When Amanda Bulow speaks, you immediately hear two things: grit and purpose.
On today’s episode of The Good Builder podcast, she sat down with Az to talk about her journey from a no fuss childhood in Ipswich to founding one of the most influential communities for women working in our industry.
The conversation covered her upbringing, her 25 year career in estimating and procurement, the creation of Awesome Women in Construction (AWIC), and the real work being done to create opportunities for women who have been overlooked for years.
“There were no boys’ jobs or girls’ jobs.”
Amanda grew up on a farm outside Ipswich, in a home where everyone did what needed to be done.
If the cattle needed feeding in drought, everyone was there pouring molasses onto hay.
If the summer storm hit just as school finished, you rode your bike home in the rain because there were no excuses. If the washing was on the line, everyone raced outside to grab it before the rain got in.
It was a childhood built on hard work and teamwork, and it shaped how she approaches every part of her life today.
“It created a great foundation for getting in and getting things done,” she told Az.
Falling into construction then falling in love with it
After high school, Amanda didn’t want to be a hairdresser or a nurse, the two options commonly presented to young women at the time. So she studied a Bachelor of Business, still unsure what she really wanted to do.
While studying, she worked multiple jobs to pay the bills. One of them was at Henley Properties. A marketing manager noticed her potential, brought her into the office, and the light switched on.
“I could finally see what options were available to me,” she said.
She started in admin because that’s where women started in the early 2000s but she wanted more. She knocked on the estimating manager’s door, asked for a chance, and within weeks was put into the department.
That moment launched a career that has now spanned procurement, sales, estimating and production. And it laid the groundwork for what would come next.
The breakfast that changed everything
In 2017, after years working across the industry, Amanda noticed something no one else seemed to be addressing. There were so many women in construction but almost all of them felt isolated.
She decided to stop talking about it and do something. She emailed every woman in her contacts list and invited them to breakfast at the Springwood Coffee Club. Fourteen women came.
They weren’t worried about competition or company names. They just talked. Shared. Listened. By the time everyone returned to work, her inbox was full of the same message:
“Can we do that again next month?” Three months later, 48 women turned up. The café was so loud that anyone hoping for a quiet meal didn’t stand a chance.
Amanda knew she had tapped into something real. So she took the next step, she formalised it, created a not for profit, set up a landing page and bank account, and launched what would become AWIC: Awesome Women in Construction.
From 14 women around a table to hundreds across events, breakfast meet ups and awards nights, Amanda built it with nothing but drive and a commitment to support others.
“If we’re not part of making the change, then what are we doing?”
On the podcast, Amanda shared something powerful: the goal is not just to bring women together, but to create real pathways for women to join or return to construction.
She is especially focused on women who have been out of work, particularly single mums who want to build a new career but can’t fit the traditional 7am to 3pm structure.
She explained the challenge clearly: “These women want to work. They just can’t find workplaces that will host them.”
Her approach is simple:
• Fight for flexibility
• Break down outdated mindsets
• Show employers the talent that’s already available
• Support women long after training programs finish
Amanda receives text messages from women who started with low confidence and now have work experience, job offers and new belief in themselves.
“It shifts them in every aspect,” she said.
Not a tokenistic movement, a practical one
One theme came through strongly: Amanda is tired of organisations that talk about helping women but deliver nothing meaningful.
She wants action.
In her words, AWIC is not about token breakfasts or corporate clichés. It’s about real change:
• Real jobs
• Real support
• Real confidence
• Real pathways
• Real community
It’s why apprentices are now showing up to events.
It’s why women are leaving toxic workplaces and choosing better ones.
It’s why women feel empowered to say no to disrespect and yes to opportunity.
The change is visible.
And it’s lasting.
Be Ready: showing young people the jobs no one talks about
Amanda also spoke about a tool she’s been deeply involved in Be Ready.
The idea came from one simple observation: young people have no idea how many non-trade roles exist in construction.
So the platform lets kids answer a few simple questions and discover a range of jobs they never knew existed, plus what those jobs involve and what they can earn.
Az shared that he put his own daughter on it. He described it as “phenomenal”.
Again, Amanda’s focus is practical: help young people see what construction really offers, not just the handful of roles most people talk about.
Walking away from toxic workplaces, one of the biggest wins
Amanda shared stories of women who stayed in unhealthy workplaces for years until AWIC gave them the confidence to walk away.
She sees it as one of AWIC’s biggest impacts: helping women realise they deserve good workplaces and can choose environments where they are valued.
Sometimes they call her simply to vent. Sometimes to ask whether they should address something or move on.
Her answer is always grounded, calm and direct.
“We can’t fight all the battles. We’ve got to pick them.”
Amanda the estimator: the advice builders need to hear
Alongside running AWIC, Amanda still works as an estimator and her advice for small to mid sized builders on the podcast was sharp and simple:
1. Know your pricing
Labour rates, market rates, material costs, if you don’t know them accurately, the contract is already wrong before the slab goes down.
2. Charge for the equipment you own
If you own a kanga, scaffold or trestles but don’t charge for using them, the replacement cost comes out of your profit.
3. Stop holding quotes for 30 days
Clients know within a week whether they want the job. Long quote periods can wipe out margins.
4. Remember you only have 9–10 earning months
December and January slow everything down. April can be tough too. Cash flow planning matters.
She also spoke about the value of a “forensic review” of margins before and after site, a small error across cost centres can add up to tens or hundreds of thousands across a year.
What she wants every young woman to know
Az asked Amanda what she tells young women considering a career in construction over the next 10 to 20 years.
Her answer was simple and full of optimism:
“I’m excited for the innovation we don’t yet know about.”
Bigger. Better. Faster.
New methods.
New technologies.
New roles.
Amanda believes the next generation will inherit an industry transformed and they should be part of that change.
What makes a good builder?
When asked the signature Good Builder question, Amanda didn’t overthink it.
“Communication,” she said.
Communicate with clients.
Communicate with staff.
Be transparent.
Pick up the phone instead of hiding behind email.
As Az pointed out, almost every customer experience issue comes back to communication.
And Amanda agrees.
A leader who acts before she speaks
Throughout the conversation, a clear picture emerges. Amanda is not trying to “look” like a leader. She simply leads. She does not wait for permission.She starts. She builds. She fixes. She helps.
She is the embodiment of the lesson she learned as a kid on the farm:
If it needs doing, do it. AWIC is proof of that. So is everything she is still building.
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