288: Inside the Sisterhood of Trades: Why Women Are Choosing Skilled Trades Careers

For women working in skilled trades, running into someone who knows what the work feels like doesn't happen every day, Sisterhood of Trades was founded to build that connection.

Through platforms like Discord, LinkedIn and TikTok, the community is creating a space where women in the industry can connect with peers, share opportunities, find mentorship and grow their careers.

Recorded live from The Manufacturing Exchange at ARTISAN works in Rochester, NY, for the second time hosting the podcast, Chris sits down with CEO Nush Ahmed, and Chief Strategy Officer Brooke Laing to talk about how their fast growing community is supporting women working across machining, pipe welding, mechanics, scaffolding, ship fitting and other areas of industry. Together, they run through how an informal and unnamed Snapchat group has evolved into an active network connecting tradeswomen across skillsets and regions.

They also talk about the younger generation's approach to networking, and Nush and Brooke explain why sharing the truth of industrial work on social media always lands with a modern audience.

For manufacturers thinking about workforce development, leaders trying to better engage women in industry, or those looking to understand how modern trade communities are forming and growing, this episode offers a look at how one fast-growing organization is strengthening connection across the skilled trades.

In this episode, find out:

• Why Sisterhood of Trades was first formed around the reality that many women in trades are still the only woman on their team or in their shop
• How the early idea grew from a Snapchat group to a structured and organized Discord-based community providing support and connection
• How the community connects tradeswomen across different roles, skillsets, regions and life stage so they can learn from like-minded people and access opportunities
• How Nush Ahmed’s path from CNC operating to marketing and enablement shows the career mobility that is promoted through the organization
• Why Brooke Laing believes showing real life day to day content on social media platforms encourages both participation and retention in the trade industry
• How taking a modern approach to outreach and engagement performs better than more traditional methods for increasing interest in the trades
• How mentorship inside the community works, from students making decisions, to career transitions and progression within the skilled trades

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Tweetable Quotes:

• “Our whole thing is that we're the largest interactive group chat for women in the trades by women in the trades.” - Brooke Laing, Chief Strategy Officer
• “We're trying to show the real side of the industry. We don't sugarcoat anything. If you want people to come into the industry and stay, you have to show them what the real world is really like.” Brooke Laing, Chief Strategy Officer
• “Our members are really great. They have built their own relationships with each other, and that was the whole goal with our Discord server. It wasn't just to elevate ourselves and talk about what we do.” - Nush Ahmed, CEO
• “You really have to listen to your people. I think people are sick and tired of seeing the social media posts and not seeing action. When we talk about something to our members, most likely they'll see it in the next week in an article or on a podcast.” - Nush Ahmed, CEO

Links & mentions:

• Sisterhood of Trades , bringing together women in different trades from all over the world to make connections, share advice, and promote stories and experiences
• Fathom Digital Manufacturing, Precision Manufacturing, Speed & Scalability – All Under One Roof…Leverage the industry’s most comprehensive suite of 25+ advanced manufacturing technologies

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.