Achieving Success as a Female Founder in the Trades with Katy Higgins [Part 1]

In this episode of Power Women of the Trades, hosts Cassie Pound and Heather Bargender-Wavra welcome Katy Higgins, founder of True Pros HVAC in Utah, for a fun and candid conversation that exemplifies the dynamic energy women bring to the skilled trades. Katy shares her journey from telemarketer and dispatcher to becoming the first female comfort advisor in Utah nearly two decades ago, highlighting both the challenges and unique perspectives she brought to the table. Listeners will hear honest discussions about Utah culture, the realities of working in male-dominated fields, and how representation matters in breaking barriers—an ethos shared by the podcast and its sponsors Relentless Digital, Forrest Perry Marketing, Rilla, and others.Katy gives an inside look at her transition from comfort advisor to successful business owner, launching True Pros HVAC from her garage with determination and community support. She details her path of over-educating herself in sales and installation to stand out, the pivotal moments of winning the Ultimate Comfort Advisor contest with Lennox (and being the only woman on the leaderboard), and how her achievements inspired more companies to hire female comfort advisors in Utah. Katy also talks through practical hurdles, from getting a contractor’s license to scaling her company rapidly—True Pros hit over $5 million in revenue in its first rolling 12 months and has grown to 22 employees with a notably high percentage of female team members.Time Stamps:06:35 Pioneering Female Comfort Adviser10:00 "Unexpected Issues in Construction"12:36 "Lenox's Gift-Giving Surprise"16:54 "Career Choice: Trades as Opportunity"17:22 Career Journey to Entrepreneurship23:02 "Breaking Gender Norms in Oklahoma"24:06 "Rilla: Embracing Change and Sponsorship"27:08 "Power Women Podcast"Meet Your Hosts: Cassie Pound is the co-owner of Quality Heating, Cooling & Plumbing in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Connect with her on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassiepound/ Heather Bargender-Wavra has a broad expertise in the construction sector, focusing on specialized accounting and strategic business areas like HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems. Reach out to her to see how she can support your business's growth and efficiency. Connect with Heather on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-bargender-16787a13/Special thanks to our sponsors for making the show possible:Relentless Digital https://www.relentless-digital.comKee Hart Marketing https://keehartmarketing.comForrest Perry Marketing https://perrymarketing.comRilla www.Rilla.comTune in to hear from more Power Women in the trades industry on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, Radio Public and more!Make sure to follow us on all of our Power Women of the Trades social media accounts here: Instagram: @powerwomenofthetradespodcast https://www.instagram.com/powerwomenofthetradespodcast/ LinkedIn: Power Women of the Trades Podcast https://www.linkedin.com/company/power-women-of-the-trades-podcast/ TikTok: powerwomenofthetrades YouTube: @powerwomenofthetrades https://youtube.com/@powerwomenofthetrades?si=nYEu4oO33R-Pjf11 Facebook: Power Women of the Trades PodcastListening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Power Women of the Trades in your favorite podcast player.This episode was produced and brought to you by the Skilled Trades Syndicate @ServiceBusinessMasteryPodcast https://www.servicebusinessmastery.com/