Building Your Story

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Building Your Story

Diane Depardon D'Agostino

19 episodes

2 weeks ago

Send us a text Empowering Women in Skilled Trades: Diane Finnegan's Journey In this episode, Diane Finnegan, CEO of The Dirty Seahorse, shares her inspiring journey from being a retail sales manager to founding a company that makes women's workwear for skilled trades. Diane describes how her daughter's challenges in finding suitable workwear sparked the idea, leading her to create a business focused on durable, functional, and comfortable workwear for women. Diane discusses overcoming obstac...

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Send us a text Empowering Women in Skilled Trades: Diane Finnegan's Journey In this episode, Diane Finnegan, CEO of The Dirty Seahorse, shares her inspiring journey from being a retail sales manager to founding a company that makes women's workwear for skilled trades. Diane describes how her daughter's challenges in finding suitable workwear sparked the idea, leading her to create a business focused on durable, functional, and comfortable workwear for women. Diane discusses overcoming obstac...

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Episodes (19/19)

Building Your Story

Episode 17 - Dianne Finnigan

Send us a text Empowering Women in Skilled Trades: Diane Finnegan's Journey In this episode, Diane Finnegan, CEO of The Dirty Seahorse, shares her inspiring journey from being a retail sales manager to founding a company that makes women's workwear for skilled trades. Diane describes how her daughter's challenges in finding suitable workwear sparked the idea, leading her to create a business focused on durable, functional, and comfortable workwear for women. Diane discusses overcoming obstac...

2 weeks ago

36 minutes

Building Your Story

Episode 16 - Pat Duggan

Send us a text Breaking Barriers: Pat's Journey in Construction and Leadership In this episode, Pat, shares her inspiring journey from Southeast London to becoming the VP of Major Projects for Bird in Vancouver. Starting with a childhood dream of becoming a policewoman, she pivoted to the construction industry, building a successful 35-year career spanning multiple countries. Pat discusses her early challenges, including her entry into the workforce, and navigating a male-dominated industry. ...

1 month ago

40 minutes

Building Your Story

Episode 15 - Renae Sams

Send us a text Renae Sams: Building a Path for Women in Construction In this episode, Diane interviews Renae Sams, founder and executive director of Build-Her.org, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting women in construction. Renee shares her journey from dreaming of working for NASA to becoming a leader in the construction industry. She details the challenges she faced, including overcoming imposter syndrome and navigating a career without an initial exposure to construction from site administr...

3 months ago

49 minutes

Building Your Story

Episode 14 - Jessica Luczycki

Send us a text Jessica Luczycki: Redefining Construction Administration Through Part3 In this episode, we meet Luczycki, Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer at Part3. Jessica shares her journey from aspiring teacher to tech entrepreneur in the architectural and construction industry. She discusses her educational background, initial career at EllisDon, and transition into architectural contract administration. Jessica reveals how frustrations in her job led to founding Part3, a software sol...

4 months ago

49 minutes

Building Your Story

Episode 13 - Chelsea Fenton

Send us a text Chelsea Fenton: Pioneering Women in Construction In this episode, Chelsea Fenton (@thatunionlaborer), a 32-year-old union laborer from Western Massachusetts, shares her inspiring journey from aspiring to be a firefighter to excelling in the construction industry. Chelsea discusses the challenges she overcame, including being denied entry into the apprenticeship program twice before finally being accepted. She explains how her father’s support and the invaluable mentorship from ...

4 months ago

48 minutes

Building Your Story

Episode 12 - Mercedes Byers

Send us a text The Journey of Mercedes Byers: From environmental science to co-founding a thriving sustainability consulting business. In this episode, Mercedes Byers shares her inspiring journey from her early dreams of becoming an actor to establishing herself in the sustainability consulting field. She talks about her childhood, academic pursuits, and how a serendipitous environmental science class at the University of Toronto pivoted her career from medicine to environmental science. Merc...

5 months ago

52 minutes

Building Your Story

Episode 11 - Dee Durant

Dee Durant: From Electrical Apprentice to Trade Advocate - A Journey Through Challenges and Triumphs In this episode, Dee Durant, a 24-year-old electrical apprentice from southern Ontario, shares her inspiring journey from childhood aspirations of becoming a meteorologist to finding her calling in the electrical trade. Despite facing challenges like severe anxiety and ADHD, Dee sheds light on how she navigated her academic struggles, supported by her loving family and mentors. She discusses h...

5 months ago

51 minutes

Building Your Story

Episode 10 - Amy Marks

Beyond the Nickname: Amy Marks' Journey of hard work, perseverance and kindness. In this episode, Diane welcomes Amy Marks, Senior Vice President of Innovation at Compass Data Centers, often known as the 'Queen of Prefab.' Amy shares her journey from a turbulent upbringing in a construction family business to becoming a leading figure in the construction and prefabrication industries. She details her academic background, early career challenges, and eventual rise to prominence after taking bo...

6 months ago

43 minutes

Building Your Story

Episode 9 - Ashleigh Kaliszuk

Ashley Kalizuk: From Crane Operator to Advocate for Women in Construction In this episode, Ashley Kalizuk shares her journey from a crane operator to a photographer and an instructor in the construction industry. Reflecting on her career's challenges and triumphs, Ashley discusses her early days working in construction, the unexpected path to her Red Seal endorsement, and her transition into full-time photography and instructing at NAIT. She underscores the importance of representation and ad...

6 months ago

38 minutes

Building Your Story

Episode 8 - Annik Forristal

Annik Forristal's Journey from Engineering to Legal Expertise in Construction In this episode, Diane welcomes Annik Forristal, a Toronto-based lawyer specializing in municipal and construction law. Annik shares her inspiring journey, from her early fascination with engineering during a 'Take Your Kid to Work Day' experience, to her career in the law industry. She discusses her experiences working with various industries during her co-op and her eventual gravitation towards the legal aspects o...

7 months ago

49 minutes

Building Your Story

Episode 7 - Lindsay Chester

Empowering the Next Generation: Lindsay Chester's Advocacy for Young Women in Skilled Trades In this episode, Lindsay Chester, the Young Women's Initiatives Program Manager at Skills Ontario, shares her journey and mission to promote skilled trades as viable career options for young women. Starting as a dream to become a teacher, Lindsay shifted her career path and found her way to Skills Ontario.. Lindsay discusses various programs and events like the Young Women's Conference, International ...

7 months ago

43 minutes

Building Your Story

Bonus - Women In Construction Week

In this special episode for Women in Construction Week (March 2-8 2025), we highlight some of the inspiring stories shared by women on this podcast. Hosted by Diane, this episode brings together past guests including Leslie, Gelare, Mi, Morgan, Sabrina, and Lisa to share their unique journeys, experiences, and challenges in the construction field. They share their journeys into the construction industry, from childhood dreams that didn’t involve construction to overcoming challenges in a male...

8 months ago

17 minutes

Building Your Story

Episode 6 - Lisa Laronde

Trailblazing Women in Construction: A Candid Conversation with Lisa Laronde In this insightful discussion, Diane interviews Lisa Laronde, Chief Transformation Officer for Ramudden Global, who shares her journey from finance to leading a major construction company. Lisa recounts her transition into the construction industry, the obstacles she faced as a woman in a male-dominated field, and how she overcame workplace challenges. She opens up about building a supportive community, and the import...

8 months ago

46 minutes

Building Your Story

Episode 5 - Sabrina Walti

Pioneering in Construction: From Rugby Fields to Infrastructure Projects with Sabrina In this episode, Diane interviews Sabrina, a civil engineer from Zurich, Switzerland. Sabrina, who works in consulting and project management for infrastructure projects, shares her journey from growing up in an architect family to becoming a significant figure in the construction industry. She discusses her educational path, influenced by her love for sports, and the challenges and opportunities she faced i...

9 months ago

40 minutes

Building Your Story

Episode 4 - Morgan Bosch

Breaking Barriers: Morgan Bosch's Journey as a Crane Operator In this episode, Morgan Bosch, a 28-year-old mobile crane operator from Edmonton, Canada, joins the podcast to share her inspiring journey. Starting in the industry at 18, Morgan transitioned from aspiring to be a teacher to thriving in a blue-collar role. She recalls the pivotal role her father played in introducing her to the field and discusses the initial challenges she faced, including overcoming stereotypes and building...

9 months ago

45 minutes

Building Your Story

Episode 3 - Gelare Danaie

From Childhood Dreams to Architectural Mastery: An Interview with Gelare Danaie In this episode, Diane interviews Gelare Danaie, a Toronto-based architect originally from Iran. Gelare shares her fascinating journey from childhood dreams of changing environments to becoming a successful architect. She discusses her early inspiration, her diverse professional experiences across multiple countries, and her passion for designing human-centered spaces. Gelare also reflects on the challenges and tr...

10 months ago

39 minutes

Building Your Story

Episode 2 - Mi Kim

Empowering Diversity: Mi Kim's Journey in the Construction Industry In this episode, Mi Kim shares her unique journey from being a third culture kid to a successful consultant in the construction industry. Born in Korea, raised in Honduras, and educated in Canada, Kim talks about the challenges and triumphs of navigating these diverse backgrounds. She discusses her career path from dreaming of becoming an astronaut to becoming an independent contractor, the mentors who influenced her, and her...

11 months ago

46 minutes

Building Your Story

Episode 1 - Leslie Merrithew

From Arctic Beginnings to Global Projects: Leslie's Story In this podcast episode, Diane interviews her long-time friend and mentor, Leslie Merrithew, a successful civil engineer in the transportation construction industry. Leslie recounts her journey from dreaming of being a math teacher to navigating a unique career path. She discusses the importance of having champions in her career, and how she used opportunities to build valuable skills and networks. Leslie highlights significant projec...

11 months ago

46 minutes

Building Your Story

Episode 0 - Who am I ?

Welcome to the debut episode of Building Your Story podcast, hosted by Diane. Diane introduces herself, sharing her background as a project manager in the construction industry, her journey from Paris to the far north of Canada, and her work across various settings over the last nine years. She reflects on the challenges and opportunities she has faced as a woman in construction and unveils the mission of the podcast: to spotlight the inspiring stories of women in the industry—from engineers ...

11 months ago

6 minutes