Misha Homara is the CEO of TriCore Panels, a vertically integrated architectural paneling company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. One of the youngest female CEOs in construction, she leads a 30+ person team and is reshaping what modern, people-centered leadership looks like in the industry. Misha never expected to find her career in construction. A temporary role helping her family’s business became a long-term calling, pushing her to learn the trade and the business from the ground up. With a deep commitment to culture, mentorship, and supporting people to be their most authentic self, she’s challenging outdated norms around leadership, retention, and workplace culture, proving that strong construction companies are built by supporting the people behind the work.

In this episode we cover:

> An Unexpected Path: From cosmetology to construction

> What TriCore Panels Does: Exterior facades, vertical integration, and scaling from 7 to 30+ employees

> From Assistant to CEO: How her temp role morphed into a leadership position

> The Systems She Swears By: How she went about implementing EOS® – Entrepreneur Operating System

> Breaking Construction Norms: How she goes about prioritizing rest in an industry that doesn’t

> The Loneliness of Leadership: Imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and carrying the weight as a young CEO

> Investing in People: What they’re doing at TriCore to support their people – ESL classes, financial literacy classes, etc.

> Women in Construction: The advocacy work Misha is doing to build representation

> The Misha Method: what it is, who it’s for and her goal to get people to be the truest version of themselves

> Involvement in Workforce Development: What TriCore is doing to get young people + communities exposed to the industry

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Guest info:

• Misha Homara, CEO @ TriCore Panels

• The Misha Method (Podcast, retreats)

• Plant & Play event

Connect with The Skilled Project:

• Founder, Amanda Luchetti

• Follow on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube

• Subscribe to newsletter

Like the podcast? 🎧

• Subscribe to the podcast

• Leave a kickass review

• Know someone Skilled AF? Submit a story here

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Wilson Betances is a master electrician, contractor, author, and the Founder & CEO of Energize Us – a fast-growing education, media, and professional development platform redefining the future of skilled trades leadership. With 17+ years in the electrical trade, Wilson is now focused on addressing the structural issues holding the industry back. Grounded in his lived experience and the mentors who shaped him, he’s challenging the trades to rethink how we recruit, train, and keep skilled workers. Through Energize Us, he’s building a holistic ecosystem that supports people from their first day on the jobsite through becoming successful contractors.

In this interview we cover:

> Wilson’s Journey: Growing up in NYC and entering the electrical trade young

> Cultural Conditioning: Overcoming scarcity mindset, silence, and conflict avoidance
> What Energize Us is: How the platform began and its three pillars: media, education & professional development
> Fixing the Pipeline: Why every contractor demanding “3–5 years experience” is breaking the system
> Apprenticeship Dropout Rates: The real reasons so many apprentices leave within their first year
> Leadership Development: What the new trades leader actually looks like
> Gatekeeping & Culture Problems: Hazing, knowledge hoarding, outdated masculinity, and other norms pushing people away
> Innovating Around Retention: How Energize Us is eliminating real-life bottlenecks like housing, childcare, and support
> Future Vision: Wilson’s goal to influence workforce systems nationally and help modernize trades education and culture

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Guest info:

• Wilson Betances, Founder & CEO @ Energize Us

• Connect with Energize Us, ✉️: Info@EnergizeUs-EDU.today; Follow on Instagram

• Connect with Wilson on Instagram & LinkedIn

Connect with The Skilled Project:

• Founder, Amanda Luchetti; ✉️: amanda@theskilledproject.com

• Follow on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube

• Subscribe to newsletter

Like the podcast? 🎧

• Subscribe to the podcast

• Leave a kickass review

• Know someone Skilled AF? Submit a story here

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

* This episode includes discussion of suicide in the construction industry. Listener discretion advised.

Angelo Suntres didn’t choose construction, construction chose him. After earning a mechanical engineering degree, he took a job in the industry simply to pay the bills. What he found instead was purpose and a deep sense of pride in building spaces that serve the community. Now, with 20+ years experience in mechanical and MEP construction in Canada, Angelo is dedicated to improving the human experience in the skilled trades and broader construction industry through his global platform – The Human Side of Construction, two books (The Human Side of Construction and Rebuild Construction), an online course, and coaching the next generation of industry leaders.

In this interview we cover:

> Angelo’s Journey

> How Human Side of Construction started

> Generational divides between talent

> Diversity & inclusion realities

> Construction's leaky workforce pipeline

> Mental health & suicide

> Angelo's vision for the future

Studies Mentioned:

> Building Better 2025

> Mason, L. et al. (2024). Comorbidity of anxiety and depression in adult ADHD
> Behind the High Vis: A Mental Health White Paper

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Guest info:

• Angelo Suntres, Founder, Human Side of Construction

• Follow on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube

Connect with The Skilled Project:

• Founder, Amanda Luchetti

• Follow on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube

• Subscribe to newsletter

Like the podcast? 🎧

• Subscribe to the podcast

• Leave a kickass review

• Know someone Skilled AF? Submit a story here

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.