Profile -- by *Stephen Carthy

Kristi Hansen owns her own business. There's nothing unusual about a woman being an entrepreneur in this day and age, however, what is unusual is her line of work. She is a fully qualified and experienced plumber. And according to her, there is not only a place for women in her trade, but there is even a unique niche in the market for them.

Starting Out:
It all began when she was growing up. Her dad was a mechanical contractor who owned his own business. She wasn't particularly interested in that line of work, but it was part of the family life and she was proud of the fact that her dad was a plumber and the owner of a large contracting company.

As she grew, Kristi began to run errands picking up supplies for her dad. Driving the company truck evolved into helping the plumbers with digging trenches, soldering pipes and learning some of the basics of plumbing. Her involvement grew to the point where, "thirteen years later I became one of his apprentices."

Reactions and Support:
Kristi started at the bottom. She needed to learn the very basic fundamentals of how mechanical things work, "not only did I need to acquire the basic understanding that most guys get throughout their schooling and lives, but I also needed to learn how to use hand and power tools - with an audience." On the jobsite, the men adjusted to having a woman there, "It was definitely unusual for the other guys on the jobsite to have me there. All of them were very supportive and, I guess, proud in a way. I had no feelings of negativity coming from other apprentices, tradesmen, or bosses, as they all knew I was serious."

She learned not only about plumbing, but also about the role of the other construction trades, and she gained an understanding of the construction process. Any undue attention from younger males was quickly quashed by supervisors and older coworkers as "the majority of the guys assumed more of a fatherly role and they did wonders for curbing any questionable advances or discussions." For her part, Kristi learned to adapt to the rough nature of the job site and did not expect her coworkers to change their ways for her. She found that "humour is the best way for me to handle these situations."

As for support outside of the workplace, she found that "everyone everywhere seems excited to know a plumber, especially a qualified one!" And she adds, "I have never experienced opposition to the fact that I'm a plumber in all of my thirteen years in the trade."

Going Solo:
Kristi seized the opportunity to start a plumbing business of her own when unforeseen circumstances left her unemployed. With encouragement from her husband, and the confidence in her ability gained from many years of experience, she took the plunge and has not looked back. She now owns and operates a successful business specializing in designing and remodelling kitchens and bathrooms, work she enjoys a lot. "I'm finding this very exciting, as I am tearing out the old, dreaming up the new, installing and finishing it. It is a great personal advancement for me to shift from being on the tools to being creative, as well as "the boss". "

A Philosophy of Plumbing:
So what motivates Kristi? She says "I find it very rewarding to give them (customers) basic information that dispels some of the myths and fears surrounding their own household system."

Looking at the larger picture, she has her own philosophy when it comes to plumbing. "We've succeeded in managing our waste for the average city, or remote home, in a safe manner for humans. Now it is time to shift our focus to the bigger picture, which is the environment. If everyone could become more concerned with the environment, and what we are doing to it, and with it, then we will be drastically advancing our civilization." Kristi points out that the plumbing trade plays a vital role in maintaining our civilization: "the important thing to remember is this: modern plumbing, as in managing and disposing of waste in a safe and stylish manner, is what makes us civilized. If we cannot maintain this, civilization as we know it will crumble - diseases will spread and water sources will become contaminated. So I'm personally very proud of participating in, and maintaining, our current civil society."

Kristi's Thoughts on Women in Plumbing:
For anyone, male or female, the work can be physically taxing starting out. "I have certainly found the work extremely physically and mentally demanding at times, but this shouldn't be a deterrent. If you are not afraid of learning, or getting your hands dirty, or progressing in life by working hard, then you might consider the trades." But the work does pay off, and not just financially, as she observes,"As far as plumbing goes, the sky is the limit". The key to success in this field, like any other, is perseverance according to Kristi: "In fact, I find that it starts with the dirty and gruelling and becomes more rewarding and exciting as the years go by."

And, yes, the work can be messy at times. "People honestly believe that being a plumber means that you deal with poo all day long. This is not true! Nobody specializes only in clogged toilets." But: "there are definitely going to be some gross times in this field." However, regardless of the challenges, she says "women should not avoid the field for fear of the trade being too difficult. I think you should assess your own strengths and weaknesses to determine if you are suitable for the challenge."

Public Attitudes to Women Plumbers:
So, do potential customers take a woman plumber seriously? You bet they do, according to Kristi, "of course, women in particular feel very comfortable with me, as well as the gay community, and I have an extremely relaxed attitude that enables them to ask anything they want. I was surprised to learn that the same reaction comes from the average male out there as well. I think, dare I say it, that the male population feels just as relieved to have me turn up as the gay community and women do."

She has found a strong repeat customer base among women who live alone. Such women prefer to call a woman plumber, if they can find one. Kristi says that when they do find one "you can bet that these women have found their plumber for life, but there aren't enough (women plumbers) to go around." She also stresses that this not a knock against male plumbers who, she says, "go to extra lengths to make the visit non-intimidating and pleasant. They know that it is scary for a lot of women out there to have a stranger in their home."

There definitely is a place for women, not only in plumbing, but in the skilled trade of their choice. Apprentices, as well as experienced journeypersons are in high demand in all trades everywhere. The financial rewards can be as great as you want them to be and there is security and personal satisfaction not only in the type of work done, but in the knowledge that you are in demand, jobs are not hard to find, and you can work at the same trade, for the same income anywhere in North America. You can go where you want, and, quite likely, find a good paying job waiting for you there. There is also the chance at gaining independence by starting a business of your own that will be in demand.

All of this does not come easy though. You need to do as Kristi did, be willing to start at the very bottom, be serious about your trade, work hard and persevere. But, as you can see by Kristi's story, it can pay off.

*Stephen Carthy is a freelance writer. To contact him or find out more about his work, visit his website: http://stephencarthy.sk.myefolio.com