March 4, 2025 • 38 mins
In this episode of The Construction Café, we’re rolling into the world of heavy equipment with operator and industry advocate Brenna Moore. From commanding dozers to competing in the National Equipment League, Brenna shares her journey of breaking stereotypes, balancing motherhood, and proving that precision and power go hand in hand. She also dives into the importance of mentorship, pay equity in the trades, and encouraging the next generation to build their future—one bucket at a time. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about grit, growth, and moving more than just dirt! #WICWEEK2025
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Episode Transcript
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Welcome to the Construction Cafe, where the buzz of the construction industry meets thewarmth of a friendly conversation.
I'm your host, Tristen Magallanes.
Join me at our virtual cafe as we explore the foundations of construction culture, sip oncutting edge concepts, and amplify the unspoken voices in our industry.
So grab a cup of your favorite beverage, pull up a seat, and let's build more than juststructures, let's build connections.
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This is the Construction Cafe.
Welcome back everyone to the Construction Cafe.
are continuing on our Women in Construction Week series.
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And this episode we are joined by Brenna Moore.
Brenna, welcome to the show.
Thank you for having me.
So one, just want to shout out to the reason I invited Brenna to the show is because I'vebeen following your journey that you share pretty openly on social media of being a heavy
equipment operator And I love that because I don't see much of that.
(01:16):
And so I reached out to you and was like, I have to have you on the show because I loveit.
So thanks for accepting that.
and tell us a little bit about your role in the industry, tell us a little bit aboutyourself, whatever you whatever you feel comfortable sharing.
I got into the shoe when I was 19.
So this coming August, I'll be a union heavy equipment operator for 13 years.
(01:37):
I also spent some time as a laborer and a pipe layer because I wanted to learn all theaspects because then it just adds more value and you really understand what the goal is
and what you're doing and understanding how to bring the projects to life.
So I've had a really good time doing that I worked myself up to a foreman and I have afive year old daughter.
Nice.
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loves to run heavy equipment.
I actually got to teach her how to run it on my last project.
So it it was a honestly one of the best days of my life because for me as an operator, Iwould go run a dozer just to go run a dozer because it's just fun.
Like it's fun to get in the machine and push dirt.
So to see how she lit up and like kind of shared that passion with me it was it was prettycool.
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Well, and what I love is that it's no longer going to be the story of, well, my dad didthis, so I did this.
It's my mom did this.
And that for our next generation, freaking super exciting to me.
And it's not just equipment operators.
I've seen this, other girls and boys coming to work with their moms to do all sorts oftrade work.
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that was not around when I was a kid.
or starting in this industry.
And I love that you openly share that journey publicly on social media.
That's pretty good.
important because there is a trade shortage and there's also no reason why women shouldn'tbe in the trades.
And just like with build her their high school girls, right.
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And a lot of times I have found from talking to different apprentices and stuff, theydon't want to sacrifice their image or their femininity or change who they are to go do a
job that they want to do, but they feel like they have to fit this box to go do it.
And you don't have to anymore.
Granted, when I got in 13 years ago, it was a completely different world.
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And I did that I shaped who I needed to be to be in that world.
And it wasn't until literally build her 2023 when I taught all those girls, I swear theydid more for me than it did for them at that point.
But it was I just realized like, I don't have to go be one of the guys I can run alongsidewith the guys and use my strengths, right?
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So just
being able to teach them that taught me that and I have not strayed from that mentalitysince and I think that's where a lot of my current success has came from is because now
I'm just authentically me and it is what it is to an extent but I'm not going to go Idon't have to be one of the men and I'm not going to and I'll teach the girls that they
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don't have to they can do what they love and still be them
And I think that's awesome.
You know, similar my first decade in the industry, I very much felt like I felt the needto conform and sacrifice, like you said, your femininity.
And I've re-embraced that myself at my age.
like, I'm gonna have painted nails and I'm gonna have purple eyelashes and purple hair anddo my hair.
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and I'm still gonna put my hair in a ponytail and put on my overalls and crawl under thehouse if I need to or whatever, you can do both.
You don't have to sacrifice to show up.
And I also feel like too, cause like I said back then I was very the roll out of bedponytail.
to conform like you said, but if you stop and think about it, what's the differencebetween me as an operator and somebody who works in an office?
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We're both professionals still.
So the fact that I wake up and make myself look professional, that also gives me morecredibility when same inspector comes on site, he's going to take me a lot more seriously
and value what I have to say.
Because I look professional, I look credible, I look like I can go from the dirt.
to a meeting and know what I'm talking about versus just being a hot mess that doesn'tcare.
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They aren't going to approach me.
They aren't going to think that I know what's going on because I can't even take the timein the morning to look professional.
Agreed, I also think I just value the creativity of part of how I represent myself.
I've been criticized for having purple hair.
And I'm like, my purple hair doesn't affect the my brain works.
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So it's going to be purple.
Nope.
So.
told I was the best loader operator on site so nails and all
And that's, and I think more women need to continue to see that representation of, don'thave to give up being who you are to show up and do these different roles.
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I mean, I'm sure there are certain instances and certain roles and trades where it's,there are some safety things to consider, right?
You don't want your hair down and dangling in the middle of like welding, you know, like,right, like there's certain safety things, but
The overall representation of who you are and continuing to do that, I think, isincredibly important.
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And if we, as the women in the industry currently, continue to do that, it's arepresentation to the younger generations that they can do that too.
So I think that's super important.
Can you share a little bit more, like say you were talking to a fifth grade class aboutwhat it is you do in your role?
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playing the dirt.
I mean, yeah, it's and you, I feel like what I've heard from heavy equipment operators isyou're moving this incredibly complex machine to move dirt in a certain way.
And it's almost like this symbiotic relationship almost that you create with this machine.
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It really is it's so like on my last project, I had a multi level work zone, all thethings and rough terrain in certain areas, and you really learn that machine and what you
can do with the machine.
So, you know,
somebody else is going to get not loader and not operate it the way that I do if they'renot used to it, right.
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So you really start to trust yourself and trust the machine and then trust what you can dotogether.
If that makes sense.
It's definitely a very intimate relationship because they are dangerous.
They're very big, they can cause a lot of damage and understanding that and being delicatewhen needed.
using force when needed is really just finding a balance and that's when the magichappens.
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What's your favorite piece of equipment to operate?
gonna be really honest, I used to hate loaders like we did not get along.
So dozer was always my favorite.
But I spent the last year and a half and a loader and just having the seat time in one andreally understanding what it can do and what I can do with it and kind of like growing up
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with it in a way.
Loader has become my new my new favorite because you can like switch attachments and evenwhen I would had downtime I would play I put my fork
on and tried to flip a cone and see if I can get it to land because I'm honing in on mytiny little skills and with a dozer all you can do is push dirt or back blade you know so
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I've really come to love a loader
That's fun.
Is there any piece of equipment where you're like, man, please don't make me operate that?
It really depends I am NOT a huge fan of Excavators on super steep slopes.
I will do it, but it's one of those feelings that I'm like
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Yeah, yeah.
I've seen some people do some operate equipment in some questionable situations for sure.
And yeah, it kind of gives me like the heebie-jeebies.
like, maybe let's not do that.
But also just sort of badass that they do do it too.
Like both things are true.
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So that's awesome.
seen a lot of things happen, unfortunately, in those scenarios.
So then it's always make sure that I don't end up in that situation for my own safety, butalso, you know, the damage to the machines and stuff.
So those are, I can do it, I'm not afraid of it, but I would just rather not be in thatsituation.
(10:04):
agreed.
Well, and everybody wants to go home safe at the end of the day.
And we also don't want to damage very expensive machinery if we can avoid that.
I mean, it's not always avoidable, but agreed.
I used to manage heavy equipment for a civil contractor back in the day.
And I do always share this.
I think I shared it with you right before we started that if I could go backwards andrestart my career in the industry and I was 19, I would probably go into heavy equipment
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operation.
It just
has always looked fun, challenging, but fun.
And the different types of pieces of equipment you can operate and learn, there's a lotthere.
It's not just one.
Yeah, and you never honestly stop learning.
I call it being a trainable journeyman because I might be a foreman I might excel at aloader I might excel at a dozer all the things but there's probably some technique in that
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loader that somebody could teach me and it could change my whole world.
Like it's always learning and growing and that's what's cool is
You feel like you kind of master your craft and then you learn something new and thenyou're excited all over again like a little kid at Christmas because it's like a new toy.
Yeah.
Are you in a union market for, or no, not union market?
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You are.
International of Union of Operating Engineers, 302.
So I think another interesting thing to talk about in if you are in a union marketspecifically, would say, is that there's pay equity there.
Because if you're a journeyman and the guy next to you is a journeyman, you're going toget paid the same thing because of the union.
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So I've always promoted trade work in union markets specifically for women because there'sequity of pay that doesn't exist elsewhere.
And I think that's awesome.
And not only that, but also the same training opportunities.
training, benefits are typically pretty great.
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Also, my husband's a union member and benefits are typically great.
Pay is actually, from my understanding, I'm in California and my husband's a union worker.
I think we make almost the same amount of money.
So great opportunities there and enjoyable work.
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potentially, depending on the trade and what you want to do, like there's opportunities.
So when it comes to creating the path for equity for women, is there certain changes youthink are still needed in the industry?
I think just getting familiar with it and it becoming more normalized of women being inconstruction and having like opportunities there.
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And just, I still go through it a lot like the underestimation.
Like don't judge a book by its cover.
If she walks on site and looks feminine, you know, she might be a really good operator.
She might be a really talented pipe layer.
You know, all those things.
And I feel like that's the main struggle that I see still is just, you know, I getmistaken for the safety coffee girl, right.
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So it's just, you know what I mean?
Just
Getting to know who's coming on site giving them that chance and giving them a chance toprove what they can do and not just assuming
I like that don't judge a book by its cover comment because that can be true for a lot ofdifferent people who show up on job sites, not just women, I think.
I think that's incredibly important to reserve that judgment.
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Allow an opportunity to build a rapport and understanding of another person and see whatopportunity lies there.
That's great.
Is there...
Any, you work with a couple different organizations and you mentioned, I believe it's theNational Equipment League.
I don't actually know a lot about it.
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So tell me more about this.
You were just did a competition, I think.
I wanna know about this.
so it's over at the Hyundai Equipment Center.
And basically, some of the best operators around from the US were chosen to go competeagainst each other.
And I just remember when I was invited, I was in shock.
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I almost said thank you, but I'm not good enough.
But like I said, working with the girls that Build Her
there, you know, seven to 10th graders, I had to go I had to show them that this is whatyou can go do.
And I know that's Bill's mission.
The Commissioner of the National Equipment League is he wants it to almost be like UFC butfor operators to get kids excited to be in the trades have it be
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I know from the last day that we were there on our way to the airport, he was talkingabout wanting it to be where us original competitors, one day ended up being judges.
And then people would have to come qualify and having it turned into this big thing.
But obviously, it's gonna take some time and it gaining rapport and stuff like that.
But it was really cool.
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And again, same thing going out there.
It was really good for me because I had to work through a lot of my own
I guess insecurities as far as like, well, maybe I'm not as good as they are.
whatever it is.
And these men were incredible operators.
A lot of them have their own companies famous on YouTube, just amazing talentedindividuals.
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And it was really cool because the whole time it was such a positive environment.
And we would give each other tips and tricks on the side while we watched another guycompete like oh well we should try it like this because that way it's not working.
And they just were so welcoming for me even as a female.
And
we got to commentate for each other at certain times.
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And they just nonstop had nothing but great things to say that I competed with style and Iwas safe that I'm the only one somebody is going to hire to build a rock wall because mine
looked the best just they really touched on the difference between men and women whenoperating they said that I have the most finesse I had the most attention to detail like
what were my strengths not competition and it was really nice to hear them say that oncamera.
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Yeah.
because it really at points I was like, I'm not as fast or this or that but I had thisother like quality, right?
So they can do it super fast and I have quality you put those together on a job site.
Again, it's magic.
yeah.
What are what are because I haven't been able to see but what are some of the things inthe competition that you had to do?
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Can you describe any of them?
So one of them we had to suck eco blocks and I will hold on till the end of time that Ibeat last season's champion at that competition.
And then the second one was we had to load a haul truck with an excavator on a stockpilewe had to give it five big buckets get in the haul truck do a hot lap backup dump it for
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time and wait.
Then the third one we had to build a wall out of
funky boulders, they pick the most random boulders.
And it was with nursery forks.
But that was really cool too, because nursery forks, I actually had to Google what thosewere.
I've never used them as an attachment in a skid steer.
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But then it was the same thing of we got in a machine with a brand new attachment and justwhat you know as an operator and feeling machines and
the talent that you've created, we all built a wall with attachments that we've never usedbefore.
All of us in under seven minutes built this retaining wall with attachments we've neverused.
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So it just really goes to show that when we really focus on our machine, like that machinewill do what we need it to do.
It's also, I feel like I want to go watch this someday live and in person.
Yeah, it's on YouTube right now.
They're gonna do a season three, which I was invited back for.
He's thinking around May.
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But yeah, it's it's really cool.
It's in Georgia.
I can't remember the exact city but
Well, that's fun, though.
think, you know, sharing that as a resource for people to go watch and, you know, seethese opportunities of it.
But it's also there's fun in it, right?
And I think people need to understand that or at least bring that part of it forward isthe enjoyment, the fun, the camaraderie.
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It just sounds cool.
I would love to be there to watch one day and just it sounds cool.
But I'm a dork and I will pull over on a
freaking side of a road and watch people build construction on the side of the roadbecause I find it interesting and my husband's like, what are we, why?
I'm like, I wanna see.
Yeah.
It's really fun.
And two, it almost makes it a goal, right?
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Like, learn the most that you can be the best that you can, because you could end up onNational Equipment League.
I was approached to be a speaker in schools.
That's still in the process.
But, you know, being able to end something like that, like when you grow up, you could godo this, you know, it's just something to get kids excited.
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Heck yeah.
Yeah, I agree.
But when you've mentioned Build Her, the organization, I've had another person in aninterview mention them as well.
Can you tell me a little bit more about that organization and what they do?
So it was founded by Mercedes.
She put together a program where I was 7th 10th grade girls all get together and they getto learn different trades.
So there's carpentry, the heavy equipment.
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They got to do a blueprint.
They got to do all kinds of different stuff.
They got to listen to a women's panel of different women in construction and theirexperiences to just guide them in that way because the
grades are a great career.
And a lot of people don't understand that because there was a stereotype about them for solong.
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But you know, you can go to college for four years, have all this student debt, and thenget out and start making money and be in a certain spot or you can join an apprenticeship
right out of high school.
After four years, five years, depending on how long it takes you to finish that, you'realready maxed out on your pay and you're already starting your life.
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So you have the benefit of starting it four years before the person that went to collegewithout the debt.
Great retirement, great benefits.
Yep.
Well, and I'll add because my husband also did an apprenticeship and he also used heveteran and he was able to use his GI bill and get partially paid through his internship
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or his apprenticeship to do so.
So there's different programs to leverage where it's you're not paying for it.
You're earning some income through it as well.
So you're not sacrificing your economic situation in life to get this education.
And like, let's be really clear, construction isn't going anywhere.
These jobs are going to be here.
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You're never going to be short of a job if you have a trade.
need to be rebuilt.
New buildings need to go up buildings need to come down.
You know, the just like the salmon habitats always need to be redone.
It's a consistent I'm gonna go with the Lion King.
It is a consistent circle of life and the construction industry you will never not havework.
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% great.
You might have to maybe move or drive long distances sometimes to get to that work, butthere's so much of it going on still.
know, housing needs, all the data center things going on.
It's it's constant.
It's constant.
So no shortage, I would say there.
And most of the people I know who've gone through an apprenticeship, they develop theselong lasting friendships sometimes through those
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programs of fellow tradesmen, tradeswomen that they get to kind of grow up in the industrywith, which I think is kind of cool too.
and even your mentors I I honestly probably a year and a half into my apprenticeship I wasalready thrown away because it was just I felt like I was getting running into the ground
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because they just wanted to see how much I could take you know whatever it may have beenand I was about ready to be done and a superintendent I had just got moved to his job site
and him and I were talking one day and then I just let it all out and he said look youwant to stay
take him under my wing and he did and to this day, 12 years later, we are still tight.
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Like I actually might start a job with him in a few months, but yeah, he...
If it wasn't for him, I don't know if I would have stayed.
So you never know who is going to make that impact.
And I think that's why mentors and proper teachers are really important in the tradesright now, especially with the next generation being so aware of mental health, whereas my
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generation was not my generation was you just work, work, work, work, work, end of story.
Now people want balance.
And so that means that they're learning differently.
And I haven't seen a lot
people conforming to that or looking inward as leaders like how can I change to be abetter teacher for them?
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They don't all have the same learning style.
Why should I group them all together?
How is that fair?
If I want them to learn from me, I need to make sure that I'm doing in a way that they canlearn.
Agreed.
Adapting to everyone's needs.
And it's challenging.
Nobody's saying it's easy, but I think it's the work that a lot of people in the industrywho are leaders or who've been in it a long time are starting to make that shift of
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mindset.
And it's great.
And also, you know, people like yourself, through that Build Her program, you you'realready leaning into that opportunity to lead the future generation into this industry.
And I think that's incredible and wonderful.
The fun question I love to ask everybody is if you were to talk to your 19 year old selfyour first, you know, year in this industry, would you give yourself any specific advice?
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What would it be?
it would be just to be yourself be authentic.
Don't try to fit in.
You can run alongside them and still be a great asset.
And like just lace your boots up with confidence.
And a quote that I kind of came up with a while ago and I've really stuck with it is don'tlet the doubts of others become your limitations.
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So just not listening when
they doubt you and not letting it get in your head.
Just go do what you know how to do.
Do it your best, work your hardest.
And at the end of the day, everything's going to be fine.
And I honestly wish that I was that way before because I feel like I could be a lotfarther along in my career because I would have taken more chances and not been afraid of
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failure or letting people down or letting people step on me and staying there.
Now, if that happens, it's Whoa, hey,
Yep.
And I mean, even the like the LinkedIn following that's just been in last year.
So all this is just recently happened since I stepped into that energy that is mine notfitting into everybody else's
(25:30):
Yeah.
And I think it's, it's, yeah, I think it's awesome.
The more representation we have of people doing that and sharing it.
It's, you can do it, but I think sharing it openly is important, especially in thisgeneration where a lot of people get their information through social media and different,
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you those methodologies, not necessarily in-person examples.
So,
You know, being open and sharing these journeys with people through social media, throughpodcasts, through LinkedIn, I think it's awesome.
And also in-person events, like you said, you showed up and you've helped to build HerI've done some of that similar stuff.
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not being afraid of like the judgment because I remember when I first started sharing iton LinkedIn, I was almost afraid of judgment or I was more quiet about it because of what
people might say but then to realize that people need to hear what I have to say, right?
And then seeing the positive feedback of that.
It's like, wow, why did I wait so long?
Like I could have been helping people a long time ago.
But there has always been this stereotype of don't complain about your work.
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Don't do
this, don't do that.
Well, I come to realize it's not complaining, it's trying to evolve and grow in it.
Well, and I think that also there's going to be judgment because that's just part of ourexistence.
And I think letting go of feeling like you need to fit everybody's idea and thateverything's going to be positive.
(27:10):
That's not true.
It's not.
There's going to be people who talk shit and say things and just let them.
Just let them let go.
Let them.
That's their problem, not yours.
That's how I've started to try to position myself is maybe people don't like something Ihave to say.
That's cool.
You can unfollow me.
(27:30):
Yeah, exactly.
You can choose to not listen, you can choose to unfollow, you can choose to not engage.
And, you know, punt, move on.
I don't care.
So I know that you've specifically, you know, you've, you've had your little girl in acouple of your videos, and shared some of the journey with her.
(27:51):
And I appreciate you being that vulnerable of sharing her.
and the interacting interactions of her with like getting on equipment and coming to thejob site and what's that been like for you as a mom?
It's been great because it's sharing that bond with her and also
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it's intimidating when you come up to these big pieces of equipment.
The first time I took her up to the loader she wanted nothing to do with it.
She didn't want to go up it or anything.
And then the next time she was all about it.
So just watching her grow and want to learn and I mean, we have the Tonka is here that shelikes to play with.
And also, I decided to be vulnerable about that and share that because another thing inthe industry is moms, you know, like we're moms out there too.
(28:44):
And it kind of opens up people seeing that, you know, that there's more to us than justbeing operators, but also that we can teach, we can bring the strength as moms to the job
site to help things out.
with communication, keeping people safe because they call me mama bear on site because I'mlike, what are you doing?
(29:06):
No, put a harness on.
You know, whereas other people like it's fine.
I'm like, No, you have kids to go home to.
Like we care a lot.
And it was just it just seemed important to share all of that because it's all of me.
You're not just seeing
this like shell of a heavy equipment operator female like join the trades you're seeinghow I Authentically am how I am as a mother how I would be as a friend things like that
(29:32):
how I am as a trainer and If we're going to be authentic people need to see how we are asindividuals
Yeah, I think moms also just bring a different strength and skill set.
Not necessarily better or worse.
It's just different.
And I love that being open and honest and forthcoming with some of that is useful, Ithink, for other people who might think, well, I'm a mom, so I can't possibly be a trade
(30:02):
worker.
I think there's plenty of examples such as yourself where that's not true.
I also want to say we originally had this scheduled at a different time.
I'm going to talk about this if you're comfortable with it, but you asked me to reschedulebecause your co-parent changed the visitation date.
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I was immediately like, of course, absolutely.
people being honest about their situations, even with my husband sometimes and our fosterkids, I'll have to be like, I have to move this because I need to do this for the kiddo.
And I think 10 years ago, I wouldn't have never felt comfortable saying that in thisindustry.
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But I'm going to hold my boundary.
And my boundary is this is my family time, or this is what I need to do for my family.
And I'm going to, I think now,
there's more opportunity to hold that and be forthcoming about it.
That's the other thing is, you know, contractors are getting better about understandingthat, you know, I since we're talking about it, and I don't mind, I got divorced almost
(31:12):
four years ago.
And I had the what you would think was the American dream, the big house, the cars,everything and I gave all of it up for my daughter, I restarted my life.
on an air mattress, my best friend's spare bedroom.
And that's another thing that I think is important for a lot of women to know because theythink that you have to have these amazing opportunities or have all the stability in the
(31:38):
world and you don't you can create it for yourself.
And I have my daughter all but four nights a month or more if there's a change of plan.
But that being said, if something's wrong, I get the phone call, right?
granted, I have a best friend that is super involved in helps me out like if she is sickat school or something, she'll go get her.
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But there are times where I'm like, guys, I gotta go.
I have a daughter.
And I think that's really important that it's known about family because before, it wasjust one of the things you don't talk about.
You don't talk about your personal life or whatever it might be.
But
Especially for single moms, you need to make them understand that you're a single mom andrespect that you're a single mom and allow you to do what you need to do.
(32:26):
As long as you're in, obviously, the respectable guidelines of you show up to work, you dowhat you need to do.
And then if she calls out once a week, yeah, that's different, but.
especially for single moms, because typically in in single dads, you know, you're in asituation if you have more time with the kiddo than others, that you are that rock for
(32:54):
them.
And, you know, holding that boundary line with your employer of, no, I got to go like, Igot to go my kiddo.
I got to go pick him up.
I got to go him to the doctor.
got whatever insert, whatever thing there.
And a male mentor of mine taught me that because I used to get super weird about leavingwork early.
(33:16):
And I always felt I had to be there early.
I had to work through lunch at a very old school way of thinking about it.
The more of us that do it, the more common it is and the more people think it's totallyfine to do.
And I think that's super, super important.
Yeah, I still dealt with it.
I mean, I'd leave my house at 430am and I wouldn't get home until 730 or 8 every singleday for a year and a half.
(33:40):
And then I remember my daughter's daycare did call me and she was sick and I got a lot.
a pushback about it.
And I just looked at him and I said, I live here.
I have never called out for myself.
I don't take time off.
I don't go on vacations.
I will be here tomorrow with a doctor's note after I take her to the doctor.
(34:00):
And after that, what can you say?
Like I work so hard.
My daughter is sick.
I will come back with a proper documentation.
And that's all you need to say.
Yeah.
Well, and I don't even think it needs to be precursor by, hey, I put in 60 hours thisweek, therefore I get to go for four hours to take care of my child.
(34:22):
no, I work, I shouldn't have to and I'm going to work what you pay me for.
And a lot of us overachievers work a little bit more than that, sure.
So if I'm going to leave early to take care of my kiddo or my whatever,
Let's just life now.
So be it and hold those boundaries.
And I think that's incredibly.
(34:44):
I appreciate that.
So thank you for sharing that and being open about that.
As we get close to wrapping up here, I give everyone the opportunity to if you want togive some shout outs to any other amazing women in this industry that you think deserve
it.
Whether it be a mentor, an ally, somebody who's a badass, like who else might you want toshout out to?
(35:07):
I'd have to say Mercedes the one that found a build her because I Like I said learningwhat I've learned recently that takes a lot to put something like that together and make
it happen and get parents Excited about it to get kids excited about it And it's only beentwo years now But there was a lot of returners that wanted to come back and run the
excavator again wanted to They built a bench and they got to go put it in a park
(35:33):
So now when they go to that park, they'll see the bench that they got to make right.
So it's seeing kind of like on a project you see plans you build it and then you get tosee the building later.
They're already kind of getting a little taste of that and it gets them excited.
So I think that she just went for it and did it with some help is super incredible and I'mhonored that I have been invited back every year to teach the kids because it's I can't
(36:00):
even explain to you how cool it is
to see them just so timid when they go up to that excavator and then I talk them throughit teach them they usually all get the ball in the trash can the first time we caught the
basketball dunk some of them got to graduate to the can smash at the last one but
You see them walk up one way timid and then they complete the game and they walk away likethey are on top of the world like they nothing's gonna bring their day down.
(36:29):
And that's what I really like seeing and that's when I really realized that I can make animpact and that I can teach and it really taught me a lot about myself too.
So I think she deserves all the credit in the world for that one.
awesome.
Well, I can't wait.
I want to, I definitely want to learn more about that organization and the work she'sdone.
So I appreciate you sharing that.
And just another shout out I want to say for people to go check out the National EquipmentLeague on YouTube and check out the episodes.
(36:58):
I know I'm going to, so I'm excited for that.
And hopefully there's a season three and we can see more and share more.
So I really appreciate you joining today and I hope we see more of you.
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Thanks.
(37:21):
Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of The Construction Cafe.
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(37:45):
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Welcome to the Construction Cafe, where the buzz of the construction industry meets thewarmth of a friendly conversation.
I'm your host, Tristen Magallanes.
Join me at our virtual cafe as we explore the foundations of construction culture, sip oncutting edge concepts, and amplify the unspoken voices in our industry.
So grab a cup of your favorite beverage, pull up a seat, and let's build more than juststructures, let's build connections.
(00:33):
This is the Construction Cafe.
Welcome back everyone to the Construction Cafe.
are continuing on our Women in Construction Week series.
(00:53):
And this episode we are joined by Brenna Moore.
Brenna, welcome to the show.
Thank you for having me.
So one, just want to shout out to the reason I invited Brenna to the show is because I'vebeen following your journey that you share pretty openly on social media of being a heavy
equipment operator And I love that because I don't see much of that.
(01:16):
And so I reached out to you and was like, I have to have you on the show because I loveit.
So thanks for accepting that.
and tell us a little bit about your role in the industry, tell us a little bit aboutyourself, whatever you whatever you feel comfortable sharing.
I got into the shoe when I was 19.
So this coming August, I'll be a union heavy equipment operator for 13 years.
(01:37):
I also spent some time as a laborer and a pipe layer because I wanted to learn all theaspects because then it just adds more value and you really understand what the goal is
and what you're doing and understanding how to bring the projects to life.
So I've had a really good time doing that I worked myself up to a foreman and I have afive year old daughter.
Nice.
(01:58):
loves to run heavy equipment.
I actually got to teach her how to run it on my last project.
So it it was a honestly one of the best days of my life because for me as an operator, Iwould go run a dozer just to go run a dozer because it's just fun.
Like it's fun to get in the machine and push dirt.
So to see how she lit up and like kind of shared that passion with me it was it was prettycool.
(02:22):
Well, and what I love is that it's no longer going to be the story of, well, my dad didthis, so I did this.
It's my mom did this.
And that for our next generation, freaking super exciting to me.
And it's not just equipment operators.
I've seen this, other girls and boys coming to work with their moms to do all sorts oftrade work.
(02:47):
that was not around when I was a kid.
or starting in this industry.
And I love that you openly share that journey publicly on social media.
That's pretty good.
important because there is a trade shortage and there's also no reason why women shouldn'tbe in the trades.
And just like with build her their high school girls, right.
(03:11):
And a lot of times I have found from talking to different apprentices and stuff, theydon't want to sacrifice their image or their femininity or change who they are to go do a
job that they want to do, but they feel like they have to fit this box to go do it.
And you don't have to anymore.
Granted, when I got in 13 years ago, it was a completely different world.
(03:31):
And I did that I shaped who I needed to be to be in that world.
And it wasn't until literally build her 2023 when I taught all those girls, I swear theydid more for me than it did for them at that point.
But it was I just realized like, I don't have to go be one of the guys I can run alongsidewith the guys and use my strengths, right?
(03:55):
So just
being able to teach them that taught me that and I have not strayed from that mentalitysince and I think that's where a lot of my current success has came from is because now
I'm just authentically me and it is what it is to an extent but I'm not going to go Idon't have to be one of the men and I'm not going to and I'll teach the girls that they
(04:15):
don't have to they can do what they love and still be them
And I think that's awesome.
You know, similar my first decade in the industry, I very much felt like I felt the needto conform and sacrifice, like you said, your femininity.
And I've re-embraced that myself at my age.
like, I'm gonna have painted nails and I'm gonna have purple eyelashes and purple hair anddo my hair.
(04:43):
and I'm still gonna put my hair in a ponytail and put on my overalls and crawl under thehouse if I need to or whatever, you can do both.
You don't have to sacrifice to show up.
And I also feel like too, cause like I said back then I was very the roll out of bedponytail.
to conform like you said, but if you stop and think about it, what's the differencebetween me as an operator and somebody who works in an office?
(05:11):
We're both professionals still.
So the fact that I wake up and make myself look professional, that also gives me morecredibility when same inspector comes on site, he's going to take me a lot more seriously
and value what I have to say.
Because I look professional, I look credible, I look like I can go from the dirt.
to a meeting and know what I'm talking about versus just being a hot mess that doesn'tcare.
(05:38):
They aren't going to approach me.
They aren't going to think that I know what's going on because I can't even take the timein the morning to look professional.
Agreed, I also think I just value the creativity of part of how I represent myself.
I've been criticized for having purple hair.
And I'm like, my purple hair doesn't affect the my brain works.
(06:01):
So it's going to be purple.
Nope.
So.
told I was the best loader operator on site so nails and all
And that's, and I think more women need to continue to see that representation of, don'thave to give up being who you are to show up and do these different roles.
(06:23):
I mean, I'm sure there are certain instances and certain roles and trades where it's,there are some safety things to consider, right?
You don't want your hair down and dangling in the middle of like welding, you know, like,right, like there's certain safety things, but
The overall representation of who you are and continuing to do that, I think, isincredibly important.
(06:43):
And if we, as the women in the industry currently, continue to do that, it's arepresentation to the younger generations that they can do that too.
So I think that's super important.
Can you share a little bit more, like say you were talking to a fifth grade class aboutwhat it is you do in your role?
(07:04):
playing the dirt.
I mean, yeah, it's and you, I feel like what I've heard from heavy equipment operators isyou're moving this incredibly complex machine to move dirt in a certain way.
And it's almost like this symbiotic relationship almost that you create with this machine.
(07:31):
It really is it's so like on my last project, I had a multi level work zone, all thethings and rough terrain in certain areas, and you really learn that machine and what you
can do with the machine.
So, you know,
somebody else is going to get not loader and not operate it the way that I do if they'renot used to it, right.
(07:52):
So you really start to trust yourself and trust the machine and then trust what you can dotogether.
If that makes sense.
It's definitely a very intimate relationship because they are dangerous.
They're very big, they can cause a lot of damage and understanding that and being delicatewhen needed.
using force when needed is really just finding a balance and that's when the magichappens.
(08:18):
What's your favorite piece of equipment to operate?
gonna be really honest, I used to hate loaders like we did not get along.
So dozer was always my favorite.
But I spent the last year and a half and a loader and just having the seat time in one andreally understanding what it can do and what I can do with it and kind of like growing up
(08:41):
with it in a way.
Loader has become my new my new favorite because you can like switch attachments and evenwhen I would had downtime I would play I put my fork
on and tried to flip a cone and see if I can get it to land because I'm honing in on mytiny little skills and with a dozer all you can do is push dirt or back blade you know so
(09:02):
I've really come to love a loader
That's fun.
Is there any piece of equipment where you're like, man, please don't make me operate that?
It really depends I am NOT a huge fan of Excavators on super steep slopes.
I will do it, but it's one of those feelings that I'm like
(09:23):
Yeah, yeah.
I've seen some people do some operate equipment in some questionable situations for sure.
And yeah, it kind of gives me like the heebie-jeebies.
like, maybe let's not do that.
But also just sort of badass that they do do it too.
Like both things are true.
(09:44):
So that's awesome.
seen a lot of things happen, unfortunately, in those scenarios.
So then it's always make sure that I don't end up in that situation for my own safety, butalso, you know, the damage to the machines and stuff.
So those are, I can do it, I'm not afraid of it, but I would just rather not be in thatsituation.
(10:04):
agreed.
Well, and everybody wants to go home safe at the end of the day.
And we also don't want to damage very expensive machinery if we can avoid that.
I mean, it's not always avoidable, but agreed.
I used to manage heavy equipment for a civil contractor back in the day.
And I do always share this.
I think I shared it with you right before we started that if I could go backwards andrestart my career in the industry and I was 19, I would probably go into heavy equipment
(10:31):
operation.
It just
has always looked fun, challenging, but fun.
And the different types of pieces of equipment you can operate and learn, there's a lotthere.
It's not just one.
Yeah, and you never honestly stop learning.
I call it being a trainable journeyman because I might be a foreman I might excel at aloader I might excel at a dozer all the things but there's probably some technique in that
(10:56):
loader that somebody could teach me and it could change my whole world.
Like it's always learning and growing and that's what's cool is
You feel like you kind of master your craft and then you learn something new and thenyou're excited all over again like a little kid at Christmas because it's like a new toy.
Yeah.
Are you in a union market for, or no, not union market?
(11:19):
You are.
International of Union of Operating Engineers, 302.
So I think another interesting thing to talk about in if you are in a union marketspecifically, would say, is that there's pay equity there.
Because if you're a journeyman and the guy next to you is a journeyman, you're going toget paid the same thing because of the union.
(11:40):
So I've always promoted trade work in union markets specifically for women because there'sequity of pay that doesn't exist elsewhere.
And I think that's awesome.
And not only that, but also the same training opportunities.
training, benefits are typically pretty great.
(12:00):
Also, my husband's a union member and benefits are typically great.
Pay is actually, from my understanding, I'm in California and my husband's a union worker.
I think we make almost the same amount of money.
So great opportunities there and enjoyable work.
(12:22):
potentially, depending on the trade and what you want to do, like there's opportunities.
So when it comes to creating the path for equity for women, is there certain changes youthink are still needed in the industry?
I think just getting familiar with it and it becoming more normalized of women being inconstruction and having like opportunities there.
(12:48):
And just, I still go through it a lot like the underestimation.
Like don't judge a book by its cover.
If she walks on site and looks feminine, you know, she might be a really good operator.
She might be a really talented pipe layer.
You know, all those things.
And I feel like that's the main struggle that I see still is just, you know, I getmistaken for the safety coffee girl, right.
(13:10):
So it's just, you know what I mean?
Just
Getting to know who's coming on site giving them that chance and giving them a chance toprove what they can do and not just assuming
I like that don't judge a book by its cover comment because that can be true for a lot ofdifferent people who show up on job sites, not just women, I think.
I think that's incredibly important to reserve that judgment.
(13:34):
Allow an opportunity to build a rapport and understanding of another person and see whatopportunity lies there.
That's great.
Is there...
Any, you work with a couple different organizations and you mentioned, I believe it's theNational Equipment League.
I don't actually know a lot about it.
(13:55):
So tell me more about this.
You were just did a competition, I think.
I wanna know about this.
so it's over at the Hyundai Equipment Center.
And basically, some of the best operators around from the US were chosen to go competeagainst each other.
And I just remember when I was invited, I was in shock.
(14:18):
I almost said thank you, but I'm not good enough.
But like I said, working with the girls that Build Her
there, you know, seven to 10th graders, I had to go I had to show them that this is whatyou can go do.
And I know that's Bill's mission.
The Commissioner of the National Equipment League is he wants it to almost be like UFC butfor operators to get kids excited to be in the trades have it be
(14:45):
I know from the last day that we were there on our way to the airport, he was talkingabout wanting it to be where us original competitors, one day ended up being judges.
And then people would have to come qualify and having it turned into this big thing.
But obviously, it's gonna take some time and it gaining rapport and stuff like that.
But it was really cool.
(15:07):
And again, same thing going out there.
It was really good for me because I had to work through a lot of my own
I guess insecurities as far as like, well, maybe I'm not as good as they are.
whatever it is.
And these men were incredible operators.
A lot of them have their own companies famous on YouTube, just amazing talentedindividuals.
(15:29):
And it was really cool because the whole time it was such a positive environment.
And we would give each other tips and tricks on the side while we watched another guycompete like oh well we should try it like this because that way it's not working.
And they just were so welcoming for me even as a female.
And
we got to commentate for each other at certain times.
(15:52):
And they just nonstop had nothing but great things to say that I competed with style and Iwas safe that I'm the only one somebody is going to hire to build a rock wall because mine
looked the best just they really touched on the difference between men and women whenoperating they said that I have the most finesse I had the most attention to detail like
what were my strengths not competition and it was really nice to hear them say that oncamera.
(16:18):
Yeah.
because it really at points I was like, I'm not as fast or this or that but I had thisother like quality, right?
So they can do it super fast and I have quality you put those together on a job site.
Again, it's magic.
yeah.
What are what are because I haven't been able to see but what are some of the things inthe competition that you had to do?
(16:40):
Can you describe any of them?
So one of them we had to suck eco blocks and I will hold on till the end of time that Ibeat last season's champion at that competition.
And then the second one was we had to load a haul truck with an excavator on a stockpilewe had to give it five big buckets get in the haul truck do a hot lap backup dump it for
(17:04):
time and wait.
Then the third one we had to build a wall out of
funky boulders, they pick the most random boulders.
And it was with nursery forks.
But that was really cool too, because nursery forks, I actually had to Google what thosewere.
I've never used them as an attachment in a skid steer.
(17:27):
But then it was the same thing of we got in a machine with a brand new attachment and justwhat you know as an operator and feeling machines and
the talent that you've created, we all built a wall with attachments that we've never usedbefore.
All of us in under seven minutes built this retaining wall with attachments we've neverused.
(17:50):
So it just really goes to show that when we really focus on our machine, like that machinewill do what we need it to do.
It's also, I feel like I want to go watch this someday live and in person.
Yeah, it's on YouTube right now.
They're gonna do a season three, which I was invited back for.
He's thinking around May.
(18:12):
But yeah, it's it's really cool.
It's in Georgia.
I can't remember the exact city but
Well, that's fun, though.
think, you know, sharing that as a resource for people to go watch and, you know, seethese opportunities of it.
But it's also there's fun in it, right?
And I think people need to understand that or at least bring that part of it forward isthe enjoyment, the fun, the camaraderie.
(18:35):
It just sounds cool.
I would love to be there to watch one day and just it sounds cool.
But I'm a dork and I will pull over on a
freaking side of a road and watch people build construction on the side of the roadbecause I find it interesting and my husband's like, what are we, why?
I'm like, I wanna see.
Yeah.
It's really fun.
And two, it almost makes it a goal, right?
(18:58):
Like, learn the most that you can be the best that you can, because you could end up onNational Equipment League.
I was approached to be a speaker in schools.
That's still in the process.
But, you know, being able to end something like that, like when you grow up, you could godo this, you know, it's just something to get kids excited.
(19:19):
Heck yeah.
Yeah, I agree.
But when you've mentioned Build Her, the organization, I've had another person in aninterview mention them as well.
Can you tell me a little bit more about that organization and what they do?
So it was founded by Mercedes.
She put together a program where I was 7th 10th grade girls all get together and they getto learn different trades.
So there's carpentry, the heavy equipment.
(19:42):
They got to do a blueprint.
They got to do all kinds of different stuff.
They got to listen to a women's panel of different women in construction and theirexperiences to just guide them in that way because the
grades are a great career.
And a lot of people don't understand that because there was a stereotype about them for solong.
(20:05):
But you know, you can go to college for four years, have all this student debt, and thenget out and start making money and be in a certain spot or you can join an apprenticeship
right out of high school.
After four years, five years, depending on how long it takes you to finish that, you'realready maxed out on your pay and you're already starting your life.
(20:26):
So you have the benefit of starting it four years before the person that went to collegewithout the debt.
Great retirement, great benefits.
Yep.
Well, and I'll add because my husband also did an apprenticeship and he also used heveteran and he was able to use his GI bill and get partially paid through his internship
(20:48):
or his apprenticeship to do so.
So there's different programs to leverage where it's you're not paying for it.
You're earning some income through it as well.
So you're not sacrificing your economic situation in life to get this education.
And like, let's be really clear, construction isn't going anywhere.
These jobs are going to be here.
(21:09):
You're never going to be short of a job if you have a trade.
need to be rebuilt.
New buildings need to go up buildings need to come down.
You know, the just like the salmon habitats always need to be redone.
It's a consistent I'm gonna go with the Lion King.
It is a consistent circle of life and the construction industry you will never not havework.
(21:32):
% great.
You might have to maybe move or drive long distances sometimes to get to that work, butthere's so much of it going on still.
know, housing needs, all the data center things going on.
It's it's constant.
It's constant.
So no shortage, I would say there.
And most of the people I know who've gone through an apprenticeship, they develop theselong lasting friendships sometimes through those
(21:59):
programs of fellow tradesmen, tradeswomen that they get to kind of grow up in the industrywith, which I think is kind of cool too.
and even your mentors I I honestly probably a year and a half into my apprenticeship I wasalready thrown away because it was just I felt like I was getting running into the ground
(22:20):
because they just wanted to see how much I could take you know whatever it may have beenand I was about ready to be done and a superintendent I had just got moved to his job site
and him and I were talking one day and then I just let it all out and he said look youwant to stay
take him under my wing and he did and to this day, 12 years later, we are still tight.
(22:45):
Like I actually might start a job with him in a few months, but yeah, he...
If it wasn't for him, I don't know if I would have stayed.
So you never know who is going to make that impact.
And I think that's why mentors and proper teachers are really important in the tradesright now, especially with the next generation being so aware of mental health, whereas my
(23:08):
generation was not my generation was you just work, work, work, work, work, end of story.
Now people want balance.
And so that means that they're learning differently.
And I haven't seen a lot
people conforming to that or looking inward as leaders like how can I change to be abetter teacher for them?
(23:29):
They don't all have the same learning style.
Why should I group them all together?
How is that fair?
If I want them to learn from me, I need to make sure that I'm doing in a way that they canlearn.
Agreed.
Adapting to everyone's needs.
And it's challenging.
Nobody's saying it's easy, but I think it's the work that a lot of people in the industrywho are leaders or who've been in it a long time are starting to make that shift of
(23:52):
mindset.
And it's great.
And also, you know, people like yourself, through that Build Her program, you you'realready leaning into that opportunity to lead the future generation into this industry.
And I think that's incredible and wonderful.
The fun question I love to ask everybody is if you were to talk to your 19 year old selfyour first, you know, year in this industry, would you give yourself any specific advice?
(24:21):
What would it be?
it would be just to be yourself be authentic.
Don't try to fit in.
You can run alongside them and still be a great asset.
And like just lace your boots up with confidence.
And a quote that I kind of came up with a while ago and I've really stuck with it is don'tlet the doubts of others become your limitations.
(24:45):
So just not listening when
they doubt you and not letting it get in your head.
Just go do what you know how to do.
Do it your best, work your hardest.
And at the end of the day, everything's going to be fine.
And I honestly wish that I was that way before because I feel like I could be a lotfarther along in my career because I would have taken more chances and not been afraid of
(25:08):
failure or letting people down or letting people step on me and staying there.
Now, if that happens, it's Whoa, hey,
Yep.
And I mean, even the like the LinkedIn following that's just been in last year.
So all this is just recently happened since I stepped into that energy that is mine notfitting into everybody else's
(25:30):
Yeah.
And I think it's, it's, yeah, I think it's awesome.
The more representation we have of people doing that and sharing it.
It's, you can do it, but I think sharing it openly is important, especially in thisgeneration where a lot of people get their information through social media and different,
(25:54):
you those methodologies, not necessarily in-person examples.
So,
You know, being open and sharing these journeys with people through social media, throughpodcasts, through LinkedIn, I think it's awesome.
And also in-person events, like you said, you showed up and you've helped to build HerI've done some of that similar stuff.
(26:23):
not being afraid of like the judgment because I remember when I first started sharing iton LinkedIn, I was almost afraid of judgment or I was more quiet about it because of what
people might say but then to realize that people need to hear what I have to say, right?
And then seeing the positive feedback of that.
It's like, wow, why did I wait so long?
Like I could have been helping people a long time ago.
But there has always been this stereotype of don't complain about your work.
(26:44):
Don't do
this, don't do that.
Well, I come to realize it's not complaining, it's trying to evolve and grow in it.
Well, and I think that also there's going to be judgment because that's just part of ourexistence.
And I think letting go of feeling like you need to fit everybody's idea and thateverything's going to be positive.
(27:10):
That's not true.
It's not.
There's going to be people who talk shit and say things and just let them.
Just let them let go.
Let them.
That's their problem, not yours.
That's how I've started to try to position myself is maybe people don't like something Ihave to say.
That's cool.
You can unfollow me.
(27:30):
Yeah, exactly.
You can choose to not listen, you can choose to unfollow, you can choose to not engage.
And, you know, punt, move on.
I don't care.
So I know that you've specifically, you know, you've, you've had your little girl in acouple of your videos, and shared some of the journey with her.
(27:51):
And I appreciate you being that vulnerable of sharing her.
and the interacting interactions of her with like getting on equipment and coming to thejob site and what's that been like for you as a mom?
It's been great because it's sharing that bond with her and also
(28:14):
it's intimidating when you come up to these big pieces of equipment.
The first time I took her up to the loader she wanted nothing to do with it.
She didn't want to go up it or anything.
And then the next time she was all about it.
So just watching her grow and want to learn and I mean, we have the Tonka is here that shelikes to play with.
And also, I decided to be vulnerable about that and share that because another thing inthe industry is moms, you know, like we're moms out there too.
(28:44):
And it kind of opens up people seeing that, you know, that there's more to us than justbeing operators, but also that we can teach, we can bring the strength as moms to the job
site to help things out.
with communication, keeping people safe because they call me mama bear on site because I'mlike, what are you doing?
(29:06):
No, put a harness on.
You know, whereas other people like it's fine.
I'm like, No, you have kids to go home to.
Like we care a lot.
And it was just it just seemed important to share all of that because it's all of me.
You're not just seeing
this like shell of a heavy equipment operator female like join the trades you're seeinghow I Authentically am how I am as a mother how I would be as a friend things like that
(29:32):
how I am as a trainer and If we're going to be authentic people need to see how we are asindividuals
Yeah, I think moms also just bring a different strength and skill set.
Not necessarily better or worse.
It's just different.
And I love that being open and honest and forthcoming with some of that is useful, Ithink, for other people who might think, well, I'm a mom, so I can't possibly be a trade
(30:02):
worker.
I think there's plenty of examples such as yourself where that's not true.
I also want to say we originally had this scheduled at a different time.
I'm going to talk about this if you're comfortable with it, but you asked me to reschedulebecause your co-parent changed the visitation date.
(30:23):
I was immediately like, of course, absolutely.
people being honest about their situations, even with my husband sometimes and our fosterkids, I'll have to be like, I have to move this because I need to do this for the kiddo.
And I think 10 years ago, I wouldn't have never felt comfortable saying that in thisindustry.
(30:46):
But I'm going to hold my boundary.
And my boundary is this is my family time, or this is what I need to do for my family.
And I'm going to, I think now,
there's more opportunity to hold that and be forthcoming about it.
That's the other thing is, you know, contractors are getting better about understandingthat, you know, I since we're talking about it, and I don't mind, I got divorced almost
(31:12):
four years ago.
And I had the what you would think was the American dream, the big house, the cars,everything and I gave all of it up for my daughter, I restarted my life.
on an air mattress, my best friend's spare bedroom.
And that's another thing that I think is important for a lot of women to know because theythink that you have to have these amazing opportunities or have all the stability in the
(31:38):
world and you don't you can create it for yourself.
And I have my daughter all but four nights a month or more if there's a change of plan.
But that being said, if something's wrong, I get the phone call, right?
granted, I have a best friend that is super involved in helps me out like if she is sickat school or something, she'll go get her.
(32:02):
But there are times where I'm like, guys, I gotta go.
I have a daughter.
And I think that's really important that it's known about family because before, it wasjust one of the things you don't talk about.
You don't talk about your personal life or whatever it might be.
But
Especially for single moms, you need to make them understand that you're a single mom andrespect that you're a single mom and allow you to do what you need to do.
(32:26):
As long as you're in, obviously, the respectable guidelines of you show up to work, you dowhat you need to do.
And then if she calls out once a week, yeah, that's different, but.
especially for single moms, because typically in in single dads, you know, you're in asituation if you have more time with the kiddo than others, that you are that rock for
(32:54):
them.
And, you know, holding that boundary line with your employer of, no, I got to go like, Igot to go my kiddo.
I got to go pick him up.
I got to go him to the doctor.
got whatever insert, whatever thing there.
And a male mentor of mine taught me that because I used to get super weird about leavingwork early.
(33:16):
And I always felt I had to be there early.
I had to work through lunch at a very old school way of thinking about it.
The more of us that do it, the more common it is and the more people think it's totallyfine to do.
And I think that's super, super important.
Yeah, I still dealt with it.
I mean, I'd leave my house at 430am and I wouldn't get home until 730 or 8 every singleday for a year and a half.
(33:40):
And then I remember my daughter's daycare did call me and she was sick and I got a lot.
a pushback about it.
And I just looked at him and I said, I live here.
I have never called out for myself.
I don't take time off.
I don't go on vacations.
I will be here tomorrow with a doctor's note after I take her to the doctor.
(34:00):
And after that, what can you say?
Like I work so hard.
My daughter is sick.
I will come back with a proper documentation.
And that's all you need to say.
Yeah.
Well, and I don't even think it needs to be precursor by, hey, I put in 60 hours thisweek, therefore I get to go for four hours to take care of my child.
(34:22):
no, I work, I shouldn't have to and I'm going to work what you pay me for.
And a lot of us overachievers work a little bit more than that, sure.
So if I'm going to leave early to take care of my kiddo or my whatever,
Let's just life now.
So be it and hold those boundaries.
And I think that's incredibly.
(34:44):
I appreciate that.
So thank you for sharing that and being open about that.
As we get close to wrapping up here, I give everyone the opportunity to if you want togive some shout outs to any other amazing women in this industry that you think deserve
it.
Whether it be a mentor, an ally, somebody who's a badass, like who else might you want toshout out to?
(35:07):
I'd have to say Mercedes the one that found a build her because I Like I said learningwhat I've learned recently that takes a lot to put something like that together and make
it happen and get parents Excited about it to get kids excited about it And it's only beentwo years now But there was a lot of returners that wanted to come back and run the
excavator again wanted to They built a bench and they got to go put it in a park
(35:33):
So now when they go to that park, they'll see the bench that they got to make right.
So it's seeing kind of like on a project you see plans you build it and then you get tosee the building later.
They're already kind of getting a little taste of that and it gets them excited.
So I think that she just went for it and did it with some help is super incredible and I'mhonored that I have been invited back every year to teach the kids because it's I can't
(36:00):
even explain to you how cool it is
to see them just so timid when they go up to that excavator and then I talk them throughit teach them they usually all get the ball in the trash can the first time we caught the
basketball dunk some of them got to graduate to the can smash at the last one but
You see them walk up one way timid and then they complete the game and they walk away likethey are on top of the world like they nothing's gonna bring their day down.
(36:29):
And that's what I really like seeing and that's when I really realized that I can make animpact and that I can teach and it really taught me a lot about myself too.
So I think she deserves all the credit in the world for that one.
awesome.
Well, I can't wait.
I want to, I definitely want to learn more about that organization and the work she'sdone.
So I appreciate you sharing that.
And just another shout out I want to say for people to go check out the National EquipmentLeague on YouTube and check out the episodes.
(36:58):
I know I'm going to, so I'm excited for that.
And hopefully there's a season three and we can see more and share more.
So I really appreciate you joining today and I hope we see more of you.
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Thanks.
(37:21):
Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of The Construction Cafe.
We hope you found our conversation as inspiring as your next big project.
Remember, you can dive deeper into the resources and topics we discuss by connecting withus on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Just search for The Construction Cafe.
Don't miss out on future episodes.
Be sure to follow us on Spotify, Podbean, and Apple Podcasts to keep the conversationgoing.
(37:45):
If you're passionate about the construction industry and have a story to share, we'd loveto hear from you.
Visit our website at the constructioncafe.com and drop us a note.
Let's keep building better together.
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