Power Women of the Trades: Weekly Podcast Empowering Women In the Trades Industry

Hosted by Power Women of the Trades

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Episodes

177

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Hosted by Cassie Pound and Leslie Harpole "Power Women of the Trades" is a powerful force, leading dynamic businesses and disrupting traditional norms. This podcast is all about breaking barriers and changing the game. Our podcast guests will feature some of today's most successful female entrepreneurs and owners in the trades- and feature other advocates of this initiative as well! Because if there’s one thing we know for sure: female-led entrepreneurship drives change on multiple levels!

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 5, 20265 min

Stop Waiting to Feel Ready

In this solo episode, Kailee reflects on imposter syndrome and the myth of "feeling ready" for career growth. Drawing from her own journey at Quality, from social media and community coordinator to marketing director, she shares how confidence typically follows action rather than preceding it. Kailee encourages listeners to stop waiting until they feel fully prepared and instead take the leap, reminding them that growth happens just outside the comfort zone. A short but motivating episode for anyone sitting on the edge of a new opportunity.

July 29, 202643 min

Power Women Replay with Amanda Mahaffey

In this episode of Power Women of the Trades, Cassie Pound and Heather Bargender sit down with Amanda Mahaffey, co-owner of Tuck and Howell in Greenville, South Carolina, to explore her transition from accounting into leading a modernization and rebrand of the 50+ year-old HVAC business. Amanda discusses moving the company from pen-and-paper operations to platforms like ServiceTitan, and how her financial background helped her uncover and fix negative profits and deep inefficiencies she inherited. She shares candid details on plugging cash leaks, restructuring labor, and building new processes, along with the emotional weight of making tough personnel decisions when longtime team members can't adapt to growth. The conversation also touches on rapid growth, imposter syndrome, and developing a leadership style that doesn't rely on fitting a stereotype. Packed with practical, real-world insights, this episode offers valuable takeaways for business owners, managers, and aspiring leaders across HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and construction.

July 15, 202616 min

Building Beyond Expectations with Elena Chrimat Part 1

In this episode of Power Women of the Trades, Cassie and Kailee sit down with Elena Chrimat, co-founder of Ideal Air Conditioning and Insulation in Phoenix, who started her company at just 23 years old. Elena shares how a background in energy audits led her and her husband into full-blown HVAC and home performance work, and why properly sized ductwork and insulation matter just as much as the equipment itself. She also opens up about the everyday challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated trade, from customers who look past her to reach a man in the room to callers who can't believe a woman is running the show. It's an honest conversation about proving yourself again and again, building a 27 person company from scratch, and refusing to let outdated assumptions slow you down. Tune in now wherever you get your podcasts, you won't want to miss this one.

July 8, 202620 min

Building More Than a Business with Alicia Green Part 2

In this episode of Power Women of the Trades, the host sits down with a fellow female trade business owner to discuss the challenges and rewards of staying locally owned in an era of growing private equity competition. The guest shares her frustrations with PE pricing tactics and explains why community investment and employee ownership through an ESOP model matter more to her than a big buyout. A large portion of the conversation covers her in-house training academy, which uses a unique discovery week process to identify and develop apprentices across HVAC, plumbing, and electrical, achieving a 98% retention rate. The episode wraps up with a look at the company's plans to expand and formalize its electrical department in 2026.

July 1, 202622 min

Building More Than a Business with Alicia Green Part 1

This week on the Power Women of the Trades Podcast, Cassie and Kailee are joined by Alicia Green, owner, CFO, and COO of Go Green Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical. Alicia shares the story of how she and her husband built their company from the basement of their home into one of North Carolina's leading home service businesses, all while remaining locally owned and committed to investing in their people.

June 24, 202614 min

The Quotes We Keep Coming Back to This Year So Far

Some of this year's most impactful episodes of Power Women of the Trades brought together bold voices redefining what success looks like in the home services industry. From starting over and learning to wear every hat in the business, to building a ServiceTitan consulting company rooted in real trades experience, our guests didn't hold back. They challenged the "silver bullet" culture, championed empathy-driven leadership, and shared what it truly means to build a company worth keeping. Whether you're a technician, an office leader, or just trade-curious, these conversations prove that heart and hustle belong in the same tool belt. Don't miss the moments that moved, challenged, and inspired our community most this year.

June 10, 202628 min

From Startup to Standout with Kelli Evans Part 2

In part two of this conversation, Kelli Evans joins Cassie and Kailee to dive deeper into leadership, team culture, and what it really means to serve people from the inside out. Kelli opens up about speaking life into your team, meeting people where they are, and why creating a culture where employees feel safe to be themselves changes everything. The conversation gets personal as Kelli reflects on overcoming self-doubt, breaking cycles, and learning not to let anyone take your confidence. From handling a high-pressure day with 90 calls on the board to requiring her leadership team to actually take time off, Kelli brings the kind of real, unfiltered insight you can only get from someone who has truly been in the trenches. If you have ever questioned whether you belong in a leadership seat, this episode is for you.

June 5, 202626 min

From Startup to Standout with Kelli Evans Part 1

This week on Power Women of the Trades, we're sitting down with Kelli Evans — the OG employee who's truly done it all. From answering phone calls from under a boat to becoming the Director of Operations, Kelli has seen this company from every angle. In part one of our conversation, we get into imposter syndrome, why culture matters just as much in the field as it does in the office, and the very real emotions that come with watching something you helped build actually grow.

June 5, 20266 min

Growth Looks Good on You

In this solo episode, Kailee reflects on her word for 2026: growth. She looks back on her journey from social media and community coordinator to marketing director, and shares an honest reminder that growth is rarely comfortable. Kailee encourages listeners to embrace the moments that feel stretching or overwhelming, because those are the exact moments that shape you into the leader you are meant to become. She closes with a challenge: write down five goals for the rest of the year that push you outside your comfort zone and commit to showing up, even when it is hard.

June 5, 202624 min

Power Women Replay with Katie Biddle

In this episode of Power Women of the Trades, hosts Cassie and Heather chat with Katie Biddle of Call Dad. Katie shares her incredible journey from dropping out of college to becoming the Head of Marketing for a fast-growing HVAC company. The conversation dives into the unique challenges of scaling a business in the trades, including the struggle to delegate and the importance of a diverse marketing strategy. Katie provides an inside look at Dad University, her company's rigorous apprenticeship program, and how a focus on customer experience shapes their entire operation. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in leadership, growth, and building a strong brand in the trade industry.