She Digs Hawai’i

10/21/2026

Found this with some old photos of mine. Small investment with a huge payout.

What I paid
Apprenticeship costs over my 3.5 years as a construction equipment operator apprentice:
PPE and work clothes
2 pairs of boots $650
Jeans $480
Socks $60
Work shirts/vest $180
Misc PPE $150

Estimated union dues as an apprentice
14 quarters estimated at $1750, it was probably less

Initial fees and dues $507.33

Cost to attend POP class $0
(I worked and saved up money ahead of time for my monthly expenses. I bought my drinks and snacks in bulk ahead of time. And I continued to work part time after class and on weekends for the duration of POP classes)

CDL training through JAC $0 + many weekends and one missed trip to outer island with friends
CDL costs: I can’t recall exact costs but I had my permit test+endorsements, medical exam $79, road test for B licenses and 2-3 months later I went back and did road test for my A license 🪪

Misc costs
14 nights of attending union meetings
2 afternoons of volunteer political sign waving
3 volunteer shifts at union picnic
1 Saturday a year for Hazwoper refresher

What I got
🪪Cleaned up my credit
🚙Bought a new SUV
🎰Went on a few vacays
🏠Saved money for a down payment on my apartment
🚚CDL class A
🚜Learned a useful skill/gained an essential career
✈️Got to travel to another island for work
📒The satisfaction of starting a program and finishing it
👷🏻‍♀️I get to be a member of the largest construction trades local in the US with 37,000 members.
💵most importantly I got paid ALOT of money over 3.5 years to learn a trade. It increased my earning potential significantly which was something I always worried about since I don’t have a degree

If you were going to get paid to learn a skill that gave you 6-figure a year earning potential, what would you choose?

10/21/2026

lol. After a year I’ve grown my content to 100 followers on FB, 950 on IG and 1260 on TT. Good thing I’m not worried about those numbers.

I’ve lost count of the messages I’ve gotten from men and women thanking me for the info I’m sharing and encouraging me to keep going.

I’ll feel true success when I’m out in the field one day and someone comes up to me and shares with me how my videos helped them in their construction career. Even if it’s just one person, I’ll know I made a difference because one drop of water causes ripples in the water.

That’s really the whole point. Paying it forward to the next gen in hopes they continue looking out for each other. Anyways, I’m looking forward to that day.

10/20/2026

No vote No grumble is what my great grandma always said.

Earlier in the year members gathered at a regular union meeting and nominated and elected 3 political action committee members. These three members are responsible for vetting and interviewing local political candidates, reviewing ballot measures, and deciding where to channel resources from the Hawaii Operating Engineers Industry Stabilization Fund (HOEISF) and the broader Local 3 state funds. Their collective goal is ensuring that union-friendly infrastructure, Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), and prevailing wage laws remain protected across the Hawaiian islands.

Be sure to follow HOEISF for up to date PAC related information.

10/18/2026

Actually I do kind of want to know because that’s insane! And dennnnn?

10/16/2026

10/04/2026

Body maintenance!

Chiropractic care has been an essential part of my blue collar life. Everyone sees operators “sitting down” for most of the shift and you’d never think we’d leave work with any type of pain. I’m not minimizing the other trades and their hardships but for those considering operating heavy machinery full time just know we are not immune to aches and pains.

The terrain we travel on isn’t always the smoothest. You feel every little hole and bump you drive over in wheeled machinery. Machines with tracks are even more bumpy when traveling across the site. Digging is a whole other trip when the ground under you isn’t level and you’re playing teeter-totter as you dump your spoils.

Anyways, I used to get a lot of massages with only short term relief. A friend recommended seeing a chiropractor. I have a longer story but the gist is that I will take an adjustment over a massage! It’s not a one time quick fix. It’s a commitment to yourself to go regularly to care for your body. I even take my kids. My oldest started at like a month old. Anytime I have my union medical I always make sure to make use of our covered visits.

What’s your body maintenance care look like for your blue collar career?

09/29/2026

Latepost!! One month postpartum here and I’m very unhappy to report that Cleo has torn through 5 packs of diaper wipes, 1 tube of honest diaper rash cream, the bathroom trash can, and other misc items. She big mad about sharing her mama with another baby. And my nerves are wrecked by everyone’s chaos 😳.

Has anyone else gone through this with their dog after having a baby?

09/17/2026

**Not sponsored. Paid for this myself.

As if women don’t have a hard time already with workwear and PPE on the jobsite, add in pregnancy and it’s a whole other trip.

It’s nice to know there’s an option out there though.

Share any pregnancy related things that helped you out in the field in the comments.