January 27, 2025 • 39 mins
#125 Felicity Pettiford shares her compelling journey from a young girl with dyslexia to a thriving carpenter and advocate for women in construction. Her story highlights resilience in overcoming challenges, the importance of breaking barriers, and the need to support aspiring builders in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
What was your driver?
To get out and get anapprenticeship.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
I absolutely love construction and timber.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
I actually want my daughters to listen to this
podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
And it makes me wake up excited to go to work and be
like all right.
What does today hold for us?
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Your passion is absolutely just jumping through
the screen.
It's insane.
G'day guys.
Welcome back to another episodeof Level Up.
We're back in the office todayfor another Zoom podcast and I
am really pumped for this one.
I love supporting females inthe building industry.
(00:32):
I think there are so manypositions that they can fill,
but you would hear me banging onall the time like this building
industry would fall over if itwasn't for females, especially
behind the scenes.
They tend to do a lot of theadmin and the bookkeeping and
stuff and no one really hearsabout what the roles they play.
But they also play a big roleon site and the guest we've got
(00:55):
on today is going to fill us inon her story.
I think she's going to inspirea lot of people.
I actually want my daughters tolisten to this podcast.
So, um, look, big warm welcometo felicity pettiford.
Sydney builder chick.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
I'm good, thanks, how are you?
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (01:11):
I'm really well thanks.
Thanks so much for um takingsome time out to come on and
tell us your story today I'mmore than happy to thank you for
having me so let's go back towhere it all started, because,
um, you got into the industrywhat?
When you were 16.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
yeah, 16.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
so that's a like.
I feel like that's a pretty bigleap for anyone.
But I don't know, I don't wantto put it, put you in a basket
or something, but like,especially for a female not to
finish school, um, like, whatwas it?
What was your driver to get outand get an apprenticeship?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
What was your driver to get out and get an
apprenticeship?
Well, I was diagnosed withdyslexia when I was a very young
girl and having that learningdifficulty was really hard for
me to excel in high school, getgood grades and possibly
potentially go to uni.
So I had to then think outsidethe box to help myself.
What am I capable to do?
Because my grades weren't thebest for me to actually take the
(02:04):
next step, to go intouniversity.
So I absolutely lovedconstruction and Tim Barr chose
that as an elective.
When I was in year nine and mygrades were all A's, my parents
like wow, like this is somethingyou could potentially do.
So I then chose construction asan elective and A's again, I
was really good at it.
My teachers then began to sayyou need to look outside the box
(02:28):
and see if you want topotentially do this as a future
thing.
So I then chose to do workplacement.
I tried work placement for alldifferent companies, all
different building industries aswell, whether it's bricklaying,
electrician gave it all a go,and carpentry and construction
definitely shined out of all ofthem.
I loved the way everyone wasjust so supportive about it.
(02:53):
Obviously there were a lot ofpeople that were oh, do you
really want to be in a buildingindustry?
It's not really a girl's world,you know.
Or why don't you go touniversity to try hairdressing?
And all those industries didnot really take a shine in.
That's what I wanted to do.
Do I really want to be cuttinghair?
Do I really want to be I don'tknow doing all these different
jobs, I definitely thoughtconstruction was the one for me,
(03:17):
and it still is today and Ilove it.
It's one of the best decisionsI've made in life, by stepping
outside that comfort zone,breaking the the barrier and
being like yes, I am a female ina male-dominant industry, but
let's break that.
Like, you see a lot of malesdoing hairdressing and
everyone's okay with it.
Why do we have to manipulatethat subject of women being in
(03:37):
the construction industry?
It should be 50-50 whether it'sin construction or outside
construction.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Yeah, and I love your passion.
It's jumping through the screen.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Like is anyone else in your family in the industry?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
No, no one is.
So when I told my parents theywere like, wow, really Well,
you're good at it, you've gotA's, you're really handy, really
clever and you're very creative.
So we wouldn't say why youwouldn't do it and we're always
going to support you.
Funny now, my brother'sactually a second year
electrician, so definitelybrought the tradies into the
household.
So it's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
That's awesome.
So how did you go about finding?
Speaker 2 (04:15):
an apprenticeship Really hard and that's what I
want to make a change in societyand in the future.
It took me I decided.
When I chose timber as anelective in year nine I was like
I really like this done theworkplace and I'm like this is
something I want to do.
So I put my fillers out there.
I'm not going to stay in highschool.
So I started applying throughseek.
(04:35):
All the job agency is out thereand it, I think, I called over.
I still have the book today andit actually gets pretty um
overwhelming.
Reading through all the phonecalls and emails and constantly
being consistent with harassingthem like, hey, do you want a
first year?
This that over 150 people, notonly just in Sydney, a Sydney
(04:55):
wide, queensland, melbourne.
I was willing to take anythingon just to get the experience
that I need of getting past thefirst year, because I feel like
a lot of people don't reallywant first years.
It's just like it's too mucheffort, too much time.
So breaking that first yearthrough and being like I've
completed my first year, mysecond year was my priority.
So it took, I think, two, twoand a bit years to try and lock
(05:17):
in an apprenticeship, which wasreally devastating when you know
you've got a drive for a job.
It's devastating when someonesays to you, oh sorry, no.
And when you know you've got adrive for a job, it's
devastating when someone says toyou, oh sorry, no.
And when you consultconsistently, getting the
knockback you get overwhelmed byis it something to do with me?
Is it so?
It is really overwhelming and Ithink, um, breaking that, that
(05:39):
barrier of females, first yearconstruction.
It needs, it needs to go.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
All of that needs to disappear.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Yeah, well, look, there's room for everybody.
And look, obviously everyone'sgot different strengths and
weaknesses.
It doesn't matter whetheryou're female or male.
Look, everybody's different.
So I think we've got to reallyencourage young females to well,
not so much the young females,because I believe there's a lot
of them, we've got to encouragepeople that have businesses to
(06:10):
take the opportunity to employthem.
I know myself as an employer inthe building industry like
we've got multiple females inour office.
We've had a few females reachout over the years for
apprenticeships for one reasonor another.
It hasn't worked out, but I cansee how it is a challenge to
bring a young female especiallyinto it, into a team, especially
with some of the chat andthere's a carry-on that goes on
on job site.
(06:31):
So like, how have you foundthat since starting your
apprenticeship and working yourway through it?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
I definitely feel like there's been a massive
change from when I've started tonow.
Um, like the little chats, thelittle conversations when I
first started oh, boys, makesure you watch your p's and q's.
Be polite, don't be grotty, youknow.
Present yourselves well.
Um, don't talk to her likelittle things like that, which I
mean.
It's polite for an employer todo that to their crew before me
(07:00):
walking on site.
However, I don't want it to bedifferent.
Regardless whether I'm female ormale, you're in a tough job.
It is a hard job, but if youlove it so much and you're
willing to put the hours in, theeffort, the commitment, it's
such an amazing industry to be apart of, so you really got it.
You have to be thick skinned,that's with anything you know.
If someone gives you a bit of abanter, you laugh at them, give
(07:21):
it back to them.
It's just, it's all aboutfriendly banter.
But starting from then to now, Idefinitely did feel that I was
treated so differently to theway I do now.
I'm equal.
Where I am now.
Uh, they don't look at me.
Oh, she's just a girl like oh,you gotta say this or be careful
what you do or whatnot.
They treat me like one of theboys in a good way, like you
(07:43):
know, have a banter, have alaugh, um, have a conversation
with not just exclude me becauseI'm a female but when I had,
when I was in my first year, itwas like, oh, don't talk to her
or be careful, or be a smart ass, and just took it the wrong way
.
And you have to sometimes becareful what you say.
You can't be saying this andthat it's like whoa, okay, chill
(08:03):
out.
But I feel like if you're withthe right people, they make you
feel equal and that's what itshould be.
It's about equability in theworld.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Yeah, exactly, and just making people feel
comfortable.
There's a time and place foreverything, so you've got to
pick and choose what you talkabout and how you carry on.
So how many people in the teamthat you work in there, the team
that you work in?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
There's 10 of us, 8 of us, 10 or 8 of us at the
moment.
Everyone's just.
We've got some people off forholidays because they've got
kids and they want to be off, soI think there's 8 of us at the
moment.
But it's great.
Every day is different.
I'm working with differentcrews every day.
It's not the same people, samejob.
It's always different andthat's why I feel like we have
(08:42):
such a great work relationshiplike that's.
I see these guys more than myfamily, so I want to be able to
get on with them and have a goodwork relationship with them,
because if time's hard, you wantto be able to go back to your
work mates and reflect on whathappened and talk to them.
So having a healthy workenvironment does make your
mental health a lot better aswell oh, for sure, sure.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
So you're now finished your apprenticeship.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Yes, I am.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
And you obviously did a good job.
You won a couple of awards.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Yes, I did.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
So do you want to tell us a little bit about them?
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Yes.
So I was very fortunate enoughto win the Burt Evans
Scholarship Award.
So, behind all that, it's theApprentice of the Year.
I applied for it because thecompany I was with at the time,
in the office they're like, hey,just apply for it, you know no
harm.
And I was like, okay, cool.
Got a phone call a couple ofweeks later after applying hey,
you've made it into the top 10.
(09:33):
We want to do a littleinterview and a review on you
and do a little case study onhow your journey has been in the
industry.
They've done a little casestudy.
I got a call a month laterFelicity, you've won the
scholarship.
I was like, oh sweet, you knowme thinking in my head yay, I've
won an award.
How great, with the scholarshipyou actually win twenty
thousand dollars.
I was like all right sorry, andthey're like, yes, so completing
(09:55):
your apprenticeship, four yearsin your apprenticeship your
first, second, third and fourthevery year throughout your
apprenticeship for you to stayin it.
Well, obviously you have tostay in it.
You're not going to leave yourapprenticeship and still get
money every year.
I got five grand to complete myapprenticeship, which helped me
complete it, which helped mebuy my tools, buy the resources
that I need to get the job done,like you can be a carpenter,
(10:18):
but without your tools it that'snot going to happen.
So it helped me pay off my ute,buy the tools that I needed and
just, yeah, having that one.
That scholarship really helpedme, as an individual, get
through my apprenticeship withall the resources and material
that I managed to get.
So I've been qualified now forthree years.
Three years now.
(10:39):
We're coming up to third yearat the end of this year, which
is such a blessing.
We're still going.
We're not giving up yet.
We're coming up to third yearat the end of this year, which
is such a blessing we're stillgoing.
We're like we're not giving upyet.
We're going to keep going.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Are you still working for the same company?
Speaker 2 (10:50):
No, we've gone for a lot of companies.
I think this is my fourth now.
The last company was a bit ofan unfortunate.
I had such a good relationshipwith the boss but he didn't want
to run the company anymore andthen he goes would you like to
run it for me while I become aparamedic?
And I was like shit, okay, allright, done it for a bit and I
(11:11):
was like I can't do this.
It's really stressful justhaving to manage a big crew as
well.
I was like this is a lot.
So I said to him unfortunately,I just I can't do this right
now.
I am only 19.
It's a lot to take on my plate.
So, in saying that, I'm gratefulfor being put in that position.
I know how to run a business.
I know how to manage andsupervise people and manage
(11:36):
multitasking, being like, allright, can you do this, let's do
this.
All right, you know just havinga schedule, having a timeline
when jobs need to get finished,to have that smooth sailing
throughout the job obviously,nothing ever smooth sailing on
site.
Something happens and you'relike, oh shit, change of plans,
let's do this.
So I have a lot of experiencebeing able to run jobs, which
I'm thankful for, which helpedme open my own business.
(11:57):
So I was still I'm running thebusiness, but I was working for
myself for five months and, andI just think, with the carpentry
industry you go throughinflation periods.
The next minute you'reabsolutely pumped for work and
you've got to work back late,got to work Saturdays and
Sundays, and then inflationdrops and then there's no work
and you're hustling for work.
(12:18):
So going through that periodwas really hard, especially when
it was a hustle period whereeveryone was trying to get work
to keep their head above water.
I was like I can't do this sosaid I'm going to keep my
business open for weekends.
If someone wants a job donethat I can manage to do in a
weekend or after work, I'll doit.
So I managed to get onto thecompany that I'm with now all
(12:38):
about carpentry and I love it.
It is different.
We are in project homes.
However, we are getting a lotof client jobs coming into decks
, extensions for goalers, whichis great, because when you get
one of those, it's like, oh,it's a treat getting a deck here
and there.
So, yeah, we've started gettinginto more of that, which is
really great.
But the flexibility, the way Iget treated how everyone is on
(13:02):
site.
I think it's nice and it makesme wake up excited to go to work
and be like all right, whatdoes today hold for us?
So it is really lovely.
So I think definitely findingthat that spot of being happy
within yourself making sureyou're happy with what you're
doing and who you're with, butthen making sure that you're
(13:22):
equal as well is so important.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
So where to from here ?
Like you've finished yourapprenticeship now, you've been
working outside of that for acouple of years.
What's your goals?
Speaker 2 (13:32):
So next year I've just become public with it, with
Carpentry Australia, so nextyear I am doing four days a week
as a carpenter and then theother day I'll be doing
ambassador, because I definitelywant to be a female advocate.
I could see I can neverpronounce that word for the life
of me yeah, I want to be afemale representative of an
(13:54):
ambassador in the trade, sostaying that.
Yep, I'm a carpenter, this iswhat I do as a daily job, but
then be able to step off thetools and speak about my
experiences but not only thathelp guide females and males
into the right direction so theycan succeed through their
apprenticeship.
We've got such a skill shortageat the moment and it's that
(14:16):
fine line of not having thesupport in the industry.
And that's what we need,whether it's females, males more
support so we can get moreskills through yeah, yeah, no,
it's awesome, but you're um,you're also um hoping to become
a builder, aren't you?
yes, I am.
So we have gone through masterbuilders association system to
say at the moment I am theyoungest qualified female
(14:36):
builder in australia.
At the moment I am the youngestqualified female builder in
Australia at the moment.
However, you never know.
Generation could wake uptomorrow and be like I want to
become a builder, which is great.
We need more of that andquickly sign themselves off,
quicker than what I could, butcompleting my apprenticeship,
because I was young and then bythe time I got rolled over being
a fully qualified carpenter.
Then I started my builders.
So, being able to go through, Ihave completed the um
(15:00):
certificate side of it.
So I've done my theory, done mypractical.
I've been signed off for thetheory side, completing the
paperwork for two years.
So I've done that.
It's the on-site experiencethat you need.
You need to be supervised for abuilder for two years.
In new south wales that's thestandard.
So I'm coming up to my gettingsigned off for my builders,
which is really exciting.
(15:20):
So if all goes well, I'll be afully qualified builder at the
edge of 22.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Yeah, that's freaking awesome.
You're like, honestly, yourpassion is absolutely just
jumping through the screen.
It's insane and I think that'sgoing to be awesome, like you're
going to help a lot of youngnot just females you're going to
help a lot of young peoplefigure out what they want to do,
because I I feel like there's alot of females out there that
would really love to get intothis industry and for one reason
(15:46):
or another, they hear it's toodifficult or they hear maybe
what they or they have thisperception of, maybe what goes
on on site and they they holdback.
So someone like I can see,someone like yourself, with the
passion you have, just breakingdown those barriers and giving
those people the confidence tohave a crack yeah, definitely,
and that's exactly what we needto do.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
We've got so many and I'm sure of it, so many females
and males out there that wantto give it a go but are scared,
and that's what we need to break.
We need to break the what areyou scared about?
And the what if, like you couldbe like.
Oh, and it's also, I feel like,in no disrespect to some
parents or guardians, it is abig stigma in why don't you go
(16:28):
to university.
It is the pressure of just goto uni, and sometimes it isn't
always an advantage going touniversity, especially if you
don't want to do it.
You're paying for this massive,heck debt that you're not
enjoying, where I feel.
When I left school, I leftschool at the appropriate time,
so when everyone was about tostart university, I was already
(16:49):
two years in my apprenticeship,so I was ahead by everyone by
two years and you're earningmoney.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Definitely you haven't got debt.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Exactly, exactly, 100%.
You're outdoors, you're stayingfit, you're getting physical,
you're getting your hands in.
You're just it.
Just it clears.
I feel like having an outdoorjob.
That's motivating, inspiring,physical.
It just cleanses you.
You feel so good about yourself.
You walk away and look at thejob and be like, damn, I did
(17:16):
that.
It's such a good feeling.
I can't words, can't explain it.
So it's we need a break, thatpart of what are you waiting for
?
What are you scared about?
Give it a go.
So it's that part that we needa break.
And it's also the other part ofsupporting our apprentices.
How can we do it?
How can we ensure that we'rechecking up on our apprentices
(17:38):
throughout their apprenticeshipfirst, second and third, even
their fourth year when they'veleft TAPE, supporting them in
the industry?
What can we do to make themstay in and the skills we can
give them so they can progressthroughout their apprenticeship?
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Yeah, it's definitely an area that needs attention.
I speak a bit at industry tradecolleges up here in Brisbane
and I just tell them that just Ijust tell them how it is Like
if you want to get in thisindustry, this is what you're
going to have to do and it'slook, it's a bit of a wake-up
call for a lot of them and Ithink you've probably seen it
(18:09):
Like you're a lot younger than Iam, but like you can't get an
apprenticeship and think thatyou're going to be able to
scroll on your phone all day orjust be constantly posting stuff
on social media about the tasksthat you're doing and those
types of things.
Obviously, you're working forbusinesses that rely on getting
(18:29):
things done in a certaintimeframe so that the actual
company can make money.
And obviously there's a lot oflike.
If you've seen what I'm allabout, it's like I want every
builder and tradie in Australiato have a successful,
sustainable and profitablebuilding business and ultimately
that's like a lot of tradieslose their passion because the
(18:51):
business side of things takesover.
So then that pressure gets puton the apprentices because the
boss is under so much pressureto to get shit done and to do it
properly and to try and makesome money.
And then they take theirfrustration out on the
apprentice by pushing them hardand all that type of thing like
did you see that sort of stuffduring your time?
Speaker 2 (19:13):
yeah, definitely it, especially when I was in my
first year doing project homes.
Project homes not the bestturnover.
You could be doing insurancework or um million dollar
renovations.
It's about getting in thatindustry as well, because, yeah,
you're in the industry butthere's so many different
pathways that lead on to it.
But I found for programs, yes,someone has to do the job.
(19:35):
At the end of the day, no onecan avoid it.
Um, so, doing that, I did noticethat if you don't get this done
in three days, we're not, I'mnot getting paid, which means
you don't get paid, you don'thave a job.
And it was a lot of pressure,especially on three people, to
have to hang all these doors inthe day, have to do all these
handles in half a day to go tothe next job, to get two done in
(19:57):
one day.
It is a lot of pressure to havejust for turnover.
But, um, I think life is aboutnegotiating.
If you want this, if they wantyou, well, okay, you've got to
pay for what I'm worth.
That's how it is that you'vegot to pay for me and my crew.
Um, this is how many days it'sgoing to take and this is what
the labour cost is.
(20:17):
That's a lot of reasons why Ifeel like, from my perspective,
companies are putting pressureon their workers purely because
project homes.
They've got a fixed rate.
It's that this is how many daysit should take, this is the
cost.
Well, they get told the cost.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
There's no Exactly, they're just told well, you're
getting 17 dollars a linearmeter for the soffits or
whatever.
It is 18 dollars a square meterfor fit outs, or whatever.
The case may be.
So there's.
It's literally just head down,bum up flat out trying to make a
dollar?
Speaker 2 (20:48):
yeah, yeah, it definitely is.
So I'm obviously doing.
I wanted to also change withdifferent companies because I
wanted to learn everything.
There are companies that justdo renovations, decks, begolas
or fix outs so I definitelythought to get a bigger
knowledge and skill setpersonally for myself.
(21:09):
I had to make changes in mylife and throughout my career to
be able to get the skill setsthat I have today.
I'm pretty confident in doingbegolas, decks, renovations,
extensions, project homes, fixouts, fit offs you name it.
I can do it because I had tomake that shift throughout my
career, my apprenticeship, toget that skill set.
But I'm very grateful that Idid that, as much as sometimes
(21:32):
it was hard.
I look back and I think, wow,because I've got such a big
knowledge in the industry.
But yeah, I personally thething I would be going for and
I'll be telling builders is gofor cost plus.
It saves you and it covers you.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
No, no, no, no, can't do cost plus.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
In Sydney you have to do cost plus.
The prices in inflation go upall the time.
It's just on my jobs I do here.
I definitely do cost plus.
But the things that I've seenon building companies that have
blown out is they've blown outwell and truly over their budget
.
They send in their invoices atthe end of the week and the
(22:11):
client's going.
I have so many invoices, what'sgoing on and they're not
keeping on track with it.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
I've definitely noticed.
Yeah, I'll have a chat to youoff air about that sort of stuff
it's gonna cost the void costplus, okay, okay I can talk, I
can talk to you more about that,but, um, like, what?
Like?
I can think of a lot ofchallenges, um, that females
would have coming into thisindustry.
One of them, what's the?
They chick.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Sydney Sparky.
What's it?
Jazzy Smith.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Yeah, Jazzy Smith.
So she was on the podcast backApril, May or something from
Tassie and she come up with.
Is it called the Go Company, GoCompany.
Have you seen that?
Speaker 2 (22:54):
No, I haven't.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
So I felt really bad because I've got like I'm a wife
, have females in the office andI have two young daughters that
, like one of them, definitelythinks that she's gonna be an
industry, and I have neverthought about periods on a job
site oh yes and we did thispodcast with Jazzy from Tassie
(23:18):
and she, her and a businesspartner of hers, I'm sure it's
called the Go Company and it'sbasically sanitary packs for
being on job sites to makefemales more comfortable and I
was like, holy shit, I've gotpainters that are female, a lot
of our contractors are femalesand I'd never thought of it.
Yeah, I'm like shivers shit.
I've got painters that havefemale, like a lot of our
contracts that females and Inever thought of it yeah.
(23:40):
I'm like yeah shivers like Idon't like down to the portal is
what's the female gonna feellike going to a poorly yeah so
that's definitely made merethink the way we, like we my
building business definitelyneeds to put some steps in place
to make females feel morecomfortable in our job sites.
But like, have you gone withdealing with that sort of stuff?
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Well Project Homes, portaloop, a lot of contractors,
a lot of people on site,especially when there's six
houses, duplexes and there's onetoilet everyone has to share.
However, we've definitelyopened up in getting those
little century.
Um, those little.
What are those bins?
yeah, getting one of those binsfor the portaloos for females
(24:28):
when we do have, because we'vegot a lot of painters,
shiprockers, carpenters, we'vegot all, all females in all
different industries.
So having that.
There is also a company outthere called future tradie
ladies and they help provide asafe space for women on
construction sites.
So their mission is to goaround, talk to females on site,
talk to the managers and theowners or project managers of
(24:51):
the site.
So how can we make thisfriendly for males and also
females?
Um, getting those bins put inplace, making sure the toilet's
a little bit cleaner, regardlesswhether it's females and males
going in there.
As you said before, if you hategoing in there, how are we
gonna feel?
So definitely, um, yeah, makingit more I wouldn't say cleaner,
because building sites,sometimes the bin's gone and you
(25:14):
just got to put a pile therebut making that more
approachable for females to wantto go to the toilet and not be
like I'm going down the road.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
So, yeah, definitely things that we've all got to be
a bit more aware of and andthink about like it's just, it's
common sense really.
But I'd like to go back alittle bit, because you said
just at the start there that umwith about dyslexic being
dyslexic yes and yeah look, Ilook, I'll put my hand up.
I've actually I've never beentested, but I'm positive.
I'm dyslexic, I'm positive.
(25:41):
I got adhd, like I believe,like I use them as superpowers,
like I.
I don't want to, um, I guessfor me personally, like I don't
want to get diagnosed becauseyou might, I might, think of it
as something different.
If I did that, maybe, but Iwould be.
I'm keen to know more about howyou found out about that,
(26:03):
because I do believe that thataffects a lot of people in our
industry and if people were moreaware of it and actually what
it is and how it affects you andthose sorts of things, it would
help people.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Yeah, definitely.
I actually got diagnosed when Iwas very, very little, like I
think I was in preschool orabout to start primary school.
Um, and just little thingssitting down with your children,
as my parents said, you justhave cards with numbers, colors
and everything on it.
I was always getting my colorsand numbers mixed up and they're
like that's strange, go toprimary school same thing.
(26:36):
So they actually took me to adoctor and I got tested and it
did come up that yes, I do haveit.
Also, as I started progressingmore with reading and language
comprehension, everything Iwould say would make no sense,
like sorry, what?
Or I'd have a moment and I'd belike oh, and they're like whoa,
whoa, whoa.
Take 10 steps back.
(26:56):
What did you just say?
I just wouldn't make sense.
So in primary school and highschool I did get taken out of a
couple of classes or I'd, afterschool, go to reading and speech
therapy.
So to this day I stumble acrossmy words.
I'll be like oh, what's thatword?
Like I, just you got to embraceit at this point.
You know, you've got it.
(27:19):
You've been diagnosed.
You, just as I say in entry, inevery, every single intro, I
have dyslexia.
So I'm just going to embrace it.
If I stumble across my wordshere or there, just go with it,
just go with it.
So, going to that quite a lotto help me read, speak a little
bit better and more fluent hasdefinitely helped me.
It's also been, as I saidbefore, in, I've embraced it.
Now that I'm an ambassador andI do a lot of talks, a lot of
(27:41):
meets, um, I've just been like,yep, this is who I am, this is
what I have.
Embrace it if you're.
If you're not here for it, I'msorry, just be patient with me.
Um, I also do think, as yousaid before, I do think that I
have, actually, but I don't wantto get tested because it's like
it's like, yeah, you know thatyou have it.
(28:02):
It's like I don't need theclarification for it.
The best way to solve it is justme being busy and being at work
.
Really, you're so busy at work.
It's that's what focuses me.
Yep, focus, do this, you know.
So, yeah, I just float my waythrough it at work.
But, yeah, definitely diagnosedwith dyslexia, but the ADHD.
I'm just like you know whatwork fixes everything.
(28:23):
I go to work clear my head ifI'm having a crappy day or
something's happened.
Rather than staying at homebeing mopey, I get up, go to
work and it really does just.
You're so focused on gettingthis job done, you really forget
about everything else as well.
Like the white noise just goesyeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
So do you have a goal now, like, do you want to be
building your own projects?
Like, is that something that'son the cards?
Speaker 2 (28:44):
well, little me was like I really want to be a fully
qualified carpenter and builder.
Me now being here, it's like,holy crap, what is the next step
?
My step would have been likecreating a bigger business and
having females workingunderneath not, you know, not
working underneath me because Ithink we're all level-headed,
we're all one working with me.
I want to have females workingwith me, um, progressing in jobs
(29:08):
, progressing in themselves,growth in the industry but I
still obviously would love to dothat.
But the ambassador inside hasreally opened up and people want
me to work with them, againstwith their brands like, hey, do
you want to do a collab?
Let's do this brand.
And getting my name out there,because I really do want to be,
(29:28):
and I know there's a lot ofamazing female representatives
out there and ambassadors andthat's what we want.
We need to see more that.
But I definitely want to get myname out there more to be like
yes, I'm one of the youngestones, I've got my builders, I've
done this.
If I can do, I'm a primesetting example that you can do
it too.
What's stopping you?
(29:49):
So it's about name and imagegetting getting yourself out
there, going to do talks atschools, going around to tapes,
get going on sites and talkingto the females and the bosses
and everyone the crew, um, andjust breaking it.
We're in 2024, going to 25.
We need to see more differences.
(30:10):
We need to see more females inindustry and more support, but
being okay with it a bigbuilding company of all females
that can do anything andeverything.
We need more of that.
You can't name and it's stillsad, but you can't name a big
building company that's just allfemales and males like a big
building company building houses.
So it's about yeah, I wouldlove to do that, but baby steps
(30:34):
will eventually get there.
One day.
Dream big.
Don't make it just a dream.
Make it a passion and a vision.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
So I look, with your passion, you're definitely going
to go places, that's for sure.
Thank you, I want to uh, thismight be a little bit
controversial, but like onething that, like it really
frustrates me across the boardwith social media, it attracted
me to your page like you are,just, you're really genuine.
And one thing that reallyfrustrates me and you do see it
(31:02):
a lot in our industry is boobsand bums, and yeah, you're like
I hate it.
Like if just be genuine at whoyou are, like don't think that
you need to use that to getfollowers and to get ahead, and
I just love that.
You're the real deal.
You can see your passion.
You know what you're talkingabout, like in the videos that
(31:22):
you do.
You're speaking common senseand you're telling the truth and
you're giving good advice and Ithink that speaks volumes of
you and I think you will becomea really big ambassador for
young females, because you'renot using being a female to
promote what you're trying to do.
Does that make sense?
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Yeah, definitely, and not mentioning any names.
But I have seen on social mediaa lot of people that do that
and it does make me upset, andmy parents are completely on
board.
They're like what you see iswhat you get.
You're the real deal fee.
Um, yeah, like you know, it'sjust it the reason why I don't.
And the people who do flauntthemselves like that do get a
(32:05):
lot of followers, but it's notnecessarily the young women who,
oh, you're inspiring me, it'sthe males, and that's what we
need to change.
Oh yeah, I would love a chickto be working on site with me
because of this.
That it's like no, you want achick to be working on site with
you because they're hardworking and it's a continuous
challenge, like you know.
You're oh yeah, let's see whocan get this done like.
(32:25):
You know what I mean.
It's the friendly banter andthat's what you want, and I
think, flaunting yourself offlike that, you're getting the
wrong idea for women.
When women the next generationcoming onto site, is this what I
have to do to get my way up tothe top?
No, it's your passion, yourknowledge and your skill set
that's going to make you drivenand make you get to the top.
You don't need to flaunt thatoff and that's the one thing
(32:46):
that I.
It grinds my gears when I seethem doing that, but at the end
of the day, I'm only me.
I can't tell them what they canand can't do.
But it is upsetting because Idon't want the next generation
of females to think they have todo that to get somewhere in
life yeah, no, really, it'sreally.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Yeah, pisses me off when I say that sort of thing.
Yeah, you don't if you're, ifyou're genuine about what you're
doing and you're good at whatyou're doing, then you don't
need to be doing that otherstuff, but um so what's what's
some advice you would give forlike uh, not just females, but
any, any young person out therethat's thinking about getting in
the industry.
Like what's some advice you'dgive them?
Speaker 2 (33:23):
I always said to myself, because when I was
trying, I'd have a long, a lotof long, upsetting nights,
crying, waking up in the morningwhy am I not good enough?
Why can't I get a job?
I say this to everyone Don'tgive up on yourself.
Don't.
If you know that you can do it,go for it, because the only
(33:43):
person who's going to tell youno is yourself.
So keep following your dreamsand keep being enthusiastic and
eager to get that position.
You will get there.
So I always say that, don.
So I always say don't give up.
Don't give up.
Yes, it seems hard right now andyou're like why isn't I, why
aren't I getting a job, or whyisn't anything working out, or
why can't I be happy with whereI am or whatnot.
(34:04):
Everything happens for a reason.
You have to go through thisstage, whether it's getting
through your first year, secondyear, whatever it is.
You have to go through that tomake you a bigger and better
person.
When you get out of it andthere's light at the end of the
tunnel, there always is therealways is, yeah, dropping bombs
everywhere.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
It's freaking awesome .
It's been an absolute pleasurehaving a chat with you and I
really wish you all the best.
I think you've got a huge worldahead of you.
I think you've got a huge worldahead of you.
I think you're going to do very, very well and I'm definitely
interested to keep followingyour journey and see where you
end up.
The industry needs more youngpeople like yourself.
And yeah, don't back off, justkeep smashing it out and keep
(34:43):
doing what you're doing.
It's freaking awesome Thank youso much.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
Before we wrap it up, anything else you want to get
out there for people to hear?
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Don't give up.
Just don't give up.
Keep smashing it, because everyday is something new.
I always say that Every day isdifferent being a carpenter, and
mentally you're going to feelso good about yourself, getting
on the tools, going out thereand giving it your best shot.
Really.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Yeah, awesome, all right guys.
Well, look, thanks very muchfor listening today.
Thank you so much, felicity,for giving us an insight to
where you've come from and whatyou've got ahead of you.
Thank you.
Please go and check outFelicity's page.
Sydney Builder Chick.
Is that right, yeah?
Speaker 2 (35:23):
that's it.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
We'll put some links.
She'll put some links and stuffin when he edits it.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
But look guys, hope you've liked today's episode
Please like subscribe and uh,yeah, we look forward to seeing
you on the next one.
Cheers guys, are you ready tobuild smarter, live better and
enjoy life?
Speaker 1 (35:39):
then head over to live like buildcom forward,
slash, elevate to get startedeverything discussed during the
level up podcast with me, duanepierce, is based solely on my
own personal experiences andthose experiences of my guests.
(36:01):
The information, opinions andrecommendations presented in
this podcast are for generalinformation only, and any
reliance on the informationprovided in this podcast is done
at your own risk.
We recommend that you obtainyour own professional advice in
respect to the topics discussedduring this podcast.
What was your driver?
To get out and get anapprenticeship.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
I absolutely love construction and timber.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
I actually want my daughters to listen to this
podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
And it makes me wake up excited to go to work and be
like all right.
What does today hold for us?
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Your passion is absolutely just jumping through
the screen.
It's insane.
G'day guys.
Welcome back to another episodeof Level Up.
We're back in the office todayfor another Zoom podcast and I
am really pumped for this one.
I love supporting females inthe building industry.
(00:32):
I think there are so manypositions that they can fill,
but you would hear me banging onall the time like this building
industry would fall over if itwasn't for females, especially
behind the scenes.
They tend to do a lot of theadmin and the bookkeeping and
stuff and no one really hearsabout what the roles they play.
But they also play a big roleon site and the guest we've got
(00:55):
on today is going to fill us inon her story.
I think she's going to inspirea lot of people.
I actually want my daughters tolisten to this podcast.
So, um, look, big warm welcometo felicity pettiford.
Sydney builder chick.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
I'm good, thanks, how are you?
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (01:11):
I'm really well thanks.
Thanks so much for um takingsome time out to come on and
tell us your story today I'mmore than happy to thank you for
having me so let's go back towhere it all started, because,
um, you got into the industrywhat?
When you were 16.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
yeah, 16.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
so that's a like.
I feel like that's a pretty bigleap for anyone.
But I don't know, I don't wantto put it, put you in a basket
or something, but like,especially for a female not to
finish school, um, like, whatwas it?
What was your driver to get outand get an apprenticeship?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
What was your driver to get out and get an
apprenticeship?
Well, I was diagnosed withdyslexia when I was a very young
girl and having that learningdifficulty was really hard for
me to excel in high school, getgood grades and possibly
potentially go to uni.
So I had to then think outsidethe box to help myself.
What am I capable to do?
Because my grades weren't thebest for me to actually take the
(02:04):
next step, to go intouniversity.
So I absolutely lovedconstruction and Tim Barr chose
that as an elective.
When I was in year nine and mygrades were all A's, my parents
like wow, like this is somethingyou could potentially do.
So I then chose construction asan elective and A's again, I
was really good at it.
My teachers then began to sayyou need to look outside the box
(02:28):
and see if you want topotentially do this as a future
thing.
So I then chose to do workplacement.
I tried work placement for alldifferent companies, all
different building industries aswell, whether it's bricklaying,
electrician gave it all a go,and carpentry and construction
definitely shined out of all ofthem.
I loved the way everyone wasjust so supportive about it.
(02:53):
Obviously there were a lot ofpeople that were oh, do you
really want to be in a buildingindustry?
It's not really a girl's world,you know.
Or why don't you go touniversity to try hairdressing?
And all those industries didnot really take a shine in.
That's what I wanted to do.
Do I really want to be cuttinghair?
Do I really want to be I don'tknow doing all these different
jobs, I definitely thoughtconstruction was the one for me,
(03:17):
and it still is today and Ilove it.
It's one of the best decisionsI've made in life, by stepping
outside that comfort zone,breaking the the barrier and
being like yes, I am a female ina male-dominant industry, but
let's break that.
Like, you see a lot of malesdoing hairdressing and
everyone's okay with it.
Why do we have to manipulatethat subject of women being in
(03:37):
the construction industry?
It should be 50-50 whether it'sin construction or outside
construction.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Yeah, and I love your passion.
It's jumping through the screen.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Like is anyone else in your family in the industry?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
No, no one is.
So when I told my parents theywere like, wow, really Well,
you're good at it, you've gotA's, you're really handy, really
clever and you're very creative.
So we wouldn't say why youwouldn't do it and we're always
going to support you.
Funny now, my brother'sactually a second year
electrician, so definitelybrought the tradies into the
household.
So it's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
That's awesome.
So how did you go about finding?
Speaker 2 (04:15):
an apprenticeship Really hard and that's what I
want to make a change in societyand in the future.
It took me I decided.
When I chose timber as anelective in year nine I was like
I really like this done theworkplace and I'm like this is
something I want to do.
So I put my fillers out there.
I'm not going to stay in highschool.
So I started applying throughseek.
(04:35):
All the job agency is out thereand it, I think, I called over.
I still have the book today andit actually gets pretty um
overwhelming.
Reading through all the phonecalls and emails and constantly
being consistent with harassingthem like, hey, do you want a
first year?
This that over 150 people, notonly just in Sydney, a Sydney
(04:55):
wide, queensland, melbourne.
I was willing to take anythingon just to get the experience
that I need of getting past thefirst year, because I feel like
a lot of people don't reallywant first years.
It's just like it's too mucheffort, too much time.
So breaking that first yearthrough and being like I've
completed my first year, mysecond year was my priority.
So it took, I think, two, twoand a bit years to try and lock
(05:17):
in an apprenticeship, which wasreally devastating when you know
you've got a drive for a job.
It's devastating when someonesays to you, oh sorry, no.
And when you know you've got adrive for a job, it's
devastating when someone says toyou, oh sorry, no.
And when you consultconsistently, getting the
knockback you get overwhelmed byis it something to do with me?
Is it so?
It is really overwhelming and Ithink, um, breaking that, that
(05:39):
barrier of females, first yearconstruction.
It needs, it needs to go.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
All of that needs to disappear.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Yeah, well, look, there's room for everybody.
And look, obviously everyone'sgot different strengths and
weaknesses.
It doesn't matter whetheryou're female or male.
Look, everybody's different.
So I think we've got to reallyencourage young females to well,
not so much the young females,because I believe there's a lot
of them, we've got to encouragepeople that have businesses to
(06:10):
take the opportunity to employthem.
I know myself as an employer inthe building industry like
we've got multiple females inour office.
We've had a few females reachout over the years for
apprenticeships for one reasonor another.
It hasn't worked out, but I cansee how it is a challenge to
bring a young female especiallyinto it, into a team, especially
with some of the chat andthere's a carry-on that goes on
on job site.
(06:31):
So like, how have you foundthat since starting your
apprenticeship and working yourway through it?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
I definitely feel like there's been a massive
change from when I've started tonow.
Um, like the little chats, thelittle conversations when I
first started oh, boys, makesure you watch your p's and q's.
Be polite, don't be grotty, youknow.
Present yourselves well.
Um, don't talk to her likelittle things like that, which I
mean.
It's polite for an employer todo that to their crew before me
(07:00):
walking on site.
However, I don't want it to bedifferent.
Regardless whether I'm female ormale, you're in a tough job.
It is a hard job, but if youlove it so much and you're
willing to put the hours in, theeffort, the commitment, it's
such an amazing industry to be apart of, so you really got it.
You have to be thick skinned,that's with anything you know.
If someone gives you a bit of abanter, you laugh at them, give
(07:21):
it back to them.
It's just, it's all aboutfriendly banter.
But starting from then to now, Idefinitely did feel that I was
treated so differently to theway I do now.
I'm equal.
Where I am now.
Uh, they don't look at me.
Oh, she's just a girl like oh,you gotta say this or be careful
what you do or whatnot.
They treat me like one of theboys in a good way, like you
(07:43):
know, have a banter, have alaugh, um, have a conversation
with not just exclude me becauseI'm a female but when I had,
when I was in my first year, itwas like, oh, don't talk to her
or be careful, or be a smart ass, and just took it the wrong way
.
And you have to sometimes becareful what you say.
You can't be saying this andthat it's like whoa, okay, chill
(08:03):
out.
But I feel like if you're withthe right people, they make you
feel equal and that's what itshould be.
It's about equability in theworld.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Yeah, exactly, and just making people feel
comfortable.
There's a time and place foreverything, so you've got to
pick and choose what you talkabout and how you carry on.
So how many people in the teamthat you work in there, the team
that you work in?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
There's 10 of us, 8 of us, 10 or 8 of us at the
moment.
Everyone's just.
We've got some people off forholidays because they've got
kids and they want to be off, soI think there's 8 of us at the
moment.
But it's great.
Every day is different.
I'm working with differentcrews every day.
It's not the same people, samejob.
It's always different andthat's why I feel like we have
(08:42):
such a great work relationshiplike that's.
I see these guys more than myfamily, so I want to be able to
get on with them and have a goodwork relationship with them,
because if time's hard, you wantto be able to go back to your
work mates and reflect on whathappened and talk to them.
So having a healthy workenvironment does make your
mental health a lot better aswell oh, for sure, sure.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
So you're now finished your apprenticeship.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Yes, I am.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
And you obviously did a good job.
You won a couple of awards.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Yes, I did.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
So do you want to tell us a little bit about them?
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Yes.
So I was very fortunate enoughto win the Burt Evans
Scholarship Award.
So, behind all that, it's theApprentice of the Year.
I applied for it because thecompany I was with at the time,
in the office they're like, hey,just apply for it, you know no
harm.
And I was like, okay, cool.
Got a phone call a couple ofweeks later after applying hey,
you've made it into the top 10.
(09:33):
We want to do a littleinterview and a review on you
and do a little case study onhow your journey has been in the
industry.
They've done a little casestudy.
I got a call a month laterFelicity, you've won the
scholarship.
I was like, oh sweet, you knowme thinking in my head yay, I've
won an award.
How great, with the scholarshipyou actually win twenty
thousand dollars.
I was like all right sorry, andthey're like, yes, so completing
(09:55):
your apprenticeship, four yearsin your apprenticeship your
first, second, third and fourthevery year throughout your
apprenticeship for you to stayin it.
Well, obviously you have tostay in it.
You're not going to leave yourapprenticeship and still get
money every year.
I got five grand to complete myapprenticeship, which helped me
complete it, which helped mebuy my tools, buy the resources
that I need to get the job done,like you can be a carpenter,
(10:18):
but without your tools it that'snot going to happen.
So it helped me pay off my ute,buy the tools that I needed and
just, yeah, having that one.
That scholarship really helpedme, as an individual, get
through my apprenticeship withall the resources and material
that I managed to get.
So I've been qualified now forthree years.
Three years now.
(10:39):
We're coming up to third yearat the end of this year, which
is such a blessing.
We're still going.
We're not giving up yet.
We're coming up to third yearat the end of this year, which
is such a blessing we're stillgoing.
We're like we're not giving upyet.
We're going to keep going.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Are you still working for the same company?
Speaker 2 (10:50):
No, we've gone for a lot of companies.
I think this is my fourth now.
The last company was a bit ofan unfortunate.
I had such a good relationshipwith the boss but he didn't want
to run the company anymore andthen he goes would you like to
run it for me while I become aparamedic?
And I was like shit, okay, allright, done it for a bit and I
(11:11):
was like I can't do this.
It's really stressful justhaving to manage a big crew as
well.
I was like this is a lot.
So I said to him unfortunately,I just I can't do this right
now.
I am only 19.
It's a lot to take on my plate.
So, in saying that, I'm gratefulfor being put in that position.
I know how to run a business.
I know how to manage andsupervise people and manage
(11:36):
multitasking, being like, allright, can you do this, let's do
this.
All right, you know just havinga schedule, having a timeline
when jobs need to get finished,to have that smooth sailing
throughout the job obviously,nothing ever smooth sailing on
site.
Something happens and you'relike, oh shit, change of plans,
let's do this.
So I have a lot of experiencebeing able to run jobs, which
I'm thankful for, which helpedme open my own business.
(11:57):
So I was still I'm running thebusiness, but I was working for
myself for five months and, andI just think, with the carpentry
industry you go throughinflation periods.
The next minute you'reabsolutely pumped for work and
you've got to work back late,got to work Saturdays and
Sundays, and then inflationdrops and then there's no work
and you're hustling for work.
(12:18):
So going through that periodwas really hard, especially when
it was a hustle period whereeveryone was trying to get work
to keep their head above water.
I was like I can't do this sosaid I'm going to keep my
business open for weekends.
If someone wants a job donethat I can manage to do in a
weekend or after work, I'll doit.
So I managed to get onto thecompany that I'm with now all
(12:38):
about carpentry and I love it.
It is different.
We are in project homes.
However, we are getting a lotof client jobs coming into decks
, extensions for goalers, whichis great, because when you get
one of those, it's like, oh,it's a treat getting a deck here
and there.
So, yeah, we've started gettinginto more of that, which is
really great.
But the flexibility, the way Iget treated how everyone is on
(13:02):
site.
I think it's nice and it makesme wake up excited to go to work
and be like all right, whatdoes today hold for us?
So it is really lovely.
So I think definitely findingthat that spot of being happy
within yourself making sureyou're happy with what you're
doing and who you're with, butthen making sure that you're
(13:22):
equal as well is so important.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
So where to from here ?
Like you've finished yourapprenticeship now, you've been
working outside of that for acouple of years.
What's your goals?
Speaker 2 (13:32):
So next year I've just become public with it, with
Carpentry Australia, so nextyear I am doing four days a week
as a carpenter and then theother day I'll be doing
ambassador, because I definitelywant to be a female advocate.
I could see I can neverpronounce that word for the life
of me yeah, I want to be afemale representative of an
(13:54):
ambassador in the trade, sostaying that.
Yep, I'm a carpenter, this iswhat I do as a daily job, but
then be able to step off thetools and speak about my
experiences but not only thathelp guide females and males
into the right direction so theycan succeed through their
apprenticeship.
We've got such a skill shortageat the moment and it's that
(14:16):
fine line of not having thesupport in the industry.
And that's what we need,whether it's females, males more
support so we can get moreskills through yeah, yeah, no,
it's awesome, but you're um,you're also um hoping to become
a builder, aren't you?
yes, I am.
So we have gone through masterbuilders association system to
say at the moment I am theyoungest qualified female
(14:36):
builder in australia.
At the moment I am the youngestqualified female builder in
Australia at the moment.
However, you never know.
Generation could wake uptomorrow and be like I want to
become a builder, which is great.
We need more of that andquickly sign themselves off,
quicker than what I could, butcompleting my apprenticeship,
because I was young and then bythe time I got rolled over being
a fully qualified carpenter.
Then I started my builders.
So, being able to go through, Ihave completed the um
(15:00):
certificate side of it.
So I've done my theory, done mypractical.
I've been signed off for thetheory side, completing the
paperwork for two years.
So I've done that.
It's the on-site experiencethat you need.
You need to be supervised for abuilder for two years.
In new south wales that's thestandard.
So I'm coming up to my gettingsigned off for my builders,
which is really exciting.
(15:20):
So if all goes well, I'll be afully qualified builder at the
edge of 22.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Yeah, that's freaking awesome.
You're like, honestly, yourpassion is absolutely just
jumping through the screen.
It's insane and I think that'sgoing to be awesome, like you're
going to help a lot of youngnot just females you're going to
help a lot of young peoplefigure out what they want to do,
because I I feel like there's alot of females out there that
would really love to get intothis industry and for one reason
(15:46):
or another, they hear it's toodifficult or they hear maybe
what they or they have thisperception of, maybe what goes
on on site and they they holdback.
So someone like I can see,someone like yourself, with the
passion you have, just breakingdown those barriers and giving
those people the confidence tohave a crack yeah, definitely,
and that's exactly what we needto do.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
We've got so many and I'm sure of it, so many females
and males out there that wantto give it a go but are scared,
and that's what we need to break.
We need to break the what areyou scared about?
And the what if, like you couldbe like.
Oh, and it's also, I feel like,in no disrespect to some
parents or guardians, it is abig stigma in why don't you go
(16:28):
to university.
It is the pressure of just goto uni, and sometimes it isn't
always an advantage going touniversity, especially if you
don't want to do it.
You're paying for this massive,heck debt that you're not
enjoying, where I feel.
When I left school, I leftschool at the appropriate time,
so when everyone was about tostart university, I was already
(16:49):
two years in my apprenticeship,so I was ahead by everyone by
two years and you're earningmoney.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Definitely you haven't got debt.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Exactly, exactly, 100%.
You're outdoors, you're stayingfit, you're getting physical,
you're getting your hands in.
You're just it.
Just it clears.
I feel like having an outdoorjob.
That's motivating, inspiring,physical.
It just cleanses you.
You feel so good about yourself.
You walk away and look at thejob and be like, damn, I did
(17:16):
that.
It's such a good feeling.
I can't words, can't explain it.
So it's we need a break, thatpart of what are you waiting for
?
What are you scared about?
Give it a go.
So it's that part that we needa break.
And it's also the other part ofsupporting our apprentices.
How can we do it?
How can we ensure that we'rechecking up on our apprentices
(17:38):
throughout their apprenticeshipfirst, second and third, even
their fourth year when they'veleft TAPE, supporting them in
the industry?
What can we do to make themstay in and the skills we can
give them so they can progressthroughout their apprenticeship?
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Yeah, it's definitely an area that needs attention.
I speak a bit at industry tradecolleges up here in Brisbane
and I just tell them that just Ijust tell them how it is Like
if you want to get in thisindustry, this is what you're
going to have to do and it'slook, it's a bit of a wake-up
call for a lot of them and Ithink you've probably seen it
(18:09):
Like you're a lot younger than Iam, but like you can't get an
apprenticeship and think thatyou're going to be able to
scroll on your phone all day orjust be constantly posting stuff
on social media about the tasksthat you're doing and those
types of things.
Obviously, you're working forbusinesses that rely on getting
(18:29):
things done in a certaintimeframe so that the actual
company can make money.
And obviously there's a lot oflike.
If you've seen what I'm allabout, it's like I want every
builder and tradie in Australiato have a successful,
sustainable and profitablebuilding business and ultimately
that's like a lot of tradieslose their passion because the
(18:51):
business side of things takesover.
So then that pressure gets puton the apprentices because the
boss is under so much pressureto to get shit done and to do it
properly and to try and makesome money.
And then they take theirfrustration out on the
apprentice by pushing them hardand all that type of thing like
did you see that sort of stuffduring your time?
Speaker 2 (19:13):
yeah, definitely it, especially when I was in my
first year doing project homes.
Project homes not the bestturnover.
You could be doing insurancework or um million dollar
renovations.
It's about getting in thatindustry as well, because, yeah,
you're in the industry butthere's so many different
pathways that lead on to it.
But I found for programs, yes,someone has to do the job.
(19:35):
At the end of the day, no onecan avoid it.
Um, so, doing that, I did noticethat if you don't get this done
in three days, we're not, I'mnot getting paid, which means
you don't get paid, you don'thave a job.
And it was a lot of pressure,especially on three people, to
have to hang all these doors inthe day, have to do all these
handles in half a day to go tothe next job, to get two done in
(19:57):
one day.
It is a lot of pressure to havejust for turnover.
But, um, I think life is aboutnegotiating.
If you want this, if they wantyou, well, okay, you've got to
pay for what I'm worth.
That's how it is that you'vegot to pay for me and my crew.
Um, this is how many days it'sgoing to take and this is what
the labour cost is.
(20:17):
That's a lot of reasons why Ifeel like, from my perspective,
companies are putting pressureon their workers purely because
project homes.
They've got a fixed rate.
It's that this is how many daysit should take, this is the
cost.
Well, they get told the cost.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
There's no Exactly, they're just told well, you're
getting 17 dollars a linearmeter for the soffits or
whatever.
It is 18 dollars a square meterfor fit outs, or whatever.
The case may be.
So there's.
It's literally just head down,bum up flat out trying to make a
dollar?
Speaker 2 (20:48):
yeah, yeah, it definitely is.
So I'm obviously doing.
I wanted to also change withdifferent companies because I
wanted to learn everything.
There are companies that justdo renovations, decks, begolas
or fix outs so I definitelythought to get a bigger
knowledge and skill setpersonally for myself.
(21:09):
I had to make changes in mylife and throughout my career to
be able to get the skill setsthat I have today.
I'm pretty confident in doingbegolas, decks, renovations,
extensions, project homes, fixouts, fit offs you name it.
I can do it because I had tomake that shift throughout my
career, my apprenticeship, toget that skill set.
But I'm very grateful that Idid that, as much as sometimes
(21:32):
it was hard.
I look back and I think, wow,because I've got such a big
knowledge in the industry.
But yeah, I personally thething I would be going for and
I'll be telling builders is gofor cost plus.
It saves you and it covers you.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
No, no, no, no, can't do cost plus.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
In Sydney you have to do cost plus.
The prices in inflation go upall the time.
It's just on my jobs I do here.
I definitely do cost plus.
But the things that I've seenon building companies that have
blown out is they've blown outwell and truly over their budget
.
They send in their invoices atthe end of the week and the
(22:11):
client's going.
I have so many invoices, what'sgoing on and they're not
keeping on track with it.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
I've definitely noticed.
Yeah, I'll have a chat to youoff air about that sort of stuff
it's gonna cost the void costplus, okay, okay I can talk, I
can talk to you more about that,but, um, like, what?
Like?
I can think of a lot ofchallenges, um, that females
would have coming into thisindustry.
One of them, what's the?
They chick.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Sydney Sparky.
What's it?
Jazzy Smith.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Yeah, Jazzy Smith.
So she was on the podcast backApril, May or something from
Tassie and she come up with.
Is it called the Go Company, GoCompany.
Have you seen that?
Speaker 2 (22:54):
No, I haven't.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
So I felt really bad because I've got like I'm a wife
, have females in the office andI have two young daughters that
, like one of them, definitelythinks that she's gonna be an
industry, and I have neverthought about periods on a job
site oh yes and we did thispodcast with Jazzy from Tassie
(23:18):
and she, her and a businesspartner of hers, I'm sure it's
called the Go Company and it'sbasically sanitary packs for
being on job sites to makefemales more comfortable and I
was like, holy shit, I've gotpainters that are female, a lot
of our contractors are femalesand I'd never thought of it.
Yeah, I'm like shivers shit.
I've got painters that havefemale, like a lot of our
contracts that females and Inever thought of it yeah.
(23:40):
I'm like yeah shivers like Idon't like down to the portal is
what's the female gonna feellike going to a poorly yeah so
that's definitely made merethink the way we, like we my
building business definitelyneeds to put some steps in place
to make females feel morecomfortable in our job sites.
But like, have you gone withdealing with that sort of stuff?
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Well Project Homes, portaloop, a lot of contractors,
a lot of people on site,especially when there's six
houses, duplexes and there's onetoilet everyone has to share.
However, we've definitelyopened up in getting those
little century.
Um, those little.
What are those bins?
yeah, getting one of those binsfor the portaloos for females
(24:28):
when we do have, because we'vegot a lot of painters,
shiprockers, carpenters, we'vegot all, all females in all
different industries.
So having that.
There is also a company outthere called future tradie
ladies and they help provide asafe space for women on
construction sites.
So their mission is to goaround, talk to females on site,
talk to the managers and theowners or project managers of
(24:51):
the site.
So how can we make thisfriendly for males and also
females?
Um, getting those bins put inplace, making sure the toilet's
a little bit cleaner, regardlesswhether it's females and males
going in there.
As you said before, if you hategoing in there, how are we
gonna feel?
So definitely, um, yeah, makingit more I wouldn't say cleaner,
because building sites,sometimes the bin's gone and you
(25:14):
just got to put a pile therebut making that more
approachable for females to wantto go to the toilet and not be
like I'm going down the road.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
So, yeah, definitely things that we've all got to be
a bit more aware of and andthink about like it's just, it's
common sense really.
But I'd like to go back alittle bit, because you said
just at the start there that umwith about dyslexic being
dyslexic yes and yeah look, Ilook, I'll put my hand up.
I've actually I've never beentested, but I'm positive.
I'm dyslexic, I'm positive.
(25:41):
I got adhd, like I believe,like I use them as superpowers,
like I.
I don't want to, um, I guessfor me personally, like I don't
want to get diagnosed becauseyou might, I might, think of it
as something different.
If I did that, maybe, but Iwould be.
I'm keen to know more about howyou found out about that,
(26:03):
because I do believe that thataffects a lot of people in our
industry and if people were moreaware of it and actually what
it is and how it affects you andthose sorts of things, it would
help people.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Yeah, definitely.
I actually got diagnosed when Iwas very, very little, like I
think I was in preschool orabout to start primary school.
Um, and just little thingssitting down with your children,
as my parents said, you justhave cards with numbers, colors
and everything on it.
I was always getting my colorsand numbers mixed up and they're
like that's strange, go toprimary school same thing.
(26:36):
So they actually took me to adoctor and I got tested and it
did come up that yes, I do haveit.
Also, as I started progressingmore with reading and language
comprehension, everything Iwould say would make no sense,
like sorry, what?
Or I'd have a moment and I'd belike oh, and they're like whoa,
whoa, whoa.
Take 10 steps back.
(26:56):
What did you just say?
I just wouldn't make sense.
So in primary school and highschool I did get taken out of a
couple of classes or I'd, afterschool, go to reading and speech
therapy.
So to this day I stumble acrossmy words.
I'll be like oh, what's thatword?
Like I, just you got to embraceit at this point.
You know, you've got it.
(27:19):
You've been diagnosed.
You, just as I say in entry, inevery, every single intro, I
have dyslexia.
So I'm just going to embrace it.
If I stumble across my wordshere or there, just go with it,
just go with it.
So, going to that quite a lotto help me read, speak a little
bit better and more fluent hasdefinitely helped me.
It's also been, as I saidbefore, in, I've embraced it.
Now that I'm an ambassador andI do a lot of talks, a lot of
(27:41):
meets, um, I've just been like,yep, this is who I am, this is
what I have.
Embrace it if you're.
If you're not here for it, I'msorry, just be patient with me.
Um, I also do think, as yousaid before, I do think that I
have, actually, but I don't wantto get tested because it's like
it's like, yeah, you know thatyou have it.
(28:02):
It's like I don't need theclarification for it.
The best way to solve it is justme being busy and being at work
.
Really, you're so busy at work.
It's that's what focuses me.
Yep, focus, do this, you know.
So, yeah, I just float my waythrough it at work.
But, yeah, definitely diagnosedwith dyslexia, but the ADHD.
I'm just like you know whatwork fixes everything.
(28:23):
I go to work clear my head ifI'm having a crappy day or
something's happened.
Rather than staying at homebeing mopey, I get up, go to
work and it really does just.
You're so focused on gettingthis job done, you really forget
about everything else as well.
Like the white noise just goesyeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
So do you have a goal now, like, do you want to be
building your own projects?
Like, is that something that'son the cards?
Speaker 2 (28:44):
well, little me was like I really want to be a fully
qualified carpenter and builder.
Me now being here, it's like,holy crap, what is the next step
?
My step would have been likecreating a bigger business and
having females workingunderneath not, you know, not
working underneath me because Ithink we're all level-headed,
we're all one working with me.
I want to have females workingwith me, um, progressing in jobs
(29:08):
, progressing in themselves,growth in the industry but I
still obviously would love to dothat.
But the ambassador inside hasreally opened up and people want
me to work with them, againstwith their brands like, hey, do
you want to do a collab?
Let's do this brand.
And getting my name out there,because I really do want to be,
(29:28):
and I know there's a lot ofamazing female representatives
out there and ambassadors andthat's what we want.
We need to see more that.
But I definitely want to get myname out there more to be like
yes, I'm one of the youngestones, I've got my builders, I've
done this.
If I can do, I'm a primesetting example that you can do
it too.
What's stopping you?
(29:49):
So it's about name and imagegetting getting yourself out
there, going to do talks atschools, going around to tapes,
get going on sites and talkingto the females and the bosses
and everyone the crew, um, andjust breaking it.
We're in 2024, going to 25.
We need to see more differences.
(30:10):
We need to see more females inindustry and more support, but
being okay with it a bigbuilding company of all females
that can do anything andeverything.
We need more of that.
You can't name and it's stillsad, but you can't name a big
building company that's just allfemales and males like a big
building company building houses.
So it's about yeah, I wouldlove to do that, but baby steps
(30:34):
will eventually get there.
One day.
Dream big.
Don't make it just a dream.
Make it a passion and a vision.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
So I look, with your passion, you're definitely going
to go places, that's for sure.
Thank you, I want to uh, thismight be a little bit
controversial, but like onething that, like it really
frustrates me across the boardwith social media, it attracted
me to your page like you are,just, you're really genuine.
And one thing that reallyfrustrates me and you do see it
(31:02):
a lot in our industry is boobsand bums, and yeah, you're like
I hate it.
Like if just be genuine at whoyou are, like don't think that
you need to use that to getfollowers and to get ahead, and
I just love that.
You're the real deal.
You can see your passion.
You know what you're talkingabout, like in the videos that
(31:22):
you do.
You're speaking common senseand you're telling the truth and
you're giving good advice and Ithink that speaks volumes of
you and I think you will becomea really big ambassador for
young females, because you'renot using being a female to
promote what you're trying to do.
Does that make sense?
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Yeah, definitely, and not mentioning any names.
But I have seen on social mediaa lot of people that do that
and it does make me upset, andmy parents are completely on
board.
They're like what you see iswhat you get.
You're the real deal fee.
Um, yeah, like you know, it'sjust it the reason why I don't.
And the people who do flauntthemselves like that do get a
(32:05):
lot of followers, but it's notnecessarily the young women who,
oh, you're inspiring me, it'sthe males, and that's what we
need to change.
Oh yeah, I would love a chickto be working on site with me
because of this.
That it's like no, you want achick to be working on site with
you because they're hardworking and it's a continuous
challenge, like you know.
You're oh yeah, let's see whocan get this done like.
(32:25):
You know what I mean.
It's the friendly banter andthat's what you want, and I
think, flaunting yourself offlike that, you're getting the
wrong idea for women.
When women the next generationcoming onto site, is this what I
have to do to get my way up tothe top?
No, it's your passion, yourknowledge and your skill set
that's going to make you drivenand make you get to the top.
You don't need to flaunt thatoff and that's the one thing
(32:46):
that I.
It grinds my gears when I seethem doing that, but at the end
of the day, I'm only me.
I can't tell them what they canand can't do.
But it is upsetting because Idon't want the next generation
of females to think they have todo that to get somewhere in
life yeah, no, really, it'sreally.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Yeah, pisses me off when I say that sort of thing.
Yeah, you don't if you're, ifyou're genuine about what you're
doing and you're good at whatyou're doing, then you don't
need to be doing that otherstuff, but um so what's what's
some advice you would give forlike uh, not just females, but
any, any young person out therethat's thinking about getting in
the industry.
Like what's some advice you'dgive them?
Speaker 2 (33:23):
I always said to myself, because when I was
trying, I'd have a long, a lotof long, upsetting nights,
crying, waking up in the morningwhy am I not good enough?
Why can't I get a job?
I say this to everyone Don'tgive up on yourself.
Don't.
If you know that you can do it,go for it, because the only
(33:43):
person who's going to tell youno is yourself.
So keep following your dreamsand keep being enthusiastic and
eager to get that position.
You will get there.
So I always say that, don.
So I always say don't give up.
Don't give up.
Yes, it seems hard right now andyou're like why isn't I, why
aren't I getting a job, or whyisn't anything working out, or
why can't I be happy with whereI am or whatnot.
(34:04):
Everything happens for a reason.
You have to go through thisstage, whether it's getting
through your first year, secondyear, whatever it is.
You have to go through that tomake you a bigger and better
person.
When you get out of it andthere's light at the end of the
tunnel, there always is therealways is, yeah, dropping bombs
everywhere.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
It's freaking awesome .
It's been an absolute pleasurehaving a chat with you and I
really wish you all the best.
I think you've got a huge worldahead of you.
I think you've got a huge worldahead of you.
I think you're going to do very, very well and I'm definitely
interested to keep followingyour journey and see where you
end up.
The industry needs more youngpeople like yourself.
And yeah, don't back off, justkeep smashing it out and keep
(34:43):
doing what you're doing.
It's freaking awesome Thank youso much.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
Before we wrap it up, anything else you want to get
out there for people to hear?
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Don't give up.
Just don't give up.
Keep smashing it, because everyday is something new.
I always say that Every day isdifferent being a carpenter, and
mentally you're going to feelso good about yourself, getting
on the tools, going out thereand giving it your best shot.
Really.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Yeah, awesome, all right guys.
Well, look, thanks very muchfor listening today.
Thank you so much, felicity,for giving us an insight to
where you've come from and whatyou've got ahead of you.
Thank you.
Please go and check outFelicity's page.
Sydney Builder Chick.
Is that right, yeah?
Speaker 2 (35:23):
that's it.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
We'll put some links.
She'll put some links and stuffin when he edits it.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
But look guys, hope you've liked today's episode
Please like subscribe and uh,yeah, we look forward to seeing
you on the next one.
Cheers guys, are you ready tobuild smarter, live better and
enjoy life?
Speaker 1 (35:39):
then head over to live like buildcom forward,
slash, elevate to get startedeverything discussed during the
level up podcast with me, duanepierce, is based solely on my
own personal experiences andthose experiences of my guests.
(36:01):
The information, opinions andrecommendations presented in
this podcast are for generalinformation only, and any
reliance on the informationprovided in this podcast is done
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