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).
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Sparky Life
How Did She Get a VP Job Without Applying?! | Jennifer Harrison - SupplyHouse VP
Every skilled professional needs the right tools to succeed → Get the right tool for YOU at SUPPLY HOUSE — Use code SL5 for 5% off!
🎧 In this episode:
This week on Sparky Life, we’re breaking barriers — and glass ceilings — with Jennifer Harrison, Vice President of Merchandising at SupplyHouse. Jennifer didn’t apply for her executive role. Her CEO created the position for her after one conversation. In a field where less than 7% of leadership roles are held by women, her story is not just rare — it’s revolutionary.
💥 Inside the episode:
• The moment her leadership potential was spotted — before she saw it in herself
• Why introverts make exceptional leaders in construction
• The power of writing your own “permission slip”
• What it really takes to lead in a male-dominated industry
• How to smash through imposter syndrome
• The “old school” leadership style that’s keeping good people silent — and how to change it
• Why SupplyHouse has one of the most collaborative, modern cultures in construction
• Her advice to the shy, quiet woman who doesn’t see her own potential (yet)
This episode is a masterclass in transformative leadership — and a permission slip for every woman who thinks she has to wait to be chosen. You don’t. You already are.
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⏱ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Welcome to Sparky Life
00:17 – Only 6% of Leadership Roles Are Held by Women
00:26 – How Jennifer’s CEO Created Her VP Role
01:10 – From Introvert to Executive
02:51 – Do Women Wait Too Long to Lead?
06:40 – Writing Yourself a Permission Slip
07:46 – Women Leading Differently: Transformational vs Transactional
10:45 – Leah’s Journey from Shy to Leading Crews
11:37 – Why Presence in a Room Matters
12:09 – Building Culture at SupplyHouse
14:11 – Why Chasing Money Isn’t the Goal
15:17 – If You’re at a Toxic Company: Leave
17:05 – Mistakes, Pivots, and CEO-Level Support
20:00 – Gaining Confidence as a Leader
23:30 – Why Collaboration Is So Rare in Construction
24:11 – Gatekeeping, Fear, and the 2008 Scarcity Mindset
26:22 – How to Build a Team That Speaks Up
29:02 – A Message for Shy Women With Big Potential
31:53 – “Leadership Is a Choice, Not a Title.”
38:39 – Final Words of Empowerment
39:36 – The Sparky Life: Subscribe & Share!
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🛠 Huge thanks to our sponsor: SupplyHouse
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