Crystal Stapley

I attribute my success to never asking for permission to belong. I showed up, boots on, ready to outwork, outlearn, and outlast, and I did. I wasn't handed directions or even given basic guidance. I was expected to just know, to figure it out, stay quiet, and keep up. But I didn't stay quiet. I paid attention. I asked questions. I stayed longer, gave more, and refused to shrink to fit anyone's comfort zone. I didn't rise through the ranks by stepping over others, or by giving in to the disturbing cultural norms that told me I didn't belong. I rose by holding my ground, staying true to who I am, and lifting others with me every chance I got. But more than anything, I had a passionate love for the work itself. I loved the job, the early mornings, the heavy equipment, the problem-solving in real time. And I had a deep respect for the men alongside me who treated me like one of them. Not less. Not more. Just part of the team. That mutual respect fueled me, and it reminded me that belonging isn't given, it's built. I stayed grounded in the field because that's where real leadership lives. That mindset carried me from the cab of the dozer to leading operations across multiple states, and now to building a company that trains, empowers, and transforms frontline teams from the inside out. It wasn't luck. It was lived experience, earned confidence, and a refusal to play by broken rules.

"Don't wait for them to make space for you. Take up space and let your work do the talking." It stuck with me because for years, I waited. I waited to be seen. To be included. To be invited onto the project or into the rooms I had already earned a place in. But the truth is, those spaces weren't built for people like me, and they probably never would be. So, I stopped waiting. I started showing up fully. I let my results, and integrity speak louder than any title or approval I didn't get. And every step I've taken since has been grounded in that same mindset: do the work, own your space, and never shrink to fit in where you were meant to stand out.

Don't try to blend in. Be undeniable. You don't need to act tougher, quieter, or smarter to earn your place, just be exactly who you are, and back it up with the kind of work ethic and integrity that can't be ignored. There will be days when you're underestimated, overlooked, or flat-out dismissed. Let that fuel you, not define you. Ask the questions. Learn the equipment. Show up early. Stay curious. And don't let anyone tell you that caring about the work or taking pride in the details makes you soft, it makes you dangerous in all the right ways. And remember this: you don't have to carry the weight of proving all women belong here. Just prove that you do. That's more than enough. And when you get your footing, reach back and help the next one up. That's how we shift the culture, one badass, capable, grounded woman at a time.

Challenges include tightening regulations, complex recycling demands, automation-driven workforce shifts, and implementation hurdles around electrification. Opportunities exist for leaders who can translate those changes into training, culture, compliance, and operational excellence rooted in the field, not just the classroom. Stay adaptable. Keep operational reality at the center. And lead the conversation between policy and performance.

Respect. Grit. Integrity. Purpose. People. And perspective. I didn't come from ease. I came from a broken childhood, riddled with trauma. I wasn't raised with comfort; I was raised with survival. And that gave me a kind of perspective that can't be taught: the ability to see people's worth even when they can't see it themselves, the strength to lead through chaos, and the compassion to meet people where they are. Respect matters because I know what it feels like to grow up without it. I treat people with dignity no matter where they come from or what title they hold. Grit is my foundation. It's how I survived my childhood, and it's how I built a career, by outlasting, outworking, and out-caring everyone who expected me to fail. Integrity is how I stay grounded. I've seen what happens when people cut corners or turn cold. I promised myself I'd lead differently, by example, with honesty, and with heart. Purpose is what turned my pain into power. I'm not here by accident. I'm here to make sure no one feels as alone or unseen as I once did. Every training, every conversation, every hard day, I'm in it with intention. People are everything to me. I genuinely love them. Not just the easy ones, but the rough-around-the-edges, figuring-it-out, still-trying kind of people. Because I've ben them. I still am them. And finally, perspective. Busy is blessed. The full days, the heavy work, the noise of a life well-lived, it's all a gift. I carry my past with me, not as baggage, but as a reminder of how far I've come and who I fight for. These values built my business. They guide my leadership. And they're the reason I show up, every single day, fully and unapologetically me.