1 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Emily, and this is and you're listening 2 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: to stuff Mom never told you today. I'm thrilled to 3 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:24,319 Speaker 1: talk to this topic. It's a topic that comes up 4 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: kind of a lot, and that is women in the trades. 5 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:32,880 Speaker 1: We're thinking about trades like plumbing, welding, union back tool whielders, 6 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: pipe flitters, mechanics, electricians, electricians, all the things, all the 7 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 1: things with all the tools, all the things, with all 8 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,559 Speaker 1: the tools. The trades are kind of a hot thing 9 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: right now. There's lots and lots of money to be 10 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:47,600 Speaker 1: made in these kinds of industries. But unfortunately, like most things, 11 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: women are tragically underrepresented in the trades right and I 12 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: think it has a lot to do with the emphasis 13 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 1: in the last few decades, especially on everybody getting a 14 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: four your college education and a d emphasis structurally, even 15 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: if you look at our public education system on trade schools, 16 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 1: on shop class programs. If you read this great book 17 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 1: called shop Class for Soul Craft, the author talks about 18 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 1: going from being a think tank person here in d C. 19 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: Operating in the policy world, to becoming a motorcycle mechanic 20 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: and how he really compares that to America's emphasis on 21 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: not blue collar work really on the white collar work environment. 22 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: Now that's left us with a shortage of skilled trades 23 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:41,320 Speaker 1: men and trades women here in the United States. So 24 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: to talk about, you know, what should I study? What 25 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: should my major be to get a guaranteed job when 26 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 1: I graduate college? Well, maybe should consider a different kind 27 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:52,919 Speaker 1: of schooling altogether. I always say to women who asked 28 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: me for career advice that has to do with avoiding 29 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 1: boatloads of debt from four your collegiate institutions. And I say, 30 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: have you considered a career in the trades because there's 31 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: a ton of money to be made there and not 32 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: a lot of people making it. There's a lot of 33 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: money to be made, and I think it's so right 34 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: that not everybody needs to go to a four year 35 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 1: college to have a successful life. When you look at 36 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: what a lot of people can make working a trade 37 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:18,680 Speaker 1: like electrician or plumber, there's a lot of money to 38 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:20,799 Speaker 1: be made. And I think you're exactly right that we 39 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 1: should be perhaps not over emphasizing the importance of getting 40 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: a four year degree and going to business school or 41 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:29,920 Speaker 1: getting a white collar office job when there are these plentiful, 42 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: well paid jobs that really anybody can can can learn 43 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 1: these skills. I mean, trade school still is something, right 44 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 1: like you still have or apprenticeships at the very least, 45 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: which can be a little bit challenging in terms of 46 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 1: accessibility because oftentimes those apprenticeships are unpaid internships. But there's 47 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: lots of ways I think to retool for this economy. 48 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: Knowing that we do have a labor shortage in the 49 00:02:55,480 --> 00:03:00,959 Speaker 1: United States when it comes to things like plumbing and mechanics, uh, 50 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: and also knowing that women represent just eight point nine 51 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: percent of construction workforce, for instance, or just a small 52 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: minority of things like welding or being an h VAC 53 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: service technician or being an electrician. You know, these are 54 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 1: industries that are growing in terms of talent demand, and 55 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: not many women are entering those fields for lots of 56 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: different reasons. And there's not a lot of women entering 57 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 1: these fields. And really there's some history on why that is. 58 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: Title seven of the Civil Rights Act of nineteen sixty 59 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: four prohibited employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, 60 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: or national origin, but in subsequent years, further legislation was 61 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: needed to encourage the integration of minorities into the construction industry. 62 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: In sixty five, President Johnson issued an executive order which 63 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: required construction contractors who held federally or federally assisted contracts 64 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: to take affirmative action in hiring and the retention of minorities. 65 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: The Office of Federal Contracts and Compliance, or o f 66 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: CC as you might know it UM, was then created 67 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: within the Department of Labor to oversee this compliance. But 68 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 1: two years later, President Johnson amended the order to expressly 69 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: prohibit gender discrimination. So it's like the industry construction needed 70 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:17,480 Speaker 1: some continuous handholding even after the Civil Rights Act was passed. 71 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: So it's like this industry in particular has a history 72 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:23,040 Speaker 1: of non compliance when it comes to equal opportunity and 73 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,160 Speaker 1: hiring totally. And it wasn't until ninety eight that there 74 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: was really a landmark landmark here for women in the trades, 75 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: namely construction. President Carter announced another executive order, this time 76 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: setting goals in time tables for the percentage of contract 77 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: work hours served by women. The goal for two was 78 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: six point nine, which is not that much. It's not 79 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,720 Speaker 1: that much. It's just so six point nine of the 80 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 1: hours worked in the United States on construction sites, we're 81 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: supposed to go to women laborers, but here we are 82 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:57,119 Speaker 1: thirty years later and not even half of that goal 83 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 1: has been met. Yeah, so it's not so. It hasn't 84 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: been great for women in the trades um. And it's 85 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 1: currently not great for women in the trades in terms 86 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: of representation. So it's funny because we see companies in 87 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,040 Speaker 1: the tech industry get a lot of smack for not 88 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 1: reaching their goals. We see a high demand for getting 89 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:21,040 Speaker 1: more equal gender representation uh in those fields, But when 90 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,720 Speaker 1: it comes to things like construction and the trades, much 91 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:30,119 Speaker 1: less press and much less public pressure is on those 92 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:34,039 Speaker 1: industries it seems at least to really do more to 93 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:38,160 Speaker 1: make their work cultures welcoming to women exactly. There are 94 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: some serious barriers to entry when it comes to these 95 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:42,600 Speaker 1: kinds of fields. They aren't always very easy to break into. 96 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: Some trades require unpaid pre apprenticeship programs, which are basically 97 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 1: just doing work learning it for free, um. And this 98 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: can be tough for folks who are low income or 99 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: on their second or third job, or have family support, 100 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: support and all that. Um. Sometimes these jobs can be 101 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: competitive and seasonal. You know, if you're in a field 102 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: where in the summertime it's really hop in, but in 103 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,600 Speaker 1: the winter it's not really that big things like air 104 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 1: conditioning repair or um heating and cooling, things like that, 105 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:09,839 Speaker 1: things that are tied with specific season. It can be 106 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: a little bit tough. Um also, they can there can 107 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,920 Speaker 1: be barriers where it's just employers being really crappy. When 108 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: it comes to employment law. Federal law requires that construction 109 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: contractors make quote every good faith effort to have women 110 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,840 Speaker 1: constitute six point nine percent of their workforce. But they 111 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:30,040 Speaker 1: aren't really doing that right, and there's very few vehicles 112 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 1: for holding them accountable. There's very few mechanisms for oversight 113 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:36,919 Speaker 1: in terms of making that happen and come on, people, 114 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 1: six point nine That is a goal set in the sixties. 115 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: That is not that significant. So I feel like at 116 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 1: the very least we should be able to make that 117 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 1: possible and make that happen. But making quote every good 118 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 1: faith effort is the most subjective terminology. Every good faith 119 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:57,840 Speaker 1: effort is you put a flyer up or something trying 120 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: to find more women, and I shouted it from the rooftops. 121 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: Didn't happen exactly, but I mean I get it. From 122 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:06,839 Speaker 1: a recruitment standpoint, this is a field that's still dominated 123 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: by men. And just like that binders full of women 124 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 1: comment that Romney and his team made back in twelve saying, listen, 125 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 1: we we tried to find women. We had binders full 126 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: of women in which who we were considering for these positions. 127 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 1: There needs to be more done to make sure that 128 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: the pipeline is flowing in terms of women in trade schools, 129 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: but also the trade school to employment pipeline as well. 130 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 1: I think we need to do more. And there's their 131 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 1: benefits abound in terms of workplace diversity yielding better outcomes. 132 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: And I think it's important to note that just like 133 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: male dominated industries in the legal field, or in the 134 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: tech sector or in Silicon Valley, even women have been 135 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 1: expressing concerns around workplace fairness issues like sexual harassment on 136 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 1: the job at a construction eight. And yet women who 137 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 1: speak up and complain and issue formal complaints around this 138 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 1: have not always been treated very kindly. In fact, they've 139 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 1: become targets of retaliation. So even when social change in 140 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 1: the industry became a priority back in the sixties and seventies, 141 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 1: the first generation of trades women experienced a lot of 142 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 1: negative repercussions about raising their voices in an attempt to 143 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: change the workplace culture. So whether they were speaking up 144 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 1: about safety concerns, filing grievances around sexual harassment, outspoken women 145 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: who agitated for change became easy targets for being fired 146 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 1: or being dismissed. And you know, you are forced to 147 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 1: really choose between dissidents and survival as a tradeswoman, and 148 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:50,200 Speaker 1: that's not an easy choice for anyone to make. And 149 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: I think you see women and women identified folks in 150 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:56,559 Speaker 1: all spectrums of different male dominated sectors, whether it is 151 00:08:56,720 --> 00:08:59,439 Speaker 1: lookon Valley or something else. I mean that is such 152 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: a home or of being a woman identified person in 153 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 1: these different workplaces that you don't feel like you can 154 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: really speak up and make a change because you're gonna 155 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:09,959 Speaker 1: be targeted or singled out and at the end of 156 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:12,319 Speaker 1: the day, you know, maybe you're just trying to feed 157 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: your family. Yeah, it's really tragic to because there is 158 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: a significant middle class, even comfortable upper middle class salary 159 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: to be made in a lot of these fields. Uh. 160 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 1: And I've had the opportunity to work now with two 161 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: different construction companies through my work as a speaker and 162 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 1: through Boss Up, and I've gone to work with their 163 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 1: Women's retreat, their annual women's retreat with two separate construction 164 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:39,439 Speaker 1: companies and a whole bunch of architecture firms. And let 165 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: me tell you, when I hear the kind of war 166 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:46,680 Speaker 1: stories that women in construction and in the trades and 167 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 1: even in architecture have to share, it doesn't really sound 168 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 1: like there's been that much progress since the nineteen sixties, 169 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 1: because the very nature of their job is one in 170 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 1: which hr can sometimes feel like an after a thought, 171 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: in which you're up at the crack of dawn. You're 172 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:06,680 Speaker 1: on a work site. You know, working conditions can be 173 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 1: life or death very often. So who's got time to 174 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:12,720 Speaker 1: be politically correct? And that was the sentiment I got. 175 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: In fact, there were people who are really angry in 176 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 1: the construction company that the women even got the opportunity 177 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:20,760 Speaker 1: to go to an annual retreat to talk about being 178 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:23,959 Speaker 1: women in construction. I'll talk about being salty. I mean, 179 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: the psychological bullying that was happening for these women was 180 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: pretty intense. And the isolation of being the only woman 181 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 1: on an entire job site all the time, every day, 182 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 1: it weighs on you, and those microaggressions right at up 183 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:42,680 Speaker 1: that questioning of your capability is that you know, what's 184 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:45,720 Speaker 1: the girls doing on the work site, that whole lack 185 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:49,079 Speaker 1: of respect on top of trying to do a good job. 186 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 1: Just it weighs on the women. I've seen it firsthand. 187 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: It weighs on the women who are forced into that 188 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:59,320 Speaker 1: extreme minority standpoint. And I guess that's the point of microaggressions, 189 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:01,679 Speaker 1: is that it's away at you, bit by bit by 190 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,079 Speaker 1: bit by bit until you just can't take it. Yeah, 191 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 1: And those microaggressions, regardless of intent, whether someone's trying to 192 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:11,400 Speaker 1: be a bigot, trying to be a sexist or not, 193 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 1: those tiny little ways in those comments, those snide remarks 194 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 1: that discredit your authority and make you feel unwelcome and 195 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: make you feel bothered, can really add up and be detrimental. 196 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 1: So it's alarming to see how little progress has been 197 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:30,559 Speaker 1: made for women in the trades, which we're going to 198 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:33,840 Speaker 1: unpack in further detail right after this quick word from 199 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:44,360 Speaker 1: our sponsors, and we're back and we are talking about 200 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 1: the challenges and opportunities that women can face in a 201 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 1: career in the trade. So how far have we come 202 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: since the nineteen sixties on this issue, bridget Well, unfortunately, 203 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: we've not come very far um. The representation of women 204 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:02,840 Speaker 1: in the trades is still not great. Women represented just 205 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: four percent of the workforce in natural resources, construction and 206 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 1: maintenance according to the U. S Department of Labor. What's 207 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 1: really so problematic about their underrepresentation is that these are 208 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 1: really high paying industries, but women are earning on average 209 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 1: seventy eight cents for every dollar that a man earns 210 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:21,240 Speaker 1: in these industries. And so even though they're you know, 211 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:24,560 Speaker 1: there are good, good salaries to be made, because women 212 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 1: are underrepresented, they're not making them. And even when they 213 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: are in those industries, there there's they don't have pay 214 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 1: gap exactly. What's interesting is when compared to the industries 215 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:39,280 Speaker 1: that are dominated by women, right, the trades fields definitely 216 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:43,360 Speaker 1: out perform. And I'm thinking really clearly here around folks 217 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 1: without a four year education, without a four year degree, 218 00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:50,280 Speaker 1: which can cost on average upwards to a hundred and 219 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:54,320 Speaker 1: twenty seven thousand dollars for four years of college, as 220 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: opposed to trade school, which is on average thirty three 221 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 1: thousand dollars and can take less than a year. So 222 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 1: when you look at those options, especially as someone who's 223 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:07,000 Speaker 1: maybe a mid career pivot, who's considering making a change 224 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: and doesn't want to go get another four year degree 225 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:13,440 Speaker 1: or doesn't have a D seven k lying around UH. 226 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:17,680 Speaker 1: Women dominated industries like childcare earn on average twenty two 227 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:20,680 Speaker 1: thousand dollars a little over twenty two thousand dollars a 228 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:24,439 Speaker 1: year being an administrative assistant thirty five thousand, just above 229 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 1: thirty five thousand, bookkeeping a little higher thirty eight thousand, 230 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: nine nine. When you compare that to industries and the 231 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:35,679 Speaker 1: trades which are dominated by men, as we know, welders 232 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 1: earn on average forty thousand, nine hundred and seventy dollars 233 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 1: and h VAC technician earns forty seven thousand dollars plus, 234 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:48,400 Speaker 1: and an electrician is earning over fifty five thousand dollars 235 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:52,440 Speaker 1: a year, So that's just entry level too. It's it's 236 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,960 Speaker 1: really clear here that even more experienced trades women can 237 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:59,079 Speaker 1: earn six figures and there are opportunities for entrepreneurship to 238 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 1: So the cost benefit analysis, the return on your investment 239 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 1: from an education to career standpoint, especially if you're not 240 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 1: able to or not interested in pursuing a four year degree, 241 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: shows that there is real money to be made if 242 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,760 Speaker 1: you can get yourself to trade school essentially, definitely, And 243 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 1: I think those numbers that you just highlighted, I think 244 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:25,000 Speaker 1: it's important to also just note that historically we've always 245 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 1: undervalued women's work fields that are dominated by women, whether 246 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 1: it's nursing, teaching, childcare, all of those we treat them 247 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:35,080 Speaker 1: like crap. We don't pay them, we don't give them 248 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: job security, we we don't treat them well. They are 249 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 1: undervalued because they're you know, they're dominated by women, and 250 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 1: they're the industries of care right typically. And I think 251 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 1: it's important that while I think it's great to have 252 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:50,200 Speaker 1: more women getting involved in male dominated industries, we also 253 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 1: shouldn't be undervaluing industries involving care that are that are 254 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 1: mainly female dominated. I mean, it isn't it ironic that, 255 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:00,560 Speaker 1: is more men enter the field of nursing, the average 256 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:05,360 Speaker 1: nurses salary increases, and who knows if more women enter 257 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 1: the trades that can bring the average value down. I 258 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: sure hope not. Because what you're saying, I think is 259 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:15,120 Speaker 1: very similar to the argument laid out by Anne Marie 260 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 1: Slaughter and Unfinished Business, her book about you know, the 261 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:24,360 Speaker 1: Women's Revolution, has not addressed not only how women can 262 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 1: make more money, gain more equality through pursuing work and 263 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:31,520 Speaker 1: life like a man. But how we need to value 264 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 1: the work of women. That women have stereotypically and historically 265 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 1: dominated the industries of care totally, and so you're right, 266 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 1: it's like that equal balance. And you know, for me, 267 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 1: I'm thinking, if you, if I'm a woman listening to 268 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:45,800 Speaker 1: this podcast right now, which of those two problems can 269 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 1: I solve? You mean you can't get money. I mean 270 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,720 Speaker 1: you can't completely radically restructure our entire social and political 271 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:58,280 Speaker 1: and economic system. Just you yourself, get it together? What's 272 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:02,160 Speaker 1: wrong with us as individual? So definitely that's the macro 273 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 1: level solution that we need. But from a micro level, 274 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:08,320 Speaker 1: you know, get in there and get into the trades. 275 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 1: If that's something that speaks to you, If that kind 276 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:14,920 Speaker 1: of a middle class lifestyle would make a wouldn't you know? 277 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 1: This is one way to make it work in today's economy, 278 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 1: and it's important to note that the government is doing 279 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 1: more now to try to make that happen. In two 280 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 1: thousand fourteen, the Department of Labor announced a total of 281 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 1: one point nine million in financial grants as part of 282 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 1: the Women in Apprenticeship and quote non Traditional Occupations Program. 283 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: Women can also apply for a federal PELL grant or 284 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 1: an s e O G grant to help pay for 285 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:49,479 Speaker 1: trade school. So trade school does offer a retooling opportunity 286 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: to gain an education. So it does being an apprentice 287 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: and enter these industries, uh in the building trades or 288 00:16:57,080 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 1: in the trades in other ways that can really have 289 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: a fast or turnaround in terms of your return on 290 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 1: that investment. Even when I was teaching at Howard, a 291 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:07,480 Speaker 1: four year private university, I was always advocating for students 292 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 1: who didn't feel quite right in in college but still 293 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: wanted to have a stable, you know, stable career path. Yes, 294 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:16,160 Speaker 1: maybe trade schools for you. Maybe you know, four year 295 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:18,159 Speaker 1: college is not for everybody. I think that from a 296 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:21,040 Speaker 1: government a government standpoint, we need to be making these 297 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 1: avenues that get people into jobs that are that we 298 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: need right now. We need to be bridging that gap absolutely. 299 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:28,880 Speaker 1: And this isn't just for the twenty two year old 300 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 1: woman who's listening. The average age of a welder is 301 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:35,240 Speaker 1: fifty five years old in this country, and fifty three 302 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:38,360 Speaker 1: percent of skilled trade workers in the United States are 303 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: forty five years or older. So it's also an accessible 304 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:47,280 Speaker 1: way to navigate a career pivot. So it's absolutely something 305 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:50,440 Speaker 1: that if you are sick and tired of your job 306 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 1: and feel like you're not sure where additional opportunities lay, 307 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 1: look into the trades. Actually, Emily, I know a rad 308 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: lady who did exactly that, our good friend friend of 309 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 1: the show, Patrise Banks. I first came across Patrese's story, um, 310 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 1: when I was doing some editorial work for Lifetime around 311 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:10,160 Speaker 1: Black History Month. Um, doing some work spotlighting amazing black 312 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:14,119 Speaker 1: women doing different things in different fields. And Patrese's story 313 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:18,159 Speaker 1: blew me away. Um, she's so great. She you should 314 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 1: find out about her now before she's a household name, 315 00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:24,479 Speaker 1: because she definitely will be. Patrise is the founder and CEO, 316 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 1: and she she canic of the Girls Auto Clinic. Patrise, 317 00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:31,040 Speaker 1: thank you so much for being here with us today. Hey, 318 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:34,400 Speaker 1: thanks for having me. How's it going, ladies? Hey? Hey, hey, 319 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:37,200 Speaker 1: So Patrese, tell us a little bit about your background, 320 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:40,080 Speaker 1: um with cars, with being an auto mechanic, and how 321 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:43,560 Speaker 1: you came to found um for Girls Auto Clinic. Um, 322 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:46,280 Speaker 1: so yeah, you know, my story is one that's very 323 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:51,200 Speaker 1: typical of manage women. I called myself an auto air head. Um, 324 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:53,160 Speaker 1: you know, and I was an empowered woman, at least 325 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:55,480 Speaker 1: I thought it was. I'm an engineer, I had a 326 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:58,520 Speaker 1: very great career. I owned a house, I had my 327 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: own car. Was controlling my money. You couldn't tell me nothing, 328 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:05,159 Speaker 1: you know, I just knew I was just a hot thing, 329 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:08,400 Speaker 1: um being an end near a woman. But yet here 330 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:10,560 Speaker 1: I have my car and I was an auto airhead. 331 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: I felt very powerless in any situation. If it would 332 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:16,359 Speaker 1: break down, if a dashboards would come on, I always 333 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 1: felt I needed a guy. You know. I knew I 334 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:21,199 Speaker 1: wasn't taking care of my car right. I hated all 335 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: of my automotives buying and repair experiences. And it was 336 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: something that I accepted as a woman, like this is 337 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 1: what it is, right. A lot of women feel this way. 338 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:31,439 Speaker 1: I can't really do anything about it, and it's the 339 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:32,919 Speaker 1: way that I live in my life for her, you know, 340 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:37,760 Speaker 1: fifteen years as a driver until one day, um, I 341 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:39,919 Speaker 1: I kind of you know, got set up with it. 342 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:42,000 Speaker 1: I was like, no, this isn't this isn't right. I 343 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:43,880 Speaker 1: want to learn more. I want to know more about 344 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:48,120 Speaker 1: my car. I started looking for recesses online to help me. 345 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:50,320 Speaker 1: I said, you know, I'm gonna look for so I 346 00:19:50,359 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 1: know there's something out there to help women understand their 347 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 1: car more. I'm gonna find a female mechanic. She's gonna 348 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 1: tell I'm gonna talk to her. She's gonna help me 349 00:19:56,440 --> 00:20:00,080 Speaker 1: understand the car and uh. As I started research being 350 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:02,679 Speaker 1: more looking for a woman in the industry that I 351 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 1: thought would be able to help me, or resources from 352 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:07,160 Speaker 1: the industry that could help me as a woman driver, 353 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:11,200 Speaker 1: I came up relatively short with of information. In fact, 354 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 1: I googled female mechanic and the first thing that popped 355 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:17,200 Speaker 1: up was the ten top stock images of female mechanics 356 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 1: imre you can imagine the pictures that they have a 357 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 1: women in bikinis next to the cars. Um. It took me, 358 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:27,240 Speaker 1: I think, until page two until I could find a business, 359 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:29,399 Speaker 1: a shop that was owned by a woman, or that 360 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 1: was talking about a woman mechanic. Um and and me 361 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:37,240 Speaker 1: being always someone that was herece girl, very courageous, always 362 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:41,320 Speaker 1: trying to u compete with the boys and improve myself 363 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 1: that girls can do it. I I looked at this 364 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 1: as an opportunity, seeing that there was there was very 365 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:50,080 Speaker 1: few women in this industry. There were women, millions of 366 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:52,119 Speaker 1: women out there who felt like me with their cars. 367 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 1: I'm going to go back to school, learn how to 368 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:57,159 Speaker 1: work on cars and create a company that's going to 369 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:00,280 Speaker 1: educate and empower women and make them smart drivers to 370 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 1: our consumers, confidence drivers, and just really feel good about 371 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 1: all the choices they make with their cars. We love 372 00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:08,320 Speaker 1: that so much. Thank you for biting the bullet for 373 00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 1: all of us on that one, because that sounds like 374 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:15,960 Speaker 1: not an easy feat. And I think that basic auto 375 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,960 Speaker 1: mechanic literacy one oh one is one of those things 376 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:24,119 Speaker 1: that kind of like financial literacy, can get passed down 377 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:29,199 Speaker 1: through our families, typically father to son. Right, it just 378 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:32,200 Speaker 1: feels like one of those things, just like financial literacy, 379 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:36,400 Speaker 1: just like understanding the stock market. Too many families are 380 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:39,439 Speaker 1: the ones who, as opposed to the public education system 381 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 1: that are responsible for educating young people about how to 382 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:46,479 Speaker 1: basically use their cars. And it always seems to be 383 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 1: historically skewed towards boys and men. So when you were 384 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:55,160 Speaker 1: seeking out a female auto mechanic, why was it important 385 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 1: to you as a woman to find another woman or 386 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:03,080 Speaker 1: someone who identify a female to really help begin that 387 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: auto mechanic literacy journey? Right right, Um, it's a great question. Um, 388 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 1: you know. And it's funny what you said before about 389 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:13,400 Speaker 1: like how to pass down from like father to son, 390 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:16,199 Speaker 1: because a common question I get from people, and I 391 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 1: say that the mechanic as they said, oh, you're just 392 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 1: with your dad and cic. No, no, I didn't go 393 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:24,719 Speaker 1: back to I was school if I was thirty and learned. Um. 394 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:28,119 Speaker 1: But the reason that I was looking for a female 395 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 1: mechanic was because I thought that she would be able 396 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:35,080 Speaker 1: to talk to me that wasn't in a way that 397 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:40,040 Speaker 1: was condescending. I innately knew that my issue with having 398 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:43,399 Speaker 1: these horrible experiences was because it was a guy, and 399 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:45,600 Speaker 1: I was gonna feel taking advance of because they thought 400 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:48,800 Speaker 1: women knew nothing. And I thought if I had a 401 00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:52,960 Speaker 1: woman talked to, I would feel less embarrassed or shamed 402 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:56,400 Speaker 1: to ask stupid questions, you know, and that she would 403 00:22:56,440 --> 00:23:00,119 Speaker 1: be able to relate to me more. UM. And that 404 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:05,040 Speaker 1: is kind of what was um. The basis for girls 405 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:08,359 Speaker 1: Auto Clinic was wanting to hire women mechanics to work 406 00:23:08,359 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 1: at my shops and have women teaching other women because 407 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:14,240 Speaker 1: I I knew as a woman, I was ashamed to 408 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:16,240 Speaker 1: go in there because I didn't know what I was doing. 409 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:18,680 Speaker 1: I was afraid to be taking advantage of I put 410 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 1: up all these walls because I am scared. And that's 411 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 1: not how things. We don't make the best choices that way, right, 412 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:27,200 Speaker 1: we don't feel good about the choices we make that way. 413 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:29,159 Speaker 1: And so I knew that I had to talk to 414 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:32,240 Speaker 1: another woman so she would be able to empower me, 415 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:36,399 Speaker 1: because I know that's what women do. That that's so true. 416 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:38,960 Speaker 1: So I thought, if I can find a woman to 417 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:41,760 Speaker 1: empower me, I can. I can help myself, and I'm 418 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:44,160 Speaker 1: going to empower other women. And since I couldn't find 419 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:47,040 Speaker 1: that woman, I decided to become that woman. Yeah. I 420 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:49,439 Speaker 1: love that. You gotta you gotta be the change, you know, 421 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:52,640 Speaker 1: be the change you want to see. Ye in your 422 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:55,440 Speaker 1: Washington Post article, you write a bit about that kind 423 00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:57,640 Speaker 1: of thing, about how the auto industry really can take 424 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:00,800 Speaker 1: advantage of women. And so I'm curious, have you seen this? 425 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 1: Have you heard about or have you seen this play 426 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:05,320 Speaker 1: out on the job as well, So not just women 427 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:07,960 Speaker 1: as consumers and women as as drivers who are being 428 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:11,440 Speaker 1: taken advantage of by mechanics. Have you seen this play 429 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:15,119 Speaker 1: out by in women who are working as mechanics or 430 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 1: trying to break into that field. How does that play out? Well? Absolutely, 431 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:22,119 Speaker 1: you know, as I was as I was working um 432 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 1: At researching this this industry and women and why do 433 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:27,920 Speaker 1: we have women who are the number one customer and 434 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:31,920 Speaker 1: automotive industry by far um that's why do they feel 435 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:35,679 Speaker 1: at such a disadvantage, feel that women are taken advantage of? 436 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:38,959 Speaker 1: And to me, I thought, the root cause of that 437 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:41,360 Speaker 1: is they're just they're not women who work in this industry. 438 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:43,480 Speaker 1: Why don't we have women who work in this industry? 439 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:47,480 Speaker 1: Obviously it's the stereotype and just the culture of cars 440 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:51,119 Speaker 1: are for men, right, Women shouldn't be working with their hands, 441 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:54,320 Speaker 1: women shouldn't be getting dirty. It's a grease monkey type 442 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 1: of job and leave it to the guys. And that 443 00:24:57,520 --> 00:24:59,880 Speaker 1: is just a stereotype that we kind of accept which 444 00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 1: we have accepted in America with a lot of the 445 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:07,040 Speaker 1: male female roles, which is going to affect all of us, 446 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:09,879 Speaker 1: including women, and how we feel about ourselves, and it 447 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:12,480 Speaker 1: affects men and how they feel about us. And so 448 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 1: even though there's a lot of great guys that work 449 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 1: in this industry, it's just a culture of this isn't 450 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 1: really something for women. You two have blatant people that 451 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:24,160 Speaker 1: are like, women can't do this, I don't believe that, 452 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:26,960 Speaker 1: and and but those are usually I say that these 453 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,679 Speaker 1: are usually men who don't have strong women in their lives, 454 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:31,920 Speaker 1: right they and and and I don't mean to come 455 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:34,479 Speaker 1: down on women when I see that, But normally, if 456 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:36,240 Speaker 1: you've had a woman in your life, like your mother 457 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:39,000 Speaker 1: who had to work, and you know she was very 458 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:42,200 Speaker 1: capable and being strong and creating things or making things happen, 459 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,640 Speaker 1: you know, women are very capable um of doing things 460 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 1: and and of of not having a man around to 461 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:50,560 Speaker 1: need them for stuff. And there are some women who 462 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:53,760 Speaker 1: who and choose to live, you know, and and a 463 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:55,320 Speaker 1: life where they don't want to do that stuff and 464 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:57,919 Speaker 1: they have their husbands take care of everything. And that's fine, 465 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:01,879 Speaker 1: but often, you know, it's you still have that stereotype 466 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:04,280 Speaker 1: of women can't do that. So we find a lot 467 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 1: of guys, young guys too, when I tell them that 468 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:08,320 Speaker 1: the mechanics, they don't believe me. They want to look 469 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:11,160 Speaker 1: at my hands, They want to see if my finger 470 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:13,680 Speaker 1: nails are greasy. They want to test my car care knowledge. 471 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:16,040 Speaker 1: I went and spoke at a technical school. I was 472 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 1: paid to be to talk to them about women mechanics, 473 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:20,000 Speaker 1: and they still didn't believe me. They wanted to like 474 00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:23,919 Speaker 1: question me, and so you know, it's just we have 475 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:27,320 Speaker 1: to look at that face that and know that it's 476 00:26:27,359 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 1: a real issue if we're going a barrier I we're 477 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:32,080 Speaker 1: going to get women in is how we feel ultimately 478 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:35,160 Speaker 1: about women and what their contribution can be. And it's 479 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 1: it's important that we see these other strong power for 480 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,879 Speaker 1: women looking it not just for girls to see it, 481 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:42,720 Speaker 1: but for other men to see it, to say, yes, 482 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:45,520 Speaker 1: women are capable of doing this type of stuff, even 483 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:49,040 Speaker 1: you know, not just from experiences and the women that 484 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:53,240 Speaker 1: I'm around. Yes, I think that's such a great point. 485 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:56,679 Speaker 1: And I'm wondering what do you see as the biggest 486 00:26:56,720 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 1: benefits of getting more women in this field? Not only 487 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 1: for the women entering this field, And really the context 488 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 1: of today's conversation is all about the benefits of women 489 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:12,280 Speaker 1: can get in a career in the trades, but also 490 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:15,560 Speaker 1: how does the trade benefit, Like how does the industry 491 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 1: benefit from having more gender balance there too? Well, I mean, 492 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:22,120 Speaker 1: anytime you add women to the equation, you make things better, 493 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:29,639 Speaker 1: So every everybody that everybody's benefits. The question no, um, 494 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 1: so you know, um, the reason I think is the 495 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:36,359 Speaker 1: biggest benefit. And I tell people this all the time, 496 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,880 Speaker 1: and I make no apologies or excuses about girls. Autoquinic. 497 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:42,000 Speaker 1: I say, we're not an automotive company. We are a 498 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:45,119 Speaker 1: female empowerment company that happens to be in the automotive 499 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:48,200 Speaker 1: and you know sector, and we're going to empower women. 500 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:52,360 Speaker 1: Can do nothing but IMpower the automotive industry and help them, right, 501 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:56,920 Speaker 1: And it's because their number one customer is women. By far, 502 00:27:57,040 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 1: women hold more driver's licenses than men now as all 503 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 1: the groups. And I always scared guys when I tell 504 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:05,360 Speaker 1: them that, right were women on the road. You have 505 00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:08,600 Speaker 1: women that they influence up to of the car buying 506 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 1: decisions because you know where the CFOs of the house 507 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:13,760 Speaker 1: we take our cars and for repairs more than men. 508 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 1: So here you have your number one customer, right And 509 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:18,639 Speaker 1: there's nobody in the industry that looks like her. They 510 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 1: don't talk like her, They can't understand the emotional needs, 511 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:24,760 Speaker 1: you know, for why she would say yes to that buying, 512 00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:28,879 Speaker 1: that yes to that repair service. It's men are notorious 513 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:32,159 Speaker 1: for being really bad at selling to women, you know. 514 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:34,359 Speaker 1: And so here you have your number one customer and 515 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 1: you're putting in front of her someone that she made 516 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:40,960 Speaker 1: feel a lot of difficulty communicating with, and she won't 517 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:44,280 Speaker 1: feel comfortable with her her choice. And we want to 518 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:47,320 Speaker 1: feel empowered with what we do, especially nowadays, loo's bigger 519 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:50,000 Speaker 1: than female empowerment. And we're telling these girls listen, so 520 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 1: we're we're the future. We want to be empowered, right, 521 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 1: But do we feel empowered when we go and buy 522 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:57,760 Speaker 1: the cart? Not? But if we had a women there, 523 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:00,520 Speaker 1: we're gonna feel a little safer. We're gonna not be 524 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 1: afraid to to come out of our comfort zone and 525 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:05,120 Speaker 1: ask the questions that we know we will ask that 526 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 1: are the right questions to ask, but are too afraid, 527 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:10,440 Speaker 1: you know. So that's what I think is really going 528 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 1: to help us is is we need to get more 529 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:15,960 Speaker 1: women involved. And Um, the reason that I think it's 530 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: also important for the industry is just because women are 531 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:21,840 Speaker 1: you know, we are becoming more capable. There are women 532 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 1: out there looking for jobs and our contribution isn't important 533 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: to be made, whether it isn't the trade fields or not. Um, 534 00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 1: it's not only about being a big, huge person that 535 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:34,400 Speaker 1: can lift something heavy. Um. You know, we're using our 536 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 1: hands more, we're using our mind more technology that don't 537 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:41,200 Speaker 1: call us mechanics anymore, as they call us technologists. Were automotives, 538 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:44,680 Speaker 1: you know, technicians, and we are we It's that's part 539 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:47,360 Speaker 1: of the T and STEM. I tell people automotive technology 540 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:49,360 Speaker 1: and a lot of these trade fields are in that 541 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:51,280 Speaker 1: tea in the STEM and they need to be recognized 542 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:53,480 Speaker 1: as a lot of technology with the trade fields. And 543 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:57,040 Speaker 1: women are very capable of feeling these roles because you're 544 00:29:57,080 --> 00:29:59,640 Speaker 1: hearing it. Now there's a gap. We told all the 545 00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:02,920 Speaker 1: kids go to college, vise and finance. Everybody, go go 546 00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:07,200 Speaker 1: for your college. And now we're the trades. They're real lacking. 547 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:10,240 Speaker 1: They need mechanics, they need plumbers and electricians, and there's 548 00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 1: you know, tons of money to be made in this industry. 549 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:16,120 Speaker 1: And I'm like, women, come on, let's do it. We 550 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:19,480 Speaker 1: can do it right, And so yeah, I'm excited, Like 551 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 1: I I look at these types of what people call 552 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 1: problems as or obstacles as opportunities. So I'm looking at 553 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 1: this is like, oh, this is the opportunity. What can 554 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:30,120 Speaker 1: I do? You know, we're going to hear more from 555 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:32,600 Speaker 1: Patrese in just a second, but first a quick word 556 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:43,400 Speaker 1: from our sponsors and we're back and let's jump right 557 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:46,200 Speaker 1: back into this great conversation with the trise banks of 558 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:49,800 Speaker 1: Girls Auto Clinic Pries. I was wondering, can you talk 559 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 1: us through a little bit about how Girls Auto Clinic 560 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:54,640 Speaker 1: is helping to empower female mechanics and female car and 561 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:56,200 Speaker 1: I was like, what are some of the specific things 562 00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:59,000 Speaker 1: that your program offers. It's different from other programs that 563 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:02,680 Speaker 1: might be out there. Okay, yes, so I got a 564 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:05,560 Speaker 1: lot of planet is definitely unique UM and I created 565 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:07,640 Speaker 1: a business that I would want for myself as a 566 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:11,440 Speaker 1: woman driver. UM Our mission is to offer automotives, buying 567 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 1: and groups, their services, resources and products to women. So 568 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 1: some of those resources I started out when I was 569 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:20,479 Speaker 1: knew I was still learning how to work on cars. 570 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:22,760 Speaker 1: But as I was learning, I was teaching. I was 571 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:24,760 Speaker 1: writing blogs to women about how to take care of 572 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:29,080 Speaker 1: their cars. I was performing free UM Carcare workshops every 573 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:31,760 Speaker 1: single month, very interactive women come. They learn know own 574 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:33,200 Speaker 1: cars and they don't know how to pop their hood. 575 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:35,280 Speaker 1: They learn how to pop their hood. We learned what 576 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:37,160 Speaker 1: you can touch, what you can't touch. We learn about 577 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:39,160 Speaker 1: parts to be a place and what they looked like, 578 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:41,800 Speaker 1: you know, things that I wanted to know if I 579 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:43,800 Speaker 1: was talking to a mechanic, or what to do if 580 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:46,120 Speaker 1: I was in an emergency. I was pulling a lot 581 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:49,959 Speaker 1: from my own autohead experiences, and so women were like, 582 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:53,000 Speaker 1: this is great. Because I was I had an advantage 583 00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:55,040 Speaker 1: because I didn't kind of grow up in the industry. 584 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 1: I came from an auto air head, So I knew 585 00:31:57,480 --> 00:32:00,200 Speaker 1: exactly how to talk to women and teach them in 586 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:04,160 Speaker 1: a way that was relatable and and rememberable or remarkable. 587 00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:06,120 Speaker 1: So I say things like, think of your engine like 588 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:09,160 Speaker 1: a vagina when I talk about the importance of oil, 589 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:13,920 Speaker 1: or does your car have bodies? Or or does your 590 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:16,000 Speaker 1: car have bookies when we talk about that air filter 591 00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:18,960 Speaker 1: that they always want to upsell us at the shop, 592 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:20,600 Speaker 1: you know, when we're going to get our oil tanged, 593 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:23,440 Speaker 1: And just just to say, you know, I explained it 594 00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:26,080 Speaker 1: as it's everything less and nothing more. It's not gonna 595 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:28,000 Speaker 1: be over your head, your eyes aren't gonna glaze over. 596 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:31,640 Speaker 1: It's relatable, it's fun, it's interactive, and when you're you're 597 00:32:31,680 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 1: done learning, you're gonna be empowered. You're gonna you can't 598 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:36,240 Speaker 1: wait to go and talk to mechanic and you can 599 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:39,800 Speaker 1: test your new knowledge, you know, so we we do that. Um. 600 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:42,000 Speaker 1: I'm local right now, Willing in Philadelphia. But it's one 601 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:43,720 Speaker 1: of my goals is trying to reach as many women 602 00:32:43,720 --> 00:32:46,160 Speaker 1: as I can. So we have, you know, a Facebook 603 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:50,040 Speaker 1: page where it's closed group for just women and female mechanics. 604 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:51,720 Speaker 1: So you can go ask your car about your question, 605 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:53,520 Speaker 1: like my car is making this funny? No ways look 606 00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:55,920 Speaker 1: at it be? Or is this gonna be expensive to 607 00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:58,400 Speaker 1: get displaced? The mechanics telling me it's as much what 608 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:01,200 Speaker 1: do you think? And it's a safe space because you're 609 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:03,320 Speaker 1: not gonna feel taken advantage of. You can ask that 610 00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:05,560 Speaker 1: question you think is dumb and you'll get a response 611 00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:07,760 Speaker 1: from a woman mechanic that will be able to lead 612 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:10,800 Speaker 1: you in the right direction to make the right choice. Um. 613 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:12,680 Speaker 1: And then I also have my book I just wrote, 614 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:15,720 Speaker 1: The Girl's Autoquinic Glove Box Guys, which comes out September nineteenth, 615 00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:18,080 Speaker 1: and that I call that which is like a workshop 616 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:20,760 Speaker 1: on the go. So if you can't come to a workshop, 617 00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:23,520 Speaker 1: you're gonna want this car. This book. It's like a guide. 618 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:25,560 Speaker 1: You keep it in your glove box and you'll you're 619 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 1: gonna learn everything about how to take care of your car, 620 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:30,680 Speaker 1: what to do an emergency, how to talk to a mechanic. 621 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:32,800 Speaker 1: But really the most important thing that I talked to 622 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:35,880 Speaker 1: him about is changing the relationship they have with their car. 623 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:38,280 Speaker 1: And it's really how we view it, how we take 624 00:33:38,320 --> 00:33:40,640 Speaker 1: care of it, how we think about spending our money, 625 00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:42,920 Speaker 1: and the choices that we make with our car that 626 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:46,240 Speaker 1: ultimately are gonna empower us. And so we see our 627 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:48,560 Speaker 1: car more as like an accessory. We often st our 628 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:50,920 Speaker 1: bags better than we tweet treat our car right, and 629 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:53,800 Speaker 1: we have to change that mentality. And so it's really 630 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:56,160 Speaker 1: fun and it's stilled with like auto airhad stories and 631 00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:58,880 Speaker 1: and my my own stories and great tips and information 632 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:02,480 Speaker 1: and pictures and and everything like that. And then um, 633 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:05,520 Speaker 1: recently I just opened a full service auto repair garage. 634 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:09,239 Speaker 1: All of my texts are women and um, we have 635 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:10,799 Speaker 1: now still on there anything that your nail has done 636 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:15,120 Speaker 1: while you wait the car? Yes? And the whole idea 637 00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:18,319 Speaker 1: was this made me want to hire women? Was I 638 00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:21,239 Speaker 1: was talking to another girl who was interested in me 639 00:34:21,280 --> 00:34:25,240 Speaker 1: a mechanic. She told me, well, everyone scouraged her because 640 00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:28,040 Speaker 1: she was pretty and petite, and they said, you're not 641 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:30,640 Speaker 1: gonna make enough money or too small go into something else. 642 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:32,759 Speaker 1: You know, it's not really for girls. And I was like, no, 643 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:35,359 Speaker 1: that's not right, that's not right. I'm gonna hire women. 644 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:37,799 Speaker 1: I'm gonna show these guys, we're gonna hire women. We're 645 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:40,200 Speaker 1: gonna work on cars. And at the time, I had 646 00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:42,759 Speaker 1: no idea that women were capable of actually doing this. 647 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:45,719 Speaker 1: I'm still in auto airheads, right, and I'm just coming 648 00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:47,800 Speaker 1: up with this idea. I was like, we're gonna hire women, 649 00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:50,120 Speaker 1: We're gonna do it. I just know women are capable. 650 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:52,960 Speaker 1: I don't know finding female mechanics because I couldn't find 651 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:55,879 Speaker 1: one myself. I'm going back to school, but I'm telling 652 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:58,799 Speaker 1: people I'm gonna hire female mechanics, right, We'll find them 653 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:01,839 Speaker 1: and we're gonna do it. You know what, I didn't 654 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:04,560 Speaker 1: have to find them. They found me. I found me. 655 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:09,040 Speaker 1: Anything to me, and so getting this woman a franchise 656 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:15,719 Speaker 1: deal mechanics from coast to coast where I can get 657 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:21,960 Speaker 1: my nails done while my car is getting repaired. Girls 658 00:35:22,080 --> 00:35:26,680 Speaker 1: are so fabulous, man. My team is awesome and we're 659 00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:29,920 Speaker 1: rocking it. We're rocking it, and women are coming, you know, 660 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:34,120 Speaker 1: not just I mean are are Like clientele is just 661 00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:37,280 Speaker 1: so excited that we're They're just like finally the elite booking, 662 00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 1: Like I can come in and relax. I know I'm 663 00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:43,399 Speaker 1: gonna be okay. We have a huge LGBT community because 664 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 1: they finally feel like this is a place they're welcomed 665 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:48,480 Speaker 1: and they can comfortable in as well. So it just 666 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:51,520 Speaker 1: makes me feel good to be able to create a 667 00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:54,279 Speaker 1: space that I wanted for Ruin myself, because I know 668 00:35:54,520 --> 00:35:55,880 Speaker 1: that I would want to get my nails done on 669 00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:58,480 Speaker 1: my oil change, you know, but also a place that 670 00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:01,239 Speaker 1: women feel comfortable in a comment just being who they 671 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:03,799 Speaker 1: are and being around other dope women, you know, doing 672 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:07,280 Speaker 1: dope things. So it's really exciting and I'm definitely looking 673 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:10,960 Speaker 1: forward to expanding this UM across the country, um, getting 674 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:13,440 Speaker 1: more women hired in My goal, you know with girls 675 00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:16,440 Speaker 1: auto clanes now is to take girls from auto areas 676 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:18,640 Speaker 1: what I call chicanics now. I call this my car 677 00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:22,040 Speaker 1: savvy ladies and really and really start a movement to 678 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:25,319 Speaker 1: get more within you know, into the trade field, not 679 00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:28,080 Speaker 1: just as mechanics, but all of them. Like we're capable, 680 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:32,240 Speaker 1: we can do this, right, Let's let's start um helping 681 00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:35,279 Speaker 1: these industries filling in the gaps and showing what we 682 00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:38,960 Speaker 1: can do. Petries, thank you so much. We're over here. 683 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:44,359 Speaker 1: If I could drop this, Mike, I would for you, 684 00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:47,920 Speaker 1: but that probably wouldn't been good for our listeners. Ears, 685 00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:51,799 Speaker 1: But I'm so excited to hear of this is like 686 00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:56,400 Speaker 1: full on feminist disruption in this industry that you're talking about, 687 00:36:56,680 --> 00:37:00,520 Speaker 1: And I could not applaud what you're doing anymore. Thank you. Yes, 688 00:37:00,640 --> 00:37:03,759 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know where this kind of audacity 689 00:37:03,800 --> 00:37:05,879 Speaker 1: of me to say that. I I did a Ted 690 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:08,919 Speaker 1: talking um right before that Washington Post article came out, 691 00:37:09,160 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 1: and I called it how I plan on disrupting the 692 00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:13,920 Speaker 1: automotive industry in the red heels. And this is a 693 00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:16,879 Speaker 1: you know, billion, hundreds of billion dollar industry, and I'm like, yeah, 694 00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:20,000 Speaker 1: I'm gonna disrupt this industry in my red heel. I 695 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:21,960 Speaker 1: don't even know what I'm talking about. I would just 696 00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:25,960 Speaker 1: know that this is something that women are capable of doing. 697 00:37:26,239 --> 00:37:28,160 Speaker 1: And I don't say it's just gonna be me right. 698 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:31,320 Speaker 1: I'm always talking about I need women to make this happen. 699 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:34,439 Speaker 1: But my customers come feeling like they are a part 700 00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:37,880 Speaker 1: of this movement. They're helping female empowerment by being a 701 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:41,160 Speaker 1: customer of our business, by helping us be successful and 702 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:43,640 Speaker 1: getting the word out to as many people as possible. Right, 703 00:37:43,880 --> 00:37:46,120 Speaker 1: And it's what better way can you set up a 704 00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:48,880 Speaker 1: business and to keep be doing that? But you know, 705 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:52,239 Speaker 1: I I know that. That's why I was saying it 706 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:54,960 Speaker 1: several years ago. Um, you know. But now let's see 707 00:37:54,960 --> 00:37:57,080 Speaker 1: what you know. Um, if it's something that I can 708 00:37:57,080 --> 00:37:59,480 Speaker 1: take nationally, I'd love to do it. UM, be able 709 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:01,719 Speaker 1: to help this my women as I can and bring 710 00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:04,840 Speaker 1: these services to them, and at this time be able 711 00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:07,600 Speaker 1: to bring more women into industry, not just as mechanics, 712 00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:11,799 Speaker 1: but as owners owning you know, girls, auto clinics, owning dealerships. 713 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:14,480 Speaker 1: Less than seven percent of women sell cars, even though 714 00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:20,160 Speaker 1: we so decisions. That's that's insane to me. Yeah, why 715 00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:22,560 Speaker 1: don't we have more women selling cars and and being 716 00:38:22,600 --> 00:38:24,560 Speaker 1: in sales. I think it's an excellent way to make money. 717 00:38:24,719 --> 00:38:27,520 Speaker 1: You want to know why? It's not flexible. It's not flexible. 718 00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:30,200 Speaker 1: It's not an environment that's welcome to how women work 719 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:33,399 Speaker 1: and their lifestyles. You know, So how would I create 720 00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:36,400 Speaker 1: a company enough change that and give women those opportunities? 721 00:38:36,719 --> 00:38:38,799 Speaker 1: Because I think there is money to be made, and 722 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:41,279 Speaker 1: there's ways to help women, and there's ways to help 723 00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:45,319 Speaker 1: the industry. Well, we love it so much. Can you 724 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:48,760 Speaker 1: shout us out your website? Where can folks information about 725 00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:51,360 Speaker 1: what you're doing in your army of chicanics that are 726 00:38:51,440 --> 00:38:55,160 Speaker 1: changing the world. Okay, yes, So you can find me 727 00:38:55,239 --> 00:38:58,560 Speaker 1: on Girls auto Clinic dot com. We are on on 728 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:01,359 Speaker 1: social media across the board at Roles Auto Clinic and 729 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:04,200 Speaker 1: so you can stand information like our blog, how to 730 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:08,040 Speaker 1: sign up for workshops. My books coming out this fall. 731 00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:09,719 Speaker 1: We're going to be going on a book tour. So 732 00:39:09,760 --> 00:39:11,719 Speaker 1: if you aren't in Philly and you're trying to get 733 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:14,680 Speaker 1: to a workshop, look for where we're going. Um to 734 00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:16,960 Speaker 1: see if we're going to be in your city, Um, 735 00:39:17,040 --> 00:39:18,480 Speaker 1: and can come out and get a book and come 736 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:22,120 Speaker 1: learn about your car and um. Yeah, we have a 737 00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:24,080 Speaker 1: ton of resources for you women. If you are in 738 00:39:24,120 --> 00:39:26,600 Speaker 1: the Philadelphia area, please reach out to us. We're here 739 00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:28,879 Speaker 1: for women. Like I said, I'm here for women. I'm 740 00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:30,600 Speaker 1: ready to do this. So I'm ready for us to 741 00:39:30,640 --> 00:39:33,879 Speaker 1: do this. I'm excited. I know you're saying for doing 742 00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:35,759 Speaker 1: this like it's hard. I mean it's hard work. This 743 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:40,279 Speaker 1: is exciting I'm so excited to do this stuff. Yeah. So, 744 00:39:40,280 --> 00:39:42,080 Speaker 1: when you think about the ways that we could actually 745 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:45,160 Speaker 1: improve the status of women in trades, the research actually 746 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:47,279 Speaker 1: bears out a lot of what produced is saying. There's 747 00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:50,560 Speaker 1: a study from the University of Massachusetts, Boston that basically says, 748 00:39:50,719 --> 00:39:52,600 Speaker 1: the ways that we get more women represented in the 749 00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:55,200 Speaker 1: trades are the same things that work in other industries 750 00:39:55,239 --> 00:39:57,919 Speaker 1: like Silicon Valley. We shouldn't be cheating construction in trade 751 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:01,160 Speaker 1: jobs like they're special cases where include Asian practices won't work. 752 00:40:01,280 --> 00:40:03,080 Speaker 1: The same things that have worked in other fields will 753 00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:06,920 Speaker 1: also work in trades. Right when owners and management set 754 00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:09,840 Speaker 1: corporate goals and by the way, clear corporate goals that 755 00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:12,120 Speaker 1: I would hope would be a little more ambitious than 756 00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:17,120 Speaker 1: in the single digit percentage region, and then commit those 757 00:40:17,160 --> 00:40:21,560 Speaker 1: adequate resources to actually making significant changes to make those 758 00:40:21,600 --> 00:40:25,040 Speaker 1: goals happen, then those kinds of practices are going to 759 00:40:25,239 --> 00:40:28,640 Speaker 1: work and make progress in the construction industry. And things 760 00:40:28,719 --> 00:40:31,080 Speaker 1: that might be helpful are a good place to start, 761 00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:35,640 Speaker 1: according to the u mass Boston study, include monitoring for 762 00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:40,560 Speaker 1: equal employment opportunity, diversity training that promotes acceptance and respect 763 00:40:40,600 --> 00:40:44,799 Speaker 1: of differences among groups, and individuals as essential to the 764 00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:50,280 Speaker 1: culture change of your organization, actual measurement, right tracking and reporting, 765 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:54,600 Speaker 1: just as in any other business function around diversity and inclusion, 766 00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:58,680 Speaker 1: and being clear that general contractors must set and monitor 767 00:40:58,960 --> 00:41:03,479 Speaker 1: corporate standard amongst their subcontractors as well. But I also 768 00:41:03,480 --> 00:41:05,239 Speaker 1: love about this study is that it makes the case 769 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:07,399 Speaker 1: that we make so often on this show is that 770 00:41:07,400 --> 00:41:10,040 Speaker 1: there's a government role and an institutional role to be 771 00:41:10,040 --> 00:41:13,720 Speaker 1: played here. Um, the government can actually be a big 772 00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:16,719 Speaker 1: force in increasing gender parity in the trades. According to 773 00:41:16,760 --> 00:41:19,759 Speaker 1: the study, if the government explicitly made enforcement of equal 774 00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:23,560 Speaker 1: employment opportunities and agency wide priority, they could really get 775 00:41:23,600 --> 00:41:26,000 Speaker 1: someplace on getting more women are presented in the trades. 776 00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:28,360 Speaker 1: They should also be making the industry aware of this 777 00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:31,600 Speaker 1: priority by bringing in industry leaders to promote the benefits 778 00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:34,320 Speaker 1: of increasing access to women to the economy and of 779 00:41:34,400 --> 00:41:37,440 Speaker 1: the construction industry. So again, the same things that the 780 00:41:37,440 --> 00:41:39,719 Speaker 1: same kind of initiatives that I think the government has 781 00:41:39,760 --> 00:41:43,440 Speaker 1: been implementing in other fields, just doing that in the trades. 782 00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:49,320 Speaker 1: And don't we have a construction mogul in the White 783 00:41:49,400 --> 00:41:52,440 Speaker 1: House right now? We do, if you really think about it. 784 00:41:52,560 --> 00:41:56,680 Speaker 1: We have a real estate titan of sorts in or 785 00:41:56,719 --> 00:41:58,440 Speaker 1: at least I'm sure he likes to think of himself 786 00:41:58,440 --> 00:42:01,239 Speaker 1: this way as our chief of staff right now. So 787 00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:04,719 Speaker 1: if anyone is in a physician to understand that industry 788 00:42:05,040 --> 00:42:08,839 Speaker 1: and how it can be more diverse and inclusive, I 789 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:11,240 Speaker 1: feel like this is a time for a Trump alert. 790 00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:15,560 Speaker 1: But Donald Trump is the executive in chief in this 791 00:42:15,719 --> 00:42:18,919 Speaker 1: particular moment, So if he really gave a crap about 792 00:42:19,160 --> 00:42:22,400 Speaker 1: gender inclusion and equal pay, this seems like something that 793 00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:25,120 Speaker 1: would be a great flagship program for someone who is 794 00:42:25,200 --> 00:42:28,880 Speaker 1: genuinely and authentically interested in those issues. I'm just saying, 795 00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:31,279 Speaker 1: this is his industry. You know, if he wants to 796 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:34,719 Speaker 1: be a good business leader, he could show us how 797 00:42:34,719 --> 00:42:37,920 Speaker 1: diversity and inclusion in construction could also yield better bottom 798 00:42:37,920 --> 00:42:41,080 Speaker 1: line results. He could. He says that he employs women 799 00:42:41,160 --> 00:42:44,000 Speaker 1: leaders up and down throughout his organization, so I'm sure 800 00:42:44,040 --> 00:42:46,640 Speaker 1: he'd be willing to spill his trade secrets and share 801 00:42:46,640 --> 00:42:50,919 Speaker 1: with others. L O L. There's a lot of eye 802 00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:53,440 Speaker 1: rolling happening in the studio right now. I was trying. 803 00:42:53,640 --> 00:42:56,600 Speaker 1: I'm trying to avoid saying something that I probably shouldn't say. 804 00:42:56,640 --> 00:42:58,920 Speaker 1: I'm trying. I tried so hard not to bring up 805 00:42:58,920 --> 00:43:01,279 Speaker 1: Trump in this episode, and it here we are every time, 806 00:43:01,400 --> 00:43:05,040 Speaker 1: every time. Another kind of cool way that another Trades 807 00:43:05,040 --> 00:43:07,680 Speaker 1: Women suggested in terms of how we get to gender 808 00:43:07,760 --> 00:43:11,400 Speaker 1: parity in the trades was media Judalium Cassidy, who is 809 00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:14,880 Speaker 1: a plumber and a really amazing speaker. She thinks that everyone, 810 00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:17,400 Speaker 1: even those who don't work in skill trades, has a 811 00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:20,439 Speaker 1: role to play in closing this opportunity gap. And she says, 812 00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:22,760 Speaker 1: you know, why not put some awesome women on shows 813 00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:26,880 Speaker 1: and commercials who are doing trades alongside men. And I 814 00:43:26,920 --> 00:43:30,520 Speaker 1: love this idea, that representation. It's policy and it's good 815 00:43:30,520 --> 00:43:33,800 Speaker 1: business practices, but it's also TV shows and commercials and 816 00:43:33,840 --> 00:43:36,600 Speaker 1: pop culture. It's it's changing how we think of women 817 00:43:36,600 --> 00:43:39,960 Speaker 1: in the trades culturally. Yeah, I'd like to see actual 818 00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:43,680 Speaker 1: trades women highlighted the medium more definitely, both in fiction 819 00:43:43,760 --> 00:43:47,640 Speaker 1: and nonfiction ways. Yeah, and all the ways. And back 820 00:43:47,840 --> 00:43:52,239 Speaker 1: by popular demand, we are excited to introduce a new 821 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:55,279 Speaker 1: segment that we're bringing back to stuff Mom Never told you. 822 00:43:55,520 --> 00:44:00,479 Speaker 1: And that is some fan mail. So the Furst letter 823 00:44:00,520 --> 00:44:03,839 Speaker 1: comes to us from Chris. Thank you for writing in Chris, Chris, 824 00:44:03,880 --> 00:44:06,960 Speaker 1: listen to our marriage versus ambition episode, and this is 825 00:44:07,040 --> 00:44:09,680 Speaker 1: absolutely one of those episodes that we got so much 826 00:44:09,719 --> 00:44:13,000 Speaker 1: response on social media about because it can be a 827 00:44:13,120 --> 00:44:16,759 Speaker 1: challenge to weigh those trade offs, but when it comes 828 00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:21,680 Speaker 1: to marriage versus ambition. Chris writes a really hopeful email 829 00:44:21,760 --> 00:44:25,720 Speaker 1: that gave us a lot of encouragement when she shared quote, 830 00:44:25,920 --> 00:44:29,080 Speaker 1: I am quite an ambitious lady and I'm currently permanent 831 00:44:29,160 --> 00:44:32,360 Speaker 1: faculty at a university in the UK, having jumped ship 832 00:44:32,400 --> 00:44:35,680 Speaker 1: from the private sector after ten years due to blatant 833 00:44:35,719 --> 00:44:39,000 Speaker 1: discrimination and just not wanting to deal with that stuff anymore. 834 00:44:39,560 --> 00:44:41,799 Speaker 1: My husband, on the other hand, has never been particularly 835 00:44:41,840 --> 00:44:44,040 Speaker 1: ambitious and it's currently a stay at home dad to 836 00:44:44,080 --> 00:44:46,120 Speaker 1: our four year old daughter. We met when I was 837 00:44:46,160 --> 00:44:49,520 Speaker 1: in my first year at university. I'd had a messy 838 00:44:49,560 --> 00:44:52,080 Speaker 1: break up a few months before we got together, and 839 00:44:52,120 --> 00:44:55,799 Speaker 1: I had sworn off relationships altogether. Oh the drama of 840 00:44:55,880 --> 00:44:59,160 Speaker 1: being eighteen. So I wasn't hiding my light under a 841 00:44:59,200 --> 00:45:02,239 Speaker 1: bushel at all. Maybe it's because he always knew what 842 00:45:02,280 --> 00:45:06,200 Speaker 1: he was getting with big dashes of luck and communication. 843 00:45:06,680 --> 00:45:10,239 Speaker 1: But we've been together nearly eighteen years. Our relationship has 844 00:45:10,280 --> 00:45:14,759 Speaker 1: survived moving across the world Australia to Scotland moving to 845 00:45:14,800 --> 00:45:19,000 Speaker 1: London for my career change. Being poor PhDs don't pay 846 00:45:19,080 --> 00:45:21,840 Speaker 1: enough to support a family and I'm usually the breadwinner 847 00:45:21,880 --> 00:45:26,120 Speaker 1: in fertility, pregnancy loss and child racing. I just wanted 848 00:45:26,160 --> 00:45:28,880 Speaker 1: to let you know that sometimes it does happen. I 849 00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:31,160 Speaker 1: love what you're doing with the podcast. I'm so glad 850 00:45:31,800 --> 00:45:35,000 Speaker 1: I kept my subscription. Chris. We're so glad you kept 851 00:45:35,040 --> 00:45:37,120 Speaker 1: your subscription too, And we're so glad you wrote in 852 00:45:37,200 --> 00:45:39,920 Speaker 1: to tell us that it's not all doom and gloom ladies. 853 00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:43,000 Speaker 1: Even though the research isn't very sunny when it comes 854 00:45:43,040 --> 00:45:47,480 Speaker 1: to women, our relationships and ambition all getting along. But 855 00:45:47,680 --> 00:45:51,560 Speaker 1: I so appreciate Chris's example showing us how it does 856 00:45:51,600 --> 00:45:53,919 Speaker 1: work out sometimes. And Chris, I'm really happy to hear 857 00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:56,319 Speaker 1: that your situation it's working great for you. I mean, 858 00:45:56,760 --> 00:45:58,920 Speaker 1: I think when we talk about relationships can often be 859 00:45:59,040 --> 00:46:01,400 Speaker 1: pretty dismal, and I'm happy to hear that it's not 860 00:46:01,480 --> 00:46:04,480 Speaker 1: all bad. Well done. So another letter you wanted to 861 00:46:04,520 --> 00:46:07,239 Speaker 1: read is one that I found particularly resonant um, and 862 00:46:07,280 --> 00:46:09,520 Speaker 1: that's around a d h D. A lot of folks 863 00:46:09,560 --> 00:46:11,200 Speaker 1: were wrestling with this issue the same way that I 864 00:46:11,239 --> 00:46:13,000 Speaker 1: have in my life and I just wanted to highlight 865 00:46:13,040 --> 00:46:16,200 Speaker 1: one of these great letters we got from Randy. Randy writes, 866 00:46:16,640 --> 00:46:18,000 Speaker 1: I just want to say that the women in a 867 00:46:18,080 --> 00:46:21,080 Speaker 1: d h D episode resonated with me beyond words. I 868 00:46:21,200 --> 00:46:23,520 Speaker 1: was diagnosed with a d h D at the quote 869 00:46:23,600 --> 00:46:26,640 Speaker 1: late age of nineteen, after struggling in college and trying 870 00:46:26,680 --> 00:46:29,960 Speaker 1: to silence the constant noise in my brain. After going 871 00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:33,480 Speaker 1: through rigorous tests, as you mentioned, I was diagnosed. The 872 00:46:33,520 --> 00:46:35,400 Speaker 1: thing that still blows my mind to this day is 873 00:46:35,400 --> 00:46:38,200 Speaker 1: the report which was written up about my test that 874 00:46:38,200 --> 00:46:40,520 Speaker 1: they thought I was exaggerating my symptoms and everything I 875 00:46:40,560 --> 00:46:43,600 Speaker 1: was going through. After listening to this episode of your podcast, 876 00:46:43,840 --> 00:46:45,759 Speaker 1: I feel as though I can link that finding to 877 00:46:45,840 --> 00:46:47,200 Speaker 1: the fact that I was a woman with a d 878 00:46:47,320 --> 00:46:49,440 Speaker 1: h D. Thank you so much for breaking this to 879 00:46:49,520 --> 00:46:53,080 Speaker 1: light through your podcast. I cannot thank you enough, Brandy. 880 00:46:53,160 --> 00:46:55,560 Speaker 1: I cannot thank you enough for writing this letter. I 881 00:46:55,600 --> 00:46:58,040 Speaker 1: see so many flashes of myself and what you've written, 882 00:46:58,200 --> 00:47:00,319 Speaker 1: and I see so many flashes of other women who 883 00:47:00,320 --> 00:47:02,200 Speaker 1: have written in, other women in my life who have 884 00:47:02,239 --> 00:47:04,680 Speaker 1: basically said the same thing, which is that their medical 885 00:47:04,680 --> 00:47:07,560 Speaker 1: professionals were not taking their symptoms seriously because they were women. 886 00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:10,680 Speaker 1: Um and I'm happy that you got your diagnosis, and 887 00:47:10,680 --> 00:47:12,600 Speaker 1: I hope that you're you're hanging in there, and thanks 888 00:47:12,640 --> 00:47:18,200 Speaker 1: so much for writing in So we would love to 889 00:47:18,200 --> 00:47:21,320 Speaker 1: see more women in the trades, more women getting paid 890 00:47:21,480 --> 00:47:26,239 Speaker 1: in the trades, more women uh finding great opportunities to 891 00:47:26,280 --> 00:47:30,879 Speaker 1: be customers of women owned trades businesses like Fortress, And 892 00:47:30,920 --> 00:47:32,520 Speaker 1: we really want to hear from you. What has your 893 00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:37,600 Speaker 1: experience been when it comes to plumbing, mechanics, electrician work, etcetera. 894 00:47:37,760 --> 00:47:40,120 Speaker 1: You know h vacts support, have you been on the 895 00:47:40,120 --> 00:47:43,840 Speaker 1: receiving end of trades women's labor or are you a 896 00:47:43,880 --> 00:47:46,640 Speaker 1: woman in the trades yourself. We want to hear from you, 897 00:47:46,880 --> 00:47:50,120 Speaker 1: especially if you are considering a career change and trade 898 00:47:50,120 --> 00:47:52,719 Speaker 1: school sounds like the right place for you. We'd love 899 00:47:52,800 --> 00:47:54,680 Speaker 1: to hear from you, so send us a treat at 900 00:47:54,680 --> 00:47:58,080 Speaker 1: mom Stuff podcast, tag us on Instagram at stuff Mom 901 00:47:58,080 --> 00:48:01,399 Speaker 1: Never Told You, And as always, we love reading your 902 00:48:01,440 --> 00:48:04,920 Speaker 1: mail via r inbox mom Stuff at how stuff works 903 00:48:05,000 --> 00:48:16,040 Speaker 1: dot com.