Empowering Women in Landscaping with Carla Bailey

Joanne Shaw welcomes Carla Bailey back to the podcast to discuss how Women in Landscaping empowers women in the landscaping industry through networking and mentorship opportunities. 

About Carla Bailey

An HR professional for over a decade, Carla Bailey honed her expertise working for a leading landscaping company in London, Ontario. Dedicated to creating a positive work environment and resolving employee matters, her commitment to staff growth led her to discover and implement various government initiatives to support employee development.

In 2018, Carla and three other green professionals founded Women In Landscaping to introduce women to green professions and provide a community to help them thrive.

Here are some of the topics covered in this episode:

• The need for a Durham chapter of Women in Landscaping, which is a registered nonprofit
• The success of chapters in other regions, like Toronto and Ottawa, emphasizes the importance of local champions reaching out to contacts
• Carla explained their funding model, which relies on donations from contractor and vendor companies
• Joanne and Carla discussed their experiences with customer service, particularly focusing on gendered treatment and communication challenges
• The growth and expansion of Women in Landscaping, and their transition from quarterly sessions to monthly drop-in events at local venues
• Women in Landscaping’s success in reaching 4,500 attendees annually, and their plans to expand into new communities across Ontario and potentially Alberta and BC
• The upcoming Congress 2026, which will feature two events: a Landscape Ontario women's event during the day and a WiL-hosted evening reception
• Empowering Women in Landscaping: the importance of promoting landscaping as a career for women and the need for support networks within the industry
• The benefits of having a community of women in landscaping, where they can share experiences, provide support, and collaborate on projects
• Joanne emphasized the value of networking and learning from each other, while Carla noted the unique open-book mentality in Ontario's landscape industry, which fosters innovation and collaboration
• Initiatives and events organized by the National Association for Landscaping Professionals and Landscape Ontario to support women in the industry
• They highlighted the importance of retaining women in the workforce and shared strategies for creating a more inclusive and flexible work environment
• Carla emphasized the need for transparent wage structures and career advancement opportunities, while Joanne shared her personal experience of balancing work and family life
• The upcoming women's luncheon and networking events, including a cocktail reception followed by a tailgate party at Landscape Ontario's Congress
• They explored challenges faced by new entrants to the landscape design industry, particularly regarding business skills and insurance needs, and agreed that supporting young professionals through mentorship and education is crucial
• The importance of business acumen and market awareness for landscape designers operating in different regions, and the value of women's networks in the industry
• Women in Landscaping's monthly meetings, which take place on the fourth Thursday of each month at 7pm local time, with locations varying between local cafes and bars
• The group has chapters in London, Ancaster, Ottawa, and Toronto, with attendance ranging from 10-15 people per meeting