Most people don’t regret painting brick right away. That’s the problem. The damage doesn’t show up while the paint is fresh and the compliments are rolling in. It shows up years later—when paint begins to bubble, when brick faces start popping off, or when moisture appears inside a building with no obvious source. By the time it’s visible, the brick has already been compromised.

When news broke about the horrific killing of 20-year-old welder Amber Czech, women across the trades felt something crack open inside them. Her death wasn’t just a tragedy; it pulled back the curtain on a problem that has been quietly festering in male-dominated industries for decades.