In this engaging and inspirational session, Jamie shares her unconventional path from “struggle to triumph” as a bored high-school student with ADHD to finding the wonderful world of trades and becoming an advocate for women in male-dominated industries. As a multi-award winner, Jamie is the perfect example of what happens when we find our true purpose, lean on those who lift us up and disregard those who pull us down. After all, success is the best revenge! 

The Story behind the Slogan: “Life is a series of mountains, hills and valleys that helps teach us what it’s like to find ourselves on the wrong path; and if we’re lucky we can learn from that and find the courage to start again”. Jamie draws on her experience as an avid mountain climber, neurodivergent learner and female ironworker to lay a foundation for what it takes to “keep going” and “smile in the face of adversity” when it seems like so many around you are telling you it can’t be done. Filled with vulnerable and uplifting stories, Jamie is an inspirational women’s speaker who leaves audiences filled with a newfound sense of purpose, direction and sense of courage to blaze their own trail. This talk is perfect for anyone trying to find their own voice, path or sense of self (very popular with women, youth and marginalised groups).

Audience takeaways

• Learn how to tackle difficult situations, set boundaries and trust yourself to make mistakes on your way towards finding what’s right for you.
• Learn how to manage setbacks, failures and adversity
• Develop a greater sense of confidence and courage
• Embrace your inner light, and create your own path to success
• Finding strength in ourselves, and others (the importance of mentorship)
• “Trust in the journey, just keep exploring and no one succeeds alon

Good help is hard to find: but it’s harder to keep! Learn how we can work together to boost retention in the trades and become organizations thriving with RELIABLE talent. Find out why turn-over is so high, and companies are losing millions of dollars in lost productivity and supplies because of “toxic norms” affecting job sites across the country.

The Story behind the Stats: After years of working in camps, job sites and handling the same kind of antagonist behaviour that comes with nearly any workplace Jamie has identified key areas employers and unions can be taking a more active role in to help their workforce succeed. Touching on elements of mental-health, jobsite politics and talent management, Jamie brings an eye-opening perspective to what it’s really like to work on these job sites. She highlights hidden (and actionable) opportunities for employers to pivot from “bleeding staff, time and money” to “booming, thriving and supporting the workforce of tomorrow”.

Audience takeaways

• Plan to become a more profitable, productive and progressive company that takes a step beyond the well-meaning “policies and procedures” and addresses core issues affecting workplace performance.
• Improve retention and recruitment efforts
• Increase jobsite safety and employee performance
• Streamline spending, hiring and managing techniques
• Recognize “bigger picture trends” (and get ahead of them!)
• Learn how to better support workers' mental health and wellbeing.

Inspire new generations and marginalised or at-risk youth to consider a viable and fulfilling career in the trades. Learn how Jamie overcame adversity to become a female ironworker during a time when women represented less than 2% of the trades, and how her mission to partner with hundreds of schools across North America (through #KickAssCareers) has helped connect thousands of youth with the option to find better suiting careers for their learning styles.

The Story behind the Mission: It was a fluke incident in her late twenties that opened the door to the trades for Jamie, and since earning her status as a Journeyman Ironworker (one of the highest certifications you can earn) she has been on a mission to help open that same door for thousands of other women, youth and at-risk groups. Through vulnerable, real-life experiences and courageous conversations Jamie helps prepare students with what they need to know to take charge of their own lives –and futures! Her company, #KickAssCareers, speaks with over 30,000+ students, parents and educators per year in an effort to open pathways, debunk stigmas and inspire youth to find their own callings in the trades.

Audience takeaways

• Get real-life insight into what it’s like to enter and excel in the trades.This talk is also a great break-out workshop for employers and educators who want to know how to improve RECRUITMENT. 
• Improves access to the trades
• Inspires new career pathways through awareness and exploration
• Helps encourage marginalised groups to overcome adversity
• Help youth focus and thrive with different learning styles
• Empowers educators to help steward and shepard students

In this inspirational speech, Jamie dives deep into the wonderful world of skilled trades and the opportunities it can bring to the next generation of talent, encouraging them to consider this incredible industry as a pathway to success and fulfillment. There are many myths and perceptions within this industry; through her own experience as a "boots on the ground" Ironworker, Jamie demystifies these myths and leans into how truly incredible these career paths can be and the outstanding benefits the skilled trades can bring to your life.

Through vulnerable and uplifting stories, Jamie is an inspirational women’s speaker who leaves audiences filled with a newfound sense of purpose, direction and sense of courage to blaze their own trail. As a multi-award winner, Jamie is the perfect example of what happens when we find our true purpose.

After all, according to Jamie; you spend a 1/3 of your life working, you might as well find a career you love. The skilled trades could just be the career you have been looking for, book this talk to learn why.