Tugboat Captain Michelle Walford

Meet Tugboat Captain, Michelle Walford. She’s been in the industry for 10 years and currently works for Pacific Tug Boat Service out of Long Beach, California.
Michelle was born and raised in Bakersfield, CA. After high school, she applied for colleges all over her home state, with her sights set on International Relations so she could travel and work in other countries. This dream was fueled by her desire to explore and be by the water.

“I applied for Cal Maritime with a Global Studies Major and was accepted. My very first day of orientation someone in the grade above me asked my major. I replied, ‘Global Studies,’ and he immediately shook his head and said, ‘You don’t want that. You want to be Deckie. You want to drive boats.’ I immediately walked over to the orientation table and changed my major to Marine Transportation. I’m pretty sure I didn’t know what a ship really was.

I graduated with a BS in Marine Transportation and a 3rd Mate Unlimited License. Since then I have upgraded to a Chief Mate Unlimited along with my 1600 Ton Master.” -Walford

“I can be treated differently because of my gender, usually when I first start a new company, and not necessarily treated negatively, just different. I overcome that with mountains of patience.” -Walford 

“I believe if you have to tell people how great you are at something, you’re generally not that great at it. I’m not a yeller, especially with a crew I’ve never worked with. I treat everyone with respect and ask for the same in return.” -Walford 

Michelle encourages women with a bit of wanderlust and a penchant for adventurous vocations to consider maritime professions. 

“I don’t think our career is advertised as much as it should be. Lots of women want to travel and do something outside the norm, we just need to get the word out.” -Walford 

As captain of her own tugboat, Michelle gets to be her own boss, use her gut and her knowledge to make tough calls, and occasionally bask under the northern lights if the location is right. 

Glass Artist Ona Magaro

In a time when men outnumber women in films 3 to 1 on screen, unequal pay based on gender still unfairly affects females on a day to day basis, and social media and advertising outlets are repeatedly beating women down with unrealistic and often times contradictory expectations about beauty, health, and happiness; it’s time we stand together and let out stories and experiences bring about an era of change. Let’s applaud the women who are out there defying stereotypes and pushing forward in careers and fields where they are outnumbered. From one woman’s triumph shared to another’s inspiration spurred, small changes will amount to larger ones that can eventually redefine what it means to be a working woman.

Ona Magaro’s glass creations and her life story are quite the achievements to admire. She has turned her passion into a thriving business. After years of fine-tuning her craft, her work is breathtaking and unlike any I’ve seen. Take a look at the glass sculpture Ona created for us, from start to finish. She envisions the body of a bird by utilizing the simplicity of a single color and an elongated curve, free flowing and elegant. But don’t let the airy nature of her art fool you. It’s hard work, requiring a tremendous amount of physical strength and a heaping load of creativity. Her advice to anyone hoping to follow in her footsteps is to study marketing, accounting, and writing to build a successful business around the artistic talent.

As Oscar Wilde would say, we live in a world where “life imitating art” is an everyday occurrence. May Ona’s art and experiences be something that young women can look up to and hope to emulate as they grow and discover what path they’ll pursue. When I asked Ona what she wanted to teach her children about the arts, and how she hoped her work will affect the way they interpret the world around them, her simple response is what I hope to share with you, “That anything is possible.”

Ona’s workwear: Carhartt Women’s Long-Sleeve Signature T-Shirt, Women’s Series 1889 Slim Double-Front Dungaree, & C-Grip Knuckler Glove

last photo above taken by Jessie Moore

Park Ranger Kat Barker

 

When you think of a wilderness ranger, who do you think of? Do you picture a big burly bearded man, covered in plaid? Would it blow your mind to see a woman ranger, wearing pink, with a pickaxe in tow? If so, consider your mind blown.

Meet Kat Barker, a trails and wilderness supervisor. She and her crew head to the backcountry for 8 day long trips of 10-hour work schedules, consisting of clearing downfall, maintaining drainage structures, trail and bridge construction, etc. It takes a tremendous amount of strength and wherewithal to perform the daily tasks and move camp every night. The job may be tough, but it comes with the best office space around. Every night ends with a good meal at the campfire with friends, and rest is sweetest after collapsing into a sleeping bag, every limb aching from the typical routine.

It’s inspiring to see this role, historically dominated by men, being filled by strong, independent women. Kat’s advice for young girls who hope to follow a similar career path is that, “You can do it! If you love being in the mountains and enjoy working really, really hard and sweating a lot, there is nothing stopping you.  It can be difficult to get your foot in the door with public land management agencies, but do your applications, and call, call, call!  Making actual connections with the people in charge of trails and wilderness programs goes a long way in getting hired.  Or there are many other arenas like firefighting, range work, biology technicians, etc. that are open for newcomers as well.  Once you get hired on, even more doors will open.”

Nothing beats a barrel of determination and love for nature. Let your passions be your driving force in life.

Kat is wearing: Carhartt Women’s Force Performance Quarter-Zip & Women’s Original-Fit Crawford Canvas Dungaree 

Forget the Desk Job– I Make a Mean Chocolate Croissant

 

It’s fair to say that most people would prefer an early morning routine of rolling out fresh chocolate croissants to a 9 to 5 desk job. But how do you get there? How do pin down your dreams fast enough to make a career out of them?
After realizing she wasn’t cut out for the daily grind of cubicle life, Sandra Holl decided to buckle down and follow her heart by attending culinary school. At that time, she knew she wanted to be her own boss and make the food she wanted to make. Seeing the opportunities at Chicago’s Green City Market, Sandra decided that opening her own booth would be a low-risk way of starting a business. There she and her husband, Mathieu, used it as a venue to test out their rustic, French pastries and built a name for themselves. Eventually, a brick and mortar space was next step. In 2010, Floriole Café and Bakery’s doors opened in Chicago’s quaint Lincoln Park neighborhood.
When I asked Sandra what the most rewarding part of her job was, she replied,

“I love that I have a family business. I work with my husband and can bring my daughter to work with me. She sees how hard I work and is so proud of her mama. She often tells customers, “This is my mom’s bakery.””

There is no greater feeling than to bring creativity and light to the world through the smile a chocolate hazelnut cookie can yield, while inspiring your own daughter and nudging her along to the discovery that she too can do the same with a little elbow grease and determination.

Here are a few tips from Sandra for anyone striving towards a similar path:
1. Find a chef you admire and work with her or him. Absorb as much of their knowledge as you can, then move on and learn more.
2. Perfect the basics before you get creative. No one really wants a wasabi curry cupcake but everyone wants a perfect slice of peach pie.
3. Everything breaks. Learn how to fix things yourself.
4. Know that you will work seven days a week. Even when you are off, you will run errands for the business, answer calls and emails and when the security alarm goes off in the middle of the night, you will go make sure that it was only a false alarm.

Sandra is wearing: Carhartt Women’s Minot Shirt, 1889 Slim Double-Front Denim Dungaree, & Rapid City Utility Work Apron.

 

Caitlin Kerr of The Foxglove Studios

After leaving the music industry to find a creative challenge, Caitlin Kerr founded The Foxglove Studios. She started small, maintaining part time jobs and freelancing while building her skills and learning the craft. Each gradual step made it a more manageable task to jump into a whole new career. With time her clientele grew and running the studio became a fulltime job. Starting over can seem daunting and even downright impossible, but Caitlin put aside those fears created her own dream job.
Another important part of starting a new career path is to remember your roots. The years you spent at your old job weren’t pointless. You put in time an effort that helped make you the person you are today. Music plays a large role in Caitlin’s job. She listens to songs, bands, and composers reminiscent of the mood she’s aiming to capture in her creations.

Floral Arrangement Tips from Caitlin of The Foxglove Studios:
1. Use chicken wire, floral tape, or both to create a base. Avoid the Styrofoam filled with toxic chemicals.
2. Use it all. The greens of a flower can also be utilized. Don’t strip off the leaves, they create texture and fill out the arrangement.
3. When arranging, start with the base of greens and foliage. Then add focal flowers and whimsical flowers (the whispy, airy, smaller, and more wild types of flowers like scabiosa and ranunculus).
4. Allow the focal flowers to stand taller. It creates a more interesting arrangement.
5. Make sure to cut the stems of your arrangements and change the water everyday.

 

Further Debunking the Myths About Where Women Belong in the Work Force

This week Crafted in Carhartt is giving a shout out to the inspiring Krista Burleson. She’s a welder and a construction worker. Talk about girl power! Krista has some words of wisdom to share with any women with aspirations similar to her own:

“All the things I’ve ever been interested in, nobody around me understood (hunting, welding, climbing, MMA), and they never have to since that is who I am. I’ve managed to accomplish all I’ve set my mind to (all of which in male dominated fields) by working harder than everyone else around me and earning the respect of everyone around me. I’ve managed to keep my femininity and morals while having respect from fellow co workers and team mates. Carhartt has always been there to help my performance excel in every aspect of my life. For that I thank you Carhartt!”

take a look at Krista’s work gear: Sandstone Sierra Jacket, Original-Fit Canvas Crawford Dungaree, & Wellington Boot

If you’re a Carhartt lover and you have a photo you’d like to share on the blog, 
email craftedincarhartt@carhartt.com and you could see your photo here. 

Under Construction

 

The path of your career, your craft, and even your hobbies can be long and hard.
Don’t forget, there isn’t a set path for everyone. Find your own way.
If you make a mistake, don’t give up. Keep up the hard work.

“The road to success is always under construction.” -Lily Tomlin

take a look at the El Paso Utility Vest pictured above

Meet Kelly Pepper and Kelly McDermott of Habitat for Humanity

Meet Kelly Pepper and Kelly McDermott. Both girls are originally from Texas, so we had common ground right at the start. Working in Minneapolis can be a bit chillier than what we’re used to, but that’s alright when you’re bundled up in the right clothes. Pictured above is the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Women’s Build Team. That’s where women from across the world help build homes for others in need. Pretty cool if you ask me. These two girls blew me away with how much they knew about construction. It’s all about working from the ground up. You might feel overwhelmed in the beginning, but it’s a learning process every day.
Kelly Pepper is a Construction Volunteer Facilitator and has lived all over the world. She stumbled across the job, and figured she’d give it a go since she’d never been to Minnesota. Kelly loves working with her hands, community development, and helping others, so the job has been a great fit. Kelly McDermott is a ABWK Volunteer Facilitator. It’s a lot of hard labor, tedious, and tiring tasks that add up to such great fulfillment to a huge need. Kelly mentioned that she hoped to merge the work experience she’s gained from construction with her degree in the arts into something that can inspire, empower, and support others. If you ask me, she’s doing it already. The team pours so much of their soul and time into these homes. The craftsmanship of construction is such a beautiful art form, especially when it is mixed with the goodness of a giving heart. See how you can get involved in a Women’s Build. Let’s strive to be a community of women that seek to strengthen one another instead of competing or pulling each other down.

Kelly Pepper’s outfit: Carhartt Women’s Quick Duck Woodward Jacket, Women’s Force Performance Quarter-Zip Shirt, Women’s Series 1889 Slim Double Front Dungaree, & Acrylic Watch Hat / Kelly McDermott’s outfit: Carhartt Women’s Sandstone Berkley Vest, Women’s Force Performance Quarter-Zip Shirt, Women’s Series 1889 Slim Double Front Dungaree, & Women’s Quincy Hat 

DIY: jewelry from the hardware store

When I was young, I always spent time fiddling through the toolbox in our garage. I was intrigued by all the nuts, bolts, and screws. It’s no wonder now that I love going to the hardware store and figuring out how to turn those odds and ends into jewelry. Check out this simple starburst necklace made out of corner brackets. It’s such a great tomboy twist on the geometric accessories that are trending right now.
Give it a try!

take a closer look at my outfit: Carhartt Women’s Portland Down Jacket, Linwood Chambray Shirt, Calumet Long-Sleeved Crew Neck, Women’s Series 1889 Slim Double Front Dungarees, Acrylic Headband, & Women’s Wellington Boots

Edith of Automotive Specialties in Longview, Texas

Most people are proud that they can change a flat tire on their own, but what about those rare few who can take a car apart and put it back together again? Meet Edith. She works at Automotive Specialties in Longview, Texas. When it comes to Corvettes, they’ve got you covered. As I watched Edith go about her daily routine, I realized that being a mechanic is an art form. It takes knowledge, strength, creativity, and attention to detail. So many skill sets are required and your craft must be finely attuned. I have mad respect for anyone who is capable of fixing and restoring cars, but I’m even more impressed by Edith’s self-assured nature. She works in a man’s world, and yet she blows most of her contemporaries out of the water. She found what she loved and pushed herself to greatness.

Check out Edith’s work gear: Carhartt Women’s Jackson Shirt Jac II, Carhartt Women’s Norfolk Henley, Women’s Orignal-Fit Jasper Jean, & Carhartt Women’s Sandstone Active Jac Quilted Flannel