Revolutionizing Women's Workwear

In this episode of the Sparky Life podcast, host Lia Lamela speaks with Laura Stevenson, a red seal electrician and founder of Salty Mountain, a women's workwear brand. They discuss their experiences in the electrical trade, the differences in licensing between Canada and the US, and the pros and cons of union and non-union apprenticeships.

Laura shares her journey of starting Salty Mountain, from winning a $25,000 grant to creating prototypes of high-rise pants and overalls. She emphasizes her mission to empower women in the construction industry with workwear that combines comfort, style, and functionality.

I'm thrilled to share with you the latest episode on the Sparky Life podcast, where I had the pleasure of hosting Laura Stevenson.  Laura's mission to revolutionize women's workwear by combining functionality and style is truly inspiring.


Connect with us: @sparkylifeoflia

Sparky Life Supports: Raya Kenney's Foundation Women Who Worked on the Home Front Memorial

Be a part of history!
National Memorial to the Women Who Worked on the Home Front Foundation

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Congress approves Women Who Worked on the Home Front Memorial

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https://marnie-kenney-sfg2.squarespace.com/checkout/donate?donatePageId=63d1d506217f9e44111ecfea

Apply for Skilled Trades the Mike Rowe Scholarship:
https://www.mikeroweworks.org/scholarship/
"We recognize a good education doesn’t always require a four-year degree.”

We support financial advancement for the skilled trades community.  You can reach out to Jennifer Markwell at Platinum Wealth email Jennifer@PlatinumWealth.net
website www.PlatinumWealth.net

Music by https://www.purple-planet.com

Transcript

Lia Lamela (00:00:00) - Welcome to the Sparky Life podcast. I'm your host, Lia Lamela, and here we create the spark in our lives. Join me on this electrical journey where I highlight skilled trade tales and construction career opportunities with those I've met along the way. Thank you for joining. For trade tales continued. My guest today was born and raised on a small island on the east coast of Canada. Laura Stephenson is a Red seal electrician who recently opened her own electrical company and started a woman workwear brand, Salty Mountain. Laura is making space for women's workwear and construction. She is in the process of testing prototypes. And yes, I officially sign up for that position model needed for proto testing. Prototype testing right here. Think of Leah. She shares with us the process of developing a new line for all shapes, sizes and curves. Salty mountain won the ignition fund of $25,000 due to their innovative designs. We talk about embracing your femininity on site and showing up as your authentic self. Laura launches in the spring of 2024.

Lia Lamela (00:01:24) - Her mission is to change the way women look and feel in workwear. And I can tell you. As a woman who works in construction, I would like to look good and feel good in what I'm wearing. Not only do I want what I'm wearing to be efficient and effective for my job, but I also want to look good in it. Welcome with me, Laura Stevenson. Hi, Laura. Hey. How are you? I'm good. How are you?

Laura Stevenson (00:01:54) - I'm good. I logged on probably like an hour ago, and then realized that you're in, like, the eastern time. I'm just on the Atlantic, and I was like, oh, I looked at it afterwards, and I was like, oh my gosh.

Lia Lamela (00:02:09) - You're in Canada, right?

Laura Stevenson (00:02:11) - Yeah, I'm on the east coast of Canada. So Prince Edward Island, where like the smallest province in Canada, there's like there used to be 100,000 of us here, but I think it's like almost doubled now, but. Yeah.

Lia Lamela (00:02:23) - Wow.

Lia Lamela (00:02:24) - Wow. I've got a lot of friends in Canada.

Laura Stevenson (00:02:27) - So what parts of Canada?

Lia Lamela (00:02:31) - Toronto. What's the other one she named? She lives by a lake in Canada.

Laura Stevenson (00:02:39) - Vancouver or probably B.C.?

Lia Lamela (00:02:42) - Probably B.C.. Yeah. Yeah.

Laura Stevenson (00:02:44) - I used to live in Alberta, too. Like in the Rockies. Yeah.

Lia Lamela (00:02:47) - I've heard it, too.

Laura Stevenson (00:02:49) - So I was there for eight years. We just moved back to probably two and a half years ago. I did most of, like, my electrical out there.

Lia Lamela (00:02:57) - So your red seal then?

Laura Stevenson (00:02:59) - Yeah. Red seal. I've been doing it for almost 11 years now.

Lia Lamela (00:03:03) - Wow. That's wonderful. That's wonderful.

Laura Stevenson (00:03:06) - You are as well too, aren't you?

Lia Lamela (00:03:08) - Yes, but we don't have that classification. Red seal. In the United States. We have journeyman licensing. So it's an electrical licensing, but it's just called different terminology, a different name.

Laura Stevenson (00:03:22) - Is it per like each state or do you guys have. Okay. Yeah.

Lia Lamela (00:03:26) - So it's very interesting. We have a national code book electrically that you have to test for in every state, but your licensing only qualifies you for that state or for a group of states, depending on what state.

Lia Lamela (00:03:41) - And until you get a master's, does that encompass all states? And even with the masters, it's not like you're recognized in every state as a master electrician. That's not it. With a master's license in that state, you're recognized as a master electrician and can pull permits. But in every other state that you're not licensed in, you're only recognized as a journeyman electrician.

Laura Stevenson (00:04:07) - They honestly, they did that to me, too. Yeah. I was a journeyman in Alberta. And then when I came back to P.E.I., they're like, we don't recognize that at all. And I was like, are you kidding me? So they made me go right again and like, passed or whatever. But I was like, I can't believe I'm having to do this. Like Alberta has the highest standards in the country. We write all your books and you're going to make me rewrite the oh, I was so mad, but I'm good now.

Lia Lamela (00:04:35) - I think it's ridiculous, too. It comes down to politics. They it's influence to keep you in the same place, working in the same state, making that state or that providence.

Lia Lamela (00:04:45) - Right. You guys have Providence's money as. And another excuse just for the government to be like, hey, give us more money.

Laura Stevenson (00:04:54) - Yeah. Even to like. So I just got my electrical contractors, so then I can open my own business. So you actually have to pay the government. Thank you. I really I'm super excited. I said I was going to do it by the time I was 35. And I was like, you know what? I'm going to do it when I'm 33. I'm going to pull the plug and I'm going to do it, which I'm really happy I did. I'm still working with my company that I originally started with almost 11 years ago, just because we're run off our feet and was like, I'll stay with you till the 1st November and then I'm going out on my own. But yeah, I'm like, I'm super excited.

Lia Lamela (00:05:27) - Yeah, that's very exciting. And it's wonderful to have a female owned business, especially in electrical. Yeah, I wish there was more of us out there too.

Laura Stevenson (00:05:41) - Honestly. Like seeing the transition from when I got into the trades to even now and how it's changed substantially. I'm like, this is it's like headed in a great direction, think. And one day it's going to be like, we all just work together. And it's not like female male, which is like would be amazing. I think that's how it just should be. And it's crazy that it isn't yet. So yeah, I find it like I definitely struggle with that aspect, but I've had a really couple good companies that I've worked with that yeah, I wouldn't change it for the world.

Lia Lamela (00:06:15) - You just said that you're currently the company that you're currently transitioning out of and and stepping out on your own. You've been with them for 11 years. That's a big deal.

Laura Stevenson (00:06:26) - Yeah. Well, what happened was I started with him and was there for a year and a half. And then I went out to Calgary, and then eight years later, I came back and worked for him again. So we just we kept this great relationship.

Laura Stevenson (00:06:39) - He's like, I would consider him like family and the group of guys that I work with. They're all great people. Like when I got pregnant, they dropped off clothes for the baby, like super good guys. And I've like, I worked at crappy companies, but this is by far one of the best companies, and I would go back and help them out anytime they needed help. Two great guys. And he's he has like three females that have worked there. He's great. Like he's very awesome. He's an awesome boss. Yeah.

Lia Lamela (00:07:09) - That's wonderful. So are you primarily doing residential work where what is the electrical background?

Laura Stevenson (00:07:18) - So I started we're with a very small company, like when I started so Blue Electrical I'm with right now. They're residential commercial. So it's honestly a mix of everything. I haven't done a ton of industrial just because P.E.I. doesn't have a huge industrial industry here for it, and it's pretty much in the market with the bigger companies. So I have both. I would say I'm more residentially strong, like circuitry, ruffins, those kind of things.

Laura Stevenson (00:07:49) - But I have like quite a bit of commercial behind me as well. I did a lot of commercial builds out in Calgary, like downtown on the high rises and stuff like that. So I was really lucky to get that experience before coming back for sure. What about yourself?

Lia Lamela (00:08:03) - Primarily commercial. I started off in building automation. In fact, I'm not that knowledgeable with residential at all. It's a it's really fun excuse when people ask me, hey, oh, you're an electrician, can you install this ceiling fan commercial? I don't.

Laura Stevenson (00:08:25) - Feel like, oh my gosh, I wish I could say that to the fans. Yeah, that's too funny.

Lia Lamela (00:08:33) - But I currently transitioned into Fire Alarm. So nice. Yeah, I'm getting my set one and two now, so I'm starting to try to better understand how the fire alarm circuits work. All the. Panels and builds involved with fire alarm and the combination of the AC, DC, which is very similar to building automation. That's why I was interested in kind of opening that up and taking a peek.

Laura Stevenson (00:09:05) - Oh yeah. Do you guys have to have like a different license for that at all?

Lia Lamela (00:09:09) - The nice set one and two is three. It goes to four. The level four. That's specifically fire alarm based. So you need an electrical license. But then on top of that you need the night set licensing. So.

Laura Stevenson (00:09:22) - Oh okay.

Lia Lamela (00:09:24) - What about in Canada.

Laura Stevenson (00:09:25) - So I'm registered in Alberta. But it doesn't translate to here. So I would probably have to write an exam. I'm not too sure how like Prince Edward Island does it. It's kind of funny. It's like a weird sometimes they let you do it, sometimes they don't. I've done a ton of it, but they they don't do a course here in. So I don't know how it would translate, to be quite honest. I assume because I had to be registered in Alberta, I'd have to be registered here, but haven't really taken anything on here, so I'm not too sure. So the level 1 to 4, would it be kind of like your blocks? Is that what you guys call them?

Lia Lamela (00:10:04) - What do you mean by blocks?

Laura Stevenson (00:10:06) - So with us we work for like a year and then we'll go back to school for eight weeks and then we'll work for another year, go back to school for eight weeks.

Laura Stevenson (00:10:15) - And that's how we. So how does it work with you guys?

Lia Lamela (00:10:17) - It's not it's not like that for us. So there's two tracks. And this is a generalization because nothing is exactly the same. But you typically have two tracks. If you're in skilled trades you either go union or non-union. If you go non-union, you're working for a company and a lot of the non-union companies, you are responsible for figuring out your classes, your tests, how you're going to organize to take your license. And the non-union company basically checks off. Yes, this person has done this amount of electrical work in this amount of time, okay, it's completely on you to work and go to classes or school or however you want to put it. At the same time, in order to get the qualifications to take the test. In union, it's more structured for you, so you don't have to take as much on in the sense that you're being sent to different contractors to work, and then you go to school maybe one day a week, maybe at night classes, depending on the union, and then it's going to school and working at the same time.

Lia Lamela (00:11:30) - So we're never one or the other. It's always both.

Laura Stevenson (00:11:34) - Wow, that's a lot to take on at the same time. Yeah, yeah.

Lia Lamela (00:11:40) - I personally like the way you guys do it better.

Laura Stevenson (00:11:44) - Oh yeah. It's great. I think it's better.

Lia Lamela (00:11:47) - To focus in, you know, you're more giving 110% into what you're doing then trying to play this game of how much time do I need to study to pass and get enough sleep and still be able to work and perform.

Laura Stevenson (00:12:02) - This? Wow. And how many years does that take you guys?

Lia Lamela (00:12:06) - That's differs too. So on average it takes someone 4 to 5 years to get an electrical license. There are loopholes. I managed to get it in three years. And that's because. Oh, good.

Laura Stevenson (00:12:19) - For you.

Lia Lamela (00:12:20) - I'm insane. I. I stepped into electrical later in life, so I was determined to make every second count. So. But that is not the norm. The norm is 4 to 5 years. It's about four for you guys, isn't it?

Laura Stevenson (00:12:41) - Yeah, yeah.

Laura Stevenson (00:12:42) - You have to have so many hours to get your license. Like they just won't give it to you. Yes. So you have like 10,000 hours and then you can write your second block. So that's kind of how it works with us. Or if you've worked like for four years straight, you can go in and just challenge the Red seal. I'm pretty sure that's something you can do. I haven't heard of many people doing it just because the math and the books are like, they're a lot. Yeah, especially when you're not doing it on the job every single day. Like the math to me, I was like, I don't understand why we have to learn this stuff. I do now, sort of. But there's certain things that was like, we probably didn't need to go this in depth with it. Mhm.

Lia Lamela (00:13:22) - Yeah. The math in the beginning was very scary for me, but I learned to love it. However, I will say this, the the Red seal exam mathematically is more challenging than the electrical exam mathematically in the states 100%.

Lia Lamela (00:13:43) - Yes.

Laura Stevenson (00:13:44) - Really. Yes okay.

Lia Lamela (00:13:46) - Yes for sure.

Laura Stevenson (00:13:47) - Interesting. Okay. Very cool.

Lia Lamela (00:13:51) - And in England they have a three day exam.

Laura Stevenson (00:13:56) - No, they don't really.

Lia Lamela (00:13:59) - Oh my, oh my. Yes, I, I was talking to Kai. She's an electrician in England. She's amazing.

Laura Stevenson (00:14:06) - Yeah.

Lia Lamela (00:14:07) - I couldn't believe what she had to do in order to get her electrical license. Three days, Sam, and you have to pass each section in order to pass. Overall, you can't fail one section.

Laura Stevenson (00:14:19) - Oh my gosh. Yeah, they must be quite good at their trade then. I would think.

Lia Lamela (00:14:26) - So.

Laura Stevenson (00:14:27) - There's some guys that I'm like, I don't know how you ever got your ticket. We see this here all the time. How are you running jobs. Because you don't even know what do X, Y, Z or. And like there's things that because electrical so broad there's things that I know. You know what? I've never done this. I have no idea how to do it.

Laura Stevenson (00:14:47) - But I find some of them, they walk in and they're like, yep, I got this. And I'm like, that's not how you do it. Like, why wouldn't you just say, hey, I don't know how to do it? Somebody show me. So then you get better. But there's like, oh my gosh.

Lia Lamela (00:15:01) - You know what, Lora, don't talk about common sense, okay.

Laura Stevenson (00:15:05) - Oh there's like, oh, sometimes it's gotten so bad though here because we're dying for tradespeople. They're pretty much hiring anyone. And like a lot of the guys, they don't show up to their shifts and they still have a job. Like I remember when I got into this, like, even if you went home early one day, that was like a no no. And now it's just I find it so different. Like especially the new apprentices coming in. I'm like, these were my expectations. Like, I remember when I was in Alberta and I just got hired on with a job in residential.

Laura Stevenson (00:15:40) - It was -40 out and we were roughing in houses. So there was no windows, there was no doors. It was absolutely freezing. And it was my first week at this company. And the journeyman at the time was maybe a second year. He looked at me and he was like, I'm not here to babysit. So if you can't keep up, leave now. I was the first woman that was ever hired at this company, and none of them wanted me there. Of course, I remember half of the team. They're like, we're not working in this. And they went home and I went through two weeks of -40 and I would not leave. And I worked all the overtime. I did everything and they were like, okay, we have respect for you now. Yeah. But was like, that was me starting out. Like I worked so hard and I was so determined to prove that I deserved a spot there. And then I see all these young people coming in and I'm like, oh, man, like such a different work ethic than myself starting out.

Laura Stevenson (00:16:34) - Or even the guys that started out with me, like they worked night and day and I'm it's so crazy.

Lia Lamela (00:16:41) - I know, but I understand what you're saying. I definitely value a strong work ethic, but I do challenge this. I hear I hear this a lot from, you know, seasoned, a skilled trades that when I was on the job I didn't wear boots, you know, like we didn't have hard hats. Like, you know, I understand the value of really testing your own limits and putting in that. Discipline that. Winner takes all attitude. On the other hand, it shouldn't be that way. No, shouldn't have had to put yourself in that type of situation. Dangerous.

Laura Stevenson (00:17:28) - Oh, 100%.

Lia Lamela (00:17:29) - Yeah. Extreme stress to your mind and your body just to be accepted. Just to be like, oh, okay. She's okay. Like, oh yeah, you're killing yourself. And the I think the mindset of the younger people coming into this is like, we can make money many different ways, right? There's so many options.

Lia Lamela (00:17:49) - I'm not going to be abused. I'm not going to. My life's not going to be put at risk. I'm not going to kill myself or a job. I'm not going to do it. So. That's why I'm a big proponent on changing the environment that we work in.

Laura Stevenson (00:18:04) - 100%.

Lia Lamela (00:18:05) - As we elevate it, that's how we're going to get quality people stepping back into it, because I'm sure you know.

Speaker 3 (00:18:14) - Being electricians. Fucking awesome.

Laura Stevenson (00:18:18) - I like honestly, it is like I love it. It's amazing. I've never thought I would take this route. Like, I got into fashion design school when I was 18 and now I'm like, oh, I'm an electrician. Yes, such a different route.

Lia Lamela (00:18:35) - But wait, let's let's go back to this fashion school, okay? Because this is how I got introduced to you was the women's workwear.

Laura Stevenson (00:18:45) - Yeah.

Lia Lamela (00:18:45) - Yeah. This is a very, very big deal okay. I'm very excited. So you have this. So for all you know it was meant to be this way.

Lia Lamela (00:18:54) - Like this path.

Laura Stevenson (00:18:56) - I think this path was like where it brought me. Now, like, I'm happy and I'm like, getting to use my artistic skills and still be able to, like, be on the tools and work and have this really cool yin and yang in my life that I really like. Um, so I started designing women's workwear when I was actually pregnant with my third child because I had absolutely nothing to wear. Like, everything is pretty rigid, nothing has like moved to it at all. And I'm I'm a pretty shapely woman. Like, I'm not straight. I've got curves. And like, even when I wasn't pregnant, I'm like, oh my God, I can't wear certain brands because it's very narrow cut and it just doesn't work for me. So my husband and I, just while it was more my husband was like, why don't you start making them and designing them? So when I was on maternity leave, I got out my grandmother's, she's 93, her sewing machine, and started making these overalls and researching different fabrics.

Laura Stevenson (00:20:04) - So then we got to a point where we had a few. It's called the Startup Zone here in Prince Edward Island. It's for like new entrepreneurs. They got interested in it. And you're like, I think like I think this could be something. I think like we could make a company out of this. So we actually flew out to Vancouver with the designers that we have there. I gave them all the stuff that we needed to like, at least do a prototype to test it out. Right. And then in the process of all this, there's this thing called the ignition, um, ignition fund. It's $25,000 to go towards, like a new company and like marketing and branding. And we applied for it and we won it. So we beat a bunch of people. Like, it was like, crazy. So we're actually at the point where we have the prototypes, the 3D rendering is being done, and I'm hoping to get to manufacturing within the next two months. So I have two products right now.

Laura Stevenson (00:21:06) - I have pants which are high rise and they're like, right, I can't do low rise. What I'm doing.

Lia Lamela (00:21:13) - Oh no, I hate it. I want a high fucking high rise. Not mid, not low high.

Laura Stevenson (00:21:20) - Oh I need it. Yes. You know it's uncomfortable bending over and having to like rip your pants up. Yeah. So I designed it. So in the butt gotten thighs it's actually a stretch of material. So it moves with you in those key areas and then in your knees and your legs and in between the groin. It's almost like a duck cotton. Like the Carhartt. Yeah. So it still stays durable in the places that you really need it. And then give stretch in other places that maybe don't need to be as durable. And then we did overalls that I designed, and there I was really into like skiing and snowboarding growing up. And their snowboard pants that if you're doing heli skiing and you're going up to the mountains and you have to pee, you can actually zipper them down and pee up on the mountains.

Laura Stevenson (00:22:06) - Yeah. So I was like, why wouldn't I design, like, work overalls for women like this? Because I hate the porta potty. Like I use it all the time and I won't be like, won't use porta potties. But like, I cringe when I go in there.

Lia Lamela (00:22:21) - They're horrible.

Laura Stevenson (00:22:22) - They're horrible, they're gross. There's pee on the seat. There's things. And like everything falls out of your overalls and oh no. Yeah. So I was like, I want to design something where my overall stay on, I can keep my winter coat on as well. Like, that's one thing for me because it's freezing up here like it's really cold. Canada. So that was I took this really cool design from Snow Pants and I was like, why don't we take my design and put them like that? So that's that's how we won the ignition fund is because we had this new innovative idea. And I definitely know that there is overalls out there like that. They're high like their high viz.

Laura Stevenson (00:23:05) - They are done perfectly. I don't wear high viz, I just I'm a service. I'm roughing in. I am not required to. And I was like, there's nothing that I can find that I would wear in my industry. So I'm really excited about it. We had our graphic designs done the other day, so that's all ready to go for when we do sweaters and hats and all the other things. So it's like it's big. I'm really excited. But it's also pretty terrifying because it's it's a lot of money that my husband and I are putting into it, and hopefully it works out. But if not, like we both went, you know what? At least we tried, which is more than what most people would do. So but I'm really excited for the brand like when it comes out.

Lia Lamela (00:23:54) - So this is how Salty Mountain was born, basically. Okay.

Laura Stevenson (00:23:59) - And it's so and it's based off my Bernese mountain dog. So Salty Mountain was originally I we live right by the ocean and I had Louie, my burning dog, and he was swimming in the ocean.

Laura Stevenson (00:24:14) - I said something like, oh, like Salty Mountain Dog or something like that. And I was like, Salty Mountain would be such a cool name because it's like the East Coast and the West Coast with the mountains. I know when people are like, oh, don't get the name. I'm like, I know. It's like very like in it's a very like.

Lia Lamela (00:24:31) - I love the name.

Laura Stevenson (00:24:32) - Thank you.

Lia Lamela (00:24:33) - I love the name. I'm very attached to the name because I am an ocean person. I have a commercial fishing background, and so Salty Mountain makes a lot of sense to me. Oh, what we do and how our clothes should operate and be efficient and be a tool. And having that leniency, needing that, that swing on both ends of water and land. So to me it makes a lot of sense and I love the name.

Laura Stevenson (00:25:03) - Thank you I appreciate that. Yeah.

Lia Lamela (00:25:06) - Now I got to challenge you. You got to you got to you got to stand with you with this challenge, okay? You got to take on the challenge.

Lia Lamela (00:25:13) - Now. There's there is women's workwear out there hundred percent horrible. The problem is it's horrible. It's the majority of it sucks. And the few pieces that are good are exorbitantly expensive. Hundreds of dollars for a pant that we know we're going to tear up or get dirty or whatever. How did you tackle any of those issues regarding women's workwear? How are you handling costs? What's your ideas behind that?

Laura Stevenson (00:25:48) - So when it comes to that, because I know how much money we put into tools, how much we put into trucks, how much we put into the clothes we're wearing, I know that there's a price point where it makes sense, and then there's a price point where you're just being greedy. Yes, I was not raised to be even when I cost our jobs. Now I'm not going to go in and be like, you can't find an electrician, so I'm going to price you $1,000 past what I should be pricing you. I go in and I go, okay, this is what it costs to with our product to make it.

Laura Stevenson (00:26:28) - This is what it's going to take for us to make a living off this. Right. And that's where it stops at. Because I think when people start getting greedy, like the product, I don't think it means that much to people if they're just there to make money. This is like a product that means something to me. And I feel like I have this pain about this product, and I know other women have this pain. So to make it out of a price point that an everyday woman couldn't wear, that doesn't make sense to me. I wouldn't want that. And when I go into stores and I'm very much like, I love fashion, but if I go into stores, I'm like, I'm not spending like $200 on a pair of pants. That's just that's crazy to me. Even if they are work pants, like, that's a lot. So for me, we have tackled that and that is something. So my husband's a chartered accountant so he's very like business.

Lia Lamela (00:27:20) - Great combo power couple I love it.

Laura Stevenson (00:27:24) - It's so great. And if it wasn't for him, I would not know what I was doing when it comes to the business. So him and I have had some very, like in-depth conversations on price points. And it's not there's certain ones that I won't name them because I don't think that's fair to name them, but there is certain ones that I know how much it costs to make them and how much they're selling them for, and I'm just that's not who I am, and it's not how I was raised. I was raised extremely modest with two photographers as parents. Like, that's not I'm not in it for the money. I'm in it to change something. The same with like being a woman in construction. I'm not in it to like, get my face out there and be anything. I'm out there because I love the work and I'm out there because. Just because. I'm good with my hands doesn't mean I can't do it because I'm a female and think that's a huge thing. I think there needs to be more of that where it's like, I don't think women should just be nurses.

Laura Stevenson (00:28:26) - I think there's some amazing men that are nurses and like this whole like, this is a woman's job and this is a man's job that isn't the world we live in anymore. And that's kind of how I see things, I guess. Yeah.

Lia Lamela (00:28:38) - I love it. I'm on board with it. That's that sounds like a a good plan on my end here, I like it.

Laura Stevenson (00:28:45) - Thank you. Yeah.

Lia Lamela (00:28:47) - I understand that cost and quality do align, so I'm not foolish in knowing that when you're when you're doing something. Tools efficiency like one of my favorite tools tends to be on the expensive side. But like you so eloquently stated, there is a line, there is a difference. And when we are going to be wearing this clothing for work purposes, I want to look good. I want to feel good, but I also want to be efficient in in the clothes. And I know that sometimes oil is going to happen. Yeah, climbing around in ducts might happen.

Laura Stevenson (00:29:30) - I think all my clothes are stained.

Laura Stevenson (00:29:32) - Like there's not one time that I show up to a construction site and I'm like, oh man, like, this looks good today. I'm like, well, there's a coffee stain and there's like a stain. And I'm just like, well, it is what it is like. And it is important to me for me to wake up and not not everyone feels this way, but this is for me to wake up, put on makeup, do my hair, and feel proud of the way, not the way I look. But it makes me feel like, okay, I can take on the day. And the way that I kind of put it is there's women that work in business and they get up, they shower, they do their hair, they do the makeup, and they like, damn, I feel good today and they get to leave the house. I feel like women in construction should also feel that good. I don't think just because we have a dirty job, we shouldn't feel beautiful walking out the door.

Laura Stevenson (00:30:22) - And that's like all shapes and sizes. I'm not just talking about the very attractive women that work in construction. I'm talking about all the women. You should all feel good walking out the door because you're going to do a better job if you feel good about yourself, at least I do. So that was another thing for me when I was designing these. I'm like, I want. I mean, I'm not into like pink workwear by any means or anything like that, but I do want a feminine flair to it that you can feel like, okay, I don't always have to look like one of the guys. Like, it's not it doesn't have to be that.

Lia Lamela (00:30:58) - I appreciate that very much because I don't want to look like a man. I am a woman and I want to look like a woman. I so appreciate that. I'm excited. I can't wait until your product comes out. I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Laura Stevenson (00:31:18) - Oh yeah, I'll be so excited when we get to launch.

Laura Stevenson (00:31:22) - It'll be great. Yeah.

Lia Lamela (00:31:23) - Yes. Do you have a timeline of when you think you guys are launching?

Laura Stevenson (00:31:28) - Oh my gosh, my time, my timeline has changed so much because the fashion industry is a hard industry to navigate. If you have not lived it and gone to school and done all the things I originally wanted to launch by November 1st for Christmas, that will not be happening. But I'm really pushing March, really pushing into like the spring. So there could be like a spring line, okay. But it all like it all just depends on I don't want to release anything unless I am 100%. This is the best product that I can put out there, because I'm not willing to put out a product that a I don't think other people will appreciate or that I wouldn't wear myself. So that's a huge thing for me. It has been we started about a year ago with all the designs. I started flying back and forth to Vancouver in April, and we've accomplished a huge amount in just one year, but it is like I'm willing to push my timeline back to make sure that I have the best product that women are going to want to wear, and not just something that they throw on and say, this will do.

Laura Stevenson (00:32:38) - I want them to feel great. And kind of the way that I describe it is I want to have like the Lululemon meets Carhartt pants of the industry. Yes.

Lia Lamela (00:32:51) - Thank you, Salty Mountain. Thank you, thank you.

Laura Stevenson (00:32:56) - That is like that's the goal because everybody loves like comfy clothes. And we need it durable too. So that is like when I explain this to people that is that's what I want to have. And that's what I want to give all the women that work construction or farming or any like hard labor job. I think we should be comfortable and still feel great about ourselves at the end of the day.

Lia Lamela (00:33:20) - Oh my goodness, you had this amazing electrical career. You now own your own business and have created or birthed something out in.

Laura Stevenson (00:33:32) - Yeah. Oh, no. It's kind of it's like a whirlwind. It's kind of crazy. Yeah. When I first started out, I never thought this would be where I am, but I'm really I'm proud of the accomplishments that I've done so far.

Laura Stevenson (00:33:45) - Yeah. It's been a long road. Yeah.

Lia Lamela (00:33:48) - Speaking of your accomplishments, what tool is in your tool belt? What's the number one thing that you've carried with you throughout your journey? That's kind of in the back of your mind every day that you believe has helped you get where you are.

Laura Stevenson (00:34:06) - That's a really good question. I think my thing that got me to where I am is when someone told me I had limitations. I never let them win because there were so many times that someone would say, oh well, you have you have limitations in this field, or you have limitations on things that you can do in your life. And to me, I don't think that anyone gets to tell me that there's limitations. I get to set my limitations. And I don't have any right now. So until I'm ready to set some limitations, like, I know, like electrically, I did great because I never listened to anyone telling me I couldn't do anything. So I guess that would be the number one tool that I've always had is like, I didn't let anyone tell me I couldn't do something.

Speaker 4 (00:34:52) - I love that, I love that, and.

Lia Lamela (00:34:55) - That perfectly describes your energy, your persona. You remind me of the book Limitless by Jim Kwik.

Laura Stevenson (00:35:03) - Oh, I'll have to read it.

Lia Lamela (00:35:05) - Oh, oh my gosh, you are so aligned with with that. And it's a very, very powerful tool. And I feel that if most young women embraced that, the sky would be the limit.

Laura Stevenson (00:35:19) - Yeah. I think you got to love yourself first. I know so many people say that, but like to any like young woman going out there, sometimes you have to fake the confidence to get over something. And I did that so many times I faked going on to a job site and not being intimidated by 50 men, being like, why is she here? Or someone saying something? I just walked in and I did it. And I remember multiple times getting back in my truck and crying on the way home because I was like, oh my God, just keep it together. And honestly, I'm glad I did that because it made me so much stronger.

Laura Stevenson (00:35:55) - And like, especially with this new business that I've taken on this clothing business, I'm now walking into a whole different ballgame of business people and very knowledgeable, intelligent, university driven people. And I go in there and I may not be the smartest person in the room. But I feel like I can do it because I've done it in another industry. I think I can do it in this one. Yeah, yeah.

Lia Lamela (00:36:21) - Well, I know you can. You know what you can, Sparky? Life is 100% behind you.

Laura Stevenson (00:36:26) - Oh, I love it.

Speaker 4 (00:36:27) - Thank you.

Lia Lamela (00:36:27) - Where can we find you? How can everyone get in contact so they can get their hands on as soon as it comes out the products?

Laura Stevenson (00:36:36) - Oh, well, right now I just have my Instagram account. You can, I guess, follow me on Salty Mountain Co at. I think that's how you do it don't you.

Lia Lamela (00:36:50) - You got it.

Speaker 4 (00:36:50) - You got it. I'm with it.

Lia Lamela (00:36:54) - I'm with you. I'm like.

Laura Stevenson (00:36:55) - I got a TikTok account.

Laura Stevenson (00:36:56) - And I was like, I don't know how to use TikTok till I talk into the camera.

Speaker 4 (00:37:00) - Yeah, yeah.

Laura Stevenson (00:37:01) - Like I'm so old, I. And I know people are like, oh, you don't look old. I'm like, oh, I'm old. I'm still learning this whole technology thing. And oh, there's days where I'm like, that was cringey. But then I look back and I'm like, it's kind of cool. It's kind of cool doing this stuff.

Lia Lamela (00:37:14) - Yes, definitely. Okay. Salty Mountain Co yeah.

Laura Stevenson (00:37:19) - You might want to fact check that because we're not. Oh my god.

Lia Lamela (00:37:25) - I'm going to have your links and email in the show notes below. So if people can reach out to you directly. All right.

Laura Stevenson (00:37:33) - Yeah. All right. Thanks so much. It was really good talking to you.

Lia Lamela (00:37:37) - Yes, yes, it was wonderful having you on I enjoy it. Thank you for joining us. If you felt a spark in today's episode, I invite you to write a review.

Speaker 5 (00:37:47) - I'd love to hear what lit you up, take what resonates with you, and if you'd like to hear more of the Spark Life, please subscribe, like, follow and share. Until next time, create the sparks in your life.