I'm being productive, and that's a good feeling. But when I had to slow down, I slowed down because I had to learn a new role. I went from being with men all the time to being the lead for the women business enterprise for 84 Lumber Company. So not only was I gonna be a leader of a lot more people than just my builders and their staff, or you know, the people that I got to see every day, which I didn't feel like that was leading to me that all I had to do was be kind to people and and that just worked, right?

SPEAKER_02 15:15

It just worked. That that's kind of that's a secret code, really.

unknown 15:21

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 15:22

But then when I took this role, I felt like I really need to step, I needed to step it up a notch for a couple of reasons. Like the conversations that you know happen on site, they're they're not they're not as professional as what I was getting ready to step into. That's the nicest way I can put that. Yes, yes. So, you know, there were days that I even was saying things like, Hey, you know where my wanders are, you know. So um, just just being funny there, because I live in the south and I I tend to like gravitate towards that that talk anyway. You know, I had to like do some deep reflection. First of all, like I was gonna have to be around all these women, and I didn't know how to dress. Like I said, I didn't know how to act, I didn't know how to talk to girls, like I knew nothing. I had not had girlfriends all my life, really. Like, yeah, it was yeah, just really all my life, and all my customers were my best friends. Okay, yeah, you know, because they were the people I spent the most time with, of course. So that's why I had to slow down and just kind of think things through like, where am I? This is what I want. I'm very excited about this next chapter of my life. Maybe I can make a difference for other people. You know, I was already feeling kind of not bored, but like I'd maxed out all the things I could do in the role that I was in. But I'd also been a um, I had also managed a couple of stores for a lumber yard, okay, and um knew that that was not my thing. You know, you have to be a psychiatrist to be to manage that many people.

SPEAKER_02 17:01

It's the people. Well, it's like the work all the people, yes. The work is always the work, construction, yes, fast food, it doesn't matter. Work is easy, it's the people that make it meaningful, interesting, and darn challenging.

SPEAKER_01 17:22

Yes, yes, yeah. So I I knew that stepping up from that sales position obviously was you know management in a in a location in a lumber yard or in a building supply company. And I didn't want to have anything to do with that after a couple of years of doing what I had done. I just like this is too exhausting for me. Like, and it made me dive into my emotions, which I didn't think about until I took this job. Yes, like that's one of the reasons I didn't like that job because when you're helping other people through challenges, which is your employees, then um you have to reflect. Oh, yeah. Reflection was not my thing. You know, like avoid it at all cost was kind of my motto, right? So yeah, so that's why that's why I really had to like stop and take a look. And it and and I'll tell you what drove me, which is kind of funny, but this is my MO. What drove me to be better was the fact that I wanted to be a good example.

SPEAKER_02 18:32

Ah, okay.

SPEAKER_01 18:34

To others, it wasn't because I was wanting to reflect. I wanted if I was gonna be in a role where people were watching, I wanted to make sure that I did a really good job and that I I did it the best that I could be, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_02 18:52

Absolutely, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 18:54

So that's what drove me to have to reflect. Yes, I signed up for therapy.

SPEAKER_02 19:02

Good for you, like for you on two levels that you did it and you're not ashamed to announce it.

SPEAKER_01 19:09

Oh no, I'm not now. No, I would have been. I didn't tell anybody, I didn't even tell my husband at first.

SPEAKER_02 19:16

Oh my goodness, okay, so serious, serious.

SPEAKER_01 19:19

It was serious, like, and if he would have asked me, it would have been something like, you know, I'm I'm just trying to make sure that my career's on track, you know. I wouldn't have said anything like I got stuff I gotta deal with, kind of thing. That that's kind of how it started. And I really walked in there with that whole proud attitude, right? That um we have so much in common. I've heard your story. Um, I walked in there with that real proud attitude. Like, I don't know that I really need a counselor, but I do need somebody to help me with this next job position that I'm moving into, right? Like, I don't have problems. I just want you to know that right away. Right, yes. I just have a new role and I'm not sure how to navigate. And I would love to have some have some um critical, you know, thinking around that. Of course. And so um that was that was funny how that worked.

SPEAKER_04 20:14

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:16

We didn't talk much about work for a while.

SPEAKER_02 20:20

Were you I I okay, so I'll share my experience with this latest. I and I still my therapist, Daniela. Um, we've been working together for uh over a year for sure. And I'm thinking, like, there's this thing, this one thing, right? Here's the little box I'm gonna allow you to play in, and I'm gonna work on that. And we'd like, we didn't even touch that. We're talking about everything else, and I'm like, wait a minute, girl, like this isn't like we're out of bounds here. I kept trying to bring it back, and she wouldn't let me, but I'm grateful for it because it really helped me discover what was blocking me. And of course, it was me. It was it. I had I've over the years I've learned this these types of techniques and behaviors to guard myself and isolate myself so much so that now they're just instinctual, and it creates this cycle of you know, whatever I was living in at the time, and since I've uh ultimately it got me to a place of vulnerability, right? And it's so counterintuitive because you know, in vulnerability, you're exposing yourself. People can judge you, people can hurt me all of a sudden. But the here's the the like the super interesting thing is the amount of energy that I was spending to guard myself, and like I hit a limit of growth. I didn't have to put new energy to perform better. I it was the inverse of that, right? I just saved my energy from guarding myself and my performance in in the Um the different ways to serve and share my gifts and talents exploded wide open.

SPEAKER_01 22:08

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 22:09

Same, huh?

SPEAKER_01 22:10

Yes. I can totally relate to that. Same thing. And I had no idea, right? Like, no idea what kind of energy I was using to keep anybody from knowing who I was, including myself. Yes. Like, yeah, it was it's super crazy. And how enlightening was it like the first time that that you realized, and and I know you want to talk about me, but how enlightening was it when the first time you realized that wow, I kind of like myself.

SPEAKER_02 23:31

Oh, you know, Christy. So there's two two things there. One is I wasn't that was kind of the exact question that I went to the table with. Because I'm I'm totally like I'm a hundred percent okay with not being in a remote romantic relationship, right? Right, because I know that I'm not prepared to sacrifice the amount of time and focus that a healthy relationship requires. I just know that so smart, but I wasn't sure if I if I was a bad person because of that, like what's wrong with me, or is there something wrong with me? And so it was always this fight, like this need, like I should date somebody, I should whatever, right? And every time I did that, it was you know, there's it was there was great things in those in in that kind of companionship, but the stress that it brought me was and I'm like, what's wrong with me? Why am I getting stressed? Anyway, so we got to we got to figure all of those things out, and then I remember one call, she's like, Jess, like you're it's okay, like yeah, it's not like you're out there leading ladies on, and I need to say anymore, right? It's not like you're out there leading them on and and giving them false hope, you're shutting it down right out of the gate, like, yes, ma'am, I am like, and because you're doing that, you're a good person. That's right. Oh my goodness, and I remember like I'm a I'm a good guy, I know, and and and then when I start so that you know, I was really like the the goofy conflict, the cyclical conflict was why can't people see all of me? Why don't people want all of me? Interesting, but I had all these systems and measures in place to never give them all of me, right?

SPEAKER_01 25:33

And so yeah, that's where all the energy went.

SPEAKER_02 25:35

Yes, yes. So when all of a sudden they saw the different, you know, the thoughtful side or the goofy side or whatever, the sensitive side, it would shock them. And their shock was a signal to me of I interpreted that as rejection, and so I cut them off, and it was it was all me, right? Like it was all me, and so all of a sudden I'm like, Man, little scared, I'm gonna be all me all the time, and then all of a sudden, I'm like, wow, people really like me. Like, I know, isn't that cool? This is yeah, it's so cool, so freeing. So, you access the therapist in terms of resources for this life adjustment. Yeah, were there were there any other resources that you've accumulated along the way?

SPEAKER_01 26:23

Oh, okay, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Um, I think probably one of the biggest eye-opening um resources that I had during that time of growth was Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown.

SPEAKER_02 26:37

Oh, girl, Brene Brown. I'm telling you.

SPEAKER_01 26:42

But that book, I love how you know I told you earlier, I love how um adventures work, right? Yes, that was the very first book I was committed to listening to all the way through. I'm not a reader, everything has to be short. I'm a nugget person. Like it has a lot to do with my attention span, it has a lot to do with um, I just love nuggets of truth, you know. That that's kind of my mind, that's how my mind works. And um I committed to that book, listening to it all the way through, and I did it in two days, which is a miracle for me. Miracle. And especially with the amount of things I was consuming at the time, too. Not it wasn't, you know, I was learning a new job, I didn't know anything about being a woman-owned business, like all the things, right? Like I was consuming all of the information, and but still, that book was just such an eye-opener for me in the fact that she shared so many real authentic things that I could relate to, and it didn't affect her in a negative way, other than at the time, right? Like obviously, she's successful, obviously, she her authenticity has helped millions of people. That was a huge game changer for me, knowing that she was vulnerable and authentic, and look at her now. Yes, like that's always been kind of my thing. Like, show me first, and then maybe I'll think about it. Show me that it works, and then maybe I'll think about it. So that was as just a game changer for me, and and just hearing her perspectives and all I'm a I'm a facts and figures kind of girl.

SPEAKER_03 28:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 28:30

So hearing all of her research, yes, really, really sunk into my head.

SPEAKER_03 28:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:37

So um that research and all the nuggets of truth, that's what I call that, right? Facts and figures, nuggets of truth, um really got my head in the right space when it came to George Floyd, when it came to um LGBTQ, when it came to religion, when it came to politics, because you have to remember when I started reading this, it was COVID, July 2020, I took this position. Oh my god. So the whole world changed absolutely three months before I took a new job where my whole life changed, right? Yes, so it was like I didn't know how to navigate the George Floyd, you know, I didn't know how to navigate all those things, and so just hearing her perspective on the facts and the figures helped me put it all in line where it needed to be. Yes, if that makes sense. Like it was so confusing, and it was great to be able to tell my kids, you know, I think that I have an answer for you, right? That that what my girls have inspired me to be a good example, so I wasn't always a good example with my oldest, she's 32. Like I did all the wrong things, just like you were saying. I did uh yeah, anyway, I did all the wrong things. Poor girl, the fact that she made it and she's alive is amazing. She um, you know, my inspiration comes from once I got my act together, I really wanted to be a good example for my girls. And that meant, you know, stepping up, being a leader, being the the nice person in the group and not feeling sorry for it, all those things. So when I was that back to the book, it helped me put things in in a line that made sense to me, and it wasn't far left and it wasn't far right, like in any of the subjects, right? Like I was taking all the information, and I was I know that I'm smart enough to make my own decisions. I don't have to listen to somebody else, get all the facts, get all the figures, and then let's talk about it like human beings and be nice to each other about the conversation, right? Yeah, and so that's that's where that book brought me. But at the same time, the authenticity and the vulnerability piece of that book just put it all together for me. Like that was just the that was the glue for all the stuff that had been hanging outside of my head all my life, if that makes any sense.

SPEAKER_02 31:21

100%. You know, her stuff, I I did it backwards. I got introduced to Brene Brown, and I I so I was told in like my last serious relationship that I was not vulnerable. I'm like, what do you mean I'm not? I'm totally vulnerable. And then I asked a few people, you know, that have been lifelong friends, and they're like, Yeah, Jesse, you're not, you're like the least vulnerable person I know. Like, what are you talking about? So I said, Well, I need to learn about vulnerability, and so I started Googling, and I saw I saw um Brene's TED Talk. Oh, yeah, and I said, Okay, I need to buy her books. And I can't remember, I don't, I think the first one I read was Dare to Lead, and then boom, boom, boom, I read two more of her books, and and and then it was clear, like, oh yeah, okay, I'm not vulnerable. And to your your comment about being able to connect all the pieces, the first person that I was not authentic with was myself. Absolutely, and and I had, you know, she talks a lot about shame, and a lot of her work is on studying shame and the impact of that. And I'm like, oh my goodness, okay, I got that one too. And and here's the awesome thing is as I become more authentic with myself and more vulnerable about my thoughts and my feelings, reconciling these types of things like the George Floyd incident and COVID and everything else that's happened, it's so much easier because you know what? It's what I believe and what I feel, right? And you don't have to believe and feel what I believe and feel, and we can it's okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:03

Okay, it is just okay, yes.

SPEAKER_02 33:06

Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_01 33:07

I love that.

SPEAKER_02 33:09

Well, so a couple of things, like I want to point this out to the LM family, and and thank you for sharing these like huge live lessons, right? Slow down, pause, and access resources to help you in your growth, like simple things along be kind, but profound, right? Profound. And then you talked about nuggets, you like nuggets, and so here's a nugget. There's a book coming out with a nugget or two directly from you, Miss Christy. Aw, yeah, so I forgot about that. Yeah, our book is coming out, it's gonna be here, lean in love. Um relationships, and there's there's during the live streams on the five S in relationships. You had asked or commented about a checklist for like the the the things we were talking about, and so we have one, we put one together.

SPEAKER_01 34:08

Oh, that's awesome!

SPEAKER_02 34:09

Inspired by you, Miss Chrissy. So as soon as that thing comes out, I I hope I hope you enjoy what what you see. So, and thank you for your contribution there.

SPEAKER_01 34:18

Yeah, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 34:20

Oh, that was so exciting!

SPEAKER_01 34:21

I was so honored when you told me that. I was like, oh, that's so cool.

SPEAKER_03 34:25

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:27

But but that's back to that point, right? Of what I learned is my authenticity and vulnerability to ask for the things that I need have helped so many people, not just me. Like I've always been focused on others and not me. And and what happens is you get ran over, right? Oh, yeah. So that's when you put your guard up and you don't want anybody else to know who you are.

SPEAKER_03 34:50

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 34:51

So, but I've also seen so much good from that, from me being authentic and vulnerable. Then I see other people being more authentic and vulnerable, contagious, and then I realize that I'm not the only one who thinks about these things, right? Yes, and that also makes you feel good that you're not like like separate from everybody else. That's what happens to us, right? When we put up that big guard, is that we we really cut ourselves off from the world and even our own self.

SPEAKER_02 35:24

Yes, yeah, we we tell ourselves a lie, and then we spend all our energy making everybody else believe it.

SPEAKER_01 35:31

Yes, true. That is so true.

SPEAKER_02 35:34

Yeah, let's just not do that, yeah. Uh, so you mentioned you were a firefighter and you mentioned several other careers. So I'm wondering, way back, I don't know, as far back as you're willing to go, middle school, high school, what career was it that you were working towards at that time in your life?

SPEAKER_01 35:53

This is so funny. Um, I wanted to be a lawyer. Oh, okay. And it was because even at a young age, all these things we just talked about, you know what you have to be really good at when you're faking it? Negotiating. Yeah, you gotta make everybody believe what you're faking, right? Yes, ma'am. I mean, truly, like I didn't want people to know who what I was dealing with, what my life was like, right? So, you know, I was just a great negotiator at an early age, and then you know, my passion and excitement included with that negotiation turns into a very fruitful argument. I've always been very good at like pulling up facts and figures, finding all the right details to have a short conversation with a male, right? Men don't want to talk for a long time. So I've always that I learned over 27 years, right? Being in the industry, but you know, I put all that together and I can tell you in three sentences how we can make the WBE world a better place.

SPEAKER_04 37:06

Boom.

SPEAKER_01 37:07

And it and people are like, whoa, really? Yeah, you know, like how did you get there in three sentences? Well, a lot of thought, research, facts, figures. And so um, when it comes to an argument, I got it. Like, you're not gonna win this. I won't even go into it with you. If I think that you might win, I'll wait until I have all the information, unless you're my friend, and then you know, I might over dinner have that conversation. Like, I'm just thinking out loud right here, but this is what I think, right? But otherwise, I'm I'm like, I'm not going to the table in an in a in an argument that matters without all the ammo. I got all the ammo.

unknown 37:53

Good.

SPEAKER_01 37:53

So you mentioned lawyer was great for me at that time. Like, I was that way even then.

SPEAKER_02 37:59

Were you in like debate, uh debate group? I wasn't. Oh, you weren't. You were just good.

SPEAKER_01 38:05

I was super big into sports, and you could hide in sports easily. Oh, yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02 38:10

Yes, totally.

SPEAKER_01 38:11

I was a cheerleader for one year, hated it.

SPEAKER_02 38:15

Really?

SPEAKER_01 38:16

Yes, hated it.

SPEAKER_02 38:17

Was it the personalities that you didn't like? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:22

I didn't like my personality because I was trying to pretend to be like somebody that even more so that I wasn't.

SPEAKER_04 38:29

Oh, I see.

SPEAKER_01 38:31

If that made sense, right? Like I I was trying to fit in with people that weren't my people. I didn't know that at the time, but I was just very uncomfortable in that space.

SPEAKER_04 38:41

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 38:42

So most of the girls I was on the cheerleading squad with may maybe had a better home life in my mind, right? I I didn't know that, but in my mind, they had a better home life, they had more money, they had better clothes, they had better cars, you know what I mean? So it just felt uh it felt like an uncomfortable space to me. And they weren't they weren't kind to me, but that was just now I know uh getting older, right? That was just high school girls, right?

SPEAKER_02 39:12

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 39:13

I I have always that has been probably one of my biggest gifts is being kind, yeah, to the point that you get walked all over all the time. So I never felt like I fit in really with anybody. Because even though I put up this big facade, I was always I always wanted to make other people feel better than me.

SPEAKER_04 39:37

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 39:38

So I just felt like I didn't fit in. But anyway, I got out of cheerleading really quickly. Didn't even try out the second year. Yeah, and my mom, my mom's a golf pro. So I had to play golf whether I wanted to or not, anyway. So um I just added track and field and some other things, and and I loved it, and I was really athletic, so I loved that I was good at it, right? Just like work. I was good at it, so I just wanted to do more and more and more. Yes, but if I wasn't good at it, I didn't want to do it.

SPEAKER_02 40:09

Yeah, so there's that that like comfort zone thing, right? Like, I'm gonna do what I'm good at because for me to learn something new is going to show that I'm not good at it, so I'm just gonna keep doing this thing over here that other people and it's like reinforcing because everybody else, like, wow, you're so great, you're so good at this. And the fact is, I'm a big chicken, yeah, because I ain't trying nothing new.

SPEAKER_01 40:33

Totally. Well, I love trying things new. That was that was the difference between me and you. Uh like I got bored way too easily, so I was I enjoyed being out of my comfort zone as long as I wasn't in the front, and maybe that's why cheerleading was terrible, right? You're up front because you're in front, right? Yeah, like learning something new when nobody else knows I'm learning something new is totally different. Scenario, right?

SPEAKER_02 41:00

Yes, yes, yes. Now you you talk about high school uh dynamics, yeah. And you know, it I wonder what are your thoughts. Here's here's my thought on it. You know, I've worked for multiple companies, I've worked for trade partners, I worked for general contractors, I've worked for owners. Me too, and it always feels like high school.

SPEAKER_01 41:23

What do you think? Oh my gosh, that's so hilarious. You just mentioned that. We are we are in the last three weeks, I've been in conversations with some of my best executive friends about this very thing.

SPEAKER_02 41:37

Really?

SPEAKER_01 41:38

We are just amazed. There's a few of us that are just really amazed at the amount of people in their 30s to 50s, you know, in our age group that are still in that mentality. Like that's mind-blowing to me because I left that behind for a reason. And so stepping into this role and being around a lot of executives, I thought that I thought that things were gonna be a little that would look a little differently, right? And I thought that we would all conduct ourselves like adults.

SPEAKER_03 42:09

Sure.

SPEAKER_01 42:10

And it is like high sometimes, it's like grade school. You have to admit it.

SPEAKER_02 42:16

Only when I'm there.

SPEAKER_01 42:18

Well, I mean, uh I'm always acting like that, by the way. You don't know that about me yet, but I'm like the queen dork of my family. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 42:25

Oh, I love it.

SPEAKER_01 42:26

Yeah, so that's probably the the transparent thing that I probably wouldn't tell somebody right off the bat. But I am the biggest dork and I really like it now. I used to hide now, don't tell anybody I'm a dork, right?

SPEAKER_03 42:41

Sure.

SPEAKER_01 42:41

Now I'm like, that's just who I am. Take it or leave it. But yeah, we we we are struggling a little bit. I am personally struggling with the fact that adults are acting like children, right? Yep, yep, you know, petty and you know, um ego, you know, the ego trips and the, you know, and it's not just men and it's not just men, like it's men and women. It it's it's all people, but it's been surprising.

SPEAKER_02 43:10

Yes, no, well, you know, I think it's important lesson for for for the LM family is like for real, people are people that like we think. I know me when I when I left the trade partner space, I was there for over 20 years, and I'm going to the big gigantic GC, and I'm thinking, like, these are gonna be the sharpest, like just the elite of the elite because of their education and the amount of you know billions of dollars of backlog that they're managing and this sort of thing. And not to not to say they weren't there weren't some super talented and amazing people that I work with, but it ain't like in the movies, no, where right the the executives are like whip smart, they know what they're gonna like. Everybody's just trying to figure it out, right?

SPEAKER_01 44:00

People are people that I do love that, yes.

SPEAKER_02 44:03

That's and I'm like, oh, I think I can play with these folks, yeah, yeah. Uh and and it again back to like that was along the same timeline of me um investing in myself and building my vulnerable, discovering my vulnerability, making these realizations at the same time. So all of a sudden, I went from the bottom of the barrel being lucky to be at the table to saying, no, no, no, I've got tremendous value to offer. Yes, and here I am, I'm gonna bring it. Are you ready? Yes, totally different. So WBE, can you tell us what those letters stand for?

SPEAKER_01 44:45

I can.

SPEAKER_02 44:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 44:46

I can now. All right. It's women business enterprise.

SPEAKER_02 44:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 44:53

So um I handle all the women-owned business for 84 Lumber. Okay. And it really got created so that women would have a level playing field in all business. So the government saw that women were not getting the kind of business that they needed. And this program came out of that. It's, you know, we're going to help women succeed, and this is how we're going to do it, kind of thing. And so the government started it, and it did make a huge change, like right away, within five years, I think it was, they had already given $17.7 million worth of business to women-owned businesses. Like they were able to track that. And it's just evolved from there. And each culture change, each generation has added its value to that too. So now it's even better than it was before. The government is doing it. Now they have ESGs, which I don't know if you're familiar with that. I'm just familiarizing myself with it. But it's environmental, social, and governance responsibility. And now these investors out there are expecting the people that they do business with to be that.

SPEAKER_03 46:04

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 46:04

To make sure that they're responsible in environment and responsible and social, um, and then responsible in governance of you know what whatever field that they're playing in or working in. It's been really interesting and back to my lawyer piece, right? Like all the things that I'm learning about the government and being able to talk to policy um makers, it's been really cool because I'm satisfying that very early dream that I thought was never going to go anywhere. To now I'm very involved and I understand policies and procedures, and I want to learn more, and I want to be a voice of reason in the room if I get the opportunity. And um, that's been super cool to be able to live that baby dream, right? Yeah. But I'm not a lawyer, I don't have to argue all day.

SPEAKER_02 47:02

Oh, yes. Well, I've had the privilege of witnessing your professionalism and your focus on on getting somewhere because we both are you excited about us getting skilled trades alliance? Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 47:18

Yes, very excited. That was that's one of my highlights, really, of my career, honestly, is being involved in Skilled Trades Alliance. Yeah, just knowing that I'm I've always loved startups, that's why I switched jobs a lot because if there was a new startup company, I was all about that. And so when Adam reached out to me, I was so excited because you know, not only was it a startup, but it was a startup that mattered. It fit all my excitement and all my passion and all my startup loving things all into one place, and um, and just getting to know you and getting to know Adam and getting, you know, just being on the board of the Skilled Trades Alliance, that's been such a blessing to me. Yes, yes, likewise other people that love the same things that you do, right? Absolutely making the workforce a much better place, yes, that's that's what it's all about.

SPEAKER_02 48:18

Uh now, so skilled trades alliance, WBE, you made this big transformation, so yeah, I I think you kind of undersold what people need to know about you at the beginning. I think so. And there's too much. It's amazing, you know. Is uh you're a uh gracious and humble human being, kind.

SPEAKER_01 48:45

Oh, thank you.

SPEAKER_02 48:46

And just like what you took away from watching Brene, listening to her message and seeing where she is today, you're gonna do the same thing for other people. Yes, people don't know about all the ways that you're contributing to leave this world better than you found it. Yes, you're underserving. So, yes, what's the other thing? There's this I heard about a podcast that you're co-hosting. Let's just hear about that.

SPEAKER_01 49:15

So, yeah, so we have a podcast um called Women Talk Construction, and that just happened. Gosh, everything just happened so fast. So I can't even tell you the time frame, but we actually launched our first podcast on March the 7th, which was women in construction women in history month, but women in construction week.

SPEAKER_04 49:37

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 49:38

So um I'm on there with my co-host Angela Gardner. Between the two of us, we have 58, 60 years of experience, boots on the ground, right? Like real-time construction efforts, but also a lot of entrepreneurship ideas.

SPEAKER_03 49:55

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 49:55

She ran all three of her dad's companies. Um, and her dad was a famous architect. So we just we have a lot of information, and when we were able to get together and like make that click happen, we were like, and then my passion about helping other people and her passion about helping other people, not just women, but everybody, it just made sense. And then, you know, we were being um asked questions on a daily basis from you know, not only our customers, but people who knew us in the community, or you know, I was involved in a lot of organizations, and we were being asked on a regular basis, hey, um, how do I get more women to work with me? Like we need more women in our space. How do we do that? And so after 25 coffees with folks, we decided we have a job to do, we can't really do that. So let's just do a podcast, and it's gonna help our companies, it's gonna help our environment. I want more than anything for everybody to remember me by the fact that I made it better for them.

SPEAKER_04 51:06

Yes, right.

SPEAKER_01 51:08

Like I was able to do things to make things better for the next generation. And hopefully I can see that before I die, right? That would that would be wonderful, and we are seeing a change, but yeah, that's what women talk construction is all about. We don't talk just about construction, we're talking, we're interviewing women like the bomb.com women, by the way.

SPEAKER_02 51:31

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:32

I mean, unbelievable. So I went from not knowing any women to the best women in the world, yeah. Of course, that was the coolest thing ever. Like, I didn't even know that these women were powerhouses, right? Yes, in all kinds of industries. I wasn't alone anymore, and it was so cool to not feel alone. And um, so we're interviewing these women and we're telling their stories so that the next generation, even even mostly girls, right? But but the next generation of people, we want them to see that we can do it. Yes, we can do whatever we want to do, right? We can do whatever we want to do. All you have to do is say, Hey, I think I want to do that. And then you be vulnerable and you be authentic and you ask somebody, can you help me do this? And we are just really encouraging the workforce, um, trying to get more people to see that there's so many options out there. If you don't want to go to college, there's so many options out there. If you do want to go to college, yes, there are so many things that you can do. I was working three jobs when I fell into construction. Wow, and when I fell into construction, and I was a single mom. So when I fell into construction, I did not have to work three jobs anymore. I want everybody to know that. Like I want you to understand this is not only a great job where people are family oriented, but it's also a great paying job. You can take care of your family, right? So Angela and I's passion around many things uh created women's talk construction.

SPEAKER_02 53:14

Well, sister, your passion is bleeding through right now. I got chills.

SPEAKER_01 53:18

I'm like, yo, let's go do this. Whatever it is, I'll follow you.

SPEAKER_02 53:21

Tell me what to do.

SPEAKER_01 53:23

I'm very motivated. Very motivated, but I I think I think really and truthfully, the the whole goal of women talk construction, like I said, was to to just get the word out. People aren't aren't talking about it enough. And women in general, and we're not just interviewing women, we're gonna have you on the podcast. Yes. Um, we are also interviewing men who support women well.

SPEAKER_02 53:50

Awesome.

SPEAKER_01 53:51

So we want the the next generation, we want everybody to hear why you do that, because we have been quiet. Women in general don't like to boast. The hardest thing I've ever done since I took this role is to write my own, just like you said, I undersell myself, right? Like I don't want to boast, but you know what? A really wise woman told me one time, she said, if we don't, as women, start talking about the great things we're doing, how are we gonna teach the girls coming behind us to do great things? And I was like, Oh, you know, like my feed for being a good example was like, Oh, I got I gotta do this. So I'm learning, but um, but I still have to have a writer to write my own stuff. Like I can write other people's great achievements, right? Like I can list them all forever, but it's so hard to talk about yourself. So that's why the podcast was important. But Angela and I, yeah, we are lifting these women up and letting them tell their story, and they don't feel like it's a conversation like you and I are having. So they don't feel like um they're out there going, I did this and I did that. It's a conversation and a storytelling type of thing.

SPEAKER_02 55:09

Oh my goodness. I've listened to several of the episodes, and I'll just LM Foundry, you got to check it out because if you need for me, this is what it does for me. Amazing people, you said it, right? Bomb.com hosts, bomb.com guests. Uh, but the conversation is so calming, like I just it's soothing, it soothes me. I just feel I feel like, man, that was that was a very pleasant experience. I just want to chill now. I love I love that.

SPEAKER_01 55:42

It's I nobody's ever said that before, so thank you. Like that must be the thing. I I have heard people say it's just your voice is soothing, right? My husband and my kids do not tell me that it's soothing, nobody's ever told me that before. So hopefully it is, but it's great, it's great to know that we're not only like sharing some really important things, but it's also making you feel like this, you know, this is calming and this is um something I really want to listen to. It's very positive. There's no negativity in it.

SPEAKER_02 56:21

No, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 56:22

And my my big thing too with this podcast, Angela and I both feel the same way, is we're never gonna put another human being down on this podcast ever. We're better together. Men and women are better together, right? We were created differently, and when we put all of our gifts together, we're better together.

SPEAKER_02 56:42

Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. No, it is absolutely an experience. The content is gorgeous, but it is an expansive experience to listen to y'all, get the understanding the mission. It again, y'all gotta check it out because I said so, and that's the bottom line. You remember that one? So, Miss Christy, you've got an incredible amount of experience, and you've served the people out there in so many different ways, and along that path, I imagine you've had some learnings and missteps. And so, what I want to know is what is a significant learning you had as a result of a painful misstep?

SPEAKER_01 57:31

Hmm. So, I guess I'm still struggling with that one.

SPEAKER_02 57:36

Okay. Um man, I know it was just getting good. And here I am breaking up the flow again. But I can't help myself. If you want the rest of this tasty morsel of goodness, head on over to our YouTube channel and look for the Backstage Pass playlist. You're gonna find this one and a whole library of previous backstage passes, where our guests share like super intimate stuff, like ultimate cheat codes for self-discovery and personal growth. There's a lot of value there for you and for any youngins, any of the younglings in your life. And if you want to get this fire, this backstage pass fire before anybody else does, go on over to learninsandmissteps.com, hit the become a member button, do all the stuff you need to do, select a thing, but everybody that becomes a patron will get first access to every single backstage pass that we record going forward. And just in case you missed it, those funds are gonna contribute to enhancing the image of careers in the trade. 80% of that is gonna be going to Skilled Trades Alliance. The other 20%, the learnings and missteps, is gonna keep that to pay taxes and do some other things. Um, we are blessed and we are fortunate, and we are here to spread the love and share the wealth with people that are carrying the same mission and demonstrating the behaviors that we see. Okay, that's enough. Now we're going back to the show. Peace. Thank you for sharing that because that is that's a pretty darn significant learning, right? And it's not one of those learnings that we can get from watching a webinar, no, right? It kind of slaps you in the face.

SPEAKER_01 59:34

Well, I think it's funny too. Do you find that you are more inclined to make friends with people that are nothing like you?

SPEAKER_02 59:43

Oh, totally.

SPEAKER_01 59:45

So it's been really weird. You know, I sat back now and look, and like all of my friends are super laid back. Yes, almost all of them. And I'm like, okay, so they're just evening all of my up and you know, excited, passionate, like always over the top. They're just settling me down, right? Yes, because they're always so laid back, even when I get really excited and passionate, they're just really calm and like even Angela, like she's like that, super calm. Yeah, she's super calm, yeah, super calm. So I'll get super excited about something and I'll be like, let's go, right? And then she's just like, Yeah, let's go, you know, but I love it because it's just helped me stay even. Yes, that makes sense. Like totally when I get up here, it brings me back down to an even is good. I never used to think even was good.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:48

Yes, even is good, even is great. Yeah, Adam and I were just talking about that this week. Um, because he had a major celebration, he had a uh a workshop locally, yes, yesterday.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:01

Yes, and it was one of my friends got to go to that.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:03

Oh, did they? Yes, oh, I bet they had man. You know, Adam, that that boy is a passionate man and smart, like he's got it going on, and we were talking about uh improvement, and he we I probably you too, a bunch of the people I know suffer from we don't know how to celebrate, like we can have a big win, and the only thing we see is what didn't happen, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:01:30

We see the negative, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:32

What we have to fix, what do we gotta fix? And it's like, well, for me, because I'm a lean freak, what's continuous improvement? That's what I that's what I've conditioned myself. That's the excuse I use for that behavior, and the truth is nothing can operate at a hundred percent all the time, nothing, robots, machines, they all need to be serviced, they all need to be maintained, and I'm also kind of human, so same thing. Yes, we gotta turn it off, you know. You surrounding yourself with calm people, it's like this um uh what's the word, intuitive, like you're not even subconsciously intuitive thing that you're doing to balance yourself. And yeah, there's um I I can't remember where I read it, I read it somewhere, and it was talking about, and it's a practice that I have, so it's like a I created my my own personal advisory council, and I have that too. Do you really?

SPEAKER_01 1:02:38

Yeah, so you know I love it, yes, and that was something Brene taught me.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:45

Maybe that's where I got it from. That's probably where I got it from, and it's I specifically like I'm fortunate that there's amazing superheroes in my life that will tolerate me. Let me add that part, yeah. But the advisory council is is uh they're specifically there for very specific reasons, like they're amazing people that I respect and appreciate, and they value me, and so there's that, but there I have real gaps, like I have there's things that I need to work on, like my energy. I need people that are you know that can help me balance that, and I need people that are very practical in their thinking. Yes, because I'm like, oh, there's a hill, let's jump off of it, like that's right.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:33

Let's jump out of an airplane today. That sounds like fun.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:36

It'll be fun. What about parachutes? Ah, we'll order those, we'll be all right. Uh, so beautiful, like, and that's what it's all about. There's people around us. How do we connect with them? And how can we be intentional about who we select to have and speak into our lives? Like, because we absolutely are making a choice when we're got people around us.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:01

Yes, yeah, I love that. Yeah, and I did learn, I think I did learn that from Brene. And in that advisory council is so key. Have you noticed that when you run into a challenge that if it's really hard and you've thought about it for days, it's like, okay, it's time to bring the troops in, right? And you start making phone calls. I need to know what you think about this, and I need your honest opinion.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:25

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:26

And you know, each one of those advisory councils has a different part of their personality that you need to keep you in line, yes, per se, right? Yes, and sometimes that's your therapist.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:41

Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:43

Sometimes it's your doctor, sometimes it's you know, it's an executive that you admire that you want to be like someday, or you want to be more like, or sometimes it's Jesus. Yes, like really and truthfully, it um it just helps keep you in line. And then you take all that data, you know, I'm a facts and figures girl, and I take all that data that I get from all those people, and then I put together what what my next step is, like it's no longer a challenge.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:12

Yep, and they see it so clearly. Like for me, it's like how do I not see that? I know, and that's all good. Lesson learned, carry it forward.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:21

Well, you can't see the tree, you can't see the trees for the forest. No, you can't see the forest from the for the trees. You that's what it is. Yeah, I do that too, especially when you're like you and I are like excited and passionate and you know, a go-getter. So you just want to jump off the cliff. Why do we have to wait to jump off the cliff? Why do we have to go get a parachute? Like just just jump. What the heck? Let's have some fun. Come on. And your advisory groups going, okay, here's here's the clothes you need to wear, here's the safety glasses, here's your hard hat, here's the parachute, you know. Each one of those members of your advisory council plays a perfect role.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:06

Yes, ma'am, 100%. Oh my goodness. Okay, so we're gonna we're sliding into home. I'm excited about your response to this question. Uh, and so the question is what footprint do you intend to leave on the world?

SPEAKER_01 1:06:23

Well, I think I hit on it a little bit earlier, is that I just want the space that we are navigating right now, which is non traditional careers. We want it to be better. Like, I really want that footprint. I Want a female in my role to be able to walk in to that job at the age of 20s and 30s, whatever that happens to be for someone, and feel welcome and a better sense of kindness there, right? Like our industry is wild. Lots of yelling and screaming, lots of yelling and screaming. I hope that that footprint is gonna make it a better that what we're doing, you know, as a group, it's not just me, but I hope that my effort is gonna leave a footprint where kids are gonna start coming into our industry and go, this is a great place to work and it makes me feel good to be here.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:27

Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:28

Like it's not just a great place to work, it feels good to be here. And so, and building a community for women where they feel supported and know that they are enough and they can be anything and do anything. That those are two footprints, but I think that they really align together.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:47

And um, you know, we have those events called Women Confidence Builders who now BMW is actually going to be partnering with us in August. So it's gonna go from a sold-out event to a mega sold-out event at a convention center, which is all like amazing. We've we've only had three events, so surprising. But it's called Women Confidence Builders, and that's where we're building everybody up to have confidence, and not just women are invited, men are invited too, and we're sharing stories about confidence, and kids are leaving there, we're inviting high school students, and kids are leaving there feeling like they can do anything. They leave that that lunch feeling like they can do anything, so um, that's the footprint. And and Laura Bigger staff and I actually started that out of just a passion to help others feel the way we do better, more confident. You know, therapy's okay, being kind to each other is okay. We can change the world one gentle conversation at a time. That's my thing. I love to say that. Love to say that we're better together, right? Those two things we just really want to emphasize that. So that's the footprint that I hope is something that people would talk about me when I'm gone, right?

SPEAKER_02 1:09:14

Well, Christy, I'm going to ask, request that when you find a way for me to contribute to your footprints, please invite me.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:26

Oh, I would love that.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:28

I I I want to be a part of that. You're you're amazing. Um, you've done so much. And I and you know, we talked about a lot of really great things. Like you're at the end, you're still dropping these nuggets. I'm like, oh yeah, I put together a conference, like, don't be here. Um, and I bet there's just a whole other list of amazing things that you've done. And I know because this is just truth, I know there's a whole list of people, human beings out there that you've touched directly and indirectly, that you may not know who they are, but it's happening, right? Like that's what you're doing. Um, and and that's that's the thing, that's the most important thing here as it relates to the podcast, is because we want to, if people saw us on a job site, they would not know, they don't know. Construct what are construction professionals do? What like uh change the world? Well, at least Christy does, but so does Jesse.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:27

So does Jesse and Jen and Adam.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:29

Yeah, like there's so many people out there doing amazing things for their community. Yeah, um so thank you for for giving us your time. Any shout-outs you want to offer for any of your people?

SPEAKER_01 1:10:43

Yeah, I mean, I I guess I have to shout out to, you know, I was telling you earlier, Women Talk Construction. We we have um an amazing human being who has volunteered all of their time and effort to making uh our podcast successful because he believes in what we do and it matters to him. And actually, he said uh one time that he is doing this because God called him to let me shine right now. And it just so happens to be my husband. Oh, shout out to Christy's husband, and honestly, I could probably tear up right now, but um the man is a genius when it comes to technology, has his own uh technology company, but he uses it as a ministry. And so um it has been super cool to work with him. So, you know, obviously, Angela and Laura, you know, you guys like shout out to Skilled Trades Alliance, shout out to Women Builders Council in New York, they're doing some great things for women in the industry. Um, shout out to ABC Associated Builders and Contractors. What they're doing right now for folks in construction has been mind-blowing, needed. They've got some things that are rolling out next week. You guys keep your eyes open for it. Gonna be a game changer for the construction industry, anybody that's in construction. Um, similar to the lean, what you you guys are doing, only on the people side of things, right? An academy for diversity, emotional intelligence, those kind of things. Yeah, so really excited about that. Um yeah, I could shout out to a lot of people, and that's what makes me want to keep doing more. I'm surrounded by all these great people and organizations, right? That are doing great things. Like I could sit home and watch the media and think it's terrible. But when I got out in the world and started meeting people and seeing all the good people doing all the good things, I'm like, how can I have a negative attitude? Like, I just need to quit watching TV. So um that that would be it, you know. And if you are down, if you are feeling anxious, if you are down, I just want to encourage you look around, you know, get connected with some people in your community. There's a lot of great people out there that are wanting to make a difference and get to know them and make your life a better place, too.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:22

Boom. And we're gonna close with that.

unknown 1:13:25

Man, whoo!

SPEAKER_02 1:13:26

Now, was that not a powerful conversation? Christy's got it going on, and and just like the rest of the LM family out there, she just the behavior she demonstrates remind me to to continue being humble and continue serving, and we are better together. Along with this being better together, I got to give a shout out to Miss Maria Martin, member of the No BS Tribe. Uh, this this feedback she gave came in response to the last episode's closing and shout out to the whole LM family out there for helping us achieve the 5,000 downloads. I got I got pretty emotional. I was I was overcome with emotion and gratitude and all of the beautiful touchy-feely things, and you can hear it um in the audio, and you can see it on the video now that it's on podcast. So don't make fun of me, y'all. Um, but Miss Maria Martin says this Jesse, you are doing an amazing job. Thank you for meeting me where I was on this portion of the journey. Some of y'all already know this, but for all the new LM family members, my style of supporting people is meeting them where they're at, understanding where they're coming from, where they're starting, and where we're headed, so that I can escort them through self-discovery and developing into the servant leaders that our industry so desperately needs. And as we all grow together, be cool and we'll talk at you next time. Peace. Man, you are one dedicated listener, sticking with us all the way through to the very, very end. Please know that this podcast dies without you. And we invite you to share how the episode is impacting you, along with your thoughts, questions, and suggestions. You've been gracious with your time, so we added social media links in the show notes to make it super easy for you to connect with us. Be kind to yourself, stay cool, and we'll talk at you next time.