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In this episode: Christi and Angela interview Tammy Hill, lean program director at JE Dunn’s Advanced Facilities Group, about how curiosity, confidence, and continuous learning shaped her 30+ year career from architecture to lean leadership. Hill explains she moved toward lean to focus on people and process—bringing disciplines together, improving decisions, collaboration, and value delivery—rather than leaving architecture behind. She describes confidence as something that grows by volunteering, asking questions, and being willing to be a beginner, separating credibility from always being the expert. Hill discusses mentorship that taught her architectural craft, how mentorship needs evolve, and the difference between mentorship (individual development) and sponsorship (creating access and visibility). She reflects on progress for women in the industry, encouraging authentic leadership, and frames lean as respect for people, better communication, surfacing problems early, and improving systems rather than blaming individuals.

Supported by: Groundbreak Carolinas

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In this episode: Christi and Angela welcome returning guest Faye Allen, now Managing Director at Rimkus and Head of Global Quantum Services, to discuss her book Building Women, released last June, its Goody Business Book Award, and its audio edition. Allen shares that readers’ responses—especially from men—have emphasized the book’s focus on working together and giving practical tools for improvement. She discusses allyship as an active role involving listening and calling out behaviors such as speaking over women in meetings and derogatory comments, stressing action in the moment. The conversation covers progress and remaining challenges in construction, including UK changes driven by #PPEThatFits, ongoing welfare issues like toilet facilities, industry stress from squeezed budgets and programs, poor payment practices, and mental health and suicide risks. Allen encourages accountability, apologies, and kindness.

Supported by: CIASP and NPK

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In this episode: Angela and Libby interview Diane and Ashley of Texas-based, women- and family-owned Tech Safety Lines about fall protection, rescue training, and safety equipment. Diane explains that she started the company 25 years ago after 9/11, networking with a Connecticut military manufacturer to bring a compact descender concept to firefighters and SWAT in Texas, later buying the patent and ensuring third-party testing to ANSI and EN standards. The company now has over 55,000 units in service across about 38 countries. Ashley describes their hands-on rescue training led by Dallas Fire Department technical rescue members, emphasizing “train until it’s muscle memory” and addressing the mental toll of rescue. Diane warns that relying on 911 is not a sufficient rescue plan due to limited specialized response capacity, and both share a mission focused on getting workers home safely.

Supported by: NPK

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