We’ve had the pleasure of chatting with some cracking guests on the podcast lately people with real stories, sharp thinking, and plenty of heart. It just so happens that a few of them are women. Women who’ve built businesses, led teams, redefined roles and reshaped what it means to be part of the construction game. They’ve got a few things in common: they’re clear, capable, and they’ve got something to say about what makes a good builder and a good business.

Not everyone wants to talk gender in construction. Fair enough. But if you’ve ever worked alongside your partner, hired a gun female, or had your eyes opened by a smart operator running the back-end of a building business this one might hit home.

Like many great stories in the industry, the stories of great women in construction have sat quietly in the background, and many of them are not background players anymore.

Let’s start with Kim Allen. Kim didn’t plan to be a CEO, she started out answering emails under her husband’s name.

“I was the missus. I was in the background answering emails as his name…”

“Someone would message me on Instagram and I’d respond as Chris. But I wanted more I needed self-worth too.”

She’s not alone.

Across The Good Builder podcast, we’ve been talking to women like Kim, Jaymee Tresize from Stiebel Eltron, and Aletha Walters from Stroud Homes Wide Bay. All of them started behind the scenes. All of them now run or represent companies, juggle relationships, raise kids, and manage teams in an industry that’s still getting used to seeing them in charge.

This isn’t about feel-good headlines. It’s about reality.

In a time when the building industry is facing skilled labour shortages, mental health challenges, building leadership culture and rising pressure on systems having capable people in the right roles matters more than ever.

So when someone like Aletha says she went back to study building design just to understand what her builder husband was talking about that matters.

“When Slade would say, ‘I need this LOSP timber,’ I didn’t want to just nod.”

“I wanted to actually know what he meant. That’s why I went back and studied.”

She’s now co-running the biggest Stroud franchise in Queensland.

Respect.

Respect isn’t automatic. It’s earned; sometimes in layers.

Jaymee, who built her career from the paint counter at Masters to working nationally with builders, says it plainly:

“At 23, walking into home builders’ offices, people made assumptions. But I focused on value, how could I help them do their job better?”

For her, the shift came from listening, not leading with ego.

“I didn’t pretend like I knew everything. But I was always curious. I just asked questions and listened.”

That mix of humility and hustle shows up in everything she does from putting on trade events to handling procurement meetings. It’s not about ticking boxes. It’s about making the system better for the next person.

Kim puts it another way.

“I named the voice in my head Barry. Bazza. And I told Bazza to shut up. I control that voice now.”

The change is already happening. We’re seeing more women on site, in ownership roles, on stage at industry events. But it’s not without friction.

Aletha still gets calls where someone says, “Can you get your husband to call me?”
Kim says she still has her team, and her own husband, questioning her decisions.

But they keep showing up, and that’s the point.

“You’re just the missus. That’s what they thought,” Kim says. “But once I owned my role, our company flipped. We’ve doubled year on year ever since.”

“I didn’t choose to run a plastering business,” she adds. “But I choose to find purpose in it. I choose to leave a mark.”

This mix of humility and persistence? It’s a reminder that these women aren’t here by mistake. They’ve earned their place, and it’s the same for anyone in The Good Builder community. Whether you’re early in your career, stepping up to run your own business, or even thinking about hanging up the boots, there’s something solid in these stories.

Maybe that’s what building looks like these days? Humility and persistence. Taking responsibility. Claiming your role. Making space for the next person.

Sometimes the biggest shift starts with respect.

If you’ve got a great story to share about someone stepping up and growing into their role, get in touch.

Author: The Good Builder

The Good Builder is a media platform that provides news and insights for Australia’s home building industry. From exclusive stories and curated insights to bold industry perspectives, we deliver the news and updates that keep builders, suppliers, and the entire home building industry inspired and ahead of the curve.