Camille LeVasseur
“Discover what suits your natural talents and double down on that.”
WomenWhoBuild, meet Camille LeVasseur,
A expert in her field, Camille has over 25 years of experience in carpentry. Prior to her retirement, Camille ran her own kitchen cabinet shop, as well as began a carpentry school primarily focused on advancing the role of women in the skilled trades. Currently Camille runs the Remodel Your Life podcast, where she interviews inspiring women who are working in the construction industry and the skilled trades.
Camille sat down with ArchNative to talk about the career change that led her to rediscover her passion for the field of carpentry, her podcast, and her advice for women who are looking to enter the skilled trades.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey in the construction industry?
I actually started learning construction by just being around my dad and in his shop. I grew up running around as a 5 year old girl as he built homes from the foundation up and I think I fell in love with it then. Seeing a building come out of ground from start to finish was just so satisfying. Along with being a general contractor he also built cabinets and did a lot of very fine finish work, so I also got to see incredibly beautiful and creative things he made. That left a very strong impression on me, along with the freedom to work when you wanted and for who you wanted.
What made you decide to take the leap and make it your career?
Those early years left a strong impression of independence in me and even after I went to college and became a business and marketing consultant, I still longed for building something with my hands. I hated being behind a desk all day and having to dress up. So after a few years I burned out and gave up my consulting business. It was a really hard decision but for my mental health I had to do it. I just wasn’t happy getting up everyday.
This was the start of a very long journey and the first step was getting a job digging ditches. This eventually led to working inside the building do trim work and eventually to joining the carpenters union.
Several years and many companies later I started my own kitchen cabinet shop. This led to building a shop with all women, 12 to be exact and doing full kitchen remodels. After 25 years doing that I finally found my calling. I also started a carpentry school for women and taught over 7,000 women how to use power tools. This love of teaching has never gone away and brings me so much joy to empower other women.
Can you tell us a little bit about your podcast "Remodel Your Life", you talk to inspiring women working in the skilled trades and the construction industry, what gave you the inspiration to start this podcast?
Three years ago I knew I would be retiring and wanted to help push the field for women in the trades. In order to do that I knew I couldn’t operate my shop at the same time. So I created the RYL Podcast in order for me to shine a light on the next generation of women currently thriving and also to push the industry forward. This is my gift to the industry and how I feel I can serve for the next 10 years.
What do you envision for the future of the "Remodel Your Life" Podcast?
I hope the podcast continues to inspire and educate women in the trades and women that own businesses in the trades to be financially successful. This is how we change the industry. Being in charge of your own company lets you make the decisions that bring more women into the trades. My goal is to share more information about building a successful career and business. I also plan to publish a couple of books about my experiences and struggles in the hopes it helps another young woman not feel alone and feel empowered.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Pre-retirement: Get up at 5am, workout for an hour, go to the shop…build cabinets all day, meet clients during the day, back to the shop to work on design of kitchen…go the store for shopping around 5, cook dinner.
After-retirement: I am a morning person, as most in the trades are so I get up around 5 am and feed my kitties, then walk about 6 miles to clear my mind and think about what I want to accomplish. Then I make my celery juice (great for the tummy) and eat avocado toast (it’s yummy). Then I work on my podcast and interviewing guests for about 3 hours and work with a few business clients until about 1:00. Answer emails and go to workout. Go shopping and cook dinner. I cook almost every night and it is my second passion.
What is one piece of advice you have for women entering the skilled trades field?
My best piece of advice is three-fold. Figure out what you like doing during the day and find a job that suits that. For example, I am a natural introvert so I was happiest designing and building cabinets most of the day and only meeting with clients 20% of the time. However, if you want to be talking and designing cabinets with clients most of the day, you will feel stuck working in the shop. Discover what suits your natural talents and double down on that.
Second, be on the lookout for the BEST person on your job site or job, learn from them, watch them. I see so many people learning from the worst carpenter or worst boss and getting stuck for years.
Third, don’t ask for permission. Do your best, get as much practice and training as you can, and then go do what it is you are looking to do. You will waste so many years waiting like this. Instead trust your instinct and keep pressing forward. Take your own chances, reach for that promotion, that extra job, that extra training. Belive in what you DO know how to do and find confidence in that at every step. This is the internal confidence you need to thrive in the trades and keep making progress.