Finding Comfort in The Uncomfortable – Becky Lupton

“In my last life, I was a letter carrier.”

Becky Lupton is a smart and determined woman who has navigated her way through many different avenues before entering the electrical world. At the age of eight-teen, Becky’s interest was to become a plumber. However, her interest in the plumbing trade did not go as far as she hoped. Becky was persuaded to take an academic path. She immersed herself in philosophy and urban geography but soon realized that too was not the right fit. She then made the big move to work for her local post office. Years passed, and Becky decided to revisit the trades to see what she was missing out on. “I started working in the trades when I was 29. My background before that was the double majors that I was working towards, Philosophy and urban geography. I ended up dropping that and working at the post office for “one summer,” which turned into five years.” This time around, the electrical trade caught Becky’s eye. She was attracted to its diversity and room for lateral growth. “I was into renewable energy, solar voltaic cells, wind turbines, and electric vehicles. They all sounded cool, and I wanted in on it.”

“Construction has allowed me to be genuine in my everyday person.”

In her opinion, Becky had a late start in the trades. With no previous experience working with tools and not a soul in her family who has worked in the trades, this was a completely new world for Becky. “On my first job, I had the drill in reverse… I had never used one before!” Becky’s passion for the trade and drive to be successful pushed her through these minor setbacks. It transformed her into the powerful and knowledgeable electrician she is today. “Coming from not using any tools to being confident in doing things like home renovations, helping out a neighbour, going to my dad’s place and installing a bathroom fan, and not even thinking twice about it. That is pretty amazing! And it’s a sense of accomplishment that I would not get in some of the things I am better at. There are a lot of things that I know that I am naturally more skilled at and lots of positions I could find out there that would utilize a different skill set, but this one makes me happy.”

“I’ve become more comfortable to be uncomfortable.”

Becky has unquestionably stepped out of her comfort zone and proved her worth within the electrical world, recognized by her peers and leaders in the industry. “When I did journey out, two weeks later, I got promoted to a lead hand, and two weeks following that, I was promoted to a charge hand.” Becky has also excelled in many other avenues throughout her career. “There are times when I certainly have taken on a leadership role. The other half of my life is union business. I am the unit to chair at the IBEW local 213. I have been a shop steward on my job sites, I have mentored apprentices in tutoring, and I am the executive board liaison for our EWMC (Electrical Workers Minority Caucus Committee)”. Becky entered the trades with no previous experience, an academic background, and a summer gig at a post office which turned into five years of work. She is now at the top of her game as a leader in this ever-changing and growing industry. She is the perfect example of the benefits to come from hard work, taking chances, and stepping out of your comfort zone.

Written by: Savannah Davis, ClearWater Communications Co.