Q&A: Trades advocate Carly Steiman on building movements

As a Red Seal electrician and the founder of Vancouver-based contracting company Lady Electric, Carly Steiman has built a reputation for high-quality electrical and lighting work. But she is also doing incredible work beyond the jobsite.

In 2024 Steiman began working on The Tradeswomen Exhibit—a photographic gallery and calendar project she helped create that spotlights the strength, skill, and diversity of women in the trades.

The goal is to motivate a new generation of tradespeople, particularly young women. Steiman has been hitting the pavement, showing up in schools, at industry events, and in rooms where decisions get made. She connects with youth, builders, and government leaders to shift perceptions about trades careers and open doors for the next generation.

We caught up with Steiman as she begins the next phases of her campaign to learn more about how the industry can attract diverse talent.

SiteNews: First, let’s catch our audience up on the journey so far. How did the Tradeswoman Calendar get started and what has the campaign accomplished so far? 

Carly Steiman: The Tradeswomen Calendar was incepted on a storyboard in 2011, and put into action August 2024. I wanted to hire more women in the residential sector to build out the community for my home maintenance company Workbee but there’s not enough women entering the workforce and even fewer in the residential space and even fewer that are entrepreneurs! Because I have been an electrician for 18 years, entrepreneur for 10, worked in film production and come from a big family that loves to host I felt it was my duty to step up and to do something about it to make a change.

The photoshoot for the calendars happened November 2024, and the photos Millissa Martin shot were so incredible I applied to an art gallery in Vancouver (Gallery 881) and I got accepted. It was only after I was accepted did I find out it was going to be close to $15k and I decided to delay the launch of Workbee by a year and focus on this “performance” and show the construction sector what Carly Steiman is capable of planning. 

With the help of industry leaders that saw me at various trade shows perhaps getting on stage from ConnectHer Hub, to Site Summit, to VRCA’s Leap, to Future of Work, I got industry leaders to help sponsor the initiative and in October 2025 I launched the Tradeswomen Exhibit: a two week exhibit with 9 events ranging from Home Maintenance 101 to Alchemy at the Table (long table dinner for women in trades).

I persevered in tight and at times definitely awkward timelines and completed the mission of getting 2000 schools across Canada sponsored with a calendar. From the Yukon to PEI, these calendars got shipped! 

What are your goals for this year?

The goal this year is to exceed last year’s school sponsorship total and to execute the campaign start to finish in a timeline that is way more appropriate and “ahead of schedule.” As of today, I have 575 schools sponsored and will have the calendars shipped to schools across Canada latest December 1st.

You started your career on the tools and on job sites. What has it been like shifting gears to navigate the world of art and galleries?

I love this question. To answer it properly, I’ll give you a little slice of my history because for me, trades and art have never really been that far apart.

I come from a family of filmmakers and tinkerers. My Zaida (paternal grandfather) was a projectionist in Montreal, loading film in theatres while working three other jobs. My Bubbie was pulled out of school in grade 4 to hand out flyers for her father’s cobbler business and remembers teaching the jitterbug at farmers’ markets just to afford a sandwich. My Papa (maternal grandfather) worked at the Falconbridge nickel mine in Sudbury, raising six kids after surviving 4 years as a POW in Japan and teaching himself to build from nothing. My Nonna worked briefly as a journalist, then ran her household, teaching her kids to sew masks for miners and cleaning offices after school. 

Work ethic was never in short supply, and neither was the instinct to build and create with whatever was on hand. That’s the thread I see running straight through to me: trades and art are the same impulse, using your hands and resourcefulness to make something real. I honour my heritage by recognizing my privilege, their hardships, and by dreaming big with storytelling.

So to actually answer the question: I’ll always be on the tools in some capacity, but hiring out is now necessary as I focus on advocacy. I’m at a point where using my voice to highlight others, and fix outdated systems, is my mission.

What are some of the biggest lessons this project has taught you?

1. The kids need it. The impact of handing calendars out at SkillsBC and Skills National was tangible and premium grade fuel. The social interaction compounded with a gift left every recipient with the feeling of being seen, celebrated and wondering about their future.

2. Asking once and not hearing back isn’t an answer. I’ve learned how to schedule reminders to again until I get a yes or no. I’m always thankful for the no’s.

3. A day planner is the ultimate tool to juggle multiple roles. I’m on year 18 of a paper-back day planner.

4. How much I will appreciate hiring a rockstar team to help manage and ride momentum together.

Who are some people in the industrial sector that inspire you?

Mike Maierle of Etro has been building something fantastic the last 10 years.

I watched and listened to Aleksei Myroniuk of Victaulic speak at Future of Work on mechanical systems, LCS (liquid cooling systems) and data centers. It was incredibly informative on the topic of policies, infrastructure and the innovation being used to make data centers more efficient.

As an entrepreneur, Red Seal electrician, and producer for the Tradeswomen Calendar, you must be busy. What are some habits you have for keeping up with everything?

Another great question! I love my mornings of zen. Lifting when I can. Yoga to steady my mind. Sleeping 7-8 hours most nights. Water before coffee and staying hydrated. I call my folks about every day. They’re the greatest and I won the lottery with them in my corner. Dancing and being playful to move energy and keep things light. I take myself on dates to stay current on what I’m curious about. Lighting, AI, innovation and everywhere I go I tend to make a friend along the way because I love inviting people to things or sharing the word about communities because inclusivity is the magic sauce.

You are clearly passionate about inspiring the next generation of skilled tradespeople, especially young girls. What inspired you to go into the trades?

In grade 11 I have a core memory of this paper that got handed out in math that listed 50 or so Red Seal trades. I remember scanning it and googling the highest paying at the time and it said electrician. My Uncle Rick is one of the coolest guys I know and was an electrician at the mine in Sudbury. Between that, and meeting a graduating class of BC Hydro linemen on my grade 12 grad trip in Dominican who said it would be the best decision I could make, I thought, sure! I’ll apply. I applied to 20 companies around Oakville, door knocked, the whole kit and caboodle, and finally a small residential outfit hired me as a receptionist to start and then I graduated to a tool belt because I didn’t let up. I asked questions, was hungry, attentive to detail and made it clear I wanted to be on the tools. Shaun took me seriously and took a chance on me. For that reason, I am so grateful.

A huge part of this campaign has been connecting with companies, industry groups, non-profits and more. What is your advice for others looking to build coalitions and get campaigns off the ground?

The best advice for coalitions and building bridges is attending events and learning about others. My mindset has always been to see if there’s someone I can connect that person with to help achieve their goals. I find my network is what has compounded the most in my lifetime. Using that generously, to help others with their goals feels great and then when the time comes to pitch my mission, they listen, consider and hopefully amplify it by sharing it with others (cue SiteNews! ). That’s the power of kindness and generosity. I truly believe what goes around, comes around and I live in that mantra daily.

I also think it’s very valuable going to the wholesalers, and volunteering with groups in your city to expand your network. A huge part of the work is investing your most valuable resource, which is time, into networking and meeting people to have the potential of getting anything off the ground. I tell people the last two years have been an MBA in both how much I’ve grown and amassed in knowledge and how much it has cost me.

The first year of anything always takes an injection of capital, time, and the most important thing: belief in oneself. The second year? Let’s go baby! Proof of concept has been achieved, time to knock it out of the park!

What is your vision for this project? Where do you see it going years from now?

This year at some point I’m going to launch an open call. I want tradeswomen all over North America to send me a photo of themselves (with specific directions), and fill out a questionnaire with curated questions from yours truly, and I will select 12 tradeswomen for the 2028 Tradeswomen Calendar. I, along with sponsors (necessary component), will fly them to Vancouver for a weekend and do the photoshoot for the calendar with Millissa, and host an “Alchemy at the Table” gala event for tradeswomen. The 2026 Tradeswomen Calendar made it to the UK, NZ, GR; I dream it becomes the tradeswomen’s version of Girl Guide cookies, except it distributes globally to schools.

The core memory I have as a young student was looking at the Scholastic book order catalogue and the joy it brought using a crayon to circle the books I wanted, and then another time when 3 men came to my class to talk about the jobs they had. No women. I want representation for capable women to be displayed in public places in a compelling and important way. I remind myself women couldn’t get a credit card only 50 years ago and I want to do my part to inspire little girls that they can dare to dream and be self-sufficient.

What photographers or artists (dead or alive) would you love to see on the jobsite, capturing the skilled trades?

Millissa Martin, Millissa Martin, Millissa Martin. She is the dream partner in crime creative and together we cover the most fun mastery capturing the moment! But blank cheque and we can bring people back from the dead? Zack Snyder cut would be amazing. Autumn Durald Arkapaw. Edward S. Curtis. Annie Leibovitz

Finally, what is the best way for people or companies to support this movement?

Pre-order your calendar today, at www.tradeswomenexhibit.com. Every order helps us lock in our print count and puts a calendar in a school. If you’re in a position to sponsor, download the sponsorship package and sponsor some schools. If not, spread the word. 

Whether it’s buying calendars now for holiday gifts, or just sharing this with someone who might care, more hands make light work. I am SO thankful for the superstars that have shown up this far and have said “yes, and!” If you’re that person reading this, thank you. I only want to invite more people to join the ride, because at the end of the day, this is a celebration of women in our industry. Past, present and future.