Women at WIRC

Julie Schafer | Aurora Builders

Even when Julie Schafer is not at work, she’s spending much of her free time working in the industry, primarily with her local Professional Women in Building Council.
As chair of her local PWB last year, Julie started an after school program in collaboration with a non-profit to get elementary school-aged girls excited about the construction industry.
Last year, she won the award for Outstanding Council of the Year from the National Association of Home Builders’ PWB Council, among other awards, for her non-profit work.
Though it may be hard to believe, in the beginning, Julie entered the industry without a bit of knowledge on residential construction. She credits all of her success to the support from her fellow PWB members.
Aurora Builders: https://aurorabuilders.com
Professional Women in Building Council: https://nahb.org/NAHB-Community/Councils/Professional-Women-in-Building-Council

How to Cultivate a Transparent, Empathetic Culture with Tanya Donahue

Welcome back to Women at WIRC, a podcast for and about the women of remodeling and construction, brought to you by Pro Remodeler and Pro Builder magazines.
Hi, I’m Annie Cebulski, associate editor for Professional Remodeler. 2020 is coming to a close, and what a wild ride it’s been. But for our guest today, Tanya Donahue, owner and president at RI K+Bath, this isn’t the first storm she’s weathered. We’ll hear how she’s moved beyond the buzzword and actually implemented transparency while creating a winning company culture to survive through tough times.
But first, a quick request from me: If you like what you’re hearing, and want us to keep putting out new episodes, it would help us a lot if you would leave a rating and review wherever you get your audio. Even a short review helps show support for women builders, designers, and business managers who are killing it at work and beyond.
Thanks to Tanya for joining me on the podcast, and to all of you for listening. A link to more information about Neil Kelly is in the show notes.
Women at WIRC is now available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and anywhere else you get your audio. If you like what you’re hearing so far, I’d love it if you took a minute to rate and review the show on whatever platform you use.
Our next episode will feature another female professional who is making some serious moves in her industry. Until then, follow us on social, and keep on WIRCing.

Rachel White | Byggmeister Design Build

Everyone’s journey looks different, but Rachel White’s path to the remodeling industry is truly unique. After getting a PHD in religious studies, she started off as a CLIENT for byggmeister in Newton, MA before working her way from project manager to CEO. We’ll learn how Byggmeister centers itself around sustainability, the company’s approach to diversity hiring, and why Rachel views the home itself as her second client.
Thanks to Rachel for joining me on the podcast, and to all of you for listening. Links to more information about Byggmeister and the 2020 WIRC conference which PR and PB will be co hosting this year can be found in the episode’s show notes.
Women at WIRC is now available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and anywhere else you get your audio. If you like what you’re hearing so far, I’d love it if you took a minute to rate and review the show on whatever platform you use.
Our next episode will feature another female professional who is making some serious moves in her industry. Until then, follow us on social, and keep on WIRCing.

Rachel Taylor

If there were two words to encompass Rachel Taylor, they would be determination and trailblazer. A former consultant and professional banana bread maker and current role as a self-made carpenter, Rachel has this remarkable ability to leap headfirst into new pursuits, pushing through the fear and self-doubt to rise above. After teaching herself how to design and build custom furniture, she opened her own carpentry business in Los Angeles, California. We’ll learn how she uses her start-up background to keep the books in line, harnesses social media to promote her business, and connects with other minority tradesmen and women.
OUTRO
Thanks to Rachel for joining me on the podcast, and to all of you for listening. Links to more information about Rachel’s custom furniture business and the 2020 WIRC conference which PR and PB will be co hosting this year can be found in the episode’s show notes.
Women at WIRC is now available on iTunes, Google Play, and anywhere else you get your audio. If you like what you’re hearing so far, I’d love it if you took a minute to rate and review the show on whatever platform you use.
Our next episode will feature another female professional who is making some serious moves in her industry. Until then, follow us on social, and keep on WIRCing.

Holly Slevcove | The New Home Company

Holly Slevcove, project manager for the New Home Company (https://www.nwhm.com/), was a team member when TNHC won Professional Builder’s Builder of the Year in 2019. A risk-taker, she specializes in project management and land acquisition for residential home building, primarily focused on the Inland Empire and Orange County. How did she get from college graduate to project manager in under 3 years? It wasn’t easy. It took hard work, perseverance, and another woman who believed in her from the start.
Thanks to Holly for joining me on the podcast, and to all of you for listening. Links to more information about the New Home Company, Professional Builder’s Builder of the Year, and the 2020 WIRC conference which PR and PB will be co hosting this year can be found in the episode’s show notes.
https://www.probuilder.com/2019-builder-year-new-home-company
https://pbprwomen.probuilder.com/2020/
Women at WIRC is now available on iTunes, Google Play, and anywhere else you get your audio. If you like what you’re hearing so far, I’d love it if you took a minute to rate and review the show on whatever platform you use.
Our next episode will feature another female professional who is making some serious moves in her industry. Until then, follow us on social, and keep on WIRCing.

Rachel Brown | Rachel Brown Homes

Rachel Brown is the owner/CEO of Rachel Brown Homes, a custom home builder in Huntsville, Alabama. Her company was recognized for its high ethical standards by the Better Business Bureau of North Alabama. And fun fact: she was one of the WIRC Speakers for 2019. Speaking of which, you can register for the next WIRC conference now!
https://www.cvent.com/events/women-in-residential-construction-2020/registration-2c33eb347f8849eb8640cb58ff54b6bf.aspx?fqp=true
Rachel caught our eyes for this podcast with her strong sense of self and a warm, friendly professional style that is unique for the industry. We’ll learn about how she learned to be both feminine and fierce, and succeed even with the odds stacked against her, taking over her father’s business at just 26 after his unexpected death.
Rachel is driven, she’s self-made but a team player. And she isn’t afraid to speak her mind while wearing her favorite shade of lipstick. Later in the episode, Rachel will also share her surprising trick for building confidence and unwinding after a long day at work that will inspire you to get up and move.

Sheila Lanier | Homework Remodels

I was lucky enough to spend the day with Sheila Lanier a few months ago. I was flying into Arizona a day early for our Women in Res conference, so I reached out to Homework Remodels to see if they’d let me be a fly on the wall for the day. It’s something that the Pro Remodeler team tries to do often, at various remodeling and home improvement companies across the country. It gives us a chance to get out of the office and immerse ourselves for a day in the work our readers do.
Sheila, along with Steve Shinn, the owner of Homework Remodels, walked me through the ins and outs of their company—most notably, how they’ve structured their unique hiring processes. They were in the midst of hiring a new project manager and looking to grow their team further, so it was front of mind.
Homework Remodels takes the DISC assessment a step further—an approach I hadn’t seen before but one that I now can’t believe more companies don’t use.

Ashley Wainscott | Simply Sold

Welcome back to Women at WIRC, a podcast celebrating the vast experiences women can have in the remodeling and construction industries, and the unique skills and approaches each woman brings to her role.
Ashley Wainscott piqued my interest at the Women in Residential Construction conference last year when she introduced herself to the room. The fact that Ashley’s company, Simply Sold, is 80% women-owned and operated caught my attention for obvious reasons, but on top of that, she carries herself with an air of authority and power without being intimidating. She’s also a Millennial, who graduated with no intent of joining this industry, yet here she is, happy and thriving.
I knew I wanted to talk to her.

Liysa Callsen | CJC Carpentry

Welcome back to Women at WIRC, a podcast for and about the women of remodeling and construction. Joining us today is Liysa Callsen, the chief communications officer for CJC Carpentry in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
Liysa and I met last year, when I was writing a profile of CJC Carpentry, the custom carpentry business that Liysa and her husband Carl own and operate together in Wisconsin.
I’ve been lucky enough to keep in touch with Liysa since then, and I’m very excited to give our listeners a glimpse into the life of an improv loving, marketing-minded, sign language interpreter who one day found her way into the trades.
To learn more about Liysa and CJC Carpentry, head to www.cjccarpentry.com. Liysa's local women's networking group can be found at www.facebook.com/womenwhiskeywine/.
All episodes of Women at WIRC can be found on iTunes, Apple Music, and wherever else you get your pods. For more information about the podcast, the host, or Pro Remodeler, check out www.proremodeler.com/women-at-wirc, or find us on social.
This episode was written and produced by Kaitlin Schuler, with editing by Erika Taylor.

Allison Iantosca | F.H. Perry Builder

Welcome to the second episode of Women at WIRC, a podcast from Professional Remodeler magazine for and about the women of remodeling and construction. Today we hear from Allison Iantosca, of F.H. Perry Builder, speak about how she grows her business, networks inside and outside the industry, and decides how to structure her days.
To learn more about Allison and F.H. Perry Builder, head to www.fhperry.com.
All episodes of Women at WIRC can be found on iTunes, Apple Music, and wherever else you get your pods. For more information about the podcast, the host, or Pro Remodeler, check out www.proremodeler.com/women-at-wirc, or find us on social.
This episode was written and produced by Kaitlin Schuler, with editing by Erika Taylor.