🎙️ Episode 36 — Women Supporting Women: Breaking the Cycle in the Trades

In this episode of Holding the Line: A Logistics at a Crossroads Podcast, Gia dives into an often-overlooked aspect of the workplace—how women in traditionally male-dominated industries like logistics, construction, and trades can build stronger, more supportive networks. From navigating judgment to breaking down stereotypes, Gia shares her own experiences and practical tips on how women can support each other and rise together.

It’s time to stop competing and start collaborating. Tune in as we explore the power of authenticity, respect, and teamwork in creating a workplace where women can thrive, together.

Key Takeaways:

• Why women often face internal competition and judgment in male-dominated industries
• How small acts of kindness and support can build strong professional relationships
• The power of collaboration and mutual respect in driving industry change

Join the conversation and become part of the change you want to see in the workplace.

Transcript

Segment 1: The Unspoken Challenges

Gia (calm, engaging):
 "Hey everyone, welcome back to Holding the Line: A Logistics at a Crossroads Podcast.
I’m your host, Gia, and today we’re diving into a conversation a lot of us feel in our bones but rarely say out loud: what it really means for women to support women in industries like logistics, construction, the trades — those fields where the steel is loud, the expectations are heavier, and the culture is still catching up.

This isn’t a soft conversation, but it’s a necessary one.
 Let’s dive in."

 Gia (reflective):
"When people talk about gender barriers in the workplace, especially in blue-collar, boots-on-the-ground industries, they usually focus on the external stuff — the way men underestimate us, the double work we have to do just to be seen as average, the whole ‘prove yourself every day’ loop.

But there’s another dynamic that sits quietly in the corner, and honestly?
 It cuts deeper because we don’t expect it.

Sometimes the biggest challenge comes from other women.

I’ve felt it.
 Walking into a room and feeling eyes hit me before a single word leaves my mouth — judging my size, my softness, my strength, my approach, my whole presence.
 And the wild thing? I know I can outwork a lot of people in that room, including some of the guys.
 But that doesn’t always get me welcomed. And it definitely doesn’t always get me respected.

It’s like there’s this unspoken pressure to fit a certain mold just to be accepted — talk tough, act tough, look tough, or dress down your femininity so no one thinks you’re fragile.
 It creates a quiet competition that does nothing but clip our own wings."

Segment 2: The Harm of Stereotypes and Gossip

Gia (thoughtful):
"We’ve all seen those little cliques that form on job sites or in warehouses — the subtle gossip behind doors, the ‘she must be doing something to get ahead’ whispers, the way someone’s entire reputation can get reduced to a rumor.

This stuff doesn’t just hurt feelings.
 It wrecks trust.
 It poisons collaboration.
 And it traps us all inside the same tired stereotypes we say we want to escape.

And let’s be real — men have their issues, sure. But in the workplace? They tend to draw cleaner lines. They argue, they disagree, they get over it. Then they move on to the task.

Women can do that too.
 We should be doing that.
Because when we turn on each other, the whole environment suffers — and so do we."

🌩️ Segment Insert: When the Culture Fails — The Story of Amber Czech

Gia (somber, steady):
"I want to pause here, because something happened recently that we cannot gloss over.

In Minnesota, a 20-year-old welder named Amber Czech was murdered at her workplace.
At the job site.
During her shift.
By a male coworker who allegedly told investigators he ‘didn’t like her’ and had been thinking about doing this for a long time.

She was young.
 She was learning her trade.
 She was just trying to build a future.

And she didn’t make it home.

This is the part nobody warns you about when you’re the only woman, or one of a handful, in a male-heavy environment.
 We talk about PPE. We talk about forklifts. We talk about pinch points and lock-out/tag-out.

But we don’t talk about the danger of being isolated.
 Or being disliked simply for existing in a space someone else thinks you don’t belong in.
 Or the way a bad culture can grow teeth if nobody steps in.

I’m not telling this story for shock value.
 I’m telling it because culture matters.
Because disrespect escalates.
Because gossip grows roots.
Because when a workplace doesn’t protect the women in it, tragedies like this become possible.

Amber deserved better.
 Every woman on every job site deserves better.

And this — right here — is why supporting each other is not optional.
 It’s survival."

Segment 3: Breaking the Cycle with Simple Actions

Gia (engaged, inspiring):
"So how do we start breaking this cycle?
How do we make sure another woman isn’t left standing alone in a place that should have her back?

Start small.

One hello.
 One introduction.
 One moment of humanity.

‘Hi, I’m Gia. This is what I do. Let me know if you need anything.’

It sounds tiny, almost silly — but it opens the door. It signals safety. It signals allyship. It tells another woman, you aren’t alone here.

And from there?
 Real working relationships can grow.
 Respect grows.
 Unity grows.

I’ve watched simple gestures turn strangers into teammates — picking up tools, sharing tips on a tricky task, asking someone how their day is going, offering help before they even ask.

That’s where culture shifts begin: in the smallest moments."

Segment 4: Women Supporting Women — The Ripple Effect

Gia (empowered, reflective):
"Supporting women in trades and logistics isn’t just a feel-good idea.
It sets a precedent.
It shows the next generation what’s possible and what’s expected.

Imagine if every woman in these fields stopped seeing other women as competition and started seeing them as allies.
 Imagine if we normalized collaboration the way men normalize default respect.

That’s how we change the industry.
 That’s how we rise — not one at a time, but together."

Segment 5: Real-World Examples of Support and Collaboration

Gia (warm, personal):
"Let me give you a real example. If you put me and Margie on a project together?
Just know things are getting done.
And not only done — done well, done with humor, done with rhythm, done without ego.

That’s the power of women actually supporting each other instead of silently sizing each other up.
 It’s productivity, it’s joy, it’s momentum.
 It’s the difference between surviving the industry and reshaping it."

Conclusion

Gia (calm, steady):
"Breaking stereotypes isn’t about flipping the script — it’s about ripping it up entirely and writing something new.

And it starts with us.
 With the way we speak to each other.
 The way we show up for each other.
 The way we defend each other.
 The way we hold space for each other.

If we want safer, stronger, more supportive workplaces for women, then we must be part of the structure that builds them.

Thanks for spending this time with me today.
 Let’s keep lifting each other up.
 The more we do it, the stronger we all become.

Remember: I’ll be navigating the crossroads right along with you."