Power Women of the Trades: Weekly Podcast Empowering Women In the Trades Industry

In this episode of Power Women of the Trades, Cassie Pound and Heather Bargender sit down with Amanda Mahaffey, co-owner of Tuck and Howell in Greenville, South Carolina, to explore her transition from accounting into leading a modernization and rebrand of the 50+ year-old HVAC business. Amanda discusses moving the company from pen-and-paper operations to platforms like ServiceTitan, and how her financial background helped her uncover and fix negative profits and deep inefficiencies she inherited. She shares candid details on plugging cash leaks, restructuring labor, and building new processes, along with the emotional weight of making tough personnel decisions when longtime team members can't adapt to growth. The conversation also touches on rapid growth, imposter syndrome, and developing a leadership style that doesn't rely on fitting a stereotype. Packed with practical, real-world insights, this episode offers valuable takeaways for business owners, managers, and aspiring leaders across HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and construction.

In this episode of the Power Women of the Trades podcast, hosts Cassie and Kailee sit down with Jessica Azarelo, famously known online as "The Attic Queen", Jessica shares her incredibly resilient journey from a successful 16-year corporate banking career to finding her true calling in the male-dominated insulation and home performance industry. She opens up about surviving severe personal tragedies—including health complications, her grief journey, a harsh divorce, and a period of homelessness. Through intense personal development and a refusal to give up, Jessica rebuilt her life, discovering an unexpected passion for building science and attic insulation. She details the accidental origins of her business, the creation of her vibrant "Attic Queen" brand, and a shocking plot twist where a severe workplace accident broke her back, forcing her to transition from hands-on physical labor to full-time business ownership. Ultimately, Jessica’s story is a powerful testament to female empowerment, overcoming extreme adversity, and finding your true self when the odds are stacked against you.

This episode of Power Women of the Trades is the second part of a compelling conversation with Marissa Esposito, where she continues to dive into the complexities of leadership and legacy within the home service industry. Marissa discusses the unique dynamic of working alongside her brother in their father's business, describing their relationship as a yin and yang balance built on deep trust and healthy competition. The dialogue explores the strong connection between marketing and human resources, illustrating how these roles naturally flow together through community engagement and hiring initiatives. As the chair of the Women in Power task force with the Independent Electrical Contractors Association, Marissa highlights the growing community of women transitioning from marketing into diverse roles like project management and ownership. The hosts and guest reflect on marketing as a modern business degree that affects every aspect of a company, from how a technician greets a customer to the simple act of answering the phone with a positive attitude. Finally, Marissa shares her vision for the next forty years, emphasizing a commitment to servant leadership and the pride she takes in building a company for keeps that supports both her family and the local community for generations to come.

In the second part of this conversation with Stephanie Allen, she introduces her "AI barbell theory" which emphasizes balancing the adoption of new technology with a deep commitment to human development. To help employees view artificial intelligence as a superpower rather than a threat to their jobs, she suggests introducing it through low pressure personal tasks like writing bedtime stories or creating dinner recipes. The discussion also shifts toward building a lasting legacy by focusing on creating a business worth keeping rather than simply preparing for a sale to private equity. Stephanie shares her vision for fuel, a collective designed to give legacy businesses the same competitive scale and buying power as larger firms. She concludes by encouraging the next generation of leaders to stay curious and embrace the reality that they can be both a student and a master of their craft at the same time.