With Her Two Hands

Guest: Kayla Rundle - Designer, Builder and Automotive YouTuber
Kayla Rundle fell in love with cars on her own as a teen and has grown this enthusiasm into a career. By combining her Transportation Design Degree and her knack for marketing, she Renders Automotive Concepts for clients & has built a community on Social media showing that it is possible to build your car on your own, making your dream build come to life.
 
**** Know any amazing women working in the trades that we should interview? Shoot us a message! ****
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Watch Broadcast LIVE every Wednesday 5pm pacific | 8pm eastern on YouTube
 

Guest:  Hannah Lutrey - Heavy Diesel and Forklift Mechanic and Troubleshooter
From earning a BA in sociology in 2010 to becoming Heavy Diesel and Forklift diagnostic mechanic, tonight’s guest on With Her Two Hands has definitely taken a non traditional path to get to where she is! Hannah Lutrey is also no stranger to paving the way and being a first. She was the first female diesel tech student at the school she went to, and then was the first female ever hired to the position of inside Product Support Representative at her current company. She put in some serious hours and a rough schedule to complete her education, graduating with a 4.0 while still working a 40 plus hour a week job, but it’s paid off. In 2017 Hannah competed in SkillsUSA and took 3rd place in diesel on the state level. She now regularly goes back to the school she graduated from to talk to current students, judges Skills USA competitions, and works on side projects with her former instructor at his shop.
Watch Broadcast LIVE every Wednesday 5pm pacific | 8pm eastern on YouTube
 

Guest:  Monica Costa - Owner of Wilniq Auto Body and Mechanical Repairs
Monica Costa is the owner of WILNIQ Auto Body & Mechanical Repairs. It is the only Black Woman Owned and operated Auto Body and Mechanical Repair shop in the District of Columbia in Maryland - for the past 20 years.But she hasn’t always been in the automotive industry. Monica hails from the favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and is a graduate of the University of Columbia, with a BA in Political Science. She has worked with the US Department of Interior and the US Department of State.In her words, she “love to share my experiences through public speaking and encouraging others to live a life that inspire them!”
Watch Broadcast LIVE every Wednesday 5pm pacific | 8pm eastern on YouTube

Guest: Porsha Conrad - Volvo Technician
I'm excited to introduce you to Porsha, a young up and coming Volvo Technician. I met Porsha through Volvo’s Female Technician Forum and then had the privilege of working with her on the Iron Maven All Female Build. I was so impressed with her grit, determination and pure enthusiasm for the work and for learning. Born and raised in Colorado, Porsha’s father has been a Volvo tech for 32 years, and so Volvo and cars in general have always been a big part of her life. In her own words: “Growing up my brother generally got all the hands on helping dad in the garage and I just kinda watched. When I was 16 I was struggling with some mental problems and my dad thought it was a good idea as a distraction to keep me busy, to help me rebuild the 1968 mustangs engine that has been sitting in our driveway my whole life, hearing it run for the first time was the most satisfying thing and pretty much solidified me wanting to work on cars.” In her senior year of high school she participated in a trade program and learned more of the basics. Just 3 months after graduation she landed a job at a Volvo dealership, and though she’s only been in the industry for a year and a half, she’s on track to reach master status by the end of the year.
It’s incredibly refreshing to hear from young women who have felt supported in their journey to becoming techs. Starting to hear stories like that more and more often and it’s so encouraging. Porsha has some great words of inspiration for other young techs just starting out, and a really interesting perspective. She shares all about why she loves @volvocarusa , why their initiatives around female technicians matters, and what it’s like working with family!
Watch Broadcast LIVE every Wednesday 5pm pacific | 8pm eastern on YouTube

Guest:  Dana Wilke - Founding Member of The Jessi Combs Foundation
While not technically a trades woman herself, through her role as a founding board member of the @thejessicombsfoundation - she works with and helps to provide scholarships to many tradeswomen, some of whom you have met on previous episodes. Dana grew up in northern Wisconsin riding motorcycles as a family sport, on and off-road. After graduating college, she moved to Europe to pursue her career with Harley-Davidson. Though she learned to ride at a young age, Dana’s years working and riding in Europe was where she realized a true passion for travel and adventure on 2-wheels. During her 12-year tenure with Harley-Davidson before resigning in 2019, Dana held a variety of global marketing and sales roles. She now works as a consultant and dedicates much of her time to furthering @thejessicombs mission of empowering and inspiring the next generation of female trailblazers.
We talked about her career in the motorcycle industry, as well as how and why the foundation was formed and what they do. We dove deep on the topic of male allies and some of the changes we’d love to see in the industry. Definitely one to check out! During our convo, many asked about how they can support the foundation…. Go check out their website and learn more about what they do and how you can donate to help ensure that the scholarship program continues to grow. In the past 3 years, the foundation has helped 21 young techs get to or stay in school, both through the scholarship itself, and through the community they’ve created to support one another in all the non financial ways. In my mind, those connections and communities are one of the biggest influences on KEEPING women in the trades and finding success in their chosen career. Huge props to Dana and all that she, and the rest of the foundation do! Make sure to stay tuned for more great conversations like this on upcoming episodes!
Watch Broadcast LIVE every Wednesday 5pm pacific | 8pm eastern on YouTube

Guest: Nikita Rennie - Auto Body Journey Woman and VW Restoration Shop Owner
Nikita is a woman after my own heart, she fell in love with Volkswagens when she was young and they are what drove her to pursue a career in the industry. When she was younger she was encouraged to pursue cosmetology, but she didn’t enjoy it. Against the advice of those in her life, she decided that she wanted to pursue a career she could be passionate about. Combining her love of vdubs, her creative side and desire to work with her hands… she set out to find a shop that would give her a chance. Ten years later, she hasn’t looked back. She just got 7 months owning her own shop @oldvolksrevival where she specializes in vdubs and does all the metal work and body work to ready them for paint. Nikita has a great attitude and she never let anyone one else’s opinion stop her from pursuing and achieving her goals. Side note - hee family has come around and are super supportive of her now :). I have no doubt that her attitude, her passion and her drive will take her far. Make sure you go check out her work and show her some support! And of course, come back next week to meet another awesome tradeswoman!
Watch Broadcast LIVE every Wednesday 5pm pacific | 8pm eastern on YouTube

Guest:  Zoë Strimbu - Automotive Painter's Apprentice and Detailer
Great conversation tonight with Zoë Strimbu aka @matriiphagy. Zoë came to the industry as a complete newbie. She had a passion for cars and a deep interest and desire to make a career in the industry, but she had no experience and little knowledge. Despite being turned away by 30+ shops, she kept trying, kept seeking out opportunities to learn, and eventually found someone willing to teach her in an unpaid apprenticeship. Zoë spoke extremely candidly about some of the absolutely horrible experiences she has had - as well as the support, mentorship and friendships that kept her going. I think many will be able to relate to her experiences and will find inspiration in her words, her outlook and her perspective. Make sure to give this episode a listen!
Watch Broadcast LIVE every Wednesday 5pm pacific | 8pm eastern on YouTube

Guest:  Camrie Caruso - Full time NHRA Pro Stock Driver  
Stoked to introduce you to Camrie Caruso as this week’s guest for Trades Lady Happy Hour. Camrie Caruso is a young but accomplished NHRA Pro Stock Driver. In fact, Camrie is the 2nd female ever to be a full time NHRA Pro Stock Driver.  She is a third generation drag racer from New York and she began racing when she was just 8 years old in the NHRA Junior Dragster league. She’s had wins in Junior Dragsters, Super Comp, Top Dragster and Top Alcohol Dragster.  In 2022 she was awarded NHRA rookie of the year! 
Her career is really taking off and she has a promising career unfolding as we speak. We talked about all the things. From everything that is involved in being a full time racer, to other things she has pursued outside of racing. Perhaps most evident throughout our conversation was how much support she has continually gotten from friends, family and other racers and folks in the race world - and just how big a part that plays in a person’s success (no matter their gender!). I truly enjoyed getting to know Camrie, and I hope you did too! Make sure you go check out her profile to follow along on her adventures!
Watch Broadcast LIVE every Wednesday 5pm pacific | 8pm eastern on YouTube

Guest: Natasha Adams - Auto Mechanic, Off Roader, Car Builder
Meet Natasha Adams - this week’s guest for Trades Lady Happy Hour! Natasha is an automotive technician who currently works as the first female mechanic at Icon4x4. She also hosts an all girls off road group called Hardline Ladies, connecting women interested in off roading and inspiring more women to join the hobby. Natasha also owns, builds and maintains a 74 Nova, a 91 Jeep Comanche and a lifted off road 90 LS400 that’s received a ton of media attention!  she is a fantastic example of how successful you can be when your focus is not success, but on doing what is true to you. That being authentically you and passionately doing what it is you love, that success follows.
Watch Broadcast LIVE every Wednesday 5pm pacific | 8pm eastern on YouTube

Guest:  Amy Dilks - Automotive Dismantler and Race Car Driver
Amy Dilks is a dismantler at an automotive recycling company and an experienced racer in a variety of different types of racing. But her path wasn’t always a linear one. Although she had incredible parents who not only didn’t discourage her from her natural curiosity in wanting to figure out how things worked, but actually encouraged it - bringing her machines and old office equipment to take apart…. Amy originally went into a career in healthcare! But her love and passion for cars, racing and fixing things never left her. When healthcare left her feeling burnt out, and racing had already become a serious addiction - she found her way into the automotive industry. Amy is a fantastic story teller and shared some of her most memorable and pivotal experiences- and expertly draws life advice from her racing and work experience. With a admirable balance of humility, confidence, and most importantly a willingness to be scared and do it anyway and to not only accept but embrace failure as part of the process, Amy dropped a ton of great inspiration and words of wisdom for ALL of us, no matter our age or gender.
Watch Broadcast LIVE every Wednesday 5pm pacific | 8pm eastern on YouTube