Women Talk Construction Podcast

Christi Powell and Angela Gardner
  • 4.8 (19)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

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

  1. 2d ago

    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

    22 min

  2. Jun 8

    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

    20 min

  3. Jun 1

    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

    10 min

  4. May 18

    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

    23 min

  5. May 11

    WTC ‘Leading Beyond the Uniform’ with Lydia Miller

    Send us Fan Mail In this epsiode: Angela and Christi welcome Lydia Miller, fourth-generation owner of her family construction business and its first female leader, who shares her path from University of Pennsylvania lacrosse and Navy ROTC to serving on warships and in Pentagon intelligence, earning a Wharton executive MBA, joining the family firm, and taking full ownership two years ago. Lydia explains transforming a decades-old business into a scalable, process-driven organization through correct sequencing and a “people ladder” that builds from admin and financial foundations to delivery, marketing, sales, and leadership with leaders at each rung. She recounts leading as one of eight women on a 400-person ship, emphasizing bold curiosity, learning in the field, mission focus, and how sports build command presence. She describes Miller Tech’s aggressive AI use to gain speed while avoiding private-data risks, and outlines the stage-gated “Miller methodology” across pre-construction, construction, and launch to deliver consistent, surprise-free client experiences. Support the show

    22 min

  6. May 4

    WTC ‘Leadership Without Limits’ with Natasha Sexton

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner interview Natasha Sexton, president and CEO of Sexton Design and Development, an eight-and-a-half-year-old design-build firm based in Greenville, SC. Sexton explains the company’s landscape-architecture roots, multi-state work (SC, TN, pursuing NC licensure, with GA next), and focus on hospitality, university, and commercial/institutional projects, including Clemson University’s Tiger Walk design. She discusses Southeast market challenges—rapid growth driving labor shortages and material cost volatility—and how value engineering and alternative materials keep projects on track. Sexton shares scaling and quality strategies centered on choosing aligned clients and the “photo, friend, fee” philosophy, plus team culture priorities like leading by example, paying above average, benefits, open dialogue, and burnout awareness, with interest in an employee-ownership/ESOP-style future. She highlights community projects with Upstate Warrior Solution and Camp Greenville, board involvement with the Greenville County Art Museum, and emphasizes surrounding yourself with supportive people. Support the show

    23 min

  7. Apr 27

    WTC ‘Elegance Meets Ambition’ with Perlla Deluca

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner welcome back Perlla DeLuca of Southeast Constructors and the Pink Hard Hat Foundation to discuss her recent work and advocacy for women in construction. Perlla shares insights from an international safety symposium in Miami and explains that her foundation was sparked by worsening treatment of women, even in federal contracting, and by seeing female students denied training opportunities. She identifies key safety gaps: jobsite harassment and abuse incidents aren’t being tracked, so they’re not addressed, and she’s working on an AI-driven code of conduct to help protect women. Perla describes how the Iowa School of Construction builds skills and confidence through hands-on, critical-thinking training, plus added self-defense for women and harassment education. She advises women to lead with knowledge, prepare thoroughly, and find supportive male allies, and she discusses her self-care through fitness, cooking, entertaining, and short trips. Support the show

    23 min

  8. Apr 20

    WTC ‘Vision Behind Construction’ with Nancy Novak

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner welcome returning guest Nancy Novak, a 30+ year construction executive who has semi-retired into an ambassador role at Compass Data Centers while serving on adjacent boards and continuing mentorship to advance women in the industry. Nancy explains planning her transition nearly two years in advance, overlapping a year with successor Amy Marks, and valuing a “soft landing” while prioritizing health and family time. She identifies AI as the most disruptive recent jobsite technology, building on earlier database advances, and stresses keeping critical thinking and improving industry communication to become more relational than transactional. Nancy shares Google’s “potential vs. credential” promotion data to highlight systemic gender patterns and urges women to self-advocate earlier and lead differently. She discusses a “perfect storm” of demand, demographics, infrastructure, and technology creating opportunity, outlines ways to check and counter implicit bias through diverse decision-making rooms, and says her husband and continuous learning keep her grounded. Support the show

    22 min
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4.8
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Christi Powell and Angela Gardner
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    205
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Women Talk Construction Podcast
  • Show Website
    Women Talk Construction Podcast