Sparky Life
On Your Construction Network, welcome to The Sparky Life with Lia Lamela - Your Escape Route from Dead-End Jobs!
Tired of living paycheck to paycheck? Hate your current career? Discover how skilled trades can transform your life - delivered with humor, real talk, and zero BS. If you already in the skilled trades transform your career with real stories, expert insights, and proven strategies from industry professionals who've built successful careers in the construction industry.
What You'll Get:
Career change strategies for people stuck in unfulfilling jobs
How to go from broke to building wealth in the skilled trades
Safety tips that could save your life and career (with a laugh)
Real stories from people who escaped corporate hell for trades heaven
Business growth advice for contractors and entrepreneurs
Industry insights delivered with humor
Perfect for anyone ready to ditch the cubicle, stop living paycheck to paycheck, and build a career that actually pays the bills - and then some. From office drone to skilled trades success - we'll show you the way (with a lot of laughs).
New episodes bi-weekly featuring the stories, and strategies that matter most to your success.
Subscribe now and join thousands building their Sparky Life!
Sparky Life
Construction Industry needs a REVOLUTION
In this electrifying episode of The Sparky Life, host Lia Lamela dives deep into the dynamic world of the construction industry with an absolute powerhouse: Barb Allen, a trailblazer with over three decades of experience in leadership, from a licensed carpenter to superintendent and business owner. Join us in todays amazing conversation.
0:00 Introduction: Women Reshaping Construction and Persistent Challenges
1:00 Introducing Barb Allen: Extensive Experience and Perspective
2:30 Being Labelled "Difficult" as a Female Leader
4:30 Leadership Techniques: Letting People Come to Their Own Conclusions
7:30 The Initial Shock of Women in the Trades
8:30 Shift to Microaggressions and Unconscious Biases
11:30 Differences in Male and Female Conversational Styles
12:30 Dealing with "Yesing to Death" and Lack of Follow-Through
14:30 Leadership Title Without Actual Authority
17:30 Bosses Undermining Authority and the Importance of Reinforcement 19:30 The Constant Need to Reprove and Reasons for Women Leaving 21:30 Having Conversations with Leaders About Lack of Authority
25:00 Using the Socratic Method for Leadership Discussions
27:30 Approaching Leaders with the Assumption of Good Intentions
28:30 Sponsor Message: Supply House
29:30 Lack of Understanding from Clients and Design Teams
31:30 Assumptions About Women's Lack of Field Experience
34:30 Leadership Skills Versus Trade Skills and the Peter Principle
37:30 The Necessity of Leadership Training and its Impact on the Bottom Line
40:30 Reasons for Leaving Jobs: Bad Bosses Versus Pay
41:30 The Cost of Employee Turnover and the Practice of Pigeonholing 43:00 Differences in Male and Female Leaders Letting People Go
46:00 Being the One to Speak Up in Meetings and Male Colleagues' Reactions
48:00 Advice on Speaking Up and Potential Career Repercussions
52:30 Example of Inappropriate Industry Event and Varying Reactions
57:30 The Importance of Building a Strong Support Network
58:30 Where to Find Barb Allen and Her Podcast
Follow Barb here - www.constructionbarb.com or @constructionbarb
Thanks to our sponsor SupplyHouse! - Visit www.supplyhouse.com/t-m
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