Roofer, role model and business owner: Lily Struthers shares her journey

Lily Struthers owner of Bear House Build & Roofing Ltd; a successful roofer, role model, and business owner, joins me to share her inspiring journey with you awesome listeners!

From her initial desire to work outdoors to founding her own successful company, Lily shares the importance of following your passion, the value of mentorship, and the joy of teaching the next generation. Lily speaks of the importance of hands-on experience in the trades and the need for effective communication. 

Balancing family life with her business has required sacrifices, but she finds fulfilment in both her work and her role as a mum.

This episode is packed with insights for aspiring tradespeople and female entrepreneurs. 

We wrap up with a quickfire round that reveals the personality behind the passion!

Tune in to hear how Lily is building her dream business, teaching young minds, and taking on the challenges faced in the industry as a leading business owner.

Key Takeaways:

• You have to learn from your mistakes in construction.
• Self-employment offers freedom and opportunities for growth.
• Empowering young tradespeople is essential for the future.
• There are significant gaps in trade education that need addressing.
• Creating opportunities for young minds can inspire future generations.
• It's important to take care of your own home as a tradesperson.
• The power of local advertising is often underestimated.
• Building your own dream is crucial for personal fulfillment.
• Mistakes are part of the learning process in any trade.
• Communication and mentorship can open doors for young tradespeople.

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Follow Guest:

Instagram: bearhousebuild

Facebook: Bear House Build & Roofing Ltd

Chapters

00:00 Lily's Journey to Roofing

05:27 The Importance of Following Your Passion

11:19 Starting a Business in Construction

16:26 Teaching and Mentoring the Next Generation

21:51 Balancing Work and Family Life

24:56 Embracing Parenthood and Finding Joy in Little Wins

27:43 Inspiring the Next Generation in Construction

30:29 Learning from Local Tradesmen and Hands-On Experience

33:19 The Importance of Communication in Construction

35:14 Understanding Each Trade's Role in Building Projects

38:08 The Value of Mentorship and Encouraging Young Talent

40:47 The Shift from Employment to Self-Employment

43:03 Recognizing and Nurturing Talent in the Industry

45:47 Opening Up Opportunities for Young People in Trades

53:17 Embracing Mistakes and Learning

55:48 Upcoming Projects and Aspirations

01:00:01 Balancing Work and Personal Projects

01:01:13 Quickfire Questions and Personal Insights

01:12:19 Thank you outro

Transcript

Lily Struthers (00:10)

hi my name is Lily, I'm a roofer and I own Bear House Build and Roofing Limited.

Laura (00:16)

Well, thank you for giving up some time to chat with me today. I know that my listeners have been itching for me to find a roofer. So Where did you start? What's your background, Lily?

Lily Struthers (00:26)

Hahaha

gosh, background's a of a mixed bag actually. Because I always knew I wanted to be outside, I just struggled sitting at a desk straight away. I knew even at uni and I was finishing my degree and I thought, whoa, I hate this, this sucks. And I was so miserable and I was watching all these people sort of do things with their hands and be outside and I thought, whoa.

I don't think anyone knows what they want to do at that age, especially in their 20s. So I decided it would be a really cool idea to be a tree surgeon. And I know, so whilst I loved it and I got my felling license and my chainsaw maintenance license and aerial rescue, then after about a year and a half went, this is really hard. I don't know if I'm enjoying it as much.

Laura (01:03)

Nice.

Lily Struthers (01:22)

And it was naturally, like everybody should, male or female, at the very beginning it's a lot of dragging brash to the chipper. It's a lot of you're helping someone else, which of course it should be, until you get to the point where you're confident enough to do things and go, ⁓ can I put my line in? Can I climb up? I want to knock that tree over. No one really lets you, and I can absolutely understand why, because I don't think I should have been trusted to put down a tree at 22 years old either.

Not with like very little experience anyway. And after that it was like, oh okay, what do I want to do instead? And then it became, oh okay, well I think I want to do something a bit more fast-paced. And then it was a transport controller in a skip industry. And that I really, I did really enjoy that. But again it became very, oh man, I'm sat at a desk again.

Laura (01:52)

Mm.

Okay.

Lily Struthers (02:17)

and it was I need to to be outside and it was my granddad actually who inspired me because I don't think there's anything that man can't do and he's just such a big presence as a person and a personality and it's like yeah I can fix that yeah I can do that I can do and I genuinely believe that he can

anything that man would want to do he can build a wall's fine, an extension he's got you, build a roof, yeah covered he's just really clever and it occurred to me that I kind of wanted to do something similar even though we were miles and miles and miles apart I thought I want to do that and someone who was wanting to do bricklaying at the time I was sort of following their journey and it was a friend of mine and he was like I'm having loads of fun I was like I want to do

bricklaying and then it sort of fell into my lap, the company I was around and it was mainly, I seem to live in a town where I'm surrounded by roofers and it was like, I want to do that. And that's really just how it sort of It wasn't really stemming from something at the very beginning. And I think that's what I...

Laura (03:16)

Okay.

Wow.

Lily Struthers (03:29)

want people to sort of pick up on. If you're miserable and you're unhappy in an office, even if you're in your late 30s or early 40s, if you wanna go, go. Don't worry. Just, you know what, if you wanna go, I really enjoy painting and I think I wanna do this for a living or I don't have any clue about what I'm doing as a chippy, but I really enjoy doing it. Just do it. Just go for it. And how.

Laura (03:50)

This is

is

Lily Struthers (03:53)

It began for me really, wasn't because I think a lot of people think at the time, you know your grandad was a roofer. Yeah but it never stemmed from that. I think it just it was more about development over the years about what I wanted and I just had to grow and figure out who I was and what made me happy.

Laura (04:02)

Okay.

That's it, that's a huge part of it, isn't it? you are very lucky if you leave school and you know what you want to do with the rest of your career. And I think a very high percentage of people don't know what they want to do. And exploring the possibilities like you did is a massive way to learn about yourself, learn about what you like, dislike.

And it's a journey, isn't it?

Lily Struthers (04:40)

Massively, massively, yeah. And it's sad because I think there's so much pressure. I mean, I see it for my sisters, bless them, because they're approaching that sort of, mean, thankfully, I think they've they were considering the whole uni route and now they've found something they love. And I hated that idea of them being sat at uni with this great big student loan and thinking, because I think I was part of a generation that everyone said, you won't get a job if you don't go to uni. And I wish I'd ignored that.

Laura (04:56)

wow.

Same.

Lily Struthers (05:10)

and especially because I was so unhappy it just wasn't what I wanted to do and I left thinking my god what a waste of three years I could have been knocking trees over I could have been one of those people I really wanted to be at 22 and going I want to do that can I touch that please and they're like no Lily you can't and I think had I have started that journey sooner I probably would have had a completely different passion where I still would have been a tree surgeon but I think it's that

Laura (05:27)

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (05:38)

I hate the idea of anyone being pressured into education in that sense if they don't want to. And I know a lot of people now that did sort of business economics even or digital media. And weirdly actually the digital media that was a shoe in for him, he was meant for that role. He loves it to this day. But the one who did, I think it was business economics, hated it. And now he does piano lessons. I'm like, whoa.

Laura (06:03)

Really?

Wow,

Lily Struthers (06:07)

that's different. But

Laura (06:09)

isn't it?

Lily Struthers (06:10)

that's what he was obviously, but we never would have discovered that about ourselves had we not just had it such a miserable time doing what we were doing. Yeah.

Laura (06:18)

Well, this is it. You've got to start somewhere and it's

all about action, isn't it? If you don't take those steps, then you're never gonna find exactly pivot, brilliant word for sure. at what stage did you decide that you wanted to create your own business around building and roofing?

Lily Struthers (06:25)

Pivot. Yeah. Just pivot.

So this was, oh I'm talking eight, nine, 10, nearly 10 years ago now and it was a lot of working for other people, which you do. And the thing is, I think that was a great big part of who I surrounded myself with because these were such amazing men that go, you know what, I'll teach you that. Yeah, no worries, go on then, have a go. And they're like, yeah, hurry up then. And you think, oh yay, okay, I wanna do this.

Laura (06:46)

Wow.

Lily Struthers (07:08)

And they gave me the opportunity to have a crack at it. And then after about a couple of years, you think, okay, I'm pretty speedy at this. I've found my confidence now. I'm happy laying verges. I'm happy doing ridge lines on my own. Don't get me wrong, there'll always be certain aspects. It's mainly with felt roofing. Good Lord, I cannot get that roll of felt up on a roof by myself on a ladder. I'll either drop it or I'll wee myself. It's one of the two. So it's like, ⁓ guys, could you take that up? And they go, yeah, no worries.

Laura (07:31)

No.

Lily Struthers (07:37)

And it became sort of that sort of process where then it got, I just got overly confident and then I was like almost cocky with it. And then it became, I can do this quicker than you. And they're like, Lily, no worries. And then it got to a point where I just wanted to learn so much, so fast. And I thought, okay, I can do this during COVID. What a silly idea. But we did it anyway. And I thought I'm going to open my own company because

Laura (07:47)

Okay.

Lily Struthers (08:04)

There were a lot of jobs where I was being left on my own anyway and they said, could you do this? I said, yeah I'll do that job for you, no worries. And I thought, why am I not doing it? I'm only getting like silly wage now and I've just been left here all day and all I've got is a Twix in the van and now I'm miserable because I've not eaten and I can't, I don't feel like I can leave because it's not my job. So I'm sort of like, I'll eat that Twix and I'll just be a miserable cow all day and then I'll go home and sulk about it.

Laura (08:07)

Okay.

⁓

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (08:33)

And then I thought, oh, do you know what, Lily, if you're going to self do something. So it was sort of down to that. But my God, the support I had was incredible. And that's mainly from people that weren't, you know, these weren't my family. It's just lads that I worked with. And I just couldn't have been luckier, really, with the people that were around me. I was was blessed with young lads that were like, what are you doing? And even half my age.

Laura (08:42)

Wow.

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (09:02)

and I was going, alright, how do you do this? And they're like, ⁓ move, I'll show you. And it's that, no one's angry at me. You can tell you got like an eye roll. However, it was like, god, Lily, fine, good lord, alright, I'll teach you. And it was that. And I think I had, we had an apprentice. I say apprentice loosely, because that boy knew a lot more than I did at patios.

Laura (09:16)

Wow.

Lily Struthers (09:24)

and it was only a couple of years ago and I guess it's all foundation for something you know if you can do bricklaying you think I could probably do that and I could probably do that but he he was so sweet and to this day we're still friends and I still try and steal him for half my jobs I'm like what are you doing he's like nope but he taught me how to lay patios and he was just awesome and he's half my age he could have been my son for goodness sake

Laura (09:46)

Wow.

Lily Struthers (09:52)

and he's like everything I sort of like sponged up from him and then every now and then I'll drop him a text and go did you see the patio I did and he's like yeah well done but but that's from a kid half my age because he started in that background and then when he worked for us for a little while there was a lot where he didn't know about roofing and he would come onto like felt roofs with us or ridge lines and they go my god what am I doing I'm like yeah it's not nice is it

Laura (10:01)

Haha

Wow.

Lily Struthers (10:19)

No one enjoys that position, do they, Keirne of not knowing. And he's like, yeah, cool, just tell me where you want me. But I think it's that sort of humour that I like being around. even, I think once you've dropped the prejudice of someone younger than you and they're not gonna know as much, he does though, he really does. The kids are whiz and that's what's great.

Laura (10:35)

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's it. mean, when you do, like you say, drop that boundary, that prejudice of age or sex or gender, you just don't know what you. Yeah, it's. Yeah. Amazing.

Lily Struthers (10:51)

You can learn. Yeah. You just take on so much. I love it. I love it. And don't get me

wrong. I do heavily rely on my granddad because there's a lot of times where I'll go somewhere and I'll be like, hey, look, I think I'm digging down for a foundation. And he's like, And he can hear it. You can hear it in his voice. And I said, I don't think I'm near a pipe, however. And he's like, ⁓ well, I'm like, if I just FaceTime you.

I said, I think I'm near some shingle and he's like, yeah, stop. So they'll put shingle-lils above that bit. And I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, cool, cool. I know that. I know that granddad, goes, I feel like you don't, but that's fine. But even to this day, if I don't check in with him, I wouldn't have known. And I think, do know what? Just suck it up. Sometimes you need to ask. And if you're asking a young man, old man, just do it. And then now I know that there is shingle above pipes, which I wouldn't have known about two years ago.

Laura (11:41)

Absolutely.

There you go,

amazing.

Lily Struthers (11:47)

and it saved

me a pain of having to pay for that. That would have been expensive.

Laura (11:51)

wouldn't it?

Geez,

I love that you've still got your granddad around to tell you these sorts of and tricks. I love how influential family members of different generations can be when you're.

on a new path, on a new journey and the information that's still relevant, that still carries through, that you can learn if you are willing to ask and that I think is the key. Don't be ashamed or scared to ask questions.

Lily Struthers (12:23)

Yeah, absolutely, you've nailed it. Always ask questions. I think spend the whole time, if you can, asking questions. No matter how annoying you may appear. I wouldn't know half of what I know if I wasn't really grating half the time. It's part of the charm. I like to pretend it is. It's not. It probably really am annoying. However,

Laura (12:27)

100%.

Lily Struthers (12:46)

I got loads of sponge information from it so why not? Who cares?

Laura (12:51)

Exactly,

who cares? Well, you've obviously had a head for heights for a very long time. Can you remember the first roofing job that you did and what it was like?

Lily Struthers (13:00)

Yes, it was with Adam. I was wildly unprepared. So it was one where I am going to say this, I know it's naughty. We did it without scaffold. I think he even my granddad even rang Adam to say I have just seen her on a video without scaffold. But it was for this really, really lovely old man. He was so sweet. And I was trying to keep cost low. And Adam was like,

Okay, we're gonna do this, we're gonna grind out the chimney, then once we've ground that out, we're just gonna repoint it in and then we're gonna do the ridge line and I was like, yeah, okay. And I remember getting up there and it was the worst timing because at the time I thought we're doing a lot of flat roofs, it's absolutely fine. This house is like a townhouse, it was disgusting. It was covered in pigeon crap. I had a little precious moment about it and I was like, get a grip.

Laura (13:46)

Wow.

Lily Struthers (13:54)

and then I put gloves on and I was scrambling up there and I think the guys must have known because they described me as a dog with worms shuffling across the ridge line and I was, my bum was so glued to those tiles I just refused to lift up. So these lads are looking at me like, what is she doing? And I was shuffling along like this, I just scraping along and I was hammering away at one ridge tile, taking it off behind me.

and then now I'm like gripping onto the roof, myself and then someone else came up, I don't know his name and he was sort of like casually walking along and knocking them all up then walked back along the baton and I was going, ah okay, still not ready to do that actually, I'm gonna bum shuffle and I remember coming back down and they're like, you right there kid? I was like, yeah, yeah.

And they went, ⁓ nervous. We went a little bit and they went, yeah, we know it is. So just want to stay on the ridge line. you? And it was then they all watched me get down the ladder. And that in itself must have been like comical because they said like most people swing their leg and flick onto the ladder. And what I like to do is apparently I sort of like slid my whole body down delicately trying to find the top rung.

Laura (15:08)

Yep.

Lily Struthers (15:12)

and then like shaking and then the whole time down the ladder they could hear and I was like I made it I did it and they were like yeah cool we're going now but where they were sort of didn't pay attention to it and they said we're back here tomorrow I was like okay that's fine and you just sort of find your your sort of grips with it but as a rule of thumb height wise absolutely fine but then I had the luxury of a harness and

I think that's why I found it so difficult because I'm so used to in tree surgery you've got that weight against it and you're held up and you think I'm good I've got that rope this time round it was like ⁓ this is new this yeah I feel like I'm gonna crap my pants actually this time round we'll we'll just watch everybody else and had not everyone else not been as confident around me think I would have struggled

Laura (15:49)

Mmm.

Lily Struthers (16:02)

But I remember getting back in the van and Adam was like, good job, well done. And we all just sort of moved on from it. And now what I enjoy most is watching other people join us in their sort of like 18, 19, and they're going up there. And I'm like, you've got this, you've got this. If you want to bum shuffle, you bum shuffle to your heart's content. You find what you need to do. I don't care. I'm not gonna judge.

it's nice watching other people sort of go through the same experience as well. I think that's what I enjoy the most. I love watching other people learn something and knowing that I've taught them as well. Especially, I think my stepson's coming around to age now. We're taking him to a couple of places and I go, okay, this is what you do. And then you watch him go up the scaffold and you go, you all right? And he's like, yeah, I'm fine. And deep down you're like, I know you're not, but we'll all just pretend that it's okay.

Laura (16:43)

Okay.

⁓

Lily Struthers (16:56)

So it's, yeah,

Laura (16:56)

bless.

Lily Struthers (16:56)

it's lovely. I love watching other people learn things.

Laura (16:59)

It is great, isn't it? seeing, you can sometimes just see that little spark in their mind, can't you, when they've absorbed a bit of information and it's like, okay, yeah, let's get this, let's do it, yeah.

Lily Struthers (17:08)

Yeah

Yeah! And I remember, because he came out once, we would, again, it was a chimney job and he goes, do you want your donger? And I went, ah, he knows what a donger is! I love it! I was going, yes please. He goes, did you, and then if you bring me all your trowels I'll wash them afterwards. I was like, okay, I know. I was like, yeah. So I got more excited for him. And a couple of lead jobs, he's like, can I, can I point that in? I'm like, yeah.

Laura (17:31)

Good lad.

Lily Struthers (17:42)

do it at the back of the chimney though if that's okay and I'll do the sides so you can see the sides do the bit no one looks at and he's like okay I was like just do that and then we'll go from there and then I remember him calling me round and he goes does that look good? I was like it does look good I said you didn't even smudge the top brick and he goes yeah well you said to hover it below a little bit that's my impression of him hover it a little bit I was like yeah yeah I did say that well done I didn't think you'd yeah and I didn't think you would listen to me

Laura (18:06)

He listened.

Wow.

Lily Struthers (18:10)

because I'm

wicked step mum. I was like, ooh, yeah, cool. He is listening and he loves it. He does love it. And I'm gutted because we only ever get to have him sort of like summer holiday time. And it's like, do you want to come with me then? Because at the weekends, he's not going to want to work with us and he's doing school. So I was like, we can only ever have you like learning this stuff in summer holidays and then come the next summer. I hope you're still interested. He might be.

Laura (18:21)

⁓

Lily Struthers (18:38)

but It would be nice to have him back actually on our team.

Laura (18:42)

Do think it'd be something he'll go into after college, school?

Lily Struthers (18:47)

He is a kid of many talents, so he's really good at football. He has such a way with people and he's also, but he did really enjoy construction work. And we did a job recently where we made this huge timber frame and this outbuilding and he was part of that. And he was asking me at the end, cause he never got to see the end of it. goes, can you send me the photos? And I thought, we've got him here.

Laura (18:53)

Nice.

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (19:16)

I

reckon we've started the bug. But whatever he does, he'll be good at. I pray that he'll be with me. I don't think he'll drive a pink van because he absolutely hated it. Every time we went past his mates, he like sunk down in the foot well. And I really wanted to bib the horn. And I was like, what are you doing? It's like, just, can you just hurry up? I was like, yeah, okay, okay. I was like, are those your friends? He's like, just shut up.

Laura (19:33)

God bless.

Lily Struthers (19:44)

yeah can we just drive? was like yeah yeah cool.

Laura (19:49)

I was going to ask

you how do the guys feel about driving the pink vans.

Lily Struthers (19:53)

So Keon the one I'll continue to talk about he's probably my favorite so he Embraced it so he had my little one that had the flowers on it at the very beginning I don't do that to any of them anymore I now just do pink and then the vintage black and white tools but lovely Keon had the flower power pink fan and he said the amount of times he got caught up

Laura (20:01)

Nice.

yeah.

Nice.

Lily Struthers (20:19)

and men would drive past in their vans and they go it's a dude and he went it's not since I've driven your pink van do I realise that I get cut up a lot more often overtaken a lot and I was like yeah and then he went and then I got pulled up and he went somewhere once and he goes ⁓ you were like a flower guy and he's like no no I'm not and he went ⁓ okay

And he's like, it's cool. It's cool. But where he's quite a strong fella it sort of counterbalanced the crap he was getting. And it just rolls off Keons back. So he didn't really care. But the boys sometimes are like, I'm glad you kept the uniform black, for the love of God. was like, yeah, I won't do that to you. Black's slimming. We all need that right now. So.

Laura (20:45)

⁓ dear.

We all need that

for sure.

Lily Struthers (21:05)

exactly

I won't change it to pink

Laura (21:08)

⁓ brilliant. I mean, the best of us get cut up and name called, you know, but for the lads to deal with it in a pink van, fair play, fair play. Yeah.

Lily Struthers (21:17)

I know.

I do love them. They do take it on the chin and then they get a lot of when we pull up at jobs and there's like three of us all in different pink vans and they're like nice van and it's like yeah it is actually isn't it they do just take it quite well and they're like yeah my boss yeah my boss likes it shut up yeah now they just roll with it they're like yep yep yep but again

Laura (21:30)

Yeah, yeah. Owning it.

Yeah, protective almost now, I bet, yeah.

Good lads

Lily Struthers (21:43)

We sort of they go somewhere and they go, who's was this idea? And they go, don't know. And then they'll ask me sometimes, is this you? And I went, no, no, I'm pretty sure the boys wanted it. They're nothing to do with me. I don't know what you're on about.

Laura (21:51)

Yeah.

that's brilliant. I've seen your social media and you've got, have you got two little kiddies? Yeah?

Lily Struthers (22:01)

I do, yeah.

So I have my stepson Reggie and I have Oscar, he's 10 and I have the real feral one who's 5 and she's nuts. She's just gorgeous but she frightens me. She's a nut job. yeah, I mean she'll definitely be with us and it worries me how little fear she has so...

Laura (22:17)

Really? bless her.

Lily Struthers (22:25)

My 10 year old, he's sensible, he thinks about things. You can see him ticking over, he likes to take his time. He'll process things and then there's just crazy. and Reggie's a mixture between the two, which is quite nice, because what I like is that when he comes to visit us or he hangs out with us, he can almost sort of move between the two kids. He doesn't...

Laura (22:47)

How nice.

Lily Struthers (22:48)

he'll talk to one and go okay well let's talk about Minecraft and then he's with like crazy that want to throw things or like get a catapult and fire it at like random glass bottles he's like yeah let's do that and i'm like let's not encourage this but they're doing it anyway and they love it so i do i do love that i think my whole world's about the kids

Laura (22:55)

Hahaha.

Amazing.

I love that. So I was gonna say, do you find it easy to balance building and sustaining your own business and obviously spending time with your family?

Lily Struthers (23:15)

I have had to make a lot of sacrifices and it's mainly things where projects came along and I would have loved to have done them. However, I had to decline and that's purely because they were either too far away and I do tend to, I'm very much if I can be there on the school run and pick you up, I want to be there.

Laura (23:25)

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (23:38)

I guess I never got that because when I was at boarding school from a young age, I felt like I missed out on a lot of like little tiny bits. So I think in some ways I'm trying to now grasp the bits that I missed. And I'm like, I'm here for you kids. Like if you want me at 3.30 and you want me to wave at you really geekily when you come out of class, I'm there. And I think locally I'm very well known and they know that I do the school runs and that's what I love. They're like,

Laura (24:05)

can.

Lily Struthers (24:06)

Do want me to see you at 9.30?" I was like, yes, please. I will be with you after the school run. And I love that. And I think it's taken me a long time to be established in my area. However, a lot of my work is local, but the sacrifice I had to make is there was a lot of projects that came along and I was gutted not to be part of it. And I did like to watch them still. There was one where they were, I think it was on BBC a couple of days ago, and there was these two females wanting to do an all female build.

Laura (24:09)

⁓

Okay.

Yep.

Lily Struthers (24:36)

that

was yeah, and they approached me last year and I was like I wanted to be part of it so bad but it was so far away and I was heartbroken and I thought ⁓ I can't I can't and I know it sounds silly because but it would be the drive and then to do that I'd probably have to stay there for a couple of weeks to then be

Laura (24:40)

Okay.

Yeah.

Okay.

Lily Struthers (24:57)

part of that and I thought I know it sounds silly but then one of them has a birthday party and one of them has this and I want to do it with them. So I think I do take it on the chin that I'm limited but then what I gain from being with the kids is so much more of a benefit. I mean I feel like I'm a big kid myself so I constantly sort of think I just had a brilliant time and all we've done for the last hour is hurtle mud at each other. It was the best day.

Laura (25:00)

No.

Lily Struthers (25:26)

or we went for a walk, I normally get lost, and it was about a three hour dog walk where I don't think anyone was actually having fun come hour two, but it was the journey when we got back home and they were like, oh, mum. I was like, I know, but how much fun was that? And we all talk about, do you remember when mum got us lost in the woods a couple of weeks ago? Yeah, we were there for three hours. I was like, I'm so sorry, guys. However, I would miss out on all of that and I just don't want to.

Laura (25:44)

Thanks.

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (25:52)

I'm a little wins person, but I think I take the most joy for me is watching other people and a new wave of a generation coming into these roles. I love it and I recently went to the Design and Build Awards for Women in Construction and the whole highlight of my day was I met this girl, Sammy Green.

and she has like a class one license you can just get in whatever vehicle she decides that day and she was road sweeping for this company but she was just so cool and I got so much joy out of meeting this one person and I think that's what I need to remember, do you know what it's about the people that are coming in and I know that I missed out on being able to do this and this however I never would have got to meet her

Laura (26:22)

Yeah?

Lily Struthers (26:38)

and I never would have got to watch her experience and then progress and she won the On The Tools award which is really cool and she was so sad because I know she wanted to be there but she was on a honeymoon with her wife and I was like oh how gutting it's the worst I know and I was like I think one of our colleagues took the award but again I thought I'm glad I went to that because I never would have met her

Laura (26:45)

Amazing

Damn.

Lily Struthers (27:05)

So I take tiny little wins where I can. I do the little ones and when a girl from like Oscar's school goes, oh, what are you doing in the summer? Can I work with you? And she's now just leaving Sandhurst school. And I'm like, uh, which goes, do you do stuff with like 16 year olds? It's like, darling, if you want to learn how to lay bricks, no worries. Just come with me for a day. I mean, as long as your mom's cool. Yeah.

Laura (27:27)

Love that.

Lily Struthers (27:30)

you're gonna get dirty but yeah come with me and again and then I go home and I'm beaming because I've just taught a 16 year old how to lay bricks and really I probably think that must be what everyone else felt when they were teaching me probably it yeah and I loved that

Laura (27:36)

Wow.

Yeah, definitely.

For sure. think that kind of free advice, free help from someone like yourself is, it's priceless because we know how difficult, or we hear how difficult it is for teenagers to get into apprenticeships and actually on a job with a company to get that hands-on experience. So.

what you've just said, come and have a day with me. know, it's no skin off your nose. You're happy to share your knowledge. It's priceless to that kid, isn't it?

Lily Struthers (28:11)

Yeah.

It is, and there's so much that can be taken from the people around you, like local tradesmen. I wouldn't have ever known that I could do lead welding had it not been for this man called Whitty. Again, it's all people we know. And he'd just took an hour out of his time and he went, come on then. And then he set up the back of his van and he's like, and I became obsessed with lead welding.

Laura (28:33)

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (28:41)

And before it was always the case of we'd have to, whilst I don't mind lead dressing, we'd have to outsource the lead welding, because it just wasn't something I was comfortable with. And I think that's what the young people forget. I mean, it's all great that there's these courses, but my God, go find these guys that are doing these things and just approach. If you don't ask, you don't know. But had it not been for me bothering Witty and going, can I ask you something? And he's like, what? And then, can I learn this? goes, yeah, come on then.

Laura (28:41)

Wow.

Lily Struthers (29:09)

And then it was just then getting a kit myself and then because he taught me so well and I did, listened, I was like, I'm listening. He's like, your mouth breathing near me. I was like, I'm very sorry. And I was sort of engrossed and then I found another thing that I loved. It's so weird. You don't know that you love these things until someone gives you the opportunity. And I think...

Laura (29:25)

There you go.

This is it.

Lily Struthers (29:31)

For kids, go do that. If your granddad has a mate that's retired but used to put in windows or whatever, just ask him. I'm sure he would love to show you something like that.

Laura (29:40)

Absolutely.

Definitely. All these hands-on skills that you don't know if you'd like them unless you try them. Like you say, seek those people out that are close by and yeah, just ask, you know? You don't get if you don't ask.

Lily Struthers (29:53)

Yeah.

I think you had someone, Emily, who was a chippie and when she was talking, oh my god I was all over it and the idea of living down a street from her I know that I'd be like, hey can I be really annoying? I knew in my head straight away I knew that that would be someone I'd go, can I ask you, can I be with you for a day and I think that's very much me I'm just a very annoying person who likes to know things and

Laura (30:03)

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (30:23)

They're just people that I'm obsessed with because then you think, wow, what a cool thing to know. wow, I want to learn that. I think in terms of carpentry, I'm terrible because my accuracy for things is just pants. And I knew that, so I have to double check a lot of things. And that's why I knew, think being a chippy just comes with so much accuracy. You just need to know every little part of that because that's got to now go seamlessly into this bit, especially with roof joists and Rafters.

Laura (30:29)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (30:48)

I'm like I want to learn that and then the lads are looking at me like Lily you're terrible with maths. Just don't do it. I'm like aww and they're like just maybe later just stop. you me lead world? Gah. But again it's if I don't know and I and if it weren't for these women coming in and going I do this never would have known there was a female chippy.

Laura (30:59)

I really want to do it.

Lily Struthers (31:12)

I wouldn't even, I don't know how to hang a lot, I don't even know how to put a door frame in. But again, it's then you watch and then you start following them and then you watch all these women do the little bits and pieces or like plaster moulds on the ceiling. You're like, huh, that's cool. That is cool. And it's just, again, they've probably asked a thousand questions when they started, I think that's the best way. And there's a lot of courses now as well and bricklaying courses, which I do.

Laura (31:24)

Yeah, this is it.

Absolutely.

Lily Struthers (31:39)

I do love but I think I've learnt far more from other men and on the job itself than I would have on a course. Particularly lead welding actually because we took the time to show me mistakes and I think sometimes when you're in a class setting by the time you've made the mistake you're now asking and you're trying to sort of retrospectively go I did this but I don't know where I went wrong and instead you've got the one-to-one with a guy going what are you doing? I don't know and he's like right stop.

Laura (31:47)

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (32:08)

do this, do this. It's someone that's actually done the job a thousand times because that's what they do for a living now with you and giving them every sort of wisdom that they can pour into you so you don't make the same mistake or you now know what they know and I don't think you get that from a classroom setting sometimes. So if you have anyone in the local area, go for it.

because I know my definite next sort of mooch is there's a guy in Wallop who does thatched roofing and he's encouraged people if they wanted to to come and look, I'm like, yeah, I'm gonna stalk you, I'm all over this.

Laura (32:30)

So.

Mmm.

yeah. I do remember coming across actually two women that were Thatchers. Isn't it? I know they I believe they were on the BBC. I think it was the BBC for their local area a good few years ago. So when I was initially doing research for guests for the show, they were two that I came across, but I cannot for the life of me find them anywhere on social media apart from.

Lily Struthers (32:48)

that's so cool.

Yeah.

Laura (33:10)

that BBC clip and they're not tagged in it. So yeah, I know. So, that's...

Lily Struthers (33:13)

No! You think they should

because of the praise of what they do and they should at least be mentioned. There a lot of them. Yeah I discovered that and it is only because I'm trying to move to an area where I just wanted a lot more fields for the kids so we're moving to like a more open area place and as we were driving around I was going my god look at the thatched roofing.

Laura (33:19)

Exactly. Yeah. But yeah.

Lily Struthers (33:36)

And it was Adam that sat next to me and he went, man, that stuff's hard. He goes, I'd love to learn it. I said, I'd love to learn it. And he goes, but man, it's hard. And then we were like rabbit hole, now on sort of YouTube. And we were watching this guy and with all the bundles of straw and where they get them from. And he has to sort of like push it as it goes. And I was like,

Laura (33:45)

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (33:57)

I would love to stalk someone for a good couple of weeks to do that and I'm hoping that he'll let me if I can.

Laura (34:01)

Hehehehe

⁓

Lily Struthers (34:05)

I think that would be my next my next go-to for sure I just love anything to do with build it I'm like, how do we do this

Laura (34:09)

Wow.

Lily Struthers (34:13)

It is just, it just opens up. I suppose it's similar to carpentry. It just opens up so many things where you go, I don't know how to do that. I want to do that.

Laura (34:19)

Yeah, exactly. mean, I guess when you're working on a project like that, there's so many aspects that are involved in it that, yes, carpentry is one thing, but there's so many branches off. Like Emily was saying, her passion is with...

Lily Struthers (34:26)

Yeah.

Laura (34:34)

not necessarily your hanging doors, but more structural. that's it.

Lily Struthers (34:39)

roof structure, joists, rafters

yeah, they're the ones I watch. I'm like, that's cool. That's really cool. I'm just putting tiles on whatever they've just done. I'm like, yeah, that's cool.

Laura (34:44)

Yeah, I mean...

But it's all a process, isn't it? So you've got building it up. Everybody is involved. And the levels of accuracy that's involved to then allow you to then do your job properly. Because if those joists aren't laid correctly or at the right width apart, I suspect, etc., then, you know, your job's going to be made more difficult because you're the finishing part of the roof, you know.

Lily Struthers (35:01)

Yeah.

A massively Yeah, I think we all sort of work hand in hand. What's sad is a lot of the time with older buildings you get a lot of people that come in and they go, this isn't right, but it probably actually was for that time. it is sort of you see it a lot now as we're coming to the age of sort of dry verge systems and dry ridge systems. But sometimes I think, well, in 30 years, will they be criticizing us for doing it that way or?

But again, when we sort of do a brand new build, I do look in awe at the sort of all these great big structures. And then we have to put the membrane down and then we're putting the baton on and the whole time I'm looking at it going, that is so cool. How did they just figure that out? How did they just get from this to this? I mean, I hadn't really started doing buildings from start to finish until this year. And had I have not had Adam with me, I think it would have gone over my head.

Laura (36:00)

Okay.

Lily Struthers (36:05)

all the aspects. I mean while we're used to doing footings a lot of the time and foundations we're like yeah fine but then came in sort of then the structural beams and then came in the next bit and then it was like how much weight goes on to that and then you're talking to structural engineers I mean normally everyone used to go well structural engineers and then when you had a building inspector come in everyone's holding their breath on their best behavior but when you actually talk to them and you break down what it is that they're looking for and what they need

You're like, oh, OK. And you learn a lot more. And again, I think it's as you have to embrace other people's role and skills so you know what you're doing next. It is really interesting. And then you're thinking, oh my god, I've just put that plywood up and they're like, dude, you just done that and the electrician needs it. I'm like, shit, shit. I'm so sorry. Is he going to hate me? Yeah, he's going to hate you. Take it off. I was like, oh, man. I was like, OK, I'm taking it down. I'm taking it down.

Laura (36:37)

Yeah.

Definitely.

You

Lily Struthers (36:59)

and I think and had it not been for that I wouldn't think I've just now blocked that entirely and this poor electrician has come all along and he's penciled everywhere where the sockets are going and I've like put cellotex everywhere and I've covered it and I was saying okay sorry and you just have to be mindful yeah like all these people have come in to do this one thing and it's just brilliant and all these different aspects of what goes into this one thing it's like that's cool the electrician now hates me however

Laura (37:04)

Yeah.

That's it.

Lily Struthers (37:27)

I do feel like I'm more mindful of him. Bless him.

Laura (37:31)

That's it. think when you work on these projects where they are literal start to finish build, you start to understand the processes of each trade, don't you? And the order of things that need to be done and the access that each trade needs to parts of the build because...

Lily Struthers (37:44)

Yeah.

Laura (37:51)

The last thing you want to do is cellotex board and someone needs to then destroy the board that you've just put up because you've covered up the wires or the pipes that they need because then that gets your backup instead. If you knew from the start, then that could be avoided and it would be more of a smooth sailing process, wouldn't it? it's again, like you say, it's all about communication and

Lily Struthers (37:55)

So right over.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Laura (38:18)

understanding each trade's process so that it runs smoothly.

Lily Struthers (38:25)

Yeah, and it was massively ignorance on my part as well. I think sometimes you just have to take it on the chin. You're gonna make a mistake. Where are you gonna go from this? And I knew in my head, I'd gone into that garage conversion and I was like, right, this needs to go up, this needs to go on, that needs to up. I hadn't thought about that poor bloke once. And I'd even seen these pencil marks and I got meh, cover it. And they were like, ⁓ yeah.

Laura (38:30)

Yeah.

Easily done when you just want to get on though, isn't it?

Lily Struthers (38:51)

And again, it's massive ignorant on my part because I've just gone gung ho and forgotten about everybody else that's taken their time. That's probably been in there for hours beforehand. Knowing everything they were going to do, had to sit there with a customer and go, okay, so what's this bit going to be? And they're like, it's a laundry room. And they've marked out like nine sockets for all these washing machines. Lily's come along. And now I think, again, I just have to sometimes stop. Take a minute. It's not just me on this build.

wait a minute there's someone else and that I love now I think I very much stopped being so well I know what I'm doing with this part and I know that I need to be doing that I need to have that cavity wall up today and I think whoa let's just have a look around take a minute am I gonna fudge someone else up tomorrow yes you are Lily yeah just leave it a minute I was like okay cool

Laura (39:30)

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (39:40)

And I, it's all about learning. To this day, there are still so many things that, again, either I have to ask my granddad for guidance or Adam has been in the game so much longer than I have. And again, I'll still FaceTime Adam and be like, oh, I've hit this, but I need to move this lead round. But there's like a listed building and then I need to move that bit. And he's like, okay, so you can't put timber there because it's listed. You need to go get oak. And I'm like, you guys, stop what you're doing immediately. Go tell them it needs to be oak there because that's about to be.

like triple the cost, was like ⁓ okay. If I'd not have rung him, I would have put timber support underneath and I wouldn't have thought about it but because it needed to be as he was, it had to be oak and I would have got flagged for that and then I would have been massively bit on the bum for the whole thing so I think sometimes again, just ask, no for start.

Laura (40:11)

Okay.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

Lily Struthers (40:32)

ask those questions.

There's always going to be someone that knows more than I do. I don't have a problem with that at any given point, even if I'm ringing an 18 year old at the time Keon and they've been like, I'm doing a patio and I've done this. He's like, take it up. There's been some hard days, but again, it's all, it's all part of the fun and

Laura (40:41)

That's it.

would you ever change where you are now? Would you go back to being employed by somebody or is self-employment life the one for you?

Lily Struthers (41:02)

I could never be employed again, never. I never got taken seriously and I had so much drive to learn things and I felt like in a company I was massively stifled and with the skip industry I was like I want to do my CPC, I want to do this, I want to do the dust car and drive an RCB, could I do that? Could I be on the O license? Just have that nature around me, I don't know why but why?

got very very quickly from being in a company was just do your nine to five, don't get ahead of your station, be grateful that you now have a pension, go home and the minute Oscar like it had I have I mean the kids get ill all the time.

and I watched my best friend in a company whose son was ill at the time and she just got so much crap for it and I was like she can't help if her son's ill. No, working for a company was the worst for me. It was so suffocating and the office environment was all wrong. They didn't embrace females and it's weird because I'm in a male industry now and they're lovely. These people are so embracing.

Laura (42:01)

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (42:13)

They don't care that I can't carry that roll of felt and they're like, yeah, move, I'll do it. and these guys are just day in, day out, they graft and it's...

they treat me so much better than anyone who was ever in an office environment. I feel like in an office, you're all in it together. You should all sort of be like, no one's really enjoying themselves, are they? So let's all just be really close. And no, it wasn't. It was very competitive for the wrong reasons. And again, I watched a girl, Emily, who was unbelievably skilled.

Laura (42:33)

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (42:49)

and talented and it took a long long time for anyone to acknowledge that and it really annoyed me. think now I hope and I pray because I think last time we spoke she was an assistant manager for a branch for Suez but now I watched her just run the show and she wasn't even really acknowledged for it and people wouldn't come in to work who were meant to be management and I just watched her very calmly take over and do it all and I think

Laura (43:03)

Wow.

Lily Struthers (43:16)

why are we not acknowledging this woman and why has she not been noticed? Why is she still on 28,000 a year? This is ridiculous. And she was giving up and then at the end of it all I remember was her just being on a performance program because she had days off with her son and that was what just pissed me off. That's what they took from that.

Not that, you know, there were days when our manager wouldn't show up for some reason or other and she took over and that's what they didn't see. And sometimes I felt like it's so easy for someone to go, well, that's not my role. That's not my position. She could have just, you know, let it drown if she wanted to. And she didn't. She was like, yeah, let's do it. Let's do it. And she's missing half her team. So I think for me, seeing what I've seen, I couldn't work for someone else again. And I think a lot of that has changed the way I

Laura (43:46)

Yeah.

Wow.

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (44:09)

see others so when we have young lads I'm just very honest like you're gonna start on this wage but don't worry you're gonna be on this wage but you have to understand I can't just whack you 250 a day when at the moment I just need you to learn this this and this and he's like yeah cool and then suddenly it's like hey so if you're comfortable do you want me to insure you on this band and then you can go to that job and I'll meet you there and they're like yeah cool

I think it's more about recognising where they're at and that they've absorbed something now, they're confident and then it got to a point where if there's a job that comes up on the weekend, because I just flat out don't work weekends, if there's something that comes up and you want to do it, hey, you borrow the van and borrow the tools. I'm never going to tell you no. And Keon did that a lot. We had a couple of other people that swung by and was like, I don't have a disc cutter. Do you mind if I pinch yours? I'm like, yeah, take it. Because it's that.

Laura (44:52)

Wow.

Lily Struthers (45:04)

recognizing that someone else has a skill and these are probably young lads that are going to far exceed what I can do one day and rather than stifle them or tell them well you you should be grateful that you have this I just I hate that if someone wants to shine let them shine

Laura (45:26)

Exactly. And I think it's, I think it's just voicing the fact that you are willing to give them an opportunity and not focusing on the, but you'll only be doing this. Like the negatives, do you know what I mean? And like, making sure that they are aware that the possibilities are open for them and there's no

Lily Struthers (45:39)

Yeah.

Laura (45:47)

unspoken expectations because that can be a pressure in itself, can't it? That I think in companies you kind of think, right, this is the position I'm told that I am. I better not step out of my lane, so to speak, because you just don't know what's going to happen. Whereas if you openly say this is what you're going to be earning, this is the freedoms you've got.

It's fine as long as you communicate with me that this is what you want to do I can say the yes crack on or no that and this is why so yeah, I think Approaching it from the angle of positivity and possibility Can make a young mind or any mind just think wow what what opportunities have I got here? You know makes it exciting

Lily Struthers (46:16)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, you were spot on. The minute you said unspoken sort of expectations, like, they do, companies do this, And I think, no, I don't want them to think like that. I think this is where you'll be because it's where everyone has to be, more from a safety point of view. mean, Jesus, I don't want you yet. And then, hey, you're going to be here and I don't have a problem with you being here.

Laura (46:55)

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (47:00)

I don't have a problem with you just outshining me completely because God, I'm getting old one day. I need you to outshine me. I need you to still ring me in 10 years and feel relevant because I want that and I wanna watch you grow. I don't think you'll get that in a company environment. It's so sad. Don't get me wrong. Maybe that's just been my experience and I pray that other people...

Laura (47:08)

Yeah.

It really is.

Lily Struthers (47:27)

had better ones and I think Sammy Green the winner of the On The Tools award I think she works for a company that massively allowed her to develop herself and I love that and it's again it's all about change and it's all coming round but I think it's even for men though and young lads there's these poor young lads leaving school and sometimes I think everyone pushes them into like sort of these roles and they're like oh well do this because it earns money being a state agent I don't think he wants that though

Laura (47:35)

Wow.

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (47:55)

If he wants to be a tradesperson, you have to let him. He just needs to find the right people for him.

Laura (48:00)

This is

absolutely and I think.

A trade or being in the trades needs to be opened up as a possibility more for teenagers leaving school and not just in the route of being apprentice because from what I've read and heard, that route is becoming increasingly more difficult purely because of the onus it puts on

Lily Struthers (48:16)

Yeah.

Laura (48:25)

the companies that these kids are having to go and be an apprentice for, and their connection with the government scheme, it's just so complicated. And I think the opportunities of different routes need to be given more clearly so that these kids with creative minds wanting the hands-on can go straight into something instead of...

Lily Struthers (48:37)

Thanks, man.

Laura (48:51)

out of school, not wanting to go into uni, but they're not really knowing what to do with their lives, you know? And it's just, okay, well, I'll just go and get a little job, get a bit of money in, but it's not feeding their mind, it's not feeding their passion. So I think speaking about things today where you've said that you'd be open for somebody to just come down and say,

Do mind if I come and learn to do this and watch you do this for the day? Knowing that people in the industry are willing to give up time to young minds to understand the possibilities in front of them, it's, yeah, it's mind blowing.

Lily Struthers (49:30)

Yeah, because there's a huge gap, huge gap. think it and again, it's that sort of they come out and then they're expected to immediately find a role. And and sometimes I think, but you don't know always what you want to do. But if you have that curiosity to stay open and again, I know Caitlin, a female painter that we hire a lot. I know that wasn't how she started. I don't think anyone really starts exactly where they want to be. They just sort of find it and

Laura (49:32)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (50:01)

again if people just allowed the opportunity and said yeah and it's also a lot to do with funding I don't think it's as easy for people that come from like working households and they don't have that money to go well there's a course I mean the lead welding course that I was looking at it was something like 1500 and rightfully so because I suppose it comes with all that knowledge and it comes with the kit and it is a dangerous job so their insurance must be for the roof but

Laura (50:07)

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (50:28)

As an 18 year old would I have applied to a £1,500 course? Jesus no! Where am I going to get £1,500 from? It's madness! I was working at Starbucks at 18 and Pizza Hut late at night, like, you know, and that was just to sort of fuel my car so I could pick up my mates in the evening. It is silly because I think they need to just be aware that ask, just ask. I know you won't know until, and there's so much pressure.

Laura (50:33)

There. Exactly.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (50:56)

and there aren't enough schemes in place where we go have a go day I think that's what it should be especially for ⁓ bricklaying I don't think there's enough females that are bricklaying it's sad because I think I really enjoyed it but there's just not enough courses around here and I think my goodness can you imagine if that had been something that I ran with first or I mean don't get me wrong I do love roofing and I think because it changes all the time but

Laura (50:59)

That's it. Yeah.

it

Okay.

Lily Struthers (51:24)

I would have loved to have that before and after of an entire construction knowing that I built that house and I want girls around the world to have that feeling because men get it and they get to drive past and go I built that garage or I built that and I'm like it's just not the same pointing out to like my kids mummy built that chimney yeah

Laura (51:29)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Aww, but it's still impressive. Definitely.

Lily Struthers (51:49)

like bits like that. think we just need to push more for the next wave. We've had to take the hit and I think it's all about the next lot and then saying yeah come and have a look, come on then. And all these women that you have on your podcast and all this wealth of knowledge that they have I think if you open it up and plastering I'm terrible, I'm messy but I would love to watch it.

Laura (52:00)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (52:13)

Because

then that could be that one kid that goes, I want to watch that for a day, I want to see this. And they go, oh yeah, OK. And then she'll be like, oh, do you want to try it there? It just opens up that whole thing that we've luckily been given, suppose, from generation. family and my granddad, and we have those bits and pieces. But there are kids out there that didn't have that, and they need that. And I think it's about being that person for them. You don't have to be family. If you want to be that person that says, do you want to come with me for a day? Yeah, go on then.

Laura (52:35)

Definitely.

Lily Struthers (52:42)

and they may not enjoy it, they may just be like yeah I did get pooed on a lot by birds yeah you're gonna and you're gonna be messy and by the way I need you to dehydrate for like an hour and a half because you can't wee anywhere and it's it's a locked premises sadly you might need to catbush wee you're just gonna have to sort of there's a lot that we don't sort of reveal but then they'll be like yeah cool actually I had loads of fun and I'm like yeah you're good I'm glad I'm really pleased

Laura (52:54)

Yeah.

That's it.

That's it. Just gotta try it. Put yourself out there. Put yourself out your comfort zone and you never know what you might learn.

Lily Struthers (53:14)

Yeah.

No,

and good god you're gonna make mistakes. Just take it on the chin. I know it's crap and no one likes making mistakes. Even worse when someone points it out and like no one enjoys it but just learn from it. Absorb it and go okay, alright. Don't, I sulk. I'm a massive sulker. I like to go home and brood on it and then you could tell because I've sucked all the joy out of the atmosphere in everybody's room and then I go.

Laura (53:22)

Absolutely.

Lily Struthers (53:47)

God. And I think it's fine. And everyone will go, what's up with you? I get nothing. This clearly, but again, if you don't do what I do and just go, okay, that's fine. I've learnt from this. Tomorrow will be a better day. Because I think that's the only thing. You are always going to make mistakes no matter what comes. And it is hard. It is hard to sort of accept it. But I've learnt. I'm still learning actually. I'm still learning. Yeah.

Laura (54:04)

That's it.

We all are, absolutely.

is a learning

Lily Struthers (54:16)

and just

take advice. Definitely take advice. I do hate my moments and they're the things that everyone seems to remember because every time I've made a mistake it's always been when I've had like the biggest audience and it's always been from things that I've nagged at other people like mind that drain or mind this, don't do that and then I've gone and done it and I broke three ribs before going through a drain that I spent four hours nagging at everybody.

mind the drain and then I did it and it was like Lily and again you just got to sort of go okay now we'll do this and what I learned from that is actually put cones around and I didn't even do that and then what a silly thing that I didn't even put or think to all I'm doing is shouting mind that mind that and again it's just taking it on the chin that hey so you broke four ribs because you didn't listen to your own advice yeah never mind

Laura (55:06)

Oops.

Lily Struthers (55:09)

And it's the stuff like that, but that'll be the stuff that people will remember and you just think I have to go, yeah, okay, yeah, but what did we learn from this? Maybe like cone this bit off or let everyone know there's a conservatory around the back when they're launching shit off the roof and then you're like, oh God, I think that nearly hit, oh my God, don't do that. And they're like, why? And I'm like, there's a conservatory down there. And they're like, oh, didn't you tell me, you didn't tell me. And I'm like, you're right, that's on me.

Laura (55:16)

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (55:35)

shit it is my fault they're not gonna know there's a conservatory why are gonna walk around someone's house and they're like cool thanks for letting me know i'm like yeah and they're like an hour late lils i'm like i know i'm so sorry it's just learning you just gotta learn

Laura (55:41)

God.

It is,

this is it, absolutely. So have you got any big projects on the horizon or any big clients that you're able to share?

Lily Struthers (55:58)

There's a listed property that I'm hoping to win the contract for in a very sleepy village and she had a lot of fire damage bless her and I because I'm sort of very I'm a huge passionate person for listed properties I know people hate them but I love them and I know they're really annoying and know building inspectors are gonna hate every little bit that we propose however I like getting it right

And so I put my bid in because I think that'll probably be a really big one. I think that's going to be a six month project for us. And that one I'm excited about. And if I don't get it, I won't sulk. I'm going to learn. I'm just going to do the little wins. And then I'm probably just going to take on a lot more younger apprentices this year. just want to sort of, again, I think that's what I've enjoyed most is just sparking that interest for someone else. I love watching other people come in.

Laura (56:45)

Okay.

Lily Struthers (56:55)

and learn something. So I think we're going to open that up during the school holidays, particularly to sort of my stepson's friends and other people that want to come in. And I can't remember who said it. I think it was one of the American presidents, but he just said, if you don't build your own dream home, you'll end up building it for someone else. And so I think there'll be a lot of maybe shifting this year to sort of getting ourselves where we needed to be. Because

Laura (57:02)

Amazing.

Lily Struthers (57:21)

I think that's one thing that I always neglect. I've spent so much of my life on other people's roofs and giving advice and helping and popping in. And I think, oh my God, what could we have done here? And I miss out on doing our own home up. So, and I want to play with it. And I saw this person do this really cool swing inside their house for like their kids bedroom. And it was on these oak beams. I was like, I want to do that.

Laura (57:43)

wow.

Lily Struthers (57:46)

I wanna put a swing in one of the kids' I don't know which kid yet. It'll just be like lottery. We'll just figure it out at the time. I think, yeah, I think once we move, it's gonna be a lot of doing our own sort of dream house up and just inspiring other people to come in. Not massively wild ambition, but just the little bits, the little wins.

Laura (58:07)

Love that. was funny you say focusing on your own home because I think as a general thing tradespeople neglect their own home because they are so focused and busy on other people's and their projects that they've got going on. was having a conversation with, I think it was Emily the Chippy that yeah.

As a tradesperson, your home is never finished. It's never finished.

Lily Struthers (58:36)

No. Yeah,

it's awful. I had a hip tile come off last year and as an advertisement for someone that does roofing, I have not gone up and put that back on. And then there was a wasps nest that sort of like then was introduced itself because I presented an opportunity of a missing hip towel. And I'm like, no, just can't. There's not one part of me that wants to get up on my own house and put that hip towel on. And I was like, I think you have wasps. Yeah, shut up.

God, I'm aware. Yeah, thank you. And it was one of those, but I do need to sort it. And then I promised the kids would do like a big Halloween thing again, because I love Halloween. So I keep meaning to animatronics, everything. I'm obsessed with Halloween. So we have to do that. And then I think then if I'm climbing up on things, I might put the hip tile back on then, then and only then if the opportunity was empty.

Laura (59:06)

I know they're

Yeah?

Wow.

Yeah, if you're going up anyway,

you know.

Lily Struthers (59:32)

Yeah, if I'm climbing, why not?

If I have to get a ladder out, for goodness sake. But again, you just build all these other people's dreams and I think I never do anything for myself. And it's gutting and I watch other people have such creative ideas and I'm like, I want to do that. I want to copy that. That's so cool. So yeah, I think it definitely as tradespeople, we never just we never sort of take care of ourselves or our own environment. We should. We have all these. Yeah.

Laura (59:43)

Yeah.

Yeah.

No.

100%.

Lily Struthers (1:00:01)

and all these skills and all these really cool like electrical ideas and we never do them in our own house do we? Just like, ⁓

Laura (1:00:06)

No.

⁓ dear, yeah. It's definitely a thing.

Lily Struthers (1:00:11)

we just don't take care of our own house or our own home or our own dream. We're so busy doing it for other people. It is, think, we do need to step away from that. Especially women, because I love my house and I love like the quirkiness of it. And sometimes I think, oh, I do like, it's definitely my sanctuary. I'm not a massive person that goes out to a lot of that. I do like to be home. I love my home.

Laura (1:00:16)

That's it.

I know.

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (1:00:40)

It's like the Addams Family style vibe in our house. It's like very like spiders everywhere and like gothic fireplaces and that's why I loved it and I think, ⁓ we should do this and I don't and now I've got a wasps nest. God's sake.

Laura (1:00:47)

Ooh.

You

⁓

Lily Struthers (1:00:58)

And now I

have a worse nest and I'm not doing anything about it apparently. Yeah, it'll figure itself out.

Laura (1:01:01)

Nah, just leave it, it'll be fine. Yeah,

yeah. dear. Right, we've come to the part where I like to do a quick fire question round. Are you ready? Cool, we'll start with an easy one. Driver or passenger?

Lily Struthers (1:01:13)

Okay, I'm ready.

passenger.

Laura (1:01:22)

Ladders or scaffolding?

Lily Struthers (1:01:25)

scaffolding.

Laura (1:01:26)

Tea or coffee.

Lily Struthers (1:01:27)

Ooh, tea.

Laura (1:01:28)

roofing or paving.

Lily Struthers (1:01:31)

Roofing yeah I love it. I do love it. It's a it's a love-hate sometimes But I love to go back to it

Laura (1:01:35)

Yeah.

Cool. Dogs or cats?

Lily Struthers (1:01:41)

⁓ no, I have both, I feel bad. Dogs, even though I'm sorry Maisie, but I do love my dog.

Laura (1:01:49)

I have

seen him, he's a beauty.

Lily Struthers (1:01:52)

⁓ I do. He's just so brave, braver than I thought he would be. And now we have to stop him coming on jobs with us. We're like, get down. Yeah.

Laura (1:01:59)

Really? I have seen him on the roof.

That is crazy. So what is his breed?

Lily Struthers (1:02:04)

Husky so we were so used to these really great obedient dogs We've been like a lab family and a doberman family and then we thought ⁓ god this husky is gorgeous and those puppies came along and we were like good lord What have we done? It is the most disobedient Just vocal he's snarky He's rude and I'm obsessed with him. I think the worst

Laura (1:02:29)

You

Lily Struthers (1:02:32)

The dog, the more you love it. I don't know why. But he's so just annoying. And he just doesn't care. You could have a discart run right near his face and he's still asleep. He's like... And you think, that's really loud. And there's all this like cement flicking up him and now he's read from all this stuff and the brickwork and he's like, yeah, blah. Put the Hoover on. It's like World War Three. And he just howling and we've taken him to like flat roofs.

Laura (1:02:34)

Yeah.

⁓

Lily Struthers (1:02:58)

and a lot of the lads like Finn are like whoa whoa whoa whoa he's gone up he's gone up and I'm like crap I said pull him down he's gonna break all the tiles and now we're having to call the dog down what a weird thing to say we're like calling a dog down from a roof and we're going dusty dusty but he'll just go higher and higher and higher if you let him it's the weirdest thing I have never seen a husky do that before I didn't even know they liked heights he's just so intrusive and annoying

Laura (1:03:15)

Really?

Wow.

Lily Struthers (1:03:24)

and he puts us in the worst positions and then we'll drive home and we'll be like cool, it's an off for a wait and we're in this random country area and now he's seen a deer and we're like man. So now we have to wait and luckily we were near a kebab van at the time so what we did is we just watched for a whole half hour on the tracker waiting for this dog while he circled back. We all had a kebab and we're like yay the dogs come back. But who has a dog like that out of choice?

Laura (1:03:49)

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (1:03:54)

we know

Laura (1:03:53)

He sounds

Renovation or new construction?

Lily Struthers (1:03:58)

renovation.

Yeah, I do like new construction, but there's just not enough money in it. Because you just exhausted yourself by the time you've done like someone's brand new conversion. And even like I've done a couple of oak barns now. And I've looked back and went, I've made more money doing like the repairs and the remedial and the sort of renovating bits that I have actually doing new construction. Yeah.

Laura (1:04:03)

Mmm.

Okay, ooh.

Okay.

Lily Struthers (1:04:24)

a lot more tape over a new construction as well, it's very stop-start and then you're finding yourself like scratching for three days while you wait for someone to go we can or can't do this

Laura (1:04:28)

Right.

And final one,

A meal out or order in.

Lily Struthers (1:04:38)

Ordering in. Definitely ordering in. I have a horrible habit of eating with my mouth open as well and I don't mean to but like things draw, it's just disgusting and I think I don't want anyone to see that. The kids know me already. Just think, let's just shove an Indian in our faces and we'll just get on with it.

Laura (1:04:40)

Definitely. Definitely.

Ha ha.

Yeah.

Amazing, definitely. So if you could be a different trade, what trade would you choose and why?

Lily Struthers (1:05:06)

⁓

Chippy. Definitely chippy. I'm obsessed. I know my weaknesses mean I would be a terrible chippy, but I love it. I've been watching Emily, I've been doing all the bit. I just think, I really want to do that. And I had so much fun doing woodwork this summer with Adam and doing things and didn't realise how much oak was until we started using it and I was going, good Lord, what?

Laura (1:05:28)

Yeah.

Lily Struthers (1:05:37)

Okay, put that on the credit card because I can afford it in the business right now Yeah, I would love to do that. I would love to do carpentry And just spend a bit more time sadly. I'm like constantly Now having to do like flat roofs and stuff and I do do enjoy it I sound like I'm being whingey and I'm grateful because all these men have taught me all this stuff

Laura (1:05:41)

I'm

You

Hmm.

Lily Struthers (1:06:03)

but I just want like a day or a week where can go with someone and go can I help build this? Can you tell me how you do that? Carpentry, absolutely, for sure. I'd be terrible at it, however I really want to learn.

Laura (1:06:14)

I think it's definitely a popular one amongst us all so far, for sure.

Lily Struthers (1:06:19)

It just looks the coolest. Yeah. You're like, wow, isn't that cool? And there's like great big bits and like being through the sawmill and then they do it and I'm like, yeah. I would definitely love to do that. And maybe, ooh.

Laura (1:06:21)

It does, doesn't it?

Lily Struthers (1:06:34)

I think bigger in terms of lead welding. I'm still doing tiny, tiny little things and I've really enjoyed lead welding over the last couple of months. But again, my confidence is just not there yet to even approach. So they would be, yeah, lead welding and carpentry. Hee hee.

Laura (1:06:53)

Love

that. Great choices, definitely. So who do you think I should have on the show next? What trade do you think I should have on the show next?

Lily Struthers (1:07:02)

⁓ Caitlin, little tiny Caitlin. Yeah, she's a painter and she's gorgeous. And I'm obsessed with her. She's just so diddy and she started her own company. She's the cutest thing and she's just so knowledgeable. And every person that I have ever recommended once, because we just come in, we pop things up, we make a great big mess. We're like, there you go. There's your four walls. There's that like.

Laura (1:07:04)

Yeah.

haha

Okay.

Lily Struthers (1:07:30)

cool little roof you want to put a lantern in it but it doesn't have that pop factor and then comes this tiny little beautiful Caitlin who's like I know how to do this I'll mist coat this I can do this for you and I'll make it look beautiful and she helped out actually on the was it the DIY SOS and she gave up weeks of her time helping this little boy Raffy who's local to me in Bracknell

Laura (1:07:51)

yeah.

Lily Struthers (1:07:57)

and she gave up all of this time to help paint this house and as an individual she's just so beautiful but there's so many people I could honestly recommend and I think but she would be my go-to definitely for sure

Laura (1:08:01)

you

Yeah.

Yeah.

Perfect.

Amazing. I will get onto that for sure. Thank you. Brilliant. Well, where can people find you Lily and Bear house building and roofing?

Lily Struthers (1:08:18)

Yeah, that's okay.

mainly just Instagram and Facebook I'm not a techie I feel like I'm a nan in this maybe sort of like mid approaching 40s body that I'm terrible with anything to do with snapchat so I just stick to what I know and I mainly only do it so my grandad can see and he's like yeah cool I saw that well done

but I'm on Instagram and Facebook. Back in the day when I used to use Checker Trade, I had a couple of like bits and pieces and advice stuff on there, but I sort of come away because we just want to be word of mouth now. I want to be recognised in my own reputation as opposed to pushing it. I think, you know, I've...

Laura (1:09:01)

Yeah!

Lily Struthers (1:09:09)

worked so hard in establishing myself in my little community and that's what I like. I just want to be known for me and work that I've done as opposed to then having to pitch it anymore. But it was such a good tool at the beginning. You need that. You do need those platforms and it just showcases who you are when you're just not very well established. I think you need to have things like that sadly but it just costs so much money. I don't know.

Laura (1:09:20)

Yeah, know what you mean.

It does.

Lily Struthers (1:09:35)

Yeah, these young fellas, mean the ones that used to work for me and then go off on their own, they're like, my god, Lily, trust the traders like a grand. I'm like, I know babe. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. like, what do I do? And I'm like, I don't know. Try just locally advertise, guess.

Laura (1:09:41)

Yeah, I know.

100%, I think it's underrated the power of a leaflet, I think, and local advertising, definitely. think when I started back up, I went old school and did leaflet drop-in. I got loads printed off, walked around for a couple of hours in my local area and put them through letterbox, you know? Because like you say,

Lily Struthers (1:09:55)

Yes.

this one.

That's the

demographic you're appealing to. These are people that need the leaflets, you know, the homeowners are the ones that are like, yeah, I'll keep that local, you know, the monthly gazettes that you get sometimes, your local area, they're a good place to start. Cause that's your, that's literally your audience that you need. That's the demographic. The ones that have these leaflets, they keep them on the telephone table. They're like, flick through that cause I've seen that before. They're not on social media. My dad's not on social media.

Laura (1:10:12)

Yeah.

Yes! Yeah.

They are.

Absolutely. Yeah.

Lily Struthers (1:10:37)

My grandad surprisingly is and god knows how that happened. I think that was just to watch what we were doing. these, yeah, leaflets, the power of a leaflet and the power of one mouth.

Laura (1:10:38)

Yeah.

Hahaha.

100%.

yeah. That's what you want though. You want don't you? Because that's what people trust. When you're buying something online, you look at the reviews because that's people's opinions. That's their recommendation on that product. You want the same on you, on your services, don't you? So.

Lily Struthers (1:10:51)

Mm.

Yeah,

exactly. And I know it must be hard for ones that are starting out. Goodness knows it's hard for me when people didn't know me. But I do get it. And I know that it's so hard to fall in that loop of relying on trick or treat. But sometimes you want to say to them, like, come away now. Just leave. You're OK. You're going to be OK. That job you did down the road, they're going to say something to the next person. You're going to be all right. You don't need to keep paying all this money. But yeah.

Laura (1:11:25)

Definitely.

Absolutely.

That's it. Brilliant. Well, Instagram and Facebook is then for Bear House Build and Roofing. Find Lily and the team on there. I'll make sure that your links are in the show notes for people to click on and follow you. And yeah, thank you again for sharing your time, giving up your time with your little kiddies. I've loved it. Thank you very much.

Lily Struthers (1:11:40)

Yeah.

Thank you for having me. my god, it's been an absolute blessing. I love this. I love talking to people. I could do this all day. I think maybe that's part of the job. I don't want to talk to someone all day. Be my

Laura (1:12:09)

Good.

Lily Struthers (1:12:10)

I have loved it. So thank you so much for thinking of me. That's lovely.

Laura (1:12:14)

You're welcome. We'll speak again soon.

Lily Struthers (1:12:17)

I hope so, definitely.