She Built It NI: A Vision Created by Sinead Molloy
Episode #84: Welcome to the She Builds Show, I’m your host, Stefanie Olson and today I have a wonderful guest, Sinead Molloy. Sinead created She Built It NI, and is joining us from Ireland! She Built It NI is a new training academy and recruitment company tailored for women who have a passion for construction and who may have lacked the confidence to pursue their dream. Her mission is to support and strengthen the success of women in the construction industry, providing bespoke training and helping them to gain the skills, knowledge and tools to enter and progress in the sector and fulfil their full potential.
Listen in…
ABOUT SINEAD MOLLOY:
Sinead Molloy has worked in the construction industry for over 10 years operating various different machines such as telehandlers, forklifts and cranes and after returning from Australia she was disappointed to see the lack of other women on the building site. She said while she was working in Australia it had become very common for females to be involved in the construction industry, particularly on the driving side with some female only driving firms finding a lot of success.
Sinead said: “I was working in Australia for ten years driving machines, came back here and noticed that girls were not doing it here. I had a friend with a company out there with only female drivers and they found a lot of success with some big firms eventually growing to prefer them than others. “In Belfast there are very few women on the ground at sites, with them mainly being involved in health and safety or engineering.
There is a stigma with females on site, but I know a lot of girls here who would be very hands on, they just don’t know where to start or where to go to get into the industry.
She Built It NI, is a new training academy and recruitment company tailored for women who have a passion for construction and who may have lacked the confidence to pursue their dream. We support and strengthen the success of women in the construction industry, providing bespoke training and helping them to gain the skills, knowledge and tools to enter and progress in the sector and to fulfil their full potential. We assist contractors and clients to recruit highly motivated, trained and skilled women, helping to reduce skills gaps and promote gender equality in construction.
CONNECT WITH SINEAD:
• Website: https://shebuiltitni.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shebuiltitni
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-built-it-ni
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/she_built_it_ni_
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sinead_molloy
WAYS TO CONNECT WITH STEFANIE…
• Website: https://shebuildshomes.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shebuildsbetter
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shebuilds.homes
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shebuildsshow
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:
0:01 Welcome to the She Builds Show.
0:03 I’m your host, Stefanie Olson, a licensed general contractor who builds new construction, renovates and designs your vision today.
0:12 More than ever we need raw, authentic women who are willing to rise above society’s norms, break those glass ceilings and encourage each other to boldly build the life.
0:23 We were meant to live.
0:24 So, honey, what are you building?
0:27 All right, you guys.
0:28 Welcome to the She Builds Show.
0:29 We have a guest from far across the world today.
0:34 This is Sinead and she is from Ireland.
0:37 Welcome to the show.
0:38 Thank you.
0:39 Of course.
0:40 Ok.
0:40 So Sinead, can you tell the audience just a little bit about your company and what you do?
0:48 Ok.
0:49 Well, She Built It NI is at the minute, a recruitment company.
0:54 I myself am a woman on the tools and dr machines.
0:58 I have been for over maybe 13, 14 years now.
1:02 I lived in Australia for maybe just over a little over 10 years and machine driving from females was quite popular over there.
1:11 I came back to Northern Ireland here just before COVID and when I was on the on the tubes or drag machines on building sites here it was, people took like a second glance.
1:24 Found it very strange to see a woman on the, you know, drag machine.
1:29 So lo and behold, that’s where she felt they came from.
1:32 That the, the light went on and I was like, why is there more females here in Northern Ireland doing more hands on jobs or what would have been classified as a man’s job, you know, or?
1:42 well, that’s like, you know, that’s gone, but more a case of hands on kind of work.
1:50 So I put a couple of feelers out on the social media platforms and see why isn’t it happening here in Northern Ireland?
1:57 And how can we change that with putting a few social media posts out?
2:01 She Built It NI just went off.
2:04 I think what she built it does here is, is, is a barrier, there was a missing link in Northern Ireland between the job opportunity and the female interest.
2:14 And I have been able to create that interest and able to put companies for females that want to be more hands on.
2:21 On that note, we have now progressed and become the company is booming.
2:26 And it’s more of a project managers.
2:28 Any basically female that wants to get into construction in Northern Ireland is coming through.
2:32 She Built It NI.
2:33 Wow, that’s so to say in the small terms, we are recruitment, we are a company for diversity within the construction industry within Absolutely.
2:43 So you basically help women in your area, they come to you because it’s kind of like a safe place and you have the connections to the various different employers that are looking for, you know, people to fill.
2:58 So you’re kind of like a job inter see or somebody that goes and like, helps people find jobs.
3:04 But you’re specific to the women in construction industry and the name of your company is she built it.
3:10 What’s the NI at the end of that?
3:13 What is the NI, in She Built It?
3:14 NI is Northern Ireland, northern Ireland.
3:17 OK.
3:17 I’m like, you don’t have anything to do with where she’s at.
3:20 I suppose everybody asked where She Built It came from.
3:23 And I should probably tell that story too.
3:25 She Built It was years ago, my father is a builder and we used to drive down the roads in, in northern Ireland.
3:33 My father would say I built that and I built that and you know, I mean, the time went on, my brother became a builder too.
3:40 So then if my mum was in the car or somebody, your daddy built that and your brother built that and his time went on.
3:45 And when I came back here with my brother and my father and myself worked on the same job.
3:51 And one time we drove down the road and he just pointed and says, we built that.
3:55 So hence where the name, she built the came from.
3:57 Oh, yeah, that’s the name, obviously Northern, northern Islands.
4:00 So, yeah, that’s cool.
4:02 I love that.
4:03 Tell me like your first job because you were working heavy equipment, I’m guessing in Australia.
4:09 And that tell me like, how you got into it.
4:12 Well, that’s another funny story that you asked that.
4:15 So when I was in Australia traveling, we had to get a second year visa and we went to a place called Darwin, which is quite up north in Australia.
4:25 At the time, social media wasn’t as big as what it was.
4:28 And obviously you got connected with people around the world and stuff.
4:31 We find these girls that were working on the road and there were traffic controllers like traffic management and one time that was part of the curriculum to get your second year visa.
4:41 So we were stopped by a guard on the stop and slow but is what you call it.
4:46 But there was roadworks going on the road.
4:47 And I said, I’m going to ask this guard how to get into this.
4:49 So as she stopped the car and asked her to come around the side of the car and lo and behold, it was a girl.
4:55 I went to school with like 15 years ago.
4:59 She was like, what are you doing here?
5:00 And I was like, what are you doing?
5:02 So you called her Colleen me and her, we hadn’t seen each other in school.
5:05 It could have been maybe 13, 14 years back then.
5:08 Yeah.
5:08 And she was like, what are you doing?
5:10 I think I was actually going to Alaska or are you getting into traffic management?
5:13 And she said to me, listen, just speak to my boss and I’m sure he’ll take you on.
5:17 No problem.
5:18 So she gave me her number for her boss.
5:19 That night, we met him the next day and that afternoon we were already getting our, our working boots and our hard hat and we started the following day.
5:27 Oh my God.
5:27 That’s so cool.
5:28 I know.
5:29 No, it’s a good story.
5:30 So that’s how we get into sort of the start of the construction industry.
5:35 It was more the case of being like a health and safety setting up sites for civils works and stuff on, on roads.
5:43 And then from that, we went to work in the Outback in Australia and there was so many traffic management and not enough machine operators and the poor person on the job and say, listen, would you jump on a machine, go on the roller.
5:57 So I jumped on a rotor and then lo and behold, fell in love with jumping on machines and it’s free ever since.
6:04 That’s awesome.
6:05 So then what brought you back to northern Ireland after you were kind of, you know, it sounds like you maybe worked your way up for quite a while.
6:13 Yeah.
6:13 Well, with every job that I kind of went on, I did progress more machine learning, more different machines and then become a supervisor and stuff.
6:20 I think it was just a case of, I’ve been out 13 years and I wanted to come home and, you know, give home a go and I was going to see how it planned out over the year.
6:29 And then funny enough, well, COVID happened.
6:32 So it was the case, then I couldn’t go anywhere.
6:35 So then it just became home again.
6:38 That’s great.
6:38 So when you came home, how long has it been since?
6:42 Like you started?
6:43 She Built It.
6:44 How long has it been?
6:45 She Built It?
6:46 It is trade in about just over two years, food trade in about 18 months.
6:51 In that time, we’ve had a lot of recognition.
6:54 We have one new startup business, Northern Ireland and one inspirational woman of the year in construction.
7:00 We have one raising star category in construction and engineering for women and that was all around the UK.
7:07 I have also been in the top 100 women in the UK as an influencer.
7:12 I’ve been nominated again this year.
7:15 What else have I won?
7:17 There’s one more award what I got, I won a mighty mighty woman award as well, a Trailblazer for that.
7:24 So in the space of two years, we have had massive massive recognition, just not in UK and Northern Ireland.
7:30 And just to show, you know that there’s so much support here.
7:34 People see that it needs to happen and you know, a lot of food back in which is great to see.
7:39 You know, that’s beautiful.
7:41 So tell me, give me like an example of, you know, a success story for a woman that’s come to you and that you play.
7:50 Oh I love that.
7:51 I love the jazz.
7:52 That question.
7:53 There was a girl called Sarah and Sarah’s father was we call grounds worker here.
7:59 A civil worker.
8:00 Sarah wanted to get into engineering, a placement and engineering.
8:03 She wanted to go through university and do her engineering degree and get a placement.
8:08 Sarah tried for one year to get a placement and could not get a placement anywhere that didn’t defeat her.
8:14 She went back in and got herself become a labor and was going to become a laborer for a year hoping that maybe she’ll get site experience with her site experience, then could go on to do an engineering degree.
8:25 She tried for two years and then was defeated and went for a job in a bank.
8:30 The girl in the bank knew me that the job she went for and said, listen, you do have the job in the bank, the job’s yours.
8:36 But before I give you a job, will you go and speak to Sinead?
8:39 And if she can help you, there’s nobody that can help you.
8:41 But I believe that she needs to get you a job and she came to speak to me and I says, Right?
8:46 OK.
8:46 I’m gonna put you on site.
8:48 So I put her out with my father and brother and within lunchtime, father and brother, my father wrote me and like she need, she is you only, she’s got, you’ve got 10 years on her.
8:58 She is an absolute keeper.
9:00 Make sure she gets work.
9:01 So put her on an old another job for an old four man and mine.
9:06 He rang me.
9:06 He says, I’m going to have to cut this card in half.
9:09 He says, I have the plumber fighting for and I have the joiner fighting for her.
9:12 He says, and the two of them are like going to hit the who wants to take her on.
9:17 So that was another good story.
9:18 And then I says, OK, what do you want to do?
9:21 And she says, well, I said, I would love you to do a trade, but it’s completely up to you.
9:25 We put her out in a couple of interviews.
9:27 One of the interviews that she done for the railway, the 15 years that the M four have been on the panel for 15 years to do the interviews.
9:35 So they, they hit her with a question and I can’t remember the question on the top of my head.
9:4 0She was able to flip the question on his back and do like a 360.
9:44 They were absolutely astonished with their answer.
9:48 Love to say, we’ve never had someone come on and give us an answer like that.
9:52 So straight away.
9:52 Then they said, look, we would love to take her on just the way, you know, she presented herself.
9:57 Then I put her through for another interview and it was for, she’s doing a trade.
10:03 So she had three years to be a trades person.
10:05 And then from there, she’s going to become a gas engineer.
10:07 So we’re getting her to do a trade and also to do what she wants to do, which was engineer, she’s going to become a gas engineer.
10:13 So that’s, that’s one of like I could tell you 10 stories, but no, I don’t have that much time.
10:20 That’s just to show you.
10:21 We have, yeah, that the female is going through that we have helped.
10:25 So when people say to me, oh, you’ve won all these awards, the awards are great.
10:29 The words are great and it’s great recognition.
10:31 But see when you know one that you’ve helped someone who, you know that that has been needed for so long.
10:37 Yeah.
10:38 So give me a little bit of like insight into what the experience would be for a woman coming to you.
10:47 What services do you offer and how do you help them?
10:51 Ok.
10:53 I suppose with the younger females coming through maybe 16 to 24 we have organizations here.
10:59 I personally am becoming a trainer myself on the train, women in say all machines at the minute with the business going, the recruitment took a full front seat, but that is something that’s going to be coming on board.
11:11 So with the 16 to 24 year old, we work with different training organizations to help them maybe get a trade or, you know, trade machines, depending on what they want to do.
11:20 And the minimum, like, get, get them a CS R card.
11:23 You know, I try to not put them through a trade straight away.
11:27 I try to get them to do a bit of labor and say experience first.
11:30 So they get a good feel of what to do before they make the decision that they want to go and maybe do a trade or be become an engineer.
11:37 So there’s a lot of mentor and we put them on the site, you know, we check up on them, make sure that everything’s there before we even put them on site.
11:43 I check the site, I make sure the welfare facilities are there just making sure that everything’s in place before we put a female out.
11:50 So there’s a, there’s a lot of things like that behind the scenes that, you know, people don’t really realize that we do and mentor and we try to help them upskill them, retain them for this the client that we work for.
12:02 God, what else do I do?
12:03 There’s a lot that we do do with the older females who have already, you know, kind of pick their career or would like to progress.
12:12 We can help them find whatever training or, you know, work with different companies and help them with E D I and stuff like that and, you know, and make them have a discussion of how they can progress.
12:22 You know, there’s, I do this but my job role, what I would like to progress on, I don’t know what channels to go down.
12:28 What avenues are there, what options?
12:30 So we would go and find whatever options and help them then progress or speak with their employer and say, right, ok, how can we make this career path work, you know, for ourselves?
12:40 And obviously a lot of things that are coming up now, there’s a lot of, you know, like, you know, women getting pregnant and stuff, you know, and things together you have to put into the, as we say, you know, it just at a certain age.
12:51 So, yeah, I suppose that’s things in the background that a lot of people, a lot of people probably wouldn’t see, you know, that we do before we even put anybody on the site, you know, or with the client.
13:02 We, we make sure that this is our company values.
13:05 What’s your company values?
13:06 And let’s make sure that these are these online.
13:09 That’s beautiful.
13:10 Yeah.
13:11 So, you know, from going to like running, you know, you were running machines and out in the field to now running a business.
13:18 What’s been the hardest thing for you in that transition?
13:23 That’s actually a really good question.
13:25 I suppose what the transition with me at the minute is, it’s my baby, you know, and it’s very hard as supposed to let you know other people in and, you know, and things they get it, you know, it’s knowing when to turn off, you know, when you’re running your own business.
13:40 You know, it’s not the 9 to 5 anymore.
13:42 It goes, you know, you don’t, it’s not switch off.
13:45 So I suppose it, to me it’s not knowing when to switch off, you know, when to give yourself.
13:50 Ok, it’s time to turn the computer off and be nine o’clock.
13:54 You’re going.
13:54 I know, but I can say that one more email like, you know, but you, you know, you know, are you up at five o’clock tomorrow?
13:59 If knowing when to switch you off, it’s probably been the hardest.
14:03 There’s so much opportunities that came my way within.
14:06 She Built It.
14:06 There’s, we have a lot of other things that are going to be coming up.
14:09 So it’s, it’s grabbing every opportunity and knowing when to prioritize things too.
14:14 You know, I never want to say no to anything as well.
14:16 I always want to put my hand to something.
14:19 So, and it’s also, I suppose missing being on the machines at the minute.
14:22 I’m not honestly, you know, and, and it’s having the work beats but the work boots on, on, you know, at seven o’clock in the morning and going out to work.
14:30 So, yeah, I’m, I’m working with my father and brother for the past near three or four years.
14:35 So I don’t see them as daily as what I used to, you know, and just the same stuff.
14:40 So I suppose that’s kind of what I miss more than anything.
14:43 Absolutely.
14:44 I think that, you know, the first year or two of an entrepreneur, we just, you know, hustle, hustle hustle and then I would encourage you to be firm with your boundaries now rather than because when hard things come and when it gets tough, if you don’t have like the life energy to deal with it because you’ve depleted yourself to nothing, it’s hard to continue on.
15:13 So maybe work it in like once a month where you go and you work with your dad and your brother or like, you know, where you can spend that time because we need to be reenergized.
15:24 And we think that the work is energizing, but really like over long haul, it can be draining.
15:29 So be careful.
15:31 I completely agree.
15:32 We do have a project coming up and I’m so excited.
15:36 We have a family home that has been for 30 odd years and my dad decided to give me the keys and say, listen, I’m going to let you do this.
15:45 So there’s something that’s coming up that the three of us are going to be working on the now not going to be playing like you know, probably going to be harder than you think.
15:54 But I completely agree on what you say, what you are saying.
15:57 Yeah, I do, I do miss that too.
15:59 So.
16:00 Absolutely.
16:01 That’s amazing.
16:02 Well, I think what you’ve done is incredible and, you know, just that you’re reaching other parts of the world and how cool that we can find each other and connect and encourage each other.
16:12 And I’ve actually been to Ireland, I went to like the, the Guinness factory.
16:18 I, I flew to Africa and then on our way back we stopped in Ireland in Dublin.
16:24 I don’t know where you are from from there but we, it was just the most beautiful country and the kindest people.
16:33 And I was just like, oh, I have to, you know, I was pretty young but I was like, when I have kids someday I want to bring them back here.
16:40 I’m glad to hear it.
16:41 That’s amazing.
16:42 Well, do you have any other advice or just words of wisdom or anything else you want to say to the audience?
16:50 Yeah.
16:51 Just go for, go for everybody makes mistakes, you know, it’s better to, you know, you live and learn, you know, on that way, you know, just, and any opportunities there don’t hold back, don’t hold back, you know, come out of your comfort zone, come out of your comfort zone, you know, and just go for it as, as all I can say and be real, just be real.
17:09 People see, you know, see the realness and for me is to see the passion that, you know, that I, I love construction and construction has been good to me.
17:18 So, on that note, just, you know, I suppose be real and authentic.
17:23 Yeah.
17:23 And go for it.
17:24 I love it.
17:24 Ok.
17:25 Where can, if, you know, there’s people that other people that want to, you know, maybe model your, what you have going on in another place or just contact you because they are like, oh my gosh, I didn’t know she existed and I want to be in construction and I live in northern Ireland.
17:40 Where can people find you?
17:42 Find you on Instagram, linkedin, Facebook.
17:46 She Built it NI.
17:49 Yeah, She Built It NI on all social medias and my number is on my website.
17:54 She Built It NI again.
17:56 Anything reach out to me and I love networking with people.
17:59 I love helping people.
18:00 I love hearing people’s stories.
18:02 So if there’s any way that I can help, even if it’s just for a face and a bit of mentor, please get in contact.
18:09 Oh, I love that.
18:09 I have the same attitude.
18:11I just like if you need a word of encouragement, it’s so funny.
18:15 I had a girl call me, I don’t know, a month or two ago and she was like, I want to come work for you and I’m gonna move across the country and do all of that.
18:23 And I was like, hold tight.
18:25 Like, is that really what you want to do?
18:27 You know?
18:28 And I just kind of poured into her a little bit and I was like, I just, you have an opportunity to just decide what it is you want to do.
18:35 And she messaged me like a week ago or something.
18:40 She’s like, I just want to let you know, I’m moving somewhere across the country.
18:44 She’s like, I sold everything.
18:45 I’m moving across the country and I’m gonna go help build something in that area.
18:50 And she’s like, and that’s what I want to do.
18:51 I just want to help people in this way.
18:52 But in, and I’m like, yes, like you, you figured it out, you know.
18:56 So I think just even being like having women like you that are willing to just talk to women for free and encourage them like that conversation didn’t cost me anything, but it changed her life in a dramatic way.
19:11 And I think that that’s what you’re doing with all the women that you encounter and you have just, you’re affecting people one by one and that’s the good that we need to put out into the world.
19:22 So, thank you.
19:22 I completely agree.
19:23 I love it.
19:25 I love it.
19:26 Well, thank you so much.
19:28 It was so great to meet you and have an incredible day and enjoy you.
19:32 Enjoy your beautiful business.
19:34 You too and stay in touch.
19:36 Ok.
19:37 I will have a great one.
19:38 See you again.
19:39 Bye. Bye bye.
19:42 Thanks for joining me today on the She Builds show.
19:45 My name is Stefanie Olson.
19:46 My hope is that this episode leaves you feeling empowered and ready to boldly take that step into building the life that you envision.
19:54 12×4 at a time.
19:56 And if you can do me a quick favor, please leave me a five star review on iTunes.
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20:06 Make sure you add your name to the review and I’ll reach out if you’re the winner.
20:10 Thanks again for hanging out.
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