Let’s start with a confession. Most of us treat our hard hats like trusty old trucks. If it still starts, we keep driving it. If it still fits, we keep wearing it. And if it’s covered in stickers from jobs we’re proud of? Even better. But here’s the thing nobody tells you early enough in the trades: Hard hats expire. And no, that’s not a suggestion.

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.

As Pete started reading the building (his superpower, truly), she leaned in with: “Why would you do that?” “Are you 100% sure?” “How would that work?” Perfectly reasonable questions… unless you’re a contractor who’s been burned by know-it-all homeowners armed with Google and YouTube. I saw it instantly. She asked a question → Pete interpreted it as a challenge → he drifted as far away from us as possible to go inspect the other side of the building.

In the trades, the crew you work with can make or break your experience. A good crew feels like family. A toxic crew feels like a hazard—physically, mentally, and professionally. And too many tradeswomen learn the hard way that some jobs should’ve been passed on from the start. These are the red flags you should watch for before you ever set foot on the jobsite.

The quote above sits with me, maybe because I’ve lived it so many times. We often think of courage as something loud and dramatic....

As a woman in the trades for over 30 years and a mentor to other women in male-dominated industries, I understand that most of these groups