Women Talk Construction Podcast

Hosted by Christi Powell and Angela Gardner

Business Entrepreneurship ManagementInterviews guests

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Episodes

211

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

A podcast about helping women grow in the construction field and non-traditional careers.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 17, 2026Episode 21122 min

WTC ‘Introducing Libby’ with Angela and Christi

Send us Fan Mail In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner welcome listeners to Women Talk Construction and announce that recent guest Libby is joining as a new guest co-host, allowing Christi to step back during a demanding season. Through questions led by Libby, they discuss recognizing when stepping back is a strategic leadership choice, with Christi sharing past health-related warning signs and her realization she wasn’t bringing her best self. The hosts explore setting boundaries, learning to say no to even good opportunities, and using priorities, mentors, and self-awareness to protect wellbeing, family, and faith. Libby describes stepping into growth by aligning choices with core values, intuition, and passions. They emphasize transparency and modeling sustainable leadership in construction by building trusted teams, sharing responsibility, and treating careers as marathons. Christi notes she’ll return periodically while supporting her family and work. Support the show

August 10, 2026Episode 21025 min

WTC ‘Building Futures with Impact’ with Libby Mendriatta

Send us Fan Mail In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner welcome back guest Libby Mendriatta, NAWIC DC president and co-owner/EVP of Frisco Woodline, to discuss her free hands-on construction and STEM camp for girls and its immediate impact, including excitement about trades and career paths, mentorship, networking, and a returning camper who authored a construction-themed book. Libby shares how NAWIC builds confidence even for girls who may not enter construction and explains strategies for keeping a volunteer board motivated through relationship-building, fun balanced with accountability, and shared leadership. She outlines approaches to sponsorships and funding, including leveraging marketing credibility, board networks, and smaller asks, noting camp costs about $6,000 for 20 girls and NAWIC DC awards $10,000 in scholarships. Libby also highlights high-value events like coffee chats, Breakfast With a Champion, job site tours, golf workshops, and yoga, and invites listeners to connect with her on LinkedIn. Supported by: NPK Support the show

August 3, 2026Episode 20922 min

WTC ‘Saving Lives in Construction’ with Sonya Bohman

Send us Fan Mail In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner welcome guest Sonya Bowman, executive director of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP), to discuss mental health and suicide prevention in construction, so workers go home safe. Bowman explains CIASP’s roots in a 2015 CFMA article by Cal Beyer and Dr. Sally Spencer Thomas and the decision to form an independent 501(c)(3) in 2018 after CDC reports showed construction and extraction had the highest suicide death rates by occupation. She shares current CDC-based figures of about 1,000 fatal construction injuries versus roughly 5,000 construction-worker suicides, notes a preliminary 2024 decline of about 1.7%, and outlines warning signs as changes in behavior, performance, or life stressors. Bowman suggests immediate actions like planning for Suicide Prevention Month, sharing resources, and adding 988 and 741741 to email signatures, and directs listeners to preventconstructionsuicide.com for tools, training, and the STANDUP pathway. Supported by: Groundbreak Carolinas Support the show

July 27, 2026Episode 20720 min

WTC ‘The Engine that Could’ with Tonya Hicks

Send us Fan Mail In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner welcome back Tonya Hicks, president and CEO of Power Solutions, an electrical contracting, facility maintenance, and domestic EV charging manufacturer she has led for 26 years. Hicks, an IBEW journeyman electrician and the first Black woman journeyman in Mississippi and first woman in Local 917, explains how unsafe EV charger locations inspired her SheEV initiative, including a planned September car club and a redesigned app using a community rating (Yelp-like) model after legal concerns about labeling “safer” stations. She discusses advocating on Capitol Hill for policy to place chargers in safer locations and notes bipartisan support in Georgia. Hicks reflects on jobsite safety challenges for women due to ill-fitting PPE and clothing, addresses workforce development and retention (including family leave and benefits), and encourages upskilling and learning AI. Supported by: Groundbreak Carolinas Support the show

July 20, 2026Episode 20722 min

WTC ‘Visibility and Value’ with Amy Henningfield

Send us Fan Mail In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner welcome back Amy Henningfield, Director of Workforce Development at Superior Construction, a PACER award winner and champion for women in construction. Amy discusses launching Indiana’s first all-girls hands-on construction camp through Women in Roads (now expanded from Indianapolis to Fort Wayne), emphasizing female representation, jobsite exposure, mentorship, and sustained school relationships to overcome parent and educator skepticism about construction versus college. She shares how Superior’s intentionally designed women’s development program achieved a 100% promotion rate in its first cohort, with a current focus on supporting women in skilled trades through executive visibility, networking, and mentorship involving both men and women leaders. Amy also highlights the importance of construction voices on community boards and practical inclusion steps like providing properly fitting women’s PPE. Supported by: NPK Support the show

June 22, 2026Episode 20625 min

WTC ‘From Uniform to Crane’ with Erik Struebig

Send us Fan Mail In this episode: Christi and Angela interview Erik Struebig, Technical Coordinator for North America at MGX Manitowoc Crane, a nine-year US Army veteran who moved from field technician roles in agriculture, Yellow Iron, and mining to overseeing technical coordination for 218 technicians. They discuss attracting more people into heavy-equipment and construction careers by showcasing the wide range of trade-adjacent roles, improving marketing and “cool” visual branding, and communicating earning potential and apprenticeship advantages without college debt. Erik emphasizes the need for clear advancement paths through regular employee reviews and leadership investment, plus ongoing technical training supported by manufacturers and partners. He describes Manitowoc’s community engagement—Touch-a-Truck events, school outreach, funding a welding program, internships across departments, scholarships, and tooling support—and his work with Crew Collaborative. He closes with mentee advice: listen, ask questions, and volunteer. Supported by: NPK Support the show

June 15, 2026Episode 20521 min

WTC ‘Heavy Iron, Higher Standards’ with Kait Burds

Send us Fan Mail In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner interview Kate Birds, owner of Iron Lady & Co., and a heavy civil/industrial operator, recently promoted to superintendent after previously doubting her leadership and trying to demote herself. She describes a “rebirth” of accepting her place in the industry and her femininity, and explains how Iron Lady & Co. grew from punny clothing into sponsoring women-focused events, including SheGrooms, a hands-on camp in the ski industry that expanded into lift maintenance, snowmaking, welding, and heavy equipment exposure. Kate discusses leadership dynamics on job sites, earning respect through competence, consistency, and direct communication, and navigating setbacks by seeking feedback, recognizing unhealthy work environments, and rebuilding. Supported by: NPK Support the show

June 8, 2026Episode 20419 min

WTC ‘Grit, Growth, and Guts’ with Breanna Howard

Send us Fan Mail In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner interview Breanna Howard, an estimator and business development professional at Palmetto State Roofing and co-owner of Eastern Waste Solutions, about balancing industry work, entrepreneurship, and raising a one- and two-year-old. Brianna explains how negative workplace experiences shaped her focus on creating a welcoming culture by building trust with field crews through jobsite engagement and employee appreciation. She shares Eastern Waste Solutions’ community efforts, including a charity dumpster filled with donated toys for Secret Santa of Simpsonville and a planned summer donation drive for women's and children’s shelters. Brianna describes flexible workforce practices such as allowing time off without PTO, emphasizing networking beyond one’s role, encouraging women to pursue construction despite social expectations, and discussing managing a learning disability by rereading and double-checking work while using it as motivation to succeed. Support the show

June 1, 2026Episode 2039 min

WTC News Brief Ep. 2

Send us Fan Mail In this episode: Christi and Angela review May 2026 data showing the Carolinas outperforming national trends, with national steel prices up 7% while the region sees a 67% surge in healthcare and power projects, supported by a diverse economy, energy infrastructure, high-end healthcare facilities, and expanding data centers. The hosts discuss workforce and policy efforts, including monitoring North Carolina’s SB 986 Workforce Act to make credentials employer-driven and recognizing journey-level experience alongside four-year degrees, and closely watching South Carolina’s Wage Accountability Act to protect the merit shop, competitive open shop environment amid rapid growth. They highlight outreach to students through SkillsMobile and a gaming curriculum featuring electrical, HVAC, and BIM to improve awareness and retention. The conversation emphasizes mental health (May) and safety (June), urging daily mental health check-ins, “invisible PPE,” and STCKY critical-risk safety focused on high-energy hazards and job-stopping awareness. Support the show

May 18, 2026Episode 20222 min

WTC 'Cyber Warfare’ with Nick Espinosa

Send us Fan Mail In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner interview cybersecurity expert Nick Espinosa about how modern cyber warfare affects everyday businesses, especially small to mid-size construction firms. Espinosa describes Russia’s cyberattacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure and the use of malware like Mirai to weaponize IoT devices, emphasizing that high-level tactics trickle down to business ransomware. He explains construction is consistently a top-three targeted sector (alongside healthcare and finance) because attackers expect cash, deadlines, and fast payouts, and notes hackers exploit centralized sensitive data to find insurance policies and set ransom demands, with ransoms often negotiable. He warns that cyber insurance is not a defense strategy and can lead to steep renewal costs and coverage disputes. The discussion also critiques Meta’s social media impacts on privacy, disinformation, and youth mental health, and highlights emerging AI risks, citing Anthropic’s “Mythos” and predicting AI-vs-AI cybersecurity defense. Support the show