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In this episode: Angela and Libby host Women Talk Construction with guest Sarah Cripps, a senior ops manager at MPK, a matting access solution company supporting projects across the Carolinas, West Virginia, Virginia, and the U.S. Sarah explains that when schedules, budgets, and safety compete, a strong team culture and safety-focused customers help keep safety from being compromised. Drawing on her college basketball and softball experience, she emphasizes growing the “weakest link” through individualized support. Addressing workforce shortages, she says companies must treat employees as their most important asset, recognize their work, and consistently support them, including appreciation events regardless of profit margins. Sarah shares a key leadership lesson from realizing her micromanagement made teams inefficient and less safe. She highlights the often-unknown specialty access industry, noting MPK’s work in infrastructure, oil and gas, events, and major projects like the White House and the NFL Super Bowl, and directs listeners to LinkedIn and MPK/NPK social pages.

Supported by: NPK

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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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