# This Would Be Funny If It Wasn't Happening to Me: Navigating Manufacturing as a Woman, with Keynote Jody Urquhart

- Show: [EMS@C-LEVEL](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level)
- Published: 2025-04-12
- Length: 8m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-04-12-this-would-be-funny-if-it-wasnt-happening-to-me-navigating-manufacturing-as-a-wo

## Summary

Jody Urquhart, a stand-up comedian and motivational speaker, discusses her keynote address at IPC's APEX 2025, arguing that empathy and emotional intelligence are competitive advantages for women in the male-dominated electronics manufacturing industry. She illustrates this with an anecdote about a junior female engineer who rose to lead a major automotive facility by building authentic connections with her boss, contrasting her approach with male colleagues who prioritized social drinking. The conversation highlights the business case for diversity, citing a design leader's view that diverse teams better reflect consumer demographics, and emphasizes that self-compassion directly influences leadership effectiveness.

## Chapters

- [0:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-04-12-this-would-be-funny-if-it-wasnt-happening-to-me-navigating-manufacturing-as-a-wo#t=8) Introduction: Jody Urquhart and APEX 2025 Keynote
- [1:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-04-12-this-would-be-funny-if-it-wasnt-happening-to-me-navigating-manufacturing-as-a-wo#t=90) Women's Strengths: Empathy and Emotional Intelligence
- [2:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-04-12-this-would-be-funny-if-it-wasnt-happening-to-me-navigating-manufacturing-as-a-wo#t=123) Case Study: Junior Engineer Rising to Facility GM
- [4:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-04-12-this-would-be-funny-if-it-wasnt-happening-to-me-navigating-manufacturing-as-a-wo#t=253) Business Case for Diversity in Design Teams
- [5:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-04-12-this-would-be-funny-if-it-wasnt-happening-to-me-navigating-manufacturing-as-a-wo#t=350) Using Comedy to Uncover Unconscious Habits
- [7:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-04-12-this-would-be-funny-if-it-wasnt-happening-to-me-navigating-manufacturing-as-a-wo#t=422) Leadership Philosophy: Self-Compassion and Depth

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- APEX 2025 (other)
- IPC (other)
- Creative Electron (other)
- Koh Young (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Closing the Gender Gap in Manufacturing with Meaghan Ziemba](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-07-20-closing-the-gender-gap-in-manufacturing-with-meaghan-ziemba) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [Erin Thorp | How to Lead Your Engineering Team with Empathy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-01-06-erin-thorp-how-to-lead-your-engineering-team-with-empathy) (Being an Engineer)
- [Greatest Hits: Top 3 Leadership Lessons from Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-05-11-greatest-hits-top-3-leadership-lessons-from-manufacturing-happy-hour) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [Growing Women Leaders in Manufacturing w/ Allison Grealis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-09-22-growing-women-leaders-in-manufacturing-w-allison-grealis) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [154: How Women are Thriving in the Manufacturing Workforce with Allison Grealis, President & Founder of Women in Manufacturing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-09-19-154-how-women-are-thriving-in-the-manufacturing-workforce-with-allison-grealis-p) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)

## Citing this page

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