<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a>In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner interview cybersecurity expert Nick Espinosa about how modern cyber warfare affects everyday businesses, especially small to mid-size construction firms. Espinosa describes Russia’s cyberattacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure and the use of malware like Mirai to weaponize IoT devices, emphasizing that high-level tactics trickle down to business ransomware. He explains construction is consistently a top-three targeted sector (alongside healthcare and finance) because attackers expect cash, deadlines, and fast payouts, and notes hackers exploit centralized sensitive data to find insurance policies and set ransom demands, with ransoms often negotiable. He warns that cyber insurance is not a defense strategy and can lead to steep renewal costs and coverage disputes. The discussion also critiques Meta’s social media impacts on privacy, disinformation, and youth mental health, and highlights emerging AI risks, citing Anthropic’s “Mythos” and predicting AI-vs-AI cybersecurity defense.<a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/support">Support the show</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/fan_mail/new"&gt;Send us Fan Mail&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner interview cybersecurity expert Nick Espinosa about how modern cyber warfare affects everyday businesses, especially small to mid-size construction firms. Espinosa describes Russia’s cyberattacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure and the use of malware like Mirai to weaponize IoT devices, emphasizing that high-level tactics trickle down to business ransomware. He explains construction is consistently a top-three targeted sector (alongside healthcare and finance) because attackers expect cash, deadlines, and fast payouts, and notes hackers exploit centralized sensitive data to find insurance policies and set ransom demands, with ransoms often negotiable. He warns that cyber insurance is not a defense strategy and can lead to steep renewal costs and coverage disputes. The discussion also critiques Meta’s social media impacts on privacy, disinformation, and youth mental health, and highlights emerging AI risks, citing Anthropic’s “Mythos” and predicting AI-vs-AI cybersecurity defense.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/support"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us Fan Mail In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner interview cybersecurity expert Nick Espinosa about how modern cyber warfare affects everyday businesses, especially small to mid-size construction firms. Espinosa describes Russia’s cyberattacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure and the use of malware like Mirai to weaponize IoT devices, emphasizing that high-level tactics trickle down to business ransomware. He explains construction is consistently a top-three targeted sector (alo...

WTC 'Cyber Warfare’ with Nick Espinosa

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a>In this epsiode: Angela and Christi welcome Lydia Miller, fourth-generation owner of her family construction business and its first female leader, who shares her path from University of Pennsylvania lacrosse and Navy ROTC to serving on warships and in Pentagon intelligence, earning a Wharton executive MBA, joining the family firm, and taking full ownership two years ago. Lydia explains transforming a decades-old business into a scalable, process-driven organization through correct sequencing and a “people ladder” that builds from admin and financial foundations to delivery, marketing, sales, and leadership with leaders at each rung. She recounts leading as one of eight women on a 400-person ship, emphasizing bold curiosity, learning in the field, mission focus, and how sports build command presence. She describes Miller Tech’s aggressive AI use to gain speed while avoiding private-data risks, and outlines the stage-gated “Miller methodology” across pre-construction, construction, and launch to deliver consistent, surprise-free client experiences.<a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/support">Support the show</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/fan_mail/new"&gt;Send us Fan Mail&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this epsiode: Angela and Christi welcome Lydia Miller, fourth-generation owner of her family construction business and its first female leader, who shares her path from University of Pennsylvania lacrosse and Navy ROTC to serving on warships and in Pentagon intelligence, earning a Wharton executive MBA, joining the family firm, and taking full ownership two years ago. Lydia explains transforming a decades-old business into a scalable, process-driven organization through correct sequencing and a “people ladder” that builds from admin and financial foundations to delivery, marketing, sales, and leadership with leaders at each rung. She recounts leading as one of eight women on a 400-person ship, emphasizing bold curiosity, learning in the field, mission focus, and how sports build command presence. She describes Miller Tech’s aggressive AI use to gain speed while avoiding private-data risks, and outlines the stage-gated “Miller methodology” across pre-construction, construction, and launch to deliver consistent, surprise-free client experiences.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/support"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us Fan Mail In this epsiode: Angela and Christi welcome Lydia Miller, fourth-generation owner of her family construction business and its first female leader, who shares her path from University of Pennsylvania lacrosse and Navy ROTC to serving on warships and in Pentagon intelligence, earning a Wharton executive MBA, joining the family firm, and taking full ownership two years ago. Lydia explains transforming a decades-old business into a scalable, process-driven organization through co...

WTC ‘Leading Beyond the Uniform’ with Lydia Miller

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a>In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner interview Natasha Sexton, president and CEO of Sexton Design and Development, an eight-and-a-half-year-old design-build firm based in Greenville, SC. Sexton explains the company’s landscape-architecture roots, multi-state work (SC, TN, pursuing NC licensure, with GA next), and focus on hospitality, university, and commercial/institutional projects, including Clemson University’s Tiger Walk design. She discusses Southeast market challenges—rapid growth driving labor shortages and material cost volatility—and how value engineering and alternative materials keep projects on track. Sexton shares scaling and quality strategies centered on choosing aligned clients and the “photo, friend, fee” philosophy, plus team culture priorities like leading by example, paying above average, benefits, open dialogue, and burnout awareness, with interest in an employee-ownership/ESOP-style future. She highlights community projects with Upstate Warrior Solution and Camp Greenville, board involvement with the Greenville County Art Museum, and emphasizes surrounding yourself with supportive people.<a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/support">Support the show</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/fan_mail/new"&gt;Send us Fan Mail&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner interview Natasha Sexton, president and CEO of Sexton Design and Development, an eight-and-a-half-year-old design-build firm based in Greenville, SC. Sexton explains the company’s landscape-architecture roots, multi-state work (SC, TN, pursuing NC licensure, with GA next), and focus on hospitality, university, and commercial/institutional projects, including Clemson University’s Tiger Walk design. She discusses Southeast market challenges—rapid growth driving labor shortages and material cost volatility—and how value engineering and alternative materials keep projects on track. Sexton shares scaling and quality strategies centered on choosing aligned clients and the “photo, friend, fee” philosophy, plus team culture priorities like leading by example, paying above average, benefits, open dialogue, and burnout awareness, with interest in an employee-ownership/ESOP-style future. She highlights community projects with Upstate Warrior Solution and Camp Greenville, board involvement with the Greenville County Art Museum, and emphasizes surrounding yourself with supportive people.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/support"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us Fan Mail In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner interview Natasha Sexton, president and CEO of Sexton Design and Development, an eight-and-a-half-year-old design-build firm based in Greenville, SC. Sexton explains the company’s landscape-architecture roots, multi-state work (SC, TN, pursuing NC licensure, with GA next), and focus on hospitality, university, and commercial/institutional projects, including Clemson University’s Tiger Walk design. She discusses Southeast mark...

WTC ‘Leadership Without Limits’ with Natasha Sexton

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a>In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner welcome back Perlla DeLuca of Southeast Constructors and the Pink Hard Hat Foundation to discuss her recent work and advocacy for women in construction. Perlla shares insights from an international safety symposium in Miami and explains that her foundation was sparked by worsening treatment of women, even in federal contracting, and by seeing female students denied training opportunities. She identifies key safety gaps: jobsite harassment and abuse incidents aren’t being tracked, so they’re not addressed, and she’s working on an AI-driven code of conduct to help protect women. Perla describes how the Iowa School of Construction builds skills and confidence through hands-on, critical-thinking training, plus added self-defense for women and harassment education. She advises women to lead with knowledge, prepare thoroughly, and find supportive male allies, and she discusses her self-care through fitness, cooking, entertaining, and short trips.<a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/support">Support the show</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/fan_mail/new"&gt;Send us Fan Mail&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner welcome back Perlla DeLuca of Southeast Constructors and the Pink Hard Hat Foundation to discuss her recent work and advocacy for women in construction. Perlla shares insights from an international safety symposium in Miami and explains that her foundation was sparked by worsening treatment of women, even in federal contracting, and by seeing female students denied training opportunities. She identifies key safety gaps: jobsite harassment and abuse incidents aren’t being tracked, so they’re not addressed, and she’s working on an AI-driven code of conduct to help protect women. Perla describes how the Iowa School of Construction builds skills and confidence through hands-on, critical-thinking training, plus added self-defense for women and harassment education. She advises women to lead with knowledge, prepare thoroughly, and find supportive male allies, and she discusses her self-care through fitness, cooking, entertaining, and short trips.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/support"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us Fan Mail In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner welcome back Perlla DeLuca of Southeast Constructors and the Pink Hard Hat Foundation to discuss her recent work and advocacy for women in construction. Perlla shares insights from an international safety symposium in Miami and explains that her foundation was sparked by worsening treatment of women, even in federal contracting, and by seeing female students denied training opportunities. She identifies key safety gaps: jobsi...

WTC ‘Elegance Meets Ambition’ with Perlla Deluca

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a>In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner welcome returning guest Nancy Novak, a 30+ year construction executive who has semi-retired into an ambassador role at Compass Data Centers while serving on adjacent boards and continuing mentorship to advance women in the industry. Nancy explains planning her transition nearly two years in advance, overlapping a year with successor Amy Marks, and valuing a “soft landing” while prioritizing health and family time. She identifies AI as the most disruptive recent jobsite technology, building on earlier database advances, and stresses keeping critical thinking and improving industry communication to become more relational than transactional. Nancy shares Google’s “potential vs. credential” promotion data to highlight systemic gender patterns and urges women to self-advocate earlier and lead differently. She discusses a “perfect storm” of demand, demographics, infrastructure, and technology creating opportunity, outlines ways to check and counter implicit bias through diverse decision-making rooms, and says her husband and continuous learning keep her grounded.<a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/support">Support the show</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/fan_mail/new"&gt;Send us Fan Mail&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner welcome returning guest Nancy Novak, a 30+ year construction executive who has semi-retired into an ambassador role at Compass Data Centers while serving on adjacent boards and continuing mentorship to advance women in the industry. Nancy explains planning her transition nearly two years in advance, overlapping a year with successor Amy Marks, and valuing a “soft landing” while prioritizing health and family time. She identifies AI as the most disruptive recent jobsite technology, building on earlier database advances, and stresses keeping critical thinking and improving industry communication to become more relational than transactional. Nancy shares Google’s “potential vs. credential” promotion data to highlight systemic gender patterns and urges women to self-advocate earlier and lead differently. She discusses a “perfect storm” of demand, demographics, infrastructure, and technology creating opportunity, outlines ways to check and counter implicit bias through diverse decision-making rooms, and says her husband and continuous learning keep her grounded.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941246/support"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us Fan Mail In this episode: Christi Powell and Angela Gardner welcome returning guest Nancy Novak, a 30+ year construction executive who has semi-retired into an ambassador role at Compass Data Centers while serving on adjacent boards and continuing mentorship to advance women in the industry. Nancy explains planning her transition nearly two years in advance, overlapping a year with successor Amy Marks, and valuing a “soft landing” while prioritizing health and family time. She identif...

WTC ‘Vision Behind Construction’ with Nancy Novak

A podcast about helping women grow in the construction field and non-traditional careers.

Women Talk Construction Podcast

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