The Carpentry Girl: From lecture halls and cramming, to Injury Recovery, and site work

Ever wondered what it’s really like to swap textbooks for tool belts? In this episode of Life of a Female Tradie, Michelle aka The Carpentry Girl; shares her career journey from leaving university to jump into the world of carpentry. She dives into the realities of her apprenticeship, the ups and downs of working in a male-dominated industry, and how an awful knee injury created a tough road ahead. Michelle also talks about finding work-life balance, building her identity as a female carpenter, and the powerful sense of community among women in trades. With honest stories, practical insights, and a fun rapid-fire round to wrap things up, this episode is perfect for anyone curious about the life of a tradie, a career in carpentry, doing an apprenticeship and the challenges and rewards of being a woman in construction. 

Takeaways 

• Michelle transitioned from studying architecture to carpentry after discovering her passion for hands-on work. 
• The first winter as an apprentice is a significant challenge that tests resilience. 
• Injury recovery can be a long process, but it can also lead to personal growth and new perspectives. 
• Balancing work and personal life is a continuous learning experience for tradespeople. 
• Women in trades often face unique challenges but can find support and camaraderie among each other. 
• Building a personal brand can open up unexpected opportunities in the trade industry. 
• The importance of making the work easier for other trades, like decorators, is often overlooked. 
• Humor and light-heartedness can help navigate the challenges of working on site. 
• Networking with other tradespeople can lead to valuable advice and support. 
• Every job completed brings a sense of pride and accomplishment. 

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Instagram: thecarpentrygirl

Facebook: The Carpentry Girl

Chapters 

00:00 Introduction and Background 

01:07 Journey into Carpentry 

03:47 Apprenticeship Experiences 

06:20 Starting a Business During Apprenticeship 

08:59 Injury and Recovery 

11:33 Balancing Work and Personal Life 

14:19 Recent Life Changes and Future Plans 

22:06 Navigating Gender Dynamics on Construction Sites 

25:28 The Joys and Challenges of Carpentry 

27:27 Pride in Craftsmanship and Job Satisfaction 

29:40 The Importance of Collaboration in Trades 

32:15 Experiences in the Spotlight: Working with Regatta 

36:48 Quickfire Questions and Personal Insights 

44:17 Thanks for listening 

44:31 outro 

Transcript

Michelle (00:10)

I'm Michelle and I'm a carpenter.

Laura (00:12)

welcome to Life of a Female Tradie podcast. Thank you for joining me. let's just get straight into it. How did you get into carpentry?

Michelle (00:23)

That's kind of a long story, but I'll try and make it as short as I can. I was like very academic at school. So I did fine at school. And obviously when you do fine at school, they push you towards the A levels and then they push you towards university. So I did university for two years. Yeah, I did university for two years and I thought I wanted to be an architect. Yeah, yeah, good choice. But my God is a lot of work.

Laura (00:39)

Okay.

Ooh, good choice.

I can imagine.

Michelle (00:50)

Yeah, I mean, respect for all the architects out there doing seven years is a long time and I only managed like I came to the realization two years, especially when the stigma around architect students is you don't get much sleep, you do so much work because all of it's It was literally running on about four or five hours of sleep average. If you averaged it out in terms of like all-nighters,

um not having sleep, just going for like 48 hours at a time, stuff like that when it came to deadlines and so I think that really affected my mental health and just I just started hating it. Like the only thing I really liked about it looking back now is I loved the model making part of it, like making little things with my hands and like like whatever like I really enjoyed all the DT and woodworking and stuff at school. I just never thought it would be an option for me so

Laura (01:20)

Wow.

Michelle (01:43)

At the end of our second year at uni, I went to Reading, they had carpenters come in. And I think we still do that sub that module. They have carpenters come in and help you build a full scale project. they built a pavilion. Yeah, this company came in, helped us, helped us build a pavilion. It was a whole week. And yeah, I just went, do you know what? I think I might just do this. And that was, I think that was about April, April, May time.

Laura (01:52)

Okay.

Wow.

Yep.

Michelle (02:13)

Yeah, 2018. And yeah, I just loved it. And I went, you know what, I'm just gonna drop out. Obviously, I had all like my crying and stuff like to my family. I don't think I could do it. But I've got this, this thing I want to do. So yeah, took a year out, what dropped out. That's that year. As soon as I completed second year. And then I went straight to college.

Laura (02:19)

Aww.

Okay.

Michelle (02:32)

a year at college and I just loved it. Like college has its place, don't get me wrong, but like I just loved it, like all the little joinery bits and then Covid happened. Moved back home and then found my apprenticeship during Covid with a big builder and then from then onward just loving life.

Laura (02:41)

Okay.

Amazing. Definitely sounds like you found your calling in that moment. Definitely. fair play for sticking out two years in uni at that architect's course. That sounds hardcore.

Michelle (03:03)

Yeah,

yeah, I mean, all my friends, I have great respect for them, like that managed to complete it and still are now trying to be architects still so yeah.

Laura (03:13)

Yeah, definitely,

definitely. So, fresh into an apprenticeship, tell us a bit more about that. What were you working on at the time? What was your first go-to?

Michelle (03:22)

Literally everything. it was because it was a builder and developer developer. It was just roofing, joysting. My all my first year really was mainly roofing, joysting, garage roofs, everything outside and then first fix as well. But I think it's like now that I've done it, I come up with a saying on building sites is if you if you can make it through your first winter as an apprentice, I think you're sorted.

Laura (03:33)

Okay.

Michelle (03:47)

the first winter is always hardest and then you kind of get immune to the cold like it gets cold don't get me wrong but I you just kind of get used to it and then you go oh it's all right but I don't so I don't actually do much of that anymore um I'm still on building sites but I do the second fix so hanging hanging doors everything that's inside yeah um

Laura (03:59)

Okay.

Fair play, good choice.

Michelle (04:09)

Just because not that I couldn't be or wouldn't be able to do it, but by myself, I can do everything in a second fix. I don't have to rely on someone else to do it with me. Most, for the most part. Yeah.

Laura (04:15)

Okay.

Yeah. Okay. So bet ⁓

fixing roof joists and stuff, that's some heavy timber, I'm assuming.

Michelle (04:25)

It is.

So yeah, the first year, funny enough, one of the guys that was basically like overseeing us, he basically made us carry everything. There was forklifts, but he made us carry everything from like plot to plot, which is, I think is the right way now. I think it made me and the other guys stronger. But yeah, the heavy temperature, especially when they're wet. But yeah.

Laura (04:41)

Ha!

Yeah.

Ooh, yes.

Michelle (04:49)

but I did learn a lot. So, and I really do like it. I just really miss it sometimes. So sometimes I just kind of wish I could go back on a roof and I probably still could just find the right project to go onto a roof on.

Laura (04:53)

I

Because it all comes with added risk as well, working at height and things like that. and especially as a self-employed person, ⁓ as a singular person, doing work at height is very risky. Like I don't do many externals being a decorator because of the height aspect. So it obviously can be a factor for your work as well.

Michelle (05:22)

I mean, most of the stuff that I do is on scaffolding, so it's not too bad. But when you're doing cladding or anything and you're like the gable of a roof, like the very, very top of a roof, I think I saw a video that came up on my phone the other day that I was doing cladding when I was an apprentice. And I looked and I kind of videoed it and I went down and I was just like, that's a bit high. I do have a fear of heights. So when I started it, getting onto that second lift, I was just like, this isn't fun.

Laura (05:41)

⁓ no! ⁓

⁓

Michelle (05:51)

I wouldn't want to be up here every day. But yeah, literally

one slip, I think you're gone. I did slip through some Joyce's once, not into, not like into a birdcage, not all the way down, but into a birdcage. And it was just like the very end bit of a Joyce. And then yeah, that scarred me for a bit. As it does, you just kind of walk on Joyce going, oh my gosh, is it gonna, you're just, just gonna slip.

Laura (05:58)

Did you?

okay.

Wow. Yep, I can imagine.

so you've now started your own business. Is that straight from being out of your apprenticeship?

Michelle (06:20)

It was actually throughout my apprenticeship. yeah, so I started because I went to uni and everything. I started my apprenticeship late compared to what most people would start apprenticeships. I started at 21. Yeah, I started at 21. And yeah, the amount of money apprenticeships pay isn't very sustainable. I was living at home, thank God. But I it's a known thing that carpenters have a lot of tools.

Laura (06:23)

fair play.

Okay.

Yes. ⁓

Michelle (06:47)

We do have a lot of

tools and to be able to buy them is not that possible on five pounds an hour at the time, which I know a lot of people are going to jump on and be like, oh, when I was an apprentice, I was on 25 pound a week. But inflation. But I did it. Basically, went to myself because it was technically house bashing. It's like new work. I said to myself, I don't want to keep all my eggs in one basket. I want to expand and like just learn other bits.

Laura (07:15)

Yeah.

Michelle (07:15)

So I just started with little jobs on weekends or like when I took holiday when I had holiday. Just did work, that work on just on the side. It was, yeah, it just gave me a lot of experience managing how to like charge. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still don't, I still haven't got it figured out completely. But yeah.

Laura (07:23)

Brilliant.

It's a task, isn't it? Working out

your rates and your extras and

Michelle (07:39)

But yeah, I've been doing it the whole time. And then obviously, and then I had my knee injury and then I had surgery at a time of work and then I had surgery. Yeah. Then went back to work and then had surgery and then had time off work. And then at that point I was like, maybe I should just come back slowly because I wasn't going to come back to the site. Great. Like two months straight out of my surgery. There was no way.

Laura (07:44)

Mmm.

Yeah.

Michelle (08:03)

So yeah, I just worked my way and then now I'm just back on site for a while.

Laura (08:07)

Brilliant, brilliant.

What aspects of Carpentry would you say that you enjoy the most now?

Michelle (08:15)

I don't know, cause it's hard because like site work is repetitive and most people don't like repetitive cause they think it's boring, but it really settles my mind. I really like repetitive and easy from time to time. Yeah. Um, but I really like doing like bespoke storage. Just like making things. I, what I do is I design on SketchUp.

Laura (08:24)

Yeah.

I can get that, yeah.

Michelle (08:40)

then I figure out exactly how big each piece and stuff is. then most of the time, if it's a small job, I'll it myself. But if it's a bigger job, I'll get a company, a local company to cut it for me. And then I just put it all together and fill everything in. But that's really good.

Laura (08:54)

I've seen you on your Instagram actually using that SketchUp program. That looks pretty awesome, that does.

Michelle (08:59)

Yeah,

yeah, that's a skill I learned from, from A levels to uni. yeah, so it's just like a muscle memory to me now.

Laura (09:07)

Brilliant,

looks like it will really help figure out in your head. It's like getting the thoughts out into a drawing basically, isn't it, before you do the physical.

Michelle (09:13)

Yeah.

Yeah, it really helps you figure out how to actually build it like structurally then make it like possible.

Laura (09:23)

So it's an all in one process. And you touched on your knee injury. Do you mind telling us a bit more about that? Because that looked painful. mean, I've had an MCL before, not an ACL.

Michelle (09:23)

So that is really handy.

ooooh

Laura (09:38)

How did that happen?

Michelle (09:39)

Yeah,

I was playing badminton. I think it was, I think it was actually my body telling me to stop because I was playing a badminton tournament with my friends. My first game, was my first game out of three of our three people I was supposed to play. My first game of the first person. I think we only got to like 15 points, but basically I had had worked 21 days in a row. Not intentionally because

Laura (09:51)

⁓

Okay.

Michelle (10:05)

I was trying to not work the day before, I called into work and asked, okay. Obviously with so many steps, my body was just tired. I didn't have much sleep. Looking back, I shouldn't have played that tournament, but it's fine. I've learned a lot. Yeah, it's done. But yeah, it just went for a shot. I landed all my weight on my left knee behind me and it just wobbled and gave way. I fell to the floor. I couldn't move it for a minute.

Laura (10:13)

Yeah.

It's done now. We move.

Michelle (10:32)

So I got up to see if I could try and walk and I literally put my leg out and it just gave way again. And it was the weirdest feeling because I've never experienced it before. And I didn't go to hospital for two days because I thought I twisted my knee and I was like, I'll be fine in six weeks. Because I'm normally very like on it with medical stuff. like, ⁓ this is like I need to do something about this. ⁓

Laura (10:40)

Yeah.

Dude!

Okay.

Michelle (10:56)

I think it was just denial like on the back of my head. I was like, there's no way like ACL is, it would have been so much more painful than this. Like surely not. Cause it didn't, it did hurt. But like, know, when you kind of sometimes hyper extend your leg and you land on your leg, it felt like that, but I felt it dislocate. Yeah. So I felt dislocate. it was, I had a grade three ACL, which was complete tear and I had a grade two LCL. Um, and it was just those two from the, so I managed to get.

Laura (11:03)

Didn't it hurt then?

Yep.

⁓ okay.

Ooh.

Okay.

Michelle (11:26)

x-ray and then an MRI on the same day because someone had a cancellation in two hours that was there for my x-ray so I managed to get everything yeah and then the week later the doctor called me as I walked through the door and went you've got an ACL tear and I'm like how bad? I was just like in tears I was like how bad is it and he goes it's like a tear I'm like but you won't tell me how bad the tear is

Laura (11:30)

Nice.

That was good going.

on

Michelle (11:50)

So then I went to a specialist at the hospital and they were like, yeah, you can see ACL, no ACL. So, well yeah, ACL is supposed to be, there isn't one. So yeah. Yeah.

Laura (11:56)

goodness me.

Wow. So how

long was the rehab after you found out about

Michelle (12:06)

so I did it February 2024. I was off work for eight weeks. I returned I think in six weeks, I returned to do like light duties like finals, like door handles and stuff like that. And then it was just about and then I found a sport a very, very good sports therapist in posses bar if anyone's interested. Andreas therapy just going to plug him there.

Laura (12:11)

Okay.

Okay.

Nice.

Michelle (12:33)

He's honestly been such, been such a help because there's so much out there that the NHS won't do anything, well, not do anything because the NHS have been great. They've helped do my knee surgery. But the advice hasn't been amazing. So a lot of people don't know that you have to get your knee to as strong as it can be or get your leg to as strong as it can be before surgery so that your chances after surgery are the best it can be. Yeah.

Laura (12:44)

Okay.

⁓ that makes sense, yeah. Because obviously whilst

you're not moving your knee slash leg, your muscle's deteriorating around it, isn't it?

Michelle (13:07)

Yeah, or as my doctor said, your quad just melts away if you don't move. And I was just like, lovely. Thank you. Yeah, just the worst, worst results of my life so far. But yeah. so then it took a year. The waiting list was, at first they said six months, six months went by, called them up and they're like, yeah, sorry, it's another six months from now. Great.

Laura (13:14)

Yeah.

Okay.

Michelle (13:33)

Yeah, there's another year. I was like, yeah, that's not happening. So I went to my GP and I went, can't be dealing with this because I have to work. I need my leg to work. So I got expedited, but it still took a year. So I got surgery February this year. A complete ACL reconstruction with a hamstring graft. And yeah, it's just, yeah, I woke up from surgery and I just looked at my leg.

Laura (13:42)

Mm-hmm.

Wow.

Michelle (13:58)

You know, your mind and muscle, like your mind muscle collection is so bizarre because looking at my leg and I was like, come on, you can just lift up. Like my leg just wasn't lifting probably because of the anesthetic. But it just wasn't, but it's very frustrating when your body doesn't do what you want it to do. Especially I think it took me three months to walk downstairs properly. And that was three months ago. Yeah. So it's a lot of what you think you

Laura (14:08)

Yeah.

Mmm.

Wow. Goodness me.

Michelle (14:26)

Yeah, just what you take for granted, it usually is very, yeah, just hits hard really. Yeah.

Laura (14:31)

Yeah, definitely. I

can imagine. So you're doing rather well now with it, are you? Up and about properly?

Michelle (14:38)

Yeah,

so I just had a session today and we just did a testing day and then I'm back to I'm doing plyometrics now, which is just like hopping and like just loading your knee ready for like, show life, basically like sports, back in about sports basically. So yeah, all on track.

Laura (14:45)

Okay.

Yeah.

Cool.

Brilliant, that's great, And just sticking on kind of personal term, I saw you purchased a house recently. Am I right? Congratulations. ⁓

Michelle (15:05)

I did. Yeah, so the day. Thank you.

story, the day we actually put an offer in like last August, it's just taken so long. But we finally got in there and it happened to be that the day I went back to work was the day we got the keys. So it had been absolutely and I already booked loads of jobs in, but I didn't anticipate having to move into a house with it. So it was just.

Laura (15:17)

I bet.

what?

Gotcha.

Michelle (15:35)

Chaos. Yeah, we had a gas leak and everything, but it all got sorted really like fine, like nothing was major, but it just, yeah, yeah, pushed us out.

Laura (15:35)

⁓ no!

Okay, that's good.

So you've now got

a lot more work on your plate, I assume, maybe.

Michelle (15:51)

No, not that much. need to build our bed because we went through a super king mattress and we've got a bulkhead in our room and it won't fit on the floor. So I need to build a so we can put a bed in the room. But no regrets there. I happily build a bed if it means never having to sleep on anything smaller than a super

Laura (15:52)

No?

You

Blimey.

At least you've got

the skills to do it. That's the main thing. There we go.

Michelle (16:15)

Yeah, yeah and then

yeah and then we'll see what we want to do with the garage and everything so we might convert it I don't know

Laura (16:21)

awesome. So in relation to your personal life and your work life, you've obviously had a lot of ups and downs, as you've mentioned over the last year, year and a half, so to speak. How do you find balancing your workload and your personal life on a normal, non ACL level?

Michelle (16:43)

if I'm doing my own, like my business side of things, I'm really bad at it. I said, like, don't, I'm not scared to admit, I'm not afraid to admit, like, I probably could do better. I'm still learning obviously. Um, but I'm working all throughout the day and then I've got to go quote jobs and then I've got to go, it's and go to see them. And it's not like a matter of, I can just be like, pull a price out of my head. I didn't have to think about it. And then I will need this and this and this.

Laura (16:48)

Okay.

Mm.

Yeah.

Michelle (17:12)

And then what if that goes wrong? And then it just think when I was doing it full time of like my own things. think I was doing like eight o'clock to five, which were working. And then I think it's from like, and then I had dinner and then from six onwards until like 11 at night, I would be on my computer, like designing stuff. Yeah. So like actually.

Laura (17:32)

Wow.

Michelle (17:35)

dealing with workload. don't have the skills yet to actually manage it all very well.

Laura (17:43)

It's a lot, isn't it? Especially, guess, with your trade, having to use your platform to get your drawings into like a 4D kind of drawing, so to speak. There's all the maths and then you've got to work out the materials and maybe include for extras like cutoffs

So like you say, there's the work throughout the day. You go and do the quote, you bring home your notes, you draw up maybe once, twice, three times maybe just to see what's what. Then you got to figure out how many materials, how much material you need, cost it and then send it out, haven't you? So, no, don't. it is, isn't it?

Michelle (18:17)

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, and then get it rejected.

It's the worst thing, honestly. It's

like they make you, feel like it's almost like you're trying to win. It's like there's one, it's like just customers. Well, not even that, just like, it almost feels like it's a competition to get, it's like you're bidding for, well, you are bidding for work. Like obviously you don't just assume that you're the only one they've asked. So it just feels like that, but then like no one sees the behind the scenes of it all.

Laura (18:48)

Yeah.

No, that's it.

That's it.

Michelle (18:55)

And

then they kind of turn around and be like, oh, that's a bit high. And then, oh, like they say that and then they go, oh, can you come down? And I just have to be like, no, I can't. Like, this is it. And then they'll be like, oh, yeah, okay, let's go ahead. And I'm just like, okay.

Laura (19:06)

Absolutely. That's it.

Cheeky blighters, can you come down a bit? No, all right, we'll go with it. ⁓ chancing, just shaving a few quid off. That's cheeky. Yeah. But you're right, it would be nice for people to understand what goes into the quoting process. mean, that's why I like chat about this part of our trades.

Michelle (19:17)

Yeah. Yeah.

Laura (19:31)

because obviously everybody can do it differently. And like yourself, you're obviously still learning the best way, most efficient way to do things for yourself. So hearing how everybody else does it, no matter what trade it is, we've all got to work out materials and labor and time, et cetera. We all help each other, I guess, in that aspect.

Michelle (19:34)

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Laura (19:56)

And nobody wants to be working till 11 o'clock at night. Honestly. Yeah.

Michelle (20:01)

Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

But then a weekend. So now I've just come to terms with it. on, on week, if it was, if I'm doing my own things, I'm back on site now, just have a little bit of a break. Well, just to see how long I, I'm happy just on the site for a bit. Um, so could just come home and relax. And then I pick up the odd job on a weekend, but when I was just doing my own thing, I refused to work weekends, unless a job ran over and I had to go back for a day, like half a day.

Laura (20:13)

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Mm.

That's good.

Michelle (20:31)

That's

fine. other than that, if someone asked me for a quote, I'm like, sorry, I don't quote over weekends. And then just do it like that. Yeah. And don't get me wrong, we have, I do have like lovely customers that will like just be, they're just great. Honestly, they like, they understand and everything is just great.

Laura (20:36)

No, that's fair. Absolutely.

No.

Yeah,

you do get some diamonds like that, don't you? Definitely. And it is nice. They respect your time and they don't call you on a weekend. They'll, if they do need to call you, they'll call you before six o'clock at night, stuff like that. So yeah, it's nice that we all get a couple of them. Brilliant.

Michelle (20:54)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Laura (21:12)

Obviously you say you're working on site at the moment. How did that come about? Is that still the builder that you started your apprenticeship with or?

Michelle (21:20)

No, so it's the, I think my contractor still has, well, he has still has the contracts with the builder that I did my apprenticeship with. But they actually came to me when I was an apprentice and be like, if when you finish, you can come work for us. So that's how it came about. Yeah, I got scouted. Yeah, no, I think that's just the natural progression of most most apprentices. You normally get paired with someone for a bit and then when you finish your qualification.

Laura (21:27)

Okay.

Wow.

Check you out, yes.

Okay.

Michelle (21:48)

NVQ, ⁓ just get poached, guess, or recruited. You get recruited. ⁓ But there's loads of different contractors. And I think most builders have one, two, three major contractors. And then they just go like that.

Laura (21:53)

Cool. Yeah.

Okay.

And have you had to deal with any sort of typical behaviour on sites because you're a female yet or how's that been?

Michelle (22:18)

You know what, I actually

haven't, unless I'm just really, it's cause I kind of think I get banter. It's not like too sensitive to things, but like no one's ever actually said anything outrageous. It's more, it's more the staring. I get stared at quite a bit. It depends. If I go to a new site, so if I, if I'm on a site, I normally know most of the people there. ⁓ cause I've been there for a while. but yeah, it's when I get into a new site or people just double take.

Laura (22:21)

Brilliant

Okay.

That's good.

Okay.

Michelle (22:47)

I'll be walking. I think I had it once before I got on a new site, just do one quick, like one job, a final or something. And I walked past a load of these ground workers and all of them walked into the compound and they're all just there having the little meeting. I walked up into the site office. I could just feel their stares on me. Like I just went, you're right, mate. Morning. But other than that, like I think even when I started, you can have that at the back of your mind.

Laura (23:04)

⁓ my goodness.

You do?

Michelle (23:13)

Don't get me wrong, as I said, I started at 21. If I didn't go through uni and live a bit of life, and I started at 16, I don't think I'd cope as well. Just because, like, if I was a 16 year old girl, if I look back now, 16 year old going on site, I think I'd be a bit terrified. I mean, I was terrified still, but I think I'd deal with it better. Yeah.

Laura (23:24)

Okay.

You've got a bit of life experience behind you, meeting loads

of different people from different backgrounds. It kind of hardens you up to the unexpected, I guess, doesn't it?

Michelle (23:43)

Yeah.

Yeah, and I think as a female anyway, going into a male dominated industry, like, don't get me wrong, there's more women joining the trades anyway now. But you still have it at the back of your mind that you're going to go onto a site with loads of blokes mainly, because I think there are loads of women trades people just not necessarily on building sites. lot of them tend to do more domestic work, which is completely fair.

Laura (23:57)

Yeah.

Yeah, I agree.

Michelle (24:14)

So sight can be a bit daunting, but it's always been at back of my mind. So it's kind of like, I think it depends on the intention things are said. If you're trying to say something shit to me, then like, I'll just say, say I feel I'm not gonna just. Yeah.

Laura (24:16)

Mm.

Yeah, just reciprocate really you you know

if you're gonna treat me one way then be prepared to get it back Sometimes you know it's one of those I guess isn't it I've only done one or two site jobs years and years ago And it was alright there was a bit of like you say staring and what you're doing that for type thing and I guess it's

Michelle (24:36)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Laura (24:54)

just the way that you...

are used to responding to people, isn't it? That you've got to stand up for yourself because otherwise they're just gonna keep pecking and pecking at you.

Michelle (25:04)

Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, yeah, I actually I do really like working on site. It's a good it's good. The gossip spreads like wildfire on building sites amongst men, surprisingly, not surprisingly, for some. But yeah, no, I just yeah, it's it's an experience for sure.

Laura (25:09)

That's great.

Yeah.

Amazing. Well, good on you for braving, well, not even braving, but for doing the site work. And it's good that you enjoy it as well. Cause like you've just mentioned that not many women like to do site work because of what we've just discussed. So that's cool.

Michelle (25:28)

Yeah.

Yeah, but

to be fair, I think the question I get the most is not why I'm there, it's more, do you enjoy it? And I'm just like, well yeah, I'm here.

Laura (25:47)

Well that's even better yeah because I mean there's obviously a lot of people that do a job no matter what it is and they don't enjoy it and the fact that you've got one that you enjoy is priceless isn't it?

Michelle (25:48)

So, yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, I think there's so many possibilities as well of what you can go into. But it's just, you've got like what you classify as a carpenter and then you've got all the different specialities within carpentry. it's really good that way.

Laura (26:04)

Mmm.

definitely. Because I guess there's

is it like cabinetry? Is that even a word? ⁓ Yeah. And then there's obviously kitchen installations.

Michelle (26:15)

Yeah, yeah, cabinet making.

you've got all the

bigger builders, like ⁓ loft extensions and stuff like that. But that's more like multi-trade, I think. But I think from what I've seen so far, a lot of people that do loft extensions and stuff like that, or like just extensions and building in general, a lot of them are very, well, they are carpenters and they've come back from a carpentry background and that have built a team of loads of different trades.

Laura (26:24)

yeah, of course.

Okay.

⁓

So can you recall one of your proudest moments on a job? Like what's the job you've done you're most proud of?

Michelle (26:51)

⁓ there's some I don't know actually, I've done so many it kind of is just like a

Laura (26:56)

You like them all. That's fair.

Michelle (26:57)

Yeah, I kind of do like them

all. It's because it's it's it's no like specific job. It's when if something goes wrong on a job and you're like, oh, I don't know how to rectify this. But eventually you do. And then you finish it. And then the best part is the taking photos at the end when you've tied up all your tools, when you've tidied up and cleaned down and you just look at it and go, oh, can I take a photo of this? Yeah, sure. I take a photo and videos and I'm just like, oh, I can't believe I did that.

Laura (27:27)

that's great.

Michelle (27:27)

It's still,

it's still, well, I can believe it, but it still baffles me that I can do it. If that makes sense. Like, it's not like a, yeah, I still don't think I've gotten bored of it yet. If that makes sense. But the actual job anyway.

Laura (27:33)

I know what you mean. I know what you mean.

Definitely.

Definitely. that's great. I love that you just love each job that you've done. That's, yeah. I mean, I would be very proud of the work that you produce, to be fair. I've seen it and it's really, really good. I love precise woodwork. I'm quite a fan of carpentry myself. I'm not very good at it at all.

Michelle (27:44)

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's... ⁓

Yeah.

Laura (28:04)

But there's something about working with wood that I find very appealing. And when you get the joins, I mean, as a decorator following on from a carpenter who's really good at their trade, it's just, it's brilliant. I can admire a good join.

Michelle (28:20)

Yeah. Yeah,

I mean, it's one of those things where it's the guy I learned with his dad was a painter. So it's kind of drilled into me that is like you make it easier for the painter. So I kind of just try to do all my work so that it's easy for a painter to come and just paint it. a building site, a lot of people don't care. But like I try to not have to go back into the plot that I've just done.

Laura (28:28)

⁓ no way!

Thank you.

Yeah.

Michelle (28:45)

just

to like with a hammer and a nail punch, I'd rather just do it then and there. Like don't get me wrong, I'll miss the odd one. But it's, you know the saying, do your best, caulk the rest. I'm just like, my goodness. I feel so bad for paint. Because what people don't realise is when you paint, any imperfection that you haven't done properly will stand out more.

Laura (28:56)

No!

Absolutely. Thank you. Yep.

Michelle (29:07)

So yeah, so

I try to make the people's jobs easier as much as I can. ⁓

Laura (29:14)

Do you like the only

trade I've ever heard say that to help a decorator? I've never heard anybody say that sort of thing. So that is brilliant. Thank you. Honestly, it's the sometimes finding the so much cork smashed between a skirting board or a door frame just to fill a gap onto fresh plaster as well.

Michelle (29:24)

⁓ no worries. It's okay. But yeah.

Laura (29:41)

a decorator's like pet peeve, honestly. So the fact that you're considering the following trade is just immense. ⁓

Michelle (29:44)

Yeah.

I mean, there's only so much I can do, but on building sites, it's fine because there's a patcher. There's a guy that will fill stuff.

But I guess on like domestic stuff, it's you don't have a guy, a magic guy that can just come around and make good. That's just not possible. So I try to do all the domestic stuff as best as I can for the people that are painting it because they don't necessarily get a painter come in. Yeah.

Laura (29:59)

Hmm.

Awesome. That's true. Yeah, yeah.

So from working on site, have you got any funny stories that have happened? Can you think of anything that stands out?

Michelle (30:25)

Yeah, I mean, I haven't said the name of the developer I was working with, so no one can get in trouble. ⁓ No, so I think I remember one time, it's just the first year, because I was so green in my first year. I didn't understand so much of it. And now when there's apprentices on site, they just say stupid things. just like, yeah, that was, I mean, I don't think I was that bad, but I think I did say stupid things at one time.

Laura (30:30)

No, you haven't said.

Michelle (30:52)

But I'm pretty sure me and the other apprentice one time got cornered into a plot with every was like three different people outside with nail guns shooting up.

I mean I wouldn't do anything but like yeah it's just one of those things where it never occurred to me that that could happen and it never has happened since but health and safety are on it now

Laura (31:01)

Wow.

Wow.

Michelle (31:13)

but did have an apprentice once ask bless him. I think it was fresh from school. He asked, ⁓ we do have six weeks off for the summer, right? And I was like, bless you. No, we don't. No, we do not. I wish we did. wish we imagined six weeks off in the summer. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, other than that, I don't really have any. No, I don't really have any other funny stories, really.

Laura (31:23)

Bless your soul.

amazing. Yes, please.

Well, sounds that the nail gun one has kind of nailed it for me, shall we say. Sorry.

Michelle (31:46)

Yeah, I mean, like,

I still I still see like the videos of ⁓ like, just on Instagram, I just scroll through videos of pranks people play on site, because one of the rules on site is you're not supposed to course play, but no horse playing on site, because just health and safety. ⁓ But yeah, that was just one of the one of those days where I think that was a really relaxed site and not too much happened there. So yeah, that was.

Laura (31:59)

Okay. Yeah. Of course.

Gotcha. So it's safe. It

was all right. Brill. Right, okay. I would like to touch on your awesome ad with Regatta women's wear. That looked awesome. Tell us more about that.

Michelle (32:15)

Yeah, that's all right.

Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, so I've done it twice now, funnily enough. Yeah, so it was, yeah, so we did one in, was it May? I think it was May. Time is flying by, but I think it was May. We just did one in May, I think, which is getting launched soon, end of August, maybe. And then the year before, I did it as well. And yeah, they just reached out on Instagram. at first, I was just like, yeah, right, okay.

Laura (32:36)

Have you? Check you out!

Okay, cool.

Michelle (33:03)

And here's my email. If this is real, then you will email me. They emailed me and they're just like, yeah, we'd love to get you along and just do like a day in Manchester. And just, yeah, just wear our clothes and kind of post photos, which is a surreal experience because I don't think until you experience something like that, you don't understand how weird it is. I don't like getting in front of a camera that much. But.

Laura (33:13)

wow.

Yeah. Yeah.

am I doing?

Michelle (33:32)

Yeah, like,

I don't, yeah, like talking in front of a camera is very not me. But it wasn't so much. I mean, there's social media people there for regatta or regatta regatta, whichever way you say it. And we had to like little video interview, like a quick one. That was fine. But it was just taking photos. It was very full on. It was like we had a call sheet. We had all the times and we had hair and makeup. Yeah, it was very weird.

Laura (33:37)

Mm-hmm.

did you?

Michelle (33:59)

And then I had people come up to me every time we were just like waiting around to get our photos taken. Do want a drink? Oh, do you want some do you the snacks over there? Like, oh, here's your rail of clothes that you're going to wear today. And I'm just like, oh, this is so weird.

Laura (33:59)

hehe

You're like a superstar.

Michelle (34:16)

Yeah, was like, is this how models feel? Yeah, but I mean, when they reached out, it was very much, oh yeah, I've happily missed a day of work just to like take some photos and stuff. And then I realized, and then we found out that we got paid for it. I was just like, well then. So apparently that's what happens. yeah. Yeah. So yeah, I mean, any like on Instagram and everything, I just

Laura (34:19)

Yeah, I can imagine they do.

Bonus! Bonus!

Wow, super cool!

Michelle (34:44)

You tag people and then you just kind of hope that they repost and stuff. But it's just, it's one of those. It's just, you never expect it to, I'd never expected that to happen really, but they're a very nice brand to work with, I've got to say. Yeah.

Laura (34:56)

that's good. Yeah.

Amazing. what was it? Have you met any of the other girls in the ad before? ⁓ okay.

Michelle (35:04)

Yeah, not before. No,

not before I got there. But obviously we followed each other on Instagram and everything. So the first time around last year, we literally all got to the hotel because I think we all came from all over. got to the hotel and then I think we all talked for like from like 8, 9 p.m. until like 1 a.m. and we had like a 7 a.m. wake up the next day. But I was just talking about experiences on site and

Laura (35:20)

Okay.

Wow.

Michelle (35:34)

But I just I'm very thankful that I've never had like a really bad experience happen with men, mostly. But some things I've heard, I'm just it's just insane. I've heard which I can't imagine because I've never had that experience. But yeah, we just talked all throughout the night and yeah, Yeah, until they shut the bar

Laura (35:40)

Yeah.

Mm.

That's awesome.

Of course. Brilliant. That's so nice. I think once you, if you get a group of trades people together, especially the women, you can just, you've got so many different experiences because there's so many of us at different ages and different stages as well, that there's so many different stories to share. ⁓ And sometimes people have changed.

Michelle (35:57)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Laura (36:22)

trade as well. So, yeah, that's great. I'm so glad that you enjoyed that experience and got to meet some new people. That was, yeah, really cool.

Michelle (36:24)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, I wish I got to meet more as well. But there's not really that many opportunities to apart from like, like installer shows and stuff.

Laura (36:40)

Yes, that's right. I think I'm going to try and go to a couple of different ones next year because obviously being a painter and decorator, the only ones I've ever been to is the Painter and Decorating Show in November. So, yeah, it'd be nice to touch base with a few different ones, see who we can meet. Awesome. OK, so I'm now going to shoot straight in to quick fire questions.

Michelle (36:49)

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Laura (37:08)

All right. So feel free to elaborate. It's a this or that type thing. So if you want to elaborate, crack on, go for it. So, ready?

Michelle (37:08)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Laura (37:21)

driver or passenger.

Michelle (37:23)

What driver?

Laura (37:25)

always.

Michelle (37:26)

always

Laura (37:28)

Hand tools or power tools?

Michelle (37:30)

Power tools.

Laura (37:31)

make life easier. Absolutely.

Michelle (37:32)

Yeah, they do. Oh my god, I can't

imagine. can't imagine. Yeah, I just can't. It's weird because obviously all the old guys used to how house building used to be before power tools. Not all hand built. But like everyone's just gotten faster with power tools and I can't imagine just using a hand software everything. It would just take forever. Yeah.

Laura (37:45)

Yeah.

⁓ you'd be there forever, wouldn't you?

Tea or coffee?

Michelle (37:57)

See.

Laura (37:58)

A sunshine holiday or a cold holiday? No-brainer.

Michelle (38:00)

Sunshine Holiday.

Give me a beach. I think I had a chat with my friends before. was like, you a vacationer or a traveler? And I'm like, I'm definitely a vacationer. Just give me a beach, pool, sea, any day, and I'll just sit there.

Laura (38:16)

Awesome, yeah, I'm with you on that. Although I am dipping my toe in the traveller kind of thing, so maybe it's an age thing. As you get bit older, you like to see a bit more. Maybe we should be relaxing more. I think I've got that wrong. I think so. Cats or dogs?

Michelle (38:23)

Bye!

No? Yeah, maybe. I've got no idea.

Yeah, wrong way around.

bugs.

Laura (38:39)

I... am I right in saying you've got two little dogs?

Michelle (38:42)

Not two, I've got one. Yeah, my sister's got two. But yeah, my one, my little one. Our princess. Yeah.

Laura (38:47)

Amazing. Super cute.

A takeaway or a meal out.

Michelle (38:55)

Meal out. Yeah. Me and my partner have a very bad habit of Michelline star restaurants

Laura (38:57)

Anywhere in particular?

Whoa! Okay!

Michelle (39:07)

Yeah, ⁓ we're not like bougie bougie, but like, yeah, I don't know what happened. I think in like, I actually remember when the first one we went to was, think it was like a year to a year in we were just like, ⁓ should we just try a mission start? And then we've, I think we've been to about four now. I think we went to the same one twice. ⁓ but yeah, I just, I don't know what it is about little food. Everyone's like, you can't get full on Michelline star You can.

Laura (39:21)

Okay.

Nice. Okay.

Michelle (39:37)

There's, think every time I've been, especially if you drink anything sparkling, like you want to explode, like it's so filling. But yeah. Yeah.

Laura (39:42)

⁓

Fair play. That's pretty cool, that is. Awesome.

So are you a call or a texting kind of person?

Michelle (39:57)

I'm a texting person. Yeah. Yeah, I can't, not very good at thinking on the spot if someone asked me a question that I need to like, they want like, certainty to. So I need to get, I'm trying to get better at going, I need to get back to you about that. Yeah. So very much a texter.

Laura (39:59)

Yeah, me too.

Okay.

That's it. Yeah, definitely.

Cool. And last, panelling or creating storage?

Michelle (40:22)

I think if you ask any carpenter, panelling is one of those jobs where it's so mindless that it's very satisfying, but I'll say storage. Storage is better. Yeah.

Laura (40:31)

Cool, good answers.

Awesome. Okay, so I like to round off the show with three main questions. And first one is, if you could do or be another trade, what would it be and why?

Michelle (40:50)

Bye.

you've put me on the spot now. ⁓

Laura (40:52)

Yeah

Michelle (40:52)

I don't know actually. I don't think could ever be a plumber. No, I think I could be a plumber. I could maybe try paint. I don't know, maybe.

Laura (40:56)

No.

Michelle (41:04)

plastering? I think plastering would be fun. It's you know what, it's just like all of these jobs create so much dust. I'm in my head. I'm just thinking I'm just like, but how would that affect my body? Because obviously there's, there's enough dust already doing my job, especially after like a tape and jointer has been in and then after the mist coat has been done. Like in the corners when you're skirting there's just so much dust already. I'm just very conscious of how much dust I'm breathing in.

Laura (41:15)

I was thinking that.

Yeah.

Michelle (41:31)

when I try to minimize it as much as I can. I'm leaning more towards decorator or plasterer, reckon. Yeah. Imagine if I said scaffolder. ⁓ No, no, no, no. I've seen scaffolders and they look broken every time I see them.

Laura (41:39)

Okay, cool. Fair enough. wow, yes. They do

shoulders, backs, knees, gone. Yeah.

Michelle (41:53)

Yeah, not for me.

Laura (41:56)

Okay, so next question is, who should I have on the show next?

Michelle (42:03)

You should have

Chippy Em on the show. Yeah, Emma's my favourite person on Instagram. I think she's one of the people I talk to most on there. She's just so funny. I don't know what it is. I love her Welsh accent. she speaks, I'm just listening and I'm just like, my God, I love her accent. And then she says something and it's just so funny. she has the most... She's tried a bit of everything.

Laura (42:06)

Chippy Em Okay.

She is awesome, isn't she?

Aww

Yeah

Okay.

Michelle (42:32)

especially before

getting to being a carpenter and then getting into carpentry and then doing different aspects of carpentry. Like she's opposite of me. So she does all the first fix like actual wood stuff. Whereas I work mainly with like MDF and stuff, but she does most of the exterior stuff. And yeah, she's just got so much advice. So if I ever have anything that I'm struggling with, I just go to her and then she's like,

Laura (42:43)

⁓

Okay.

⁓ that's

awesome.

Michelle (42:58)

We've all been there. Don't worry about it. You'll get there. And I'm just like, OK, I feel better now. yeah, she's just a love. She's just lovely.

Laura (43:03)

that's great.

I will get onto her then, see what we can figure out. Brilliant. Thank you. All right, cool. So where can people find you on social media, et cetera?

Michelle (43:07)

Yeah, yeah, 100%.

⁓

Instagram and Facebook, the Carpentry Girl. I can't believe that wasn't taken. When I was, when I was looking for a handle, I was like, I don't know, female carpenter. That was taken. The Carpentry Girl. But I don't know how long I could do the Carpentry Girl for before, obviously I'm a woman. Like it's not, but it's just a brand. So yeah. I cringe, I cringe every time I say it.

Laura (43:20)

Okay.

I know that is

you

Yeah, it's all right. It's a good choice.

Michelle (43:46)

Like the carpentry girl. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Laura (43:46)

Do you?

no, it's not. It's not cringy. It's not at all. All right, cool. Well, I will make sure everybody can follow you in the show notes and yeah, make sure you take a look at Michelle's work on Instagram. And ⁓ yeah, thank you very much for your time, Michelle.

Michelle (44:03)

⁓ thank you.

Yeah, no worries, thank you for having me. I really enjoyed it.

Laura (44:10)

Good, you're welcome. I'll speak to you soon.

Michelle (44:13)

Speak to you soon. All right, take care. Bye.

Laura (44:16)

Bye.