Women in AEC: Wine After Work

What if true workplace autonomy wasn't about working alone — but about working in alignment? In this episode of Wine After Work, Bryce sits down with Virginia Muzquiz, widely known as The Referral Diva® — founder of Master Connectors and creator of the Referrals on Demand® system. Virginia believes autonomy doesn't come from grinding harder or escaping structure — it comes from aligning your work...

In this episode of Wine After Work , Bryce sits down with Adam Jackson , CEO and founder of Braintrust , the world's largest user-owned talent network and the company behind Braintrust AIR , the first end-to-end AI recruiting platform built to benefit both companies and talent. Adam shares his entrepreneurial journey—from founding telemedicine giant Doctor on Demand to building Braintrust—and unpa...

In this episode of Wine After Work, Bryce Batts is joined by Kate Kripke, LCSW, PMH-C, maternal mental health expert and transformative coach for high-achieving women navigating motherhood. Motherhood can be deeply meaningful — and deeply overwhelming — especially for women who are used to excelling, leading, and carrying a lot of responsibility. Kate helps women break free from emotional overwhel...

In this episode of Wine After Work , Bryce Batts is joined by Rachel Burr , executive coach, leadership consultant, and expert in people and organizational dynamics. Leadership is hard — not because leaders are doing it wrong, but because people are complex . And leaders? They're people too. Rachel brings more than 20 years of experience working with leaders who stepped into management not because...

In this episode of Wine After Work , Bryce Batts sits down with Anthony Fasano , founder of Engineering Management Institute , to talk about what leadership really looks like inside engineering and AEC firms today. Anthony has spent years helping engineers grow beyond technical excellence into confident, people-first leaders — and in this conversation, we unpack what firms get wrong about leadersh...

Today on Wine After Work, I'm sitting down with someone whose work is unlike anything you've ever heard before — and exactly what so many women need: Michelle Boyde, Registered Master Hypnotist, subconscious expert, and the creator of The Alchemy Sequence™. Michelle specializes in helping visionary women who've walked away from "successful" careers — only to realize they're still operating from ou...

On this week's episode of Wine After Work, I'm joined by someone whose heart, experience, and leadership style will resonate with so many of you Kelly Price, founder of ThriveHR, and a woman who built an entire career around empowering people to thrive at work. Kelly's journey started in hospitality at Marriott International, where she learned how to create meaningful experiences and make people f...

This week on Women in AEC: Wine After Work , I sit down with the powerhouse herself — Brooke Kromer , a luxury real estate advisor helping athletes, high-net-worth buyers, and entrepreneurs invest in Florida's booming 30A market. Brooke was raised inside the NFL world, learned business by watching teams get built from the inside, and today uses that same philosophy to build her own elite team in a...

This week on Women in AEC: Wine After Work , I'm joined by the brilliant Seyka Mejeur , CEO and Founder of AdAstra Talent Advisors—an executive search firm helping early-stage Clean Tech and New Space startups build high-performing leadership and technical teams. Seyka has built her career around one philosophy: 👉 People thrive when they're given autonomy and placed in environments that align wit...

Guest(s): Norgerie Rivas, Licensed Architect (Houston, TX) — 10 years of experience in commercial design projects, co-creator of She Builds Podcast, passionate about uncovering the untold stories of women in architecture, engineering, and construction. Jessica Rogers, Marketing & Office Coordinator at an architecture firm in Miami, co-host of She Builds Podcast, advocate for women's representation...

In this episode, Bryce sits down with Erin Fantozz to explore what "finding the right fit" really means in architecture and beyond. Erin shares her journey—from commercial A&D design to launching her own firm and building systems that support autonomy, growth, and meaningful leadership. Together they discuss: The tension between design passion and the structures that support it. How autonomy comes...

In this special episode of Wine After Work , Bryce shares highlights from her recent METALCON presentation , "Unlocking Talent: Proven Strategies for Attracting External Candidates in 2025/2026." The AEC industry is facing a turning point — labor shortages, an aging workforce, and shifting expectations are redefining how firms attract and retain talent. In this solo episode, Bryce breaks down the...

In this episode of Wine After Work: Women in AEC , Bryce sits down with architect, advocate, and podcast host Caitlin Brady , the creative mind behind The Architectette Podcast . Caitlin shares her journey from launching her career in architecture to becoming a recognized leader and 2023 AIA|DC Emerging Architect Award recipient. She opens up about her experience working in Philadelphia, San Franc...

How do you go from $80K/year to nearly $400K… and then turn that into a 7-figure business? This week on Wine After Work, I'm joined by Delaney William—former product manager turned entrepreneur, and founder of Elevated Tech. Delaney is the only coach teaching how to ethically stack remote jobs and use AI + automation to multiply income without starting a business or burning out. In this conversati...

This week on Wine After Work, I'm joined by Kasey D'Amato—business strategist, executive life coach, and aligned empire builder. With over 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical sales, dermatology, entrepreneurship, and real estate, Kasey has built multiple businesses, launched a global skincare brand, and created a multi-seven-figure investment portfolio—all while maintaining a thriving persona...

In this episode of Wine After Work , I sit down with Emily, the visionary behind Milliman Design Studio, an interdisciplinary landscape architecture practice in Raleigh, NC. With over 12 years of experience, Emily has worked on complex international projects—ranging from parks and plazas to trails, resorts, and university campuses. We talk about how her work blends technical expertise with artisti...

In this special solo episode of Wine After Work, Bryce shares the heart behind her upcoming book The Career Architect. Just like a building needs vision, a foundation, and a blueprint, your career deserves intentional design. Tune in as Bryce explores: Why too many professionals "fall into" roles that don't align with their values Why women often leave mid-career — and what firms can do to change...

In this inspiring episode of Wine After Work, Bryce sits down with Charity — keynote speaker, author, and coach — to talk about the powerful shift from corporate executive life to thriving entrepreneurship. Charity shares her signature 4Ps Method (Power, Planning, Positioning, and Profits) and her Happy CEO framework, which has helped countless women accelerate growth while embracing joy and purpo...

The engineering industry is staring down a projected shortfall of 600,000 engineers by 2027 . Recruiting alone won't close the gap. Retention and equity have to be part of the conversation. In this episode of Wine After Work , Bryce sits down with Michele Heyward —civil engineer turned tech founder and CEO of PositiveHire—to talk about why engineers are leaving the profession and how firms can ret...

In this episode of Wine After Work, I sit down with Andrea Kanaris, a social scientist, social impact professional, and founder of All Things Social Impact. Andrea's story is one of resilience, reinvention, and purpose. From navigating toxic workplaces and a failed business to being made redundant at age 55, Andrea could have let those setbacks define her. Instead, she chose to design the future o...

The "post and pray" era of hiring is over — and the AEC industry is feeling it more than ever in 2025. In this solo episode, Bryce Batts shares: ✅ Why top candidates are gone in 10–14 days ✅ What mid-career professionals and Gen Z are demanding beyond a paycheck ✅ How retention has become the new recruitment strategy ✅ The "Career Architect" mindset — and how it transforms hiring into a long-t...

What if selling could feel fluid, simple, and easy, without the grind, burnout, or self-sacrifice? In this episode, I'm joined by Kirstin Carey, a neuroresilience specialist and serial entrepreneur who's built multiple six- and seven-figure businesses both brick-and-mortar and online. After healing from two autoimmune conditions brought on by years of overwork, Kirstin now helps high achievers mas...

In this episode of Wine After Work , I sit down with the powerhouse that is Dee Davis a construction industry veteran, professional educator, Master Composter (yes, really!), Certified Energy Manager, and LEED AP. With over 25 years in construction and 15 years as an educator, Dee shares how she blends sustainability and professional development through her work at Yellowstone Professional Educati...

What if your leadership legacy wasn't about the perfect metrics or flawless PowerPoints, but about the ripple effect you create in the lives of those around you? In this episode of Wine After Work, I sit down with Lisa Even, a keynote speaker, author of Joy Is My Job, and host of the Have Good Ripple Effect podcast. Lisa is on a mission to help leaders and organizations spark engagement, connectio...

Why Finding Talent in AEC Is Harder Than Ever (And What to Do About It) Have you noticed how hard it is to find great talent right now? You're not imagining it—the AEC industry is feeling a real talent squeeze. In this solo episode of Wine After Work, I break down what's really happening in today's talent market, why it matters, and what you can do about it. Here's what we cover: The big-picture f...