Today we’d like to introduce you to Hope Lysaght.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
During the pandemic, I was struggling at my corporate job, that was becoming both unfulfilling and more demanding. I was also a new mom taking care of a baby in a world that felt out of control and terrifying. I started finding myself escaping to my unfinished basement listening to Taylor Swift, and refinishing furniture. Eventually, I began researching how to use power tools to help me with my projects. I started following female builders on Instagram and laid awake at night, dreaming up projects. Suddenly I was building a mantle for my house and then a dining table, and then cabinets for my office.
I was in the midst of flipping our guest room bathroom when I remembered as a kid that I wished I could be a Boy Scout like my brother. I have vivid memories where he was building wooden race cars in his troop, and I was so jealous. The hands-on projects he was exposed to were everything I wanted as a kid but had no access to. In the short time I had been woodworking as an adult, I felt a boost in my confidence and could see my perfection-like tendencies being tested for the good. I wished I had woodworking as a kid for those reasons, too- I needed an outlet to help me build confidence and learn how creative and strong I could be. I brainstormed what I needed as a kid and came up with Oh She Built That, a traveling woodshop just for girls.
My husband and I went to dinner, and I talked about my idea and the realities of it. I had no teaching skills, and I had only been truly “woodworking” for a short time. He encouraged me to pursue my dreams, and suddenly I was putting in notice at my corporate job and working on a business plan for Oh She Built That. I was hired part-time in a female ran woodshop where I learned even more about building and then worked a temporary job in Human Resources to raise money to hire a lawyer to help me establish the operation as an official non-profit. I was able to find an amazing group of board members who understood my inexperience but who saw my determination and felt just as passionate about giving girls access to woodworking as I did.
Oh She Built That launched officially in the Spring of 2023. We provide girls and gender-expansive youth with an inclusive, safe, and supportive traveling woodshop workspace to learn, plan, design, and build. Aside from the technical and mathematic lessons, Oh She Built That also teaches about teamwork, leadership, determination, overcoming obstacles, handling mistakes, and the power of female collaboration and voice. We have traveled around Northern Kentucky, serving local public and independent schools, Girl Scout Troops, and public libraries. All of our programs are low-cost.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest hurdle has been navigating brand new roles- I am new to the non-profit world, to teaching to leadership, and to business management. I have had to learn about social media management, compliance, accounting, and much more. It has felt very overwhelming at times. The board I have behind me has been very supportive and helpful. I have also leaned on local resources- Like the Leadership Council for Nonprofits of Cincinnati – to help me navigate the non-profit space. My husband helps me cut the wood for our programs which has been a huge help. I have really learned to ask for help when I need it. People see how impactful our programs are and how much fun the students have, and that makes them excited to help.
The very first program I taught was for a local elementary school. It was a huge success, and all the students loved it. They hand-wrote thank you notes, and one student made me a bracelet. Any time I feel like I am in over my head, I look at the bracelet or the notes. At the end of the day, our programs are making a difference. It makes all the work worth it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Oh She Built That encourages girls and gender-expansive youth to explore STEM careers and hobbies through woodworking education and workshops. These youths are less likely than their male peers to be exposed to similar opportunities. Our students learn not only mathematical and technical skills but also teamwork and how to overcome obstacles and handle mistakes. We empower our students to have confidence in navigating our world to build a stronger community with more equal representation.
We partner with Northern Kentucky public schools, non-profit organizations, libraries, and other various groups focused on female-empowerment. We currently only serve Northern Kentucky. Eligible students are girls and gender-expansive youth ages 9-18 years old who live in Northern Kentucky. We travel and haul all equipment needed for our programs. We prioritize scheduling programs with diverse groups of students and/or financially disadvantaged students.
While incorporated in 2021, we started with our first in-person programs in Spring of 2023.
In 2023 so far, we have completed 8 programs. 100% of our students surveyed have responded that they would do another Oh She Built That Program. 79% have reported an increase in self-confidence. 87% have reported feeling more comfortable in taking risks. 85% reported feeling more equipped to handle failures or setbacks.
After one of our after-school programs was wrapping up, a mom to one of the students came in asking to see the power drills we used in class. Her daughter loved the program, and for her birthday she wanted a drill like the one she used in our program. I realized in that moment how empowering our programs are.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
We launched our classes in 2023, so we weren’t teaching in the midst of the Covid Crisis. Thankfully wood prices have dropped, and schools are operating pretty normally now.
The job shortages after Covid highlighted a need for more workers in the trade spaces. An operation like ours has the power to introduce a career path in the trades to a student very early on as we do work with a lot of elementary students. By showing younger girls and gender-expansive youth they are capable of building and using tools we hope to help inspire more to explore the trades.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ohshebuiltthat.com
- Instagram: @ohshebuiltthat
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OhSheBuiltThat
