Recorded on-site at the 2025 Women in Mining National Conference in San Antonio, this episode brings authentic, unfiltered stories from two rising voices in the mining world—Margaret Hinton and Paige Courtney. With backgrounds as diverse as cotton farming and competitive athletics to engineering and financial investigations, Margaret and Paige dive into how they found purpose and passion in the mining industry.

Together, they share how mining became more than a career—it's a community. From their first experiences in tunnels and copper pits to working on a new Women in Mining chapter in the Midwest, they highlight the importance of visibility, storytelling, and educating the next generation. Whether it’s correcting outdated perceptions about the industry or advocating for reclamation and sustainability, their mission is clear: mining has a human face, and it's changing fast.

This episode is packed with humor, heart, and hard truths—plus, a few ghost stories, underground adventures, and a growing obsession with mining history (and a certain Leadville legend, Baby Doe Tabor).

And if you’re wondering what these women are up to after-hours? Head north to Area 31, a unique UTV park in Minocqua, Wisconsin, where the off-road spirit runs just as deep as their passion for mining.

Mining Minds Conference Sponsors:

Arnold Machinery

Gold west Fire

Episode Sponsors:

GBC-NORCAT MST

Liebherr Mining

Gold West Fire

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:42 Meet Margaret Hinton

06:28 Choosing a Geotech Firm over Selling Tacos

12:00 Meet Paige Courtney

18:17 Miners Figure it out

23:46 Meeting at the Association of Abandon Mine Land Programs

29:55 Ambitions of a Women in Mining Midwest Chapter

34:40 Uniquely positioned to tell Mining’s story

42:29 What the future miner looks like

48:36 Mining Book Club