32: Sarah Stork - Building the Tool Belt Generation

Irregardless recorded from the show floor at FABTECH 2025!
In this episode, Rachel sits down with Sarah Stork, Welding Artist, to hear how her passion for metalwork first sparked and grew into a full-time career. Sarah shares how it all began with a practical need, learning code welding at community college to fix a fence on her farm. That spark quickly turned into a calling, leading her to compete in SkillsUSA’s Welded Sculpture competitions and ultimately launch her career as a professional artist.
Today, Sarah creates large-scale commissioned sculptures for brands and companies across the globe. Her projects range from a massive steel turtle to a towering cassowary destined for Australia, along with other intricately welded animal sculptures that showcase both her craftsmanship and creativity.
Rachel and Sarah also dive into a conversation about the skilled trades gap, why it matters, how we can close it, and what Sarah calls the importance of building the "Tool Belt" Generation. She makes the case for why more young people should be encouraged to pick up the trades, and why the industry needs to invest in supporting them.
This is the first of several conversations recorded at FABTECH 2025. Stay tuned for more powerful stories straight from the show floor!