Leslie's Verbally Disastrous Podcast & #ConstructionTales Blog
Just some raw female construction worker thoughts
You can now click on the above “LISTEN ON SPOTIFY” (WHEN AVAILABLE) to hear this in audio!
Hello everyone
I wanted to share a picture of some fellow coworkers from a job I wrote about in the book. The guys were great to work with on the job. Definitely a great work experience! I will always remember those guys!
Cheers!
Leslie M. Jasper
You can now click on the above “LISTEN ON SPOTIFY” (WHEN AVAILABLE) to hear this in audio!
Hello everyone!
I wanted to show you real quick the still shot of the video that was playing my book trailer on a look with other books for Book Expo America being held at the Javits Center in New York City last week!
I am thinking about putting it in the San Francisco Book fair going down this month in June. I am hoping to get into a few more ventures this year. I shall see how it goes. EDIT: The above promo video was showcased with other authors at the San Francisco Book fair.
The book is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes. I have to get the audio version ready since it needs a final edit. EDIT: The audio version is now available on #Audible
I thank you for reading my blog as usual!
I am almost done reading Hard Hatted Women. It is a collection of stories of women in different male-dominated trades from the 1980’s. I plan to finish reading and speak about it. EDIT: I previously released a post on my book review of Hard Hatted Women
Thanks for reading!
Cheers!
Leslie M Jasper
You can now click on the above “LISTEN ON SPOTIFY” (WHEN AVAILABLE) to hear this in audio!
hello everyone!
I am covering a #podcast topic, coming soon to #Spotify, on the #VerballyDisastrous discussion forum. I am going to discuss the pros vs cons of being a modern independent woman. FAIR WARNING: You are going to have to keep coming back for potential updates on this subject matter. I am going to first come up with my own list below. I have yet to discuss my list with my cohost Melissa. The list is bound to expand and change after our discussion. I shall review creator content, at some point, to see input from others. If used- I shall give credit due to where additional input is used. Here is my own initial list below:
PROS OF BEING A MODERN INDEPENDENT WOMAN:
CONS OF BEING A MODERN INDEPENDENT WOMAN:
As you can see, I am struggling to find the cons of being a modern independent woman. This is where I will need feedback from others to see if I agree the viewpoint and in turn edit my list. Yes, I am open enough to evolve my way of thinking. Overall, I am rather happy with my path in life. I feel satisfied with my income, evolutions in my career, my choices, and my freedom. I even made the best with tragic things that happened over the course of my life. I’m excited that my future plans look very bright. My sons are pretty decent humans in society. The only missing part of my life is a life partner. I cut ways with a partner that turned toxic almost two years ago. I am not rushing to find one nor do I feel empty from the missing partner. I am actively developing hobbies with my best friend, working on many creative projects, and going on adventures. The best lies ahead on my path…
I appear to have a rather unique perspective on the roles of men and women. I was indeed the active juggler of all tasks in my circus of chaos and grandeur as career woman and a mom of sons. I used to eat dinner standing up so I didn’t fall asleep. I even dealt with a lazy partner who pushed his chores onto my eldest son. The former partner got the benefits that came from my labor yet didn’t bother to step up to offset my efforts. Eventually, he was asked to leave and went back out having to pay the extra 50% of his woman- karma. He is still bitter about our parting of ways (shrug shoulders). Some aspects I side with the men and some points I side with the women. I am not on the extreme “I don’t need men” spectrum. I do not have enough venom in my soul to spew this form of rhetoric. I value my peace too much to go in that direction.
I am also not on the opposite “homemaker” spectrum either. If I was to be a homemaker, I would be the best damn one I can be! If your husband is at work, you damn well better have a clean ship that is TIGHT! I would absolutely value the surplus of extra hours in the day with the purpose of having the house cleaned and children managed. I would end up bored after 9-10 AM and would want to work on projects in between my role. Using your daily chore list as an excuse to hold out on sex on your partner is manipulative behavior. I have never turned down a partner. If anything, I have been turned down (another topic). I have always been generous with my home, my time, and my paycheck. I split the bills down the middle 50/50 in a relationship. I belong to the union so I do not believe in the wage gap issue that allegedly plagues other women. If you don’t like the wage issue, then form or join a union! If you roll up your sleeves and work hard, you can get paid the same.
Overall: I just want people to do exactly what they are happy doing in life.
My goal is to try to listen to many avenues of opinions to gain an understanding. I am sure some folks may think my current listening list leans more towards men vs women view points- it is probably true. I listen to a variety of content creators on YouTube that share different ideologies. I listen to ideas from everyone including: Kevin Samuels, Aba & Preach, Mediocre Tutorials & Reviews, The Better Bachelor, Gothix, Think Before You Sleep, Joe Rogan, Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, Michelle from My Thoughts Will Probably Offend You, Stephan Speaks, The Roommates, Entrepreneurs in Cars, Kev Hicks, SNEAKO, Gonzalo Lira, and much more. I recently learned about the MGTOW movement (Men Going Their Own Way); content that I never even knew existed until watching YouTube. After tuning in to various media, I believe that my thoughts do not sound so extreme at all.
Because I have been in the trades with my male coworkers for many years, I have learned about the plight of men enduring a divorce. I think I have learned to think in a masculine manner in some avenues as a result of exposure. I have empathy for many of my male coworkers getting a raw deal in court from their ex wives. Some ex wives hold their kid hostage as a scorned woman- not healthy to do at all. I have also heard men who speak negatively about women they perceive as “independent”. However, if she is mooching for money or things she didn’t earn, she is fake. On the other hand of a man’s plight, he opted to go for the woman based upon superficial qualities. How does he not expect to get short changed in a divorce for being shallow? I base this on men merely choosing a woman for her looks. Shame on him if he didn’t seek out those key inner good qualities and pulled the trigger on marriage. If you marry a woman who doesn’t have her own life plan, it is reasonable that she will latch onto your finances like a remora to a shark.
I know when I speak with my sons about marriage, they need to go for a woman who already has their own path in place. If she doesn’t go to college, she can pick up a trade or professional set of skills. She needs to be able to walk into the relationship with some means of sustaining herself in the event of a tragedy. As a widow, I think about the woman being able to stand on her own two feet in the event her husband dies. You must be prepared to survive and raise your children. If she had nothing going on before you met her, she will have nothing going on after a divorce. This means that you are on the hook to take care of her in the form of alimony and child support. My sons have been preached to about not dating a young woman with kids. That adds a whole other layer of extra responsibility without a reward for the man. I know this and opted to stay single for about seven years after my husband died. I happened to cross paths with someone who wanted to take on that role. He had some of his own equal bags to exchange for that deal. When it was time to part ways, we both left what we came into the situation with prior to meeting. Anything less than that would be criminal in my eyes.
I find that men have very rather extreme perceptions of a modern independent woman. You can thank that media for displaying extreme forms of women and labeling them as “the standard”. The media can’t sell boring lives; they must discuss the extreme mindsets. I don’t think it is fair to do to any group of people. As a kid, I got to see extreme behavior first hand. I got to see the display of man who was controlling and ruled with an iron fist. Controlling behavior is not desirable in either gender. Then you have the extreme female qualities that all modern women are claimed to possess. Some extreme modern independent female qualities include:
These above qualities are over the top and it is unkind to label an entire population based upon the most extreme behaviors. It is odd to me that a man would form an opinion that an average woman contains the above list in its entirety. While people are not perfect, having all of those qualities would be a huge turn off no matter the gender and demographic of the person being targeted with those many undesirable qualities. I would not blame men if they distanced themselves from the monstrous women characterized above.
There are many modern independent women who value peace and calmness amongst the storm of life. They serve as a refuge and a re-filling of the energy needed to take on life’s challenges. There are many women who are kind, thoughtful, and generous with their finances. Many women are willing to build an empire with a suitable man. It could be a less stressful world when men are not so worried and stressed out about finances when they have a partner to pitch in. The only way you get to find out what modern independent women are really like will be via ignoring the media and bitter folks with previous bad choices and discover for yourself. There may be some undiscovered women that turn out to be treasures. I do not believe that the modern independent woman is going to fade away. Muscle cars are not making a come back as a new car any time soon. We are not getting rid of technology either. We must learn to adapt to the modern changes in society.
Perhaps some men need evolve with their rigid style of thinking and figure out how to adjust to the modern way of existing? I wish everyone luck in finding a happy medium.
Cheers!
Leslie M. Jasper
#Scholastic #nonfiction #bookstagram #DropEverythingAndRead #SpringBookFair2021 #LoveOfReading #Reading #ConstructionTales #books #funny #NYC #podcast #Spotify #VerballyDisastrous #bookfair #bookjoy #ReadAnywhere #LoveToRead #AllForBooks #Adult #FBF21 #LBF21 #BEA21 #IKBF21 #KLF21 #HKTDC21 #GBF21 #IIBF21 #LATFOB21 #SIBF21 #FILBO21 #EIBF21 #BAIBF21 #MIBF21 #BIDLDSP21 #BS21 #BBF21 #HIBF21 #IBTAF21 #IBBF21 #ITEF21 #JLF21 #JIBF21 #LBF21 #NDWBF21 #TiBE21 #TIBF21 #BCBF21 #LIVREPARIS21 #SDLDM21 #HBF21 #FIL21 #IIBF21 #SBF21 #BuchWein21 #VIBF21 #ADIBF21 #AIPF21 #bookstagram #book #bukuislami #b #bukumurah #islamicbookfair #buku #booklover #bukusejarah #buchberlin #booklove #cher #bookshelf #internationalbookfair #bookholic #jualbuku #jualbukumurah #reading #obralbuku #bukuindie #bukujogja #tokobukumurah #buchmesse #langka #pasarbuku #bukulangka #bhfyp #jualbelibukuonline #onlineshop #jualanonline #booklovers #anresbooks #readingbooks #booksofinstagram #boekuitstalling #buch #bookish #buchberlinkids #tokobukuonline #boimela #lesen #bookworm #poetry #gontor #fbm #bazarbuku #bookreview #berlin #read #writer #berlinerbuchmesse #buchmesseberlin #author #instabooks #boekverkoping #virtualbookfair #bookaddict
You can now click on the above “LISTEN ON SPOTIFY” (WHEN AVAILABLE) to hear this in audio!
Hello everyone!
I finished reading the book entitled, Hard Hatted Women- Life on the Job. It was edited by Molly Martin. I would like to shout out to fellow electrician, Molly Martin. We are now connectetd on Facebook. She is an activist and a trailblazer and mentor for women in the trades. I appreciate the fellow women from all different walks of life who contributed to the enrichment of the book!! You got to hear short stories from women in the construction trades, truck drivers, police officers, fisherwomen (yeah, I made that one up), engineers, and women working on the farm. This book gives perspectives from all throughout the United States.
This book was published in 1988. Therefore, the women who collectively have written this book had shared stories for at least 40 years prior to the publishing date! It just goes to show you that there were some fearless women opening doors for young women today! They helped open the door for my presence and I appreciate it fully. I have almost 20 years in the union under my belt. I count my military experience, I am up to 23 years experience. I felt I had less pushback in the military than I did as a young apprentice in the civilian world. Then again, my military experience helped me as an apprentice first starting out in the union. Perhaps people felt that if I was strong enough to make it through military training, then I would get a pass to learn the business. I know my size and muscles did help me tremendously in the beginning. Men didn’t want to challenge me since there was a high chance they would get their ass beat in a fight or hurt badly at the very least.
It seemed like the women in this book all used different tactics in order to gain respect in the trade. Many strides have been made since women first started in non-traditional trades. Make no mistake about it, ALL WOMEN who step foot on a job are considered useless until proven otherwise. Women must make their reputation on the job one day at a time. Women must be smarter and know how to work before getting ANY KIND OF RESPECT. All it takes to ruin a reputation is sleeping with a guy on the job or being to open and free about your personal life. Ladies must keep their dating and personal life a secret!! That is the way it is and I doubt it will ever change! One piece of truth can be turned into a nasty rumor in no time. If you choose to become a friend with another female trade person, hopefully her work ethic matches your own. Men will lump your work ethic into her work ethic. I have heard countless times of guys talk about a female on the job who is only there to shop for a husband so she can have babies and eat bon-bons on the couch. I guess it makes sense to try to trash people you consider a threat to your livelihood.
One story that stuck out to me was a tin knocker woman who was doing work on a government building with a chair. She spoke about the heights and the dangers involved in that job. There were men afraid of working on that structure. She swallowed her fear and went out there every day and did her job. I was reading it while on the treadmill. I had a sense of pride for her that she mustered her strength and courage and didn’t give up!! I felt, in the reading, that the carpenter women had the most to prove by far!! They have to hump sheetrock and wood and there is just no light duty tasks at all (in case you beat up your body or get pregnant). It is hard enough for a man to do the job. Men could have an off day or week or month. Women carpenters must be ready to battle ALL CONDITIONS at all times. Any moment of weakness, then your value goes to zero. Try to never get injured on the job since there are no light duty tasks one could do while healing up. There is no time ever to be sick or weak (my opinion).
I know in the beginning, I used to shy away from women. Once I got a pass from the men as hard worker, I felt a sense that I could breathe and rest easier. I used to have a fear that a new woman coming on the job could be weak and her bad work habits could rub off on me. I felt that all my hard work to earn a great reputation could go out the door in seconds. I now know that the men didn’t want her there. Let’s use our token female worker bee on the job to scare her away since she could be more powerful than our influence. It is done on subconscious level rather than a conscious level. Since I wanted to remain a ‘part of the boy’s club’ I was willing to offer the silent treatment to the new girl. Meanwhile, I was being used by the boys to push their agenda than my own agenda. It took me awhile to learn to not feed into that nonsense. In my later years on the job, I learned to listen to my iPod not get sucked into rumors and gossip. That strategy ended up working for the best.
I would say the merchant sailor had the most mental stress to battle out of all of the stories. She contended with group of old school thinkers who felt she was there to merely clean up after them. This made it even more intense within close quarters. It seemed like it would take a long time before co-workers could ever see her as an equal. She may never live to see that kind of equality. I am starting to believe that women from foreign countries have more equality than American women. This is exactly why I want to read more foreign perspectives of women in non-traditional jobs. My next book to read was by a group of women plumbers from England. I can’t wait to read and share that book!
I appreciate the fact that some of the women use humor to their approach in dealing with difficult situations. One example comes from a female carpenter foreman:
Well, uh, er, we have had other girls work here before. (PUFF, PUFF on the cigar) And, uh, er, they just haven’t been able to handle the work.
(Translation) We don’t really want you broads here, but were being forced to hire you. The other women couldn’t take the abuse…will you?
One girl missed a lot of time, and another didn’t want to do the heavy work.
(Translation) Your period is no excuse..and you’re gonna get the shittiest, dirtiest jobs we’ve got. You’re gonna have to work twice as hard as the men if you want to stick around.
Known as the “Every woman” speech
I appreciated reading the humor that some of these women had in their heads while being told some song and dance by a male co-worker.
In a nutshell, any woman that has the courage to step foot onto a jobsite where she is considered useless as a first impreession. Few men could handle that type of behavior towards them much less women. It is tough to manage daily scrutiny from all trades on the job. As a foreman, you never have to babysit a female on the job. Just ask the nearby laborer on the job. He will offer play by play action of what she did all day. It makes no sense to try to come in late or leave early since everyone on the job is watching. You might as well not cut corners either since tht will get noticed too. It’s best to take your time and do the best work you can do. You must be known for doing the best work on the job. If you don’t, you will get blamed for the worst work on the job (even if you didn’t do it).
All these women in this book are made out of steel since you must be reslient at all times and check your emotions and hormones at the door. I was once told by an African-American co-worker that I now know what it feels like to be him for 7-8 hours a day. He said the good thing is that I get to take that suit off and put my snowflake suit on and go home. I can never say that I fully can share or know his experience but I definitely have empathy for his plight due to my experiences.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and the storiess are right on par with what I expected to read about. Despite the huge time span, I can say that not much has changed during that time frame. Men still do not want women on the job. A small group of men have resigned themselves to the fact that a few are going to attempt at it so they deal with it. There will always be the group who share the “barefoot and pregnant while chained to the stove” sentiment. You just yes those kinds of ‘boys’ to death. You watch them get into their car to go home and make their own wives miserable. Either that or their wives kick the shit out of them and their solution is to pick on the female co-worker. Usually razor-sharp wit and humorous charm sprinkled with hard work can win the toughest of personalities on the job over time.
After all, just be thankful you don’t have to go home with some of these guys; you just have to get through huge chunks of your life on the job daily. I forgot to mention, instead of being 1 courageous woman on the job, there are now 3 courageous women on the job. The way the men speak, at this rate all jobs will be run by and worked on by all women. Not going to happen in my lifetime. I know guys like a female presence since they can use her to get better accommodations on the job. I have rambled on enough about this book and my experiences. I am glad to read about the struggles these other women faced. It makes my own struggles seem not so bad. I am grateful to only have dealt with a few major issues over the span of my career.
So pick up a copy of Hard Hatted Women on Amazon. Enjoy the rest of your day now that you have read my long ass winded book review!!
Cheers!
Leslie M Jasper
You can now click on the above “LISTEN ON SPOTIFY” (WHEN AVAILABLE) to hear this in audio!
UPDATED on January 25, 2020
Originally published in Blogger on 2-28-16
*If you suspect someone is a victim of domestic violence, reach out to your local domestic violence hotline.*
Hello everyone!
I often promote #ConstructionTales on different Facebook pages and various media platforms throughout the internet. I stumbled upon one that dealt with the subject of Domestic Violence against women. I was pleased to see a page dedicated to giving solid advice on that subject matter. I have dealt with that as a child watching my father get angry and abusive towards my mother, sisters, myself, and my step-mom. I plan to write a book about it some day. An abusive home life had brought on a subconscious fear once I would hear a man’s voice get louder in nature. I then would subsequently anticipate that violence was sure to follow. I usually kept my distance once I would hear the voice escalating to a deeper intensity. As a grown woman, it sometimes still bothers me to hear various types of yelling. It is something that once you experience that type of violence, it never goes fully away. However, I have grown into my strength as a woman over the years. Being in construction has built up the fire in my soul for many years now. As of today, not much rattles me. It is fair to say that I now have the heart of a lion.
As an adult, that is still a hot button subject for me. I absolutely won’t allow that in my home or in my life. I have two boys that I would not tolerate hearing any form of violence towards their girlfriends and/or future wives! I tend to look out fiercely for family members as well. Years ago, I had witnessed an episode, over the phone with a family member, where my family member was getting abused by a partner. It was thousands of miles between Oregon and New York. I couldn’t handle the situation myself so I needed my mother to take care of it for me. I had gotten on the phone with my mother and made her go get my family member and pack up the belongings. I would have kept on my mother until the family member was out of the offending house. In hindsight, I didn’t think about how uncomfortable this incident had made her feel. I didn’t think about how the past trauma impacted her and put fear in her heart. At that moment, I was the voice of reason and the backbone for my mother to take a stand and get that family member out of harms way. I kept encouraging my mother to handle business and she would not get harmed for intervening. I most certainly would have jumped on a plane if anything bad had happened to my mother. Thank goodness that family member did get out of that relationship, after that explosive night, and has had a loving spouse for many years now.
Domestic violence is an absolute deal breaker in a relationship for me! I have only been in one relationship that had turned sour like that. I was a very young woman with few relationships under my belt. I ended up getting into violent matches with him, a few times. I would never let a man just hit me without hitting him back. We would end up a bruised and a bloodied mess once we were done fighting. We both ended up with wounds from that since I would not back down. Initially, it was super hard to get away from that situation since I loved him with great intensity and passion. However, I ended up getting out of that situation. I made sure to get out of that situation and to never get into something like that ever again. I have never been in an abusive relationship ever since we parted ways.
I think one of the best ways of avoiding those kinds of situations would be to make your own money. If you make your own money, you can be the captain of your own ship. Life follows under your own terms. Then you can screen men to see if they come from good backgrounds and don’t have a history of violence. You can study their behavior and part ways when if the situation turns violent. Oftentimes, women get involved with a man since they must depend on them financially. When you make your own money, you can pick and choose who you want to be with long term. It is important for a man to know that you don’t need him and he must put in some work to keep you. If a man puts his hands up just once in anger, he will do it again and again. It helps being strong too. I know most men would not want to get hit back by me since I do pack a mean punch. Seriously, you must be willing to look for signs and be willing to leave at the first sign of violence. It could save your life and the life of your children. Being in a violent relationship is not healthy and has long term ramifications for your children in the present and the future.
I remember as a kid seeing my female role models being abused. Sadly, it almost felt like it was normal to expect in a relationship. I was accustomed to a man ruling the house and you do not question it. Despite the strict military style home life, I adored my dad. I rarely saw my mom or step-mom stand up for themselves. If they did, they would see the wrath of my father. As a kid, this environment stunted my social growth. I was very quiet and barely spoke unless spoken to in elementary school. I didn’t find a part of my voice until I reached middle school. My parents divorced when I was in elementary school. Somehow that pivotal event caused alot of mixed emotions and some misguided anger as a teen. Despite my mom having a man that treated her better, I was angry and confused about the broken family. I moved in with my dad and step-mom when I turned 13 years old. The step-mom made the experience grueling to endure. They parted ways in the summer before my senior year of high school. Here comes a move to a different town and high school. The bright side of this change was meeting my first strong woman in my life.
I moved in with this couple and my dad in the new town to start school. Any form of domestic violence had ceased to exist. I got to see with my own eyes a different type of husband and wife dynamics. I met my first strong woman; boy did I gravitate to her!! She was cut from a different cloth and originally came from Chicago. I remember her teaching me how to protect myself. She told me to put my key in between my fingers. If someone attacks you, you now have a weapon. It may have been at this moment that I blamed my mom for not sticking up for herself. Here is a woman that knows how to communicate, compromise, and never let a man push her around. Her husband was allergic to cats. She had a heated shed where she kept her cats; something my mom or step-mom could not get away with ever. I used to go to the shed and pet the cats with her and ask her many questions. It was at that moment in time where the family dynamics ideals shifted dramatically in my mind. I left that environment hopeful that my future relationship will not be doomed to domestic violence.
I sincerely hope my story above will inspire at least one woman to evolve from any form of opression to an evolved position of a new self-suffient life. It all starts with figuring out exactly how you want to get out of the current way of life. You can reach out to the apprentice office of a trade you want to enter into for a career. Wait for the intake of apprentices and apply. Make sure you read and follow the instructions EXACTLY as stated. Then jump through the hoops and start your career in the trades. Once you finish your apprenticeship, you are on the road to independance and a life where you can call the shots. You do not have to choose only a trade to join. You can find financial stability from many other avenues. Then you can pick and choose who you want to be in your life as a partner. Having the financial independance to do as you choose is very gratifying and makes life enjoyable. I am rooting for you on your road to achieving independence and a better way of life!
Best of luck!
Have a great Monday!
Cheers!
Leslie M Jasper
*If you suspect someone is a victim of domestic violence, reach out to your local domestic violence hotline.*
#Scholastic #nonfiction #bookstagram #DropEverythingAndRead #SpringBookFair2021 #LoveOfReading #Reading #ConstructionTales #books #funny #NYC #podcast #Spotify #VerballyDisastrous #bookfair #bookjoy #ReadAnywhere #LoveToRead #AllForBooks #Adult #FBF21 #LBF21 #BEA21 #IKBF21 #KLF21 #HKTDC21 #GBF21 #IIBF21 #LATFOB21 #SIBF21 #FILBO21 #EIBF21 #BAIBF21 #MIBF21 #BIDLDSP21 #BS21 #BBF21 #HIBF21 #IBTAF21 #IBBF21 #ITEF21 #JLF21 #JIBF21 #LBF21 #NDWBF21 #TiBE21 #TIBF21 #BCBF21 #LIVREPARIS21 #SDLDM21 #HBF21 #FIL21 #IIBF21 #SBF21 #BuchWein21 #VIBF21 #ADIBF21 #AIPF21 #bookstagram #book #bukuislami #b #bukumurah #islamicbookfair #buku #booklover #bukusejarah #buchberlin #booklove #cher #bookshelf #internationalbookfair #bookholic #jualbuku #jualbukumurah #reading #obralbuku #bukuindie #bukujogja #tokobukumurah #buchmesse #langka #pasarbuku #bukulangka #bhfyp #jualbelibukuonline #onlineshop #jualanonline #booklovers #anresbooks #readingbooks #booksofinstagram #boekuitstalling #buch #bookish #buchberlinkids #tokobukuonline #boimela #lesen #bookworm #poetry #gontor #fbm #bazarbuku #bookreview #berlin #read #writer #berlinerbuchmesse #buchmesseberlin #author #instabooks #boekverkoping #virtualbookfair #bookaddict
You can now click on the above “LISTEN ON SPOTIFY” (WHEN AVAILABLE) to hear this in audio!
hello everyone!
I keep forgetting to show my last home project that I worked on mainly solo. I had help doing the tile even though I prepped by removing the old floor, a hot water baseboard install, and taping. The rest was my baby. My sons did a few guest appearances to help sheetrock. I framed and did alot of rock solo. I built a sheetrock buddy and joked with my friends that “he” was my boyfriend named, Juan Carlos. I am now done with house projects. I painted the room red then changed the color to a beige so I could put it on the market. I plan to buy house #2 at some point and work on that one. I am leaning towards a condo so work will be lighter than a house. I bought this house at 20 years old with a car accident settlement. I watched guys at work and did projects at the house. I have done some trial and errors along the way. It is highly rewarding to show off a job well done. I was getting roofing estimates years ago. A roofer came to the house and asked if my parents were home. I laughed and said that I was the homeowner…he has so uncomfortable that I was highly amused! After 22 years, it is time to move on and find another diamond in the rough. I shall see what I come up with in the future. Have a safe day at work since it is Hump Day already!
Cheers!
Leslie M Jasper
#Scholastic #nonfiction #bookstagram #DropEverythingAndRead #SpringBookFair2021 #LoveOfReading #Reading #ConstructionTales #books #funny #NYC #podcast #Spotify #VerballyDisastrous #bookfair #bookjoy #ReadAnywhere #LoveToRead #AllForBooks #Adult #FBF21 #LBF21 #BEA21 #IKBF21 #KLF21 #HKTDC21 #GBF21 #IIBF21 #LATFOB21 #SIBF21 #FILBO21 #EIBF21 #BAIBF21 #MIBF21 #BIDLDSP21 #BS21 #BBF21 #HIBF21 #IBTAF21 #IBBF21 #ITEF21 #JLF21 #JIBF21 #LBF21 #NDWBF21 #TiBE21 #TIBF21 #BCBF21 #LIVREPARIS21 #SDLDM21 #HBF21 #FIL21 #IIBF21 #SBF21 #BuchWein21 #VIBF21 #ADIBF21 #AIPF21 #bookstagram #book #bukuislami #b #bukumurah #islamicbookfair #buku #booklover #bukusejarah #buchberlin #booklove #cher #bookshelf #internationalbookfair #bookholic #jualbuku #jualbukumurah #reading #obralbuku #bukuindie #bukujogja #tokobukumurah #buchmesse #langka #pasarbuku #bukulangka #bhfyp #jualbelibukuonline #onlineshop #jualanonline #booklovers #anresbooks #readingbooks #booksofinstagram #boekuitstalling #buch #bookish #buchberlinkids #tokobukuonline #boimela #lesen #bookworm #poetry #gontor #fbm #bazarbuku #bookreview #berlin #read #writer #berlinerbuchmesse #buchmesseberlin #author #instabooks #boekverkoping #virtualbookfair #bookaddict
FYI-My name #LeslieMJasper is in the purple area to the right above!
You can now click on the above “LISTEN ON SPOTIFY” (WHEN AVAILABLE) to hear this in audio!
Hello everyone!
I was promoting my book heavily on Twitter- especially back in the beginning of it’s release. Admittedly, I have dropped off the radar for a number of years. I have most recently gotten back on the marketing horse. Someone on Twitter, who is obviously into data and analytics, shared with me the traffic for a June 2015 book fair hash tag. I am just an aggressive and ambitious woman by nature and didn’t do it intentionally. I certainly didn’t want to piss the group off. That would have defeated my whole marketing strategy. I didn’t realize that what I was doing was very clever in nature. He told me that pretty much anyone in the Twitter world involved with that book fair had crossed paths with my marketing material via the event hash tag.
I have since devised a 2021 strategy to target market my book all year round to book fairs and their participants. A global pandemic makes it helpful since people will be searching the internet more rigorously than normal since attendance has been cancelled/tapered down. If I add a series of book fair hashtags to all of my blogs from all over the world, I should get more traffic. I am going to test this theory out then see monitor my traffic. I am doing this in the name of science, of course (cue cheesy grin). I shall provide an update, providing that I remember, say around June and December of 2021. My old strategy of reminding myself of book fairs then abusing the hashtag only pissed off people on Twitter. This approach is more of an organic way to offer my book content to readers around the globe. Fingers crossed. 😉
I am interested in your marketing strategy. Do you have something similar in nature? Please offer some feedback- if you would like. I wish you a good week and a healthy 2021!
Cheers!
Leslie M. Jasper
#Scholastic #nonfiction #bookstagram #DropEverythingAndRead #SpringBookFair2021 #LoveOfReading #Reading #ConstructionTales #books #funny #NYC #podcast #Spotify #VerballyDisastrous #bookfair #bookjoy #ReadAnywhere #LoveToRead #AllForBooks #Adult #FBF21 #LBF21 #BEA21 #IKBF21 #KLF21 #HKTDC21 #GBF21 #IIBF21 #LATFOB21 #SIBF21 #FILBO21 #EIBF21 #BAIBF21 #MIBF21 #BIDLDSP21 #BS21 #BBF21 #HIBF21 #IBTAF21 #IBBF21 #ITEF21 #JLF21 #JIBF21 #LBF21 #NDWBF21 #TiBE21 #TIBF21 #BCBF21 #LIVREPARIS21 #SDLDM21 #HBF21 #FIL21 #IIBF21 #SBF21 #BuchWein21 #VIBF21 #ADIBF21 #AIPF21 #bookstagram #book #bukuislami #b #bukumurah #islamicbookfair #buku #booklover #bukusejarah #buchberlin #booklove #cher #bookshelf #internationalbookfair #bookholic #jualbuku #jualbukumurah #reading #obralbuku #bukuindie #bukujogja #tokobukumurah #buchmesse #langka #pasarbuku #bukulangka #bhfyp #jualbelibukuonline #onlineshop #jualanonline #booklovers #anresbooks #readingbooks #booksofinstagram #boekuitstalling #buch #bookish #buchberlinkids #tokobukuonline #boimela #lesen #bookworm #poetry #gontor #fbm #bazarbuku #bookreview #berlin #read #writer #berlinerbuchmesse #buchmesseberlin #author #instabooks #boekverkoping #virtualbookfair #bookaddict
You can now click on the above “LISTEN ON SPOTIFY” (WHEN AVAILABLE) to hear this in audio!
Hello everyone,
I want to share with you a book review I received today. Linda has been in the construction industry for many years. I met her at the Independent Book Expo back in October. She picked up my book and loves it. We have developed a bond and keep in touch quite regularly. I appreciate her feedback. I will meet up with her the next time she is in town. She is working on a project in Washington DC at the moment. Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Cheers!
Leslie M Jasper
Linda Wright’s book review:
“This book is awesome…Leslie did a very good job in compiling her journey. Its very funny, emotional and factual in her description of working and succeeding in a male dominated industry. Having to gain their trust and most importantly respect. I admire Leslie’s strengths and celebrate her journey to success. Now Leslie works as a Project Manager and Electrical Engineer with one of NY’s or should I say one of the world’s, largest construction/electrical contracting firms.
I can identify with Leslie’s journey because I myself have been working as a professional in the design and construction industry for the last 35 years and my success have taken me across the nation and the world where I’ve worked on some of the most fascinating projects you can ever imagine for example projects; in Seattle with Boeing’s New 777x Aircraft and Projects in the UAE – Dubai’s on Palm Jeremiah Island.
This book “Construction Tales:” is a page turner and at times was very difficult to put down. It’s a great read and I highly recommend you get your copy you wouldn’t regret it.”
#Scholastic #nonfiction #bookstagram #DropEverythingAndRead #SpringBookFair2021 #LoveOfReading #Reading #ConstructionTales #books #funny #NYC #podcast #Spotify #VerballyDisastrous #bookfair #bookjoy #ReadAnywhere #LoveToRead #AllForBooks #Adult #FBF21 #LBF21 #BEA21 #IKBF21 #KLF21 #HKTDC21 #GBF21 #IIBF21 #LATFOB21 #SIBF21 #FILBO21 #EIBF21 #BAIBF21 #MIBF21 #BIDLDSP21 #BS21 #BBF21 #HIBF21 #IBTAF21 #IBBF21 #ITEF21 #JLF21 #JIBF21 #LBF21 #NDWBF21 #TiBE21 #TIBF21 #BCBF21 #LIVREPARIS21 #SDLDM21 #HBF21 #FIL21 #IIBF21 #SBF21 #BuchWein21 #VIBF21 #ADIBF21 #AIPF21 #bookstagram #book #bukuislami #b #bukumurah #islamicbookfair #buku #booklover #bukusejarah #buchberlin #booklove #cher #bookshelf #internationalbookfair #bookholic #jualbuku #jualbukumurah #reading #obralbuku #bukuindie #bukujogja #tokobukumurah #buchmesse #langka #pasarbuku #bukulangka #bhfyp #jualbelibukuonline #onlineshop #jualanonline #booklovers #anresbooks #readingbooks #booksofinstagram #boekuitstalling #buch #bookish #buchberlinkids #tokobukuonline #boimela #lesen #bookworm #poetry #gontor #fbm #bazarbuku #bookreview #berlin #read #writer #berlinerbuchmesse #buchmesseberlin #author #instabooks #boekverkoping #virtualbookfair #bookaddict
You can now click on the above “LISTEN ON SPOTIFY” (WHEN AVAILABLE) to hear this in audio!
Good morning and Happy Friday!
I am sharing my 3rd book interview that is on YouTube! Here is the link:
I am looking to release my audio versionof the book soon! My other book interviews can be found by plugging in Let’s Talk Writing Episode 69 and 100 on YouTube. Please give some feedback. Thanks for reading. I will chat with you soon!
Cheers!!
Leslie M. Jasper
#Scholastic #nonfiction #bookstagram #DropEverythingAndRead #SpringBookFair2021 #LoveOfReading #Reading #ConstructionTales #books #funny #NYC #podcast #Spotify #VerballyDisastrous #bookfair #bookjoy #ReadAnywhere #LoveToRead #AllForBooks #Adult #FBF21 #LBF21 #BEA21 #IKBF21 #KLF21 #HKTDC21 #GBF21 #IIBF21 #LATFOB21 #SIBF21 #FILBO21 #EIBF21 #BAIBF21 #MIBF21 #BIDLDSP21 #BS21 #BBF21 #HIBF21 #IBTAF21 #IBBF21 #ITEF21 #JLF21 #JIBF21 #LBF21 #NDWBF21 #TiBE21 #TIBF21 #BCBF21 #LIVREPARIS21 #SDLDM21 #HBF21 #FIL21 #IIBF21 #SBF21 #BuchWein21 #VIBF21 #ADIBF21 #AIPF21 #bookstagram #book #bukuislami #b #bukumurah #islamicbookfair #buku #booklover #bukusejarah #buchberlin #booklove #cher #bookshelf #internationalbookfair #bookholic #jualbuku #jualbukumurah #reading #obralbuku #bukuindie #bukujogja #tokobukumurah #buchmesse #langka #pasarbuku #bukulangka #bhfyp #jualbelibukuonline #onlineshop #jualanonline #booklovers #anresbooks #readingbooks #booksofinstagram #boekuitstalling #buch #bookish #buchberlinkids #tokobukuonline #boimela #lesen #bookworm #poetry #gontor #fbm #bazarbuku #bookreview #berlin #read #writer #berlinerbuchmesse #buchmesseberlin #author #instabooks #boekverkoping #virtualbookfair #bookaddict
You can now click on the above “LISTEN ON SPOTIFY” (WHEN AVAILABLE) to hear this in audio!
Hello everyone!
Here is a book review from a fellow coworker from Five Star Electric in New York City.
“CONSTRUCTION TALES: A YOUNG PERSON’S GUIDE TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING IN LIFE”
AUTHOR: LESLIE JASPER
BOOK REVIEW BY JACQUELYN HECHT, 1/24/16
I am honored to write this review for “Construction Tales: A Young Person’s Guide to Accomplish Anything in Life” by Leslie Jasper. Leslie Jasper is a successful female Journeywoman Electrician in a field traditionally dominated by men.
The reason I am so honored to write this particular review is because this book is far from what it’s title suggests. In “Construction Tales,” Leslie Jasper challenges her readers to be open-minded and to read between the lines to get the most meaning out of her tales. If the reader only reaches the conclusion that the book is full of dirt on her male coworkers and their deficiencies, then the reader’s ignorance is obvious & the true meaning of this book was missed.
This book is not a guide in the literal sense. If you want a guide on how to be successful in the electrical industry, pick up “Electrical & Lighting for Dummies.” This book is an autobiographical, extremely personal, account of Leslie’s journey from her first year apprencticeship and leading up to the final chapter & publication of this book in 2014 which at the time was her 17th year as a full-fledged, experienced electrician journeywoman.
Jasper’s individual journey is a unique road she alone took from novice to the professional woman she is today in the electrical industry. She tells the truth about every challenge she went through.
Jasper writes from her heart. I respect Jasper for all of her honest truths. She is real in a world that shuns it. A world that looks at people who don’t conform to society’s standards as a menace to others. But in fact, Leslie is special because she refuses to back down or be told she cannot break the norms of what society deams acceptable for women. She breaks the mold. For this reason, Leslie proves herself as a leader instead of a follower. Like she says on page 127, “Few women go against the grains of society to even make an attmept” to reach their full potentials.
As a female, Leslie chose a difficult road in life. She has not looked for an easy way out but instead has accepted all challenges placed before her. When bosses challenged her & coworkers watched to see if she would fail, she explains how she worked her tail off to prove them all wrong. Leslie explains throughout the book that if you are willing to work hard & be a strong female, the men in this industry for the most part will learn to accept you. She has proved herself & her abilities to not only herself but to all of those around her. Another suitable title for this outstanding book is “Leslie Jasper: A Force to be Reckoned With.”
Interestingly, part of the reason she chose to write this book, as she explains to the reader, is unique all in itself. Leslie uses this book as a form of release to separate her past from her present. She doesn’t hound on any past derailments or losses. Additionally, she seeks revenge on the people who tried to hold her back. On page 115, she gives a powerful statement about this.
Jasper has the ability to compartmentalize her life into separate sections in which she has either endured major loss, faced great challenges, grown as a electrician and so forth. Many times the sections overlap. Jasper has the ability to step back & view her past from the outside. She is not held back by her past. Her past is actually what propels her forward.
This book offers many powerful take home lessons on how to be successful. Pages are referenced in parenthesis:
I get the sense from her book that Leslie Jasper is a strong woman both physically and mentally. I can only see further successes for her as she continues her life journey. Many doors are open for her.
I am super grateful for her taking the time to read the book and offer a review for Amazon and Barnes&Noble! She said it is suitable for high school and maybe middle school readers. So did another friend after reading her copy.
As always, thank you for reading this blog.
Cheers!
Leslie M Jasper
#Scholastic #nonfiction #bookstagram #DropEverythingAndRead #SpringBookFair2021 #LoveOfReading #Reading #ConstructionTales #books #funny #NYC #podcast #Spotify #VerballyDisastrous #bookfair #bookjoy #ReadAnywhere #LoveToRead #AllForBooks #Adult #FBF21 #LBF21 #BEA21 #IKBF21 #KLF21 #HKTDC21 #GBF21 #IIBF21 #LATFOB21 #SIBF21 #FILBO21 #EIBF21 #BAIBF21 #MIBF21 #BIDLDSP21 #BS21 #BBF21 #HIBF21 #IBTAF21 #IBBF21 #ITEF21 #JLF21 #JIBF21 #LBF21 #NDWBF21 #TiBE21 #TIBF21 #BCBF21 #LIVREPARIS21 #SDLDM21 #HBF21 #FIL21 #IIBF21 #SBF21 #BuchWein21 #VIBF21 #ADIBF21 #AIPF21 #bookstagram #book #bukuislami #b #bukumurah #islamicbookfair #buku #booklover #bukusejarah #buchberlin #booklove #cher #bookshelf #internationalbookfair #bookholic #jualbuku #jualbukumurah #reading #obralbuku #bukuindie #bukujogja #tokobukumurah #buchmesse #langka #pasarbuku #bukulangka #bhfyp #jualbelibukuonline #onlineshop #jualanonline #booklovers #anresbooks #readingbooks #booksofinstagram #boekuitstalling #buch #bookish #buchberlinkids #tokobukuonline #boimela #lesen #bookworm #poetry #gontor #fbm #bazarbuku #bookreview #berlin #read #writer #berlinerbuchmesse #buchmesseberlin #author #instabooks #boekverkoping #virtualbookfair #bookaddict
Leslie's Verbally Disastrous Podcast & #ConstructionTales Blog 
