April 4, 2025 • 13 mins
Amy Roosa is the founder of The Safety Rack. She is a finalist for the Inspiring Advocate for Women Award.
The Safety Rack Website: www.thesafetyrack.org
Instagram: www.instagram.com/thesafetyrack
LinkedIn (The Safety Rack): www.linkedin.com/company/the-safety-rack
LinkedIn (Amy): www.linkedin.com/in/amy-roosa-bb598078
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:05):
Welcome to the Inspiring Women of Iowa podcast,
a special series
amplifying the stories of the Inspiring Women of Iowa Finalists.
Inspiring Women of Iowa is an annual event hosted by Girl
Scouts of Greater
Iowa with the goal of celebrating women of courage,
confidence and character who are making the world
(00:27):
a better place.
Why does that sound familiar?
Well, because it also happens
to be the mission of the Girl Scouts,
where they believe society is better because strong
women show girls that anything is possible.
This event was created by Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa in 2017
to celebrate women in our community
(00:48):
and share their stories, while raising support
for the Girl Scout programs
that build the next generation of inspiring women.
16 individuals are celebrated annually with the Courage,
Confidence, Character and Inspiring Advocate for Women Awards.
I'm your host, Sarah Noll Wilson.
I am a business owner, a champion of women, and I'm
(01:10):
also a proud Girl Scout alum.
So massive love to troop 238.
And I am honored to have the chance to speak with these amazing,
inspiring women and to share their stories with you.
Joining me this week in conversation
is Amy Roosa, who is the founder of The Safety Rack.
(01:34):
Amy, congratulations on
being a finalist for this year's Inspiring Women of Iowa Award.
Thank you, and thanks for having me on the podcast.
I appreciate it.
I'm so excited to learn about you and the work you do.
Before we get into that, though, what what do you want
people to know about you as a human?
(01:56):
I like asking a really broad question.
I know, I never know what people are going to share.
I mean, a lot of my life right now is the advocacy work.
But, at the end of the day, I'm a wife, a mother, a dog mom.
I enjoy farming and canning during the summer, and I just enjoy
sitting outside with a glass of wine on a Friday night
this summer. Can't wait for it to be done with this cold.
(02:17):
I know, it's like it's so close.
I've made the mistake of putting my boots away.
And I was like, I've lived in Iowa my whole life. Why?
Why do I think putting boots away before March was a smart idea?
What do you what do you can? Like?
What's your favorite things to can?
My husband does the pickles.
I do a lot of the tomato sauce and jams.
It was really.
We really experimented this year,
(02:38):
so there were some really good things and a lot of like,
why did we do that?
So okay, like just everyone bear with us a second.
I would happily buy some like homemade dill
pickles if that is on
the docket.
So please, like,
if we can barter something, let's make it happen.
Look at, like, pickles.
But these pickles are, like, extraordinarily good.
(03:00):
Sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Okay.
So, Amy, talk to us about the work
you're doing and the advocacy you're so passionate about.
Yeah.
So back in 2018, I co-founded the Midwest Women
and Safety Conference
as just a way to bring women from around Iowa
and the Midwest
together for a day of safety
(03:20):
training and professional development,
and to talk about the issues
that were affecting us as women in the industry. Yeah.
And the first year that we did it, the issue of PPE came up
and we had this really great speaker
come up and he's talking about all the PPE
that's out there for men.
And suddenly this room of about 60 women at the time, you know,
all did that collective head tilt
(03:42):
and started raising their hands and I just kind of
realized, oh, I'm kind of part of the problem
because we had, in at least the safety realm of trades,
realized that we just got
so used to buying into the myth of the PPE is not there.
Yeah, or unisex clothing is there.
And yet it's creating a hazard on the job
(04:03):
because if the equipment is too big,
it's snagging on stuff or I'm taking it off
or it's causing injuries.
I just met a lady the other day who lost part of her finger
because her gloves were so big,
it pulled her hand into a machine.
And so I went down this path of starting to
just find the PPE and getting it out on my platforms,
(04:25):
and then in about 2022,
I started just having too much PPE piling up in the house
because I was buying it, testing it
and seeing how it fit,
and my husband's like, you need to do something with this pile.
You need to get this out there.
You're passionate about that.
So the Safety Rack was formed
and the original concept was I'm like,
(04:48):
I'm just going to go out there,
get something set up on social media.
I'm going to be this cheesy influencer talking about PPE,
but showing how it fit on my body,
because that was one of the things
I kept hearing from women was,
how am I supposed to know it's going to fit me?
Because let's face it, women's
sizes in the fashion industry Yeah, are vastly different.
Yes, like I can go into a Gap and Maurice’s
(05:09):
and and buy size 14 is going to be a 16 at the other store.
Yeah yeah, yeah.
And so we launched in April of 2022.
And within six months,
the messages I was getting from women and the amount of research
I was really ramping up on was this is a bigger problem.
And it doesn't just affect the trades,
it affects women in military, women in Stem,
(05:32):
women and fire especially.
And I needed to do something more. And so
the Safety Rack was born as a nonprofit.
And actually
as of today, as we're talking, the new website just launched.
We just launched a full directory of brands that are specific
to women's PPE
(05:53):
that they can go and search and do their own homework.
But we also last year conducted a survey of 505 women globally.
And that got released today as well.
To talk about these pinch points and what we can do about it.
So we're really making some momentum right now.
And that's that's the
(06:14):
like, high end thing of what I've been doing
the last three years.
What, what you know, what an interesting,
I mean, I,
a couple of things are going through my head of one, what
a, maybe not newer, but definitely a niche challenge.
But the safety issues are very real,
(06:35):
that the equipment isn't designed to fit women.
You know, and I'm thinking about all my manufacturing clients
and also, like, the thing that's coming up for me is not only
is is it valuable, most importantly from a safety perspective,
but imagine.
Sorry, my brain is getting really excited about the work you do
because I didn't know anything about your background.
(06:56):
And I think it's fascinating.
Is like the the impact it must have on women.
If you are a company
that says, hey, we recognize that your needs are different
and we're going to invest in that,
because I know so often the women who work in manufacturing,
who work in very male dominated industries,
really struggle to fit in.
(07:17):
Oh, that's so fascinating.
Yeah, you have a physical hazard
and you have a psychosocial hazard. Yes.
Yeah. Exactly.
What?
You know, you started this in 2018.
What was the impetus?
Like, what drove you to put together the Midwest Women's
Safety Conference?
I was working for a company where I was consulting a lot,
(07:37):
and I was just meeting all these women out at these smaller
manufacturing facilities, smaller mom and pop shops.
And they were like, I'm all alone.
I'm doing safety, I'm doing H.R..
I don't know where my resources are.
I like safety,
I don't know how I can build a career out of this.
Or they were at larger scale companies where they're like,
how do I get my voice to be heard?
(07:59):
And it was just right. I'm like,
okay, so I'm just going to put something together.
And so I went to my friends over at Kirkwood Community
College in Cedar Rapids,
because that's where we lived at the time.
And I remember
saying, can I just have like one session during your conference
because they put on a really good safety conference
and like five minutes after that, we're like, you know what?
We'll just do our own thing.
(08:20):
And Kirkwood was really great at giving us the space.
And I expected the first year, oh, we'll get like 20 women.
No, we get like 60.
And I expected this to be a one off thing.
And by the end of that conference,
it's like women are being like, so we'll see you next year.
And I'm like, oh, what did I just do?
(08:41):
Okay, so so what are you up to now?
How many women show up for the conference now?
Between 110 and 150.
Amy. Okay.
Is there any other conference, like are you
is this a unique conference
to be so specific on women and safety,
or are there other in the country, or.
You have bigger associations
that have chapters that share a little bit of stuff
(09:02):
at their bigger national conferences.
Yeah, I don't know of anybody else
doing what I'm doing right now, because last or two years ago,
we had, women flying in from Texas and Oklahoma just to attend.
And so I really just started as a,
you know, this is frustrating.
Let's just have a meeting. Let's have a conference.
This is now something where I have a board of directors
(09:24):
guiding it.
The community college has taken ownership of it.
And every year we try to do, okay.
What are the safety issues we need to talk about?
But how do we do the professional development?
How does somebody feel comfortable
going up to their boss and saying,
I want a raise or I want a promotion?
Yeah, you know.
Well, no wonder you're
being like,
(09:44):
recognized for your advocacy for women on so many levels.
Okay.
You have been identified and named as an inspiring woman.
So who inspires you, Amy?
I think all the women I get to meet, because they're.
They are what drives me.
I know I have the ability to do it.
My son's all grown up.
(10:05):
I, I like making change,
but I like seeing others grow,
and that's what fills my cup at the end of the day.
So if I can lift somebody else up
because I've had that experience where I didn't have
an early career, I didn't have any way to start,
and I found that one person
that was able to lift me up and guide me,
and that made all the difference in the world.
(10:26):
And I know there are many women out there
that have that same challenge.
So that's that's kind of what inspires me at the end of the day.
And I've met so many incredible women along the way.
It's like
that every time just recharges my batteries to keep going.
I, I absolutely love that.
I just, I literally just a week ago, not even.
(10:48):
Yeah, a week ago,
I guess today
I was working with a logging company up in northern Wisconsin,
and it was just this sea of like men and like three women.
They're just like, I'm just doing my best.
I'm trying to like, add as much value and so like, and they do.
And so I love I love the work you're doing.
You know, one of the things that we're asking, everyone is
(11:11):
people are going to be exposed to your story.
They're going to hear about it at the event.
They're going to see about it in the promotions.
Hopefully they're going to check out this conversation.
What do you
what do you want to leave
people with who are going to listen in this conversation?
That if you work in an industry
that a woman has to wear PPE, personal protective equipment,
(11:32):
make sure it fits her, it has to be fit for purpose.
I love that.
And for people who want to learn more who are like,
I don't even know where to start.
And you just launched this beautiful new website.
What is the website Amy, for people to check out and learn
more about the work you do.
Yeah.
So the website is going to be the safety rack dot org.
(11:53):
We also have an Instagram page.
We have a YouTube channel
where you can see some of my very cheesy reviews.
And you can also find us on LinkedIn under the safety rack.
Or you can just follow me on LinkedIn,
because obviously I'm going to repost everything
I post on my channel. Sure.
Yeah yeah, yeah that's fantastic.
And if they go to that website,
does that also lead them to reaching out to you
(12:13):
if they have questions
or what's the best way for people to connect with you?
They can definitely go to the website
or they can connect with me on LinkedIn
is probably one of the fastest.
Awesome. Amy.
You're amazing.
Thank you.
I love the work you're doing
and we'll definitely chat more about
like supporting our conference.
Like we'll make that happen.
Well, congratulations again
(12:34):
and thank you so much for coming and chatting with me.
And I can't wait to celebrate you in May.
Thank you.
Thank you for having me on.
Appreciate it.
The 2025 Inspiring Women of Iowa event will be held
on May 9th at the Meadows Events and Conference Center.
To purchase tickets
and get more information about supporting this event, please
(12:56):
visit Inspiring Women of Iowa dot com and all proceeds
from this fundraising event stay 100% local
to benefit Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa and their mission
to build up girls of courage, confidence
and character who will make this world a better place.
Thank you for listening and thank you for your support.
Welcome to the Inspiring Women of Iowa podcast,
a special series
amplifying the stories of the Inspiring Women of Iowa Finalists.
Inspiring Women of Iowa is an annual event hosted by Girl
Scouts of Greater
Iowa with the goal of celebrating women of courage,
confidence and character who are making the world
(00:27):
a better place.
Why does that sound familiar?
Well, because it also happens
to be the mission of the Girl Scouts,
where they believe society is better because strong
women show girls that anything is possible.
This event was created by Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa in 2017
to celebrate women in our community
(00:48):
and share their stories, while raising support
for the Girl Scout programs
that build the next generation of inspiring women.
16 individuals are celebrated annually with the Courage,
Confidence, Character and Inspiring Advocate for Women Awards.
I'm your host, Sarah Noll Wilson.
I am a business owner, a champion of women, and I'm
(01:10):
also a proud Girl Scout alum.
So massive love to troop 238.
And I am honored to have the chance to speak with these amazing,
inspiring women and to share their stories with you.
Joining me this week in conversation
is Amy Roosa, who is the founder of The Safety Rack.
(01:34):
Amy, congratulations on
being a finalist for this year's Inspiring Women of Iowa Award.
Thank you, and thanks for having me on the podcast.
I appreciate it.
I'm so excited to learn about you and the work you do.
Before we get into that, though, what what do you want
people to know about you as a human?
(01:56):
I like asking a really broad question.
I know, I never know what people are going to share.
I mean, a lot of my life right now is the advocacy work.
But, at the end of the day, I'm a wife, a mother, a dog mom.
I enjoy farming and canning during the summer, and I just enjoy
sitting outside with a glass of wine on a Friday night
this summer. Can't wait for it to be done with this cold.
(02:17):
I know, it's like it's so close.
I've made the mistake of putting my boots away.
And I was like, I've lived in Iowa my whole life. Why?
Why do I think putting boots away before March was a smart idea?
What do you what do you can? Like?
What's your favorite things to can?
My husband does the pickles.
I do a lot of the tomato sauce and jams.
It was really.
We really experimented this year,
(02:38):
so there were some really good things and a lot of like,
why did we do that?
So okay, like just everyone bear with us a second.
I would happily buy some like homemade dill
pickles if that is on
the docket.
So please, like,
if we can barter something, let's make it happen.
Look at, like, pickles.
But these pickles are, like, extraordinarily good.
(03:00):
Sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Okay.
So, Amy, talk to us about the work
you're doing and the advocacy you're so passionate about.
Yeah.
So back in 2018, I co-founded the Midwest Women
and Safety Conference
as just a way to bring women from around Iowa
and the Midwest
together for a day of safety
(03:20):
training and professional development,
and to talk about the issues
that were affecting us as women in the industry. Yeah.
And the first year that we did it, the issue of PPE came up
and we had this really great speaker
come up and he's talking about all the PPE
that's out there for men.
And suddenly this room of about 60 women at the time, you know,
all did that collective head tilt
(03:42):
and started raising their hands and I just kind of
realized, oh, I'm kind of part of the problem
because we had, in at least the safety realm of trades,
realized that we just got
so used to buying into the myth of the PPE is not there.
Yeah, or unisex clothing is there.
And yet it's creating a hazard on the job
(04:03):
because if the equipment is too big,
it's snagging on stuff or I'm taking it off
or it's causing injuries.
I just met a lady the other day who lost part of her finger
because her gloves were so big,
it pulled her hand into a machine.
And so I went down this path of starting to
just find the PPE and getting it out on my platforms,
(04:25):
and then in about 2022,
I started just having too much PPE piling up in the house
because I was buying it, testing it
and seeing how it fit,
and my husband's like, you need to do something with this pile.
You need to get this out there.
You're passionate about that.
So the Safety Rack was formed
and the original concept was I'm like,
(04:48):
I'm just going to go out there,
get something set up on social media.
I'm going to be this cheesy influencer talking about PPE,
but showing how it fit on my body,
because that was one of the things
I kept hearing from women was,
how am I supposed to know it's going to fit me?
Because let's face it, women's
sizes in the fashion industry Yeah, are vastly different.
Yes, like I can go into a Gap and Maurice’s
(05:09):
and and buy size 14 is going to be a 16 at the other store.
Yeah yeah, yeah.
And so we launched in April of 2022.
And within six months,
the messages I was getting from women and the amount of research
I was really ramping up on was this is a bigger problem.
And it doesn't just affect the trades,
it affects women in military, women in Stem,
(05:32):
women and fire especially.
And I needed to do something more. And so
the Safety Rack was born as a nonprofit.
And actually
as of today, as we're talking, the new website just launched.
We just launched a full directory of brands that are specific
to women's PPE
(05:53):
that they can go and search and do their own homework.
But we also last year conducted a survey of 505 women globally.
And that got released today as well.
To talk about these pinch points and what we can do about it.
So we're really making some momentum right now.
And that's that's the
(06:14):
like, high end thing of what I've been doing
the last three years.
What, what you know, what an interesting,
I mean, I,
a couple of things are going through my head of one, what
a, maybe not newer, but definitely a niche challenge.
But the safety issues are very real,
(06:35):
that the equipment isn't designed to fit women.
You know, and I'm thinking about all my manufacturing clients
and also, like, the thing that's coming up for me is not only
is is it valuable, most importantly from a safety perspective,
but imagine.
Sorry, my brain is getting really excited about the work you do
because I didn't know anything about your background.
(06:56):
And I think it's fascinating.
Is like the the impact it must have on women.
If you are a company
that says, hey, we recognize that your needs are different
and we're going to invest in that,
because I know so often the women who work in manufacturing,
who work in very male dominated industries,
really struggle to fit in.
(07:17):
Oh, that's so fascinating.
Yeah, you have a physical hazard
and you have a psychosocial hazard. Yes.
Yeah. Exactly.
What?
You know, you started this in 2018.
What was the impetus?
Like, what drove you to put together the Midwest Women's
Safety Conference?
I was working for a company where I was consulting a lot,
(07:37):
and I was just meeting all these women out at these smaller
manufacturing facilities, smaller mom and pop shops.
And they were like, I'm all alone.
I'm doing safety, I'm doing H.R..
I don't know where my resources are.
I like safety,
I don't know how I can build a career out of this.
Or they were at larger scale companies where they're like,
how do I get my voice to be heard?
(07:59):
And it was just right. I'm like,
okay, so I'm just going to put something together.
And so I went to my friends over at Kirkwood Community
College in Cedar Rapids,
because that's where we lived at the time.
And I remember
saying, can I just have like one session during your conference
because they put on a really good safety conference
and like five minutes after that, we're like, you know what?
We'll just do our own thing.
(08:20):
And Kirkwood was really great at giving us the space.
And I expected the first year, oh, we'll get like 20 women.
No, we get like 60.
And I expected this to be a one off thing.
And by the end of that conference,
it's like women are being like, so we'll see you next year.
And I'm like, oh, what did I just do?
(08:41):
Okay, so so what are you up to now?
How many women show up for the conference now?
Between 110 and 150.
Amy. Okay.
Is there any other conference, like are you
is this a unique conference
to be so specific on women and safety,
or are there other in the country, or.
You have bigger associations
that have chapters that share a little bit of stuff
(09:02):
at their bigger national conferences.
Yeah, I don't know of anybody else
doing what I'm doing right now, because last or two years ago,
we had, women flying in from Texas and Oklahoma just to attend.
And so I really just started as a,
you know, this is frustrating.
Let's just have a meeting. Let's have a conference.
This is now something where I have a board of directors
(09:24):
guiding it.
The community college has taken ownership of it.
And every year we try to do, okay.
What are the safety issues we need to talk about?
But how do we do the professional development?
How does somebody feel comfortable
going up to their boss and saying,
I want a raise or I want a promotion?
Yeah, you know.
Well, no wonder you're
being like,
(09:44):
recognized for your advocacy for women on so many levels.
Okay.
You have been identified and named as an inspiring woman.
So who inspires you, Amy?
I think all the women I get to meet, because they're.
They are what drives me.
I know I have the ability to do it.
My son's all grown up.
(10:05):
I, I like making change,
but I like seeing others grow,
and that's what fills my cup at the end of the day.
So if I can lift somebody else up
because I've had that experience where I didn't have
an early career, I didn't have any way to start,
and I found that one person
that was able to lift me up and guide me,
and that made all the difference in the world.
(10:26):
And I know there are many women out there
that have that same challenge.
So that's that's kind of what inspires me at the end of the day.
And I've met so many incredible women along the way.
It's like
that every time just recharges my batteries to keep going.
I, I absolutely love that.
I just, I literally just a week ago, not even.
(10:48):
Yeah, a week ago,
I guess today
I was working with a logging company up in northern Wisconsin,
and it was just this sea of like men and like three women.
They're just like, I'm just doing my best.
I'm trying to like, add as much value and so like, and they do.
And so I love I love the work you're doing.
You know, one of the things that we're asking, everyone is
(11:11):
people are going to be exposed to your story.
They're going to hear about it at the event.
They're going to see about it in the promotions.
Hopefully they're going to check out this conversation.
What do you
what do you want to leave
people with who are going to listen in this conversation?
That if you work in an industry
that a woman has to wear PPE, personal protective equipment,
(11:32):
make sure it fits her, it has to be fit for purpose.
I love that.
And for people who want to learn more who are like,
I don't even know where to start.
And you just launched this beautiful new website.
What is the website Amy, for people to check out and learn
more about the work you do.
Yeah.
So the website is going to be the safety rack dot org.
(11:53):
We also have an Instagram page.
We have a YouTube channel
where you can see some of my very cheesy reviews.
And you can also find us on LinkedIn under the safety rack.
Or you can just follow me on LinkedIn,
because obviously I'm going to repost everything
I post on my channel. Sure.
Yeah yeah, yeah that's fantastic.
And if they go to that website,
does that also lead them to reaching out to you
(12:13):
if they have questions
or what's the best way for people to connect with you?
They can definitely go to the website
or they can connect with me on LinkedIn
is probably one of the fastest.
Awesome. Amy.
You're amazing.
Thank you.
I love the work you're doing
and we'll definitely chat more about
like supporting our conference.
Like we'll make that happen.
Well, congratulations again
(12:34):
and thank you so much for coming and chatting with me.
And I can't wait to celebrate you in May.
Thank you.
Thank you for having me on.
Appreciate it.
The 2025 Inspiring Women of Iowa event will be held
on May 9th at the Meadows Events and Conference Center.
To purchase tickets
and get more information about supporting this event, please
(12:56):
visit Inspiring Women of Iowa dot com and all proceeds
from this fundraising event stay 100% local
to benefit Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa and their mission
to build up girls of courage, confidence
and character who will make this world a better place.
Thank you for listening and thank you for your support.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.