AS FEATURED IN:

Tradie, Renovator, Trainer, Mentor and Coach

"My Passion Lies in supporting all women in the Building & Renovating Industry whether you’re a home DIY renovator or keen to get into the industry."

Penny xo

Her Story

There is no surprise after thriving in a male-dominated industry for 30 years that my natural drive and focus has earned me the reputation of a little pocket rocket. As a big-hearted Greek woman, always on a mission – whether that’s renovating a home, working on my business, or diving into a community project that creates real change in the world.

My ethos is the same:
“Driven to live my best possible life, and passionate about supporting others to do the same.”

I’m a big lover of our Mother Earth, and her connections. I find great pleasure connecting homes with our natural landscape and transforming them into beautiful, unique sanctuaries.

As far as I can remember I was always playing around in the garden of my own childhood home. I grew up working alongside dad the DIY’er, making furniture for Mum in the garage. At 15, I bought my first car even before I got my license rebuilding it from the wheels up, beside the neighborhood boys and their projects.

After completing my HSC, and inspired by my older sister Anna, an aircraft electrical engineer,  I scored my first apprenticeship building cars and hot-rods. A unique place to start, and I can still remember how excited I was. That was the beginning. I always wanted to learn more, and still do now. Diving into horticulture, carpentry and even completing my building & construction Cert IV.  Three trades later, and the rest is history, or should we say HerStory?!

The empowerment I’ve experienced from being able to repair, renovate, and create my own beautiful environment without relying on anyone else has been life-changing. At a bare minimum, basic DIY skills are something I believe we should all have, for self-sufficiency.

Qualifications

  • In 1991– Landed my first Boilermaking Apprenticeship ( now called Metal Fabricating engineering ) building Custom Cars from scratch
  • In 1993 my mentor and employer had heart surgery and forced me to find another job. I picked up the yellow pages and rang every single structural metal engineering company…after many tears and lots of stress, I finally landed a job with Hunter Valley Training Company which carved the beginning of my love for the building and construction industry, fabricating and welding structural beams and learning the skills to basically make anything out of metal. A skill I’m still so grateful to have achieved.
  • In 1995 completed metal fabrication trade.
  • In 2001 completed Horticulture Cert. II. I dived into my love of the outdoors, partnering up to run a high-end garden maintenance business on outrageously, amazing million dollar properties in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. Looking at such properties daily expanded my own dreams for more.
  • In 2007 I started my studies in Carpentry Cert III. This is where my passion for renovating began.
  • In 2010 I decided to start my own business, FEMALE TRADIE.
  • In 2018 I completed my Building and Construction Cert IV.
  • In 2019 fuelled by the desire to begin teaching, I completed my training and assessment education (tae) certificate.