Kris Albro of Meltdown Metal Art joins the Still Building America podcast to talk about going fulltime as a metal artist, managing a small business, her unconventional career path from serving in the military, working in education, and working in fab shops.

She also talks with Darla and Josh Welton about overcoming a learning disabilities, graduating college, learning how to weld, focusing her metal art on nature, marketing on Instagram, managing stress, listening to music while welding, and collaborating with Nate Bowman.

Emily Soloby and Kelly Franko of AWSAM (Alliance of Women's Safety Apparel Manufacturers) join Darla Welton on the Still Building America Podcast to talk about awareness, access, and advocacy for women's PPE across all sectors of manufacturing and the skilled trades.

AWSAM was founded in 2024 with the mission of elevating women in the workplace while supporting safe and appropriate protection for them on the job.

Soloby is also the founder of Juno Jones Safety Boots, co-owner of AA School of Trucking, and host of the Hazard Girls Podcast. Franko is the founder of Seraphina Safety Apparel, which manufactures garments for heat, fire, and molten metal protection.

Find the Equity in Safety report from The Safety Rack here.

Forrest Davis, the shop foreman of Griot's Motors, joins Darla and Josh Welton to talk about his nontraditional journey into the automotive restoration industry.

He shares how he began working at Griot's Garage as a retail employee and eventually transitioning to work on the owner's car collection in in Tacoma, Wash., which led to the creation of Griot's Motors, a full-service restoration shop that specializes in restoring a wide variety of vehicles.

Davis emphasizes the importance of developing a systematic restoration process, thorough documentation, and comprehensive testing to ensure a high-quality final product for customers. He also discusses the challenges of building a skilled workforce and the apprenticeship program he is establishing to mentor the next generation of automotive restoration technicians.

He also talks about his love of Volkswagen, photography, travel, and expanding his worldview.

Davis hopes his passion for cars, creativity, and commitment to training the next generation of fabricators and metal workers exemplify the innovative spirit of the American manufacturing industry.