Building Your Story

Send us Fan Mail From Ballet Barre to Construction Site: Cara Grand's Journey Cara Grand’s journey from ballerina to construction leader is a masterclass in resilience and purpose. Discover how her passion for learning fueled a career shift from dance to managing billion-dollar projects. Cara shares insights on leadership, balancing motherhood, and breaking barriers in male-dominated fields....

Send us Fan Mail From Shyness to Leadership: Nancy Weinman's Journey in Architecture Join Nancy Weinman as she shares her inspiring journey from a shy child to a leading architect and construction manager. Discover her experiences in a male-dominated industry and her dedication to mentoring future women leaders. Key topics: Early influences and dreams in art and architecture Overcoming challe...

Send us Fan Mail  An Unplanned Path to Construction Leadership  In this episode, Laura Korte, Vice President of Construction at VR Mechanical, shares her unique career journey. Starting with aspirations of becoming a doctor, Laura's path changed drastically after taking a temporary job in construction. Discover how her background in health sciences unexpectedly led to a passion for constructi...

Send us Fan Mail Breaking Barriers: Empowering Women in Male-Dominated Fields with Nour Hachem In this episode, Diane interviews Nour Hachem, President and Founder of the national not-for-profit 'Build A Dream'. Nour talks about her background and childhood and moving from Lebanon to Canada. She shares her journey from aspiring to be a human rights lawyer to discovering her passion for t...

Send us Fan Mail Empowering Women in Skilled Trades: Diane Finnegan's Journey In this episode, Diane Finnegan, CEO of The Dirty Seahorse, shares her inspiring journey from being a retail sales manager to founding a company that makes women's workwear for skilled trades. Diane describes how her daughter's challenges in finding suitable workwear sparked the idea, leading her to create...

Send us Fan Mail Breaking Barriers: Pat's Journey in Construction and Leadership In this episode, Pat, shares her inspiring journey from Southeast London to becoming the VP of Major Projects for Bird in Vancouver. Starting with a childhood dream of becoming a policewoman, she pivoted to the construction industry, building a successful 35-year career spanning multiple countries. Pat discusses...

Send us Fan Mail Renae Sams: Building a Path for Women in Construction In this episode, Diane interviews Renae Sams, founder and executive director of Build-Her.org, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting women in construction. Renee shares her journey from dreaming of working for NASA to becoming a leader in the construction industry. She details the challenges she faced, including overcoming impost...

Send us Fan Mail Jessica Luczycki: Redefining Construction Administration Through Part3 In this episode, we meet Luczycki, Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer at Part3. Jessica shares her journey from aspiring teacher to tech entrepreneur in the architectural and construction industry. She discusses her educational background, initial career at EllisDon, and transition into architectural contrac...

Send us Fan Mail Chelsea Fenton: Pioneering Women in Construction In this episode, Chelsea Fenton (@thatunionlaborer), a 32-year-old union laborer from Western Massachusetts, shares her inspiring journey from aspiring to be a firefighter to excelling in the construction industry. Chelsea discusses the challenges she overcame, including being denied entry into the apprenticeship program twice befor...

Send us Fan Mail The Journey of Mercedes Byers: From environmental science to co-founding a thriving sustainability consulting business. In this episode, Mercedes Byers shares her inspiring journey from her early dreams of becoming an actor to establishing herself in the sustainability consulting field. She talks about her childhood, academic pursuits, and how a serendipitous environmental science...

Send us Fan Mail Dee Durant: From Electrical Apprentice to Trade Advocate - A Journey Through Challenges and Triumphs In this episode, Dee Durant, a 24-year-old electrical apprentice from southern Ontario, shares her inspiring journey from childhood aspirations of becoming a meteorologist to finding her calling in the electrical trade. Despite facing challenges like severe anxiety and ADHD, Dee sh...

Send us Fan Mail Beyond the Nickname: Amy Marks' Journey of hard work, perseverance and kindness. In this episode, Diane welcomes Amy Marks, Senior Vice President of Innovation at Compass Data Centers, often known as the 'Queen of Prefab.' Amy shares her journey from a turbulent upbringing in a construction family business to becoming a leading figure in the construction and prefabr...

Send us Fan Mail Ashley Kalizuk: From Crane Operator to Advocate for Women in Construction In this episode, Ashley Kalizuk shares her journey from a crane operator to a photographer and an instructor in the construction industry. Reflecting on her career's challenges and triumphs, Ashley discusses her early days working in construction, the unexpected path to her Red Seal endorsement, and her...

Send us Fan Mail Annik Forristal's Journey from Engineering to Legal Expertise in Construction In this episode, Diane welcomes Annik Forristal, a Toronto-based lawyer specializing in municipal and construction law. Annik shares her inspiring journey, from her early fascination with engineering during a 'Take Your Kid to Work Day' experience, to her career in the law industry. She di...

Send us Fan Mail Empowering the Next Generation: Lindsay Chester's Advocacy for Young Women in Skilled Trades In this episode, Lindsay Chester, the Young Women's Initiatives Program Manager at Skills Ontario, shares her journey and mission to promote skilled trades as viable career options for young women. Starting as a dream to become a teacher, Lindsay shifted her career path and found...

Send us Fan Mail In this special episode for Women in Construction Week (March 2-8 2025), we highlight some of the inspiring stories shared by women on this podcast. Hosted by Diane, this episode brings together past guests including Leslie, Gelare, Mi, Morgan, Sabrina, and Lisa to share their unique journeys, experiences, and challenges in the construction field. They share their journeys into th...

Send us Fan Mail Trailblazing Women in Construction: A Candid Conversation with Lisa Laronde In this insightful discussion, Diane interviews Lisa Laronde, Chief Transformation Officer for Ramudden Global, who shares her journey from finance to leading a major construction company. Lisa recounts her transition into the construction industry, the obstacles she faced as a woman in a male-dominated fi...

Send us Fan Mail Pioneering in Construction: From Rugby Fields to Infrastructure Projects with Sabrina In this episode, Diane interviews Sabrina, a civil engineer from Zurich, Switzerland. Sabrina, who works in consulting and project management for infrastructure projects, shares her journey from growing up in an architect family to becoming a significant figure in the construction industry. She d...

Send us Fan Mail Breaking Barriers: Morgan Bosch's Journey as a Crane Operator  In this episode, Morgan Bosch, a 28-year-old mobile crane operator from Edmonton, Canada, joins the podcast to share her inspiring journey. Starting in the industry at 18, Morgan transitioned from aspiring to be a teacher to thriving in a blue-collar role. She recalls the pivotal role her father played in introduc...

Send us Fan Mail From Childhood Dreams to Architectural Mastery: An Interview with Gelare Danaie In this episode, Diane interviews Gelare Danaie, a Toronto-based architect originally from Iran. Gelare shares her fascinating journey from childhood dreams of changing environments to becoming a successful architect. She discusses her early inspiration, her diverse professional experiences across mult...

Send us Fan Mail Empowering Diversity: Mi Kim's Journey in the Construction Industry In this episode, Mi Kim shares her unique journey from being a third culture kid to a successful consultant in the construction industry. Born in Korea, raised in Honduras, and educated in Canada, Kim talks about the challenges and triumphs of navigating these diverse backgrounds. She discusses her career pat...

Send us Fan Mail From Arctic Beginnings to Global Projects: Leslie's Story In this podcast episode, Diane interviews her long-time friend and mentor, Leslie Merrithew, a successful civil engineer in the transportation construction industry. Leslie recounts her journey from dreaming of being a math teacher to navigating a unique career path. She discusses the importance of having champions in...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the debut episode of Building Your Story podcast, hosted by Diane. Diane introduces herself, sharing her background as a project manager in the construction industry, her journey from Paris to the far north of Canada, and her work across various settings over the last nine years. She reflects on the challenges and opportunities she has faced as a woman in construction a...