Meet Our Speakers:
👤 Holly Burton, Executive Coach & Founder of WimDÂ
🎙️ Lindsey Schultz, CEO of MRC Recruiting
In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Lindsey Schultz sits down with Holly Burton — a former mining engineer turned executive coach and founder of WimD (Women in Male-Dominated Industries) — to unpack the complex, often invisible barriers that push women out of mining long before they’re ready to go.
From childhood leadership roots in her self-made “Rainbow Club” to falling in love with haul trucks at UBC, Holly shares her early passion for mining and her climb through the ranks — only to find herself repeatedly sidelined, misjudged, and emotionally worn down. Despite her ambition and qualifications, Holly hit wall after wall: performance reviews that focused on her tone, promotions that came with backlash, and an industry ill-equipped to support talented women who didn’t fit the mold.
Together, Lindsey and Holly dig into the statistics, including a sobering study showing that 60% of women in STEM leave by year 20 — with 40% gone by year 7, most citing boredom, underutilization, and lack of career pathways — not parenting or camp life.
Holly describes the “zap” effect — a metaphor for how women, conditioned by pushback and soft-skill policing, shrink themselves in the workplace to avoid conflict. The problem? It stifles their strategic voice and leadership visibility. She urges women to own their business impact, speak in results, and advocate for the roles they actually want — not the support roles they’re often shuffled into.
Lindsey reflects on what she’s seeing as a recruiter: more women leaving corporate mining to become solopreneurs — not because they want to leave, but because they feel they have to. Coaching, the two agree, is one of the most underused and most powerful tools to help women navigate the system, build resilience, and stay on their own terms.
Holly also shares the origin story of WimD — a network she created to combat the lack of practical, real-world support she wished she had when she was crying into Google search bars at midnight. Now WimD offers community, live coaching, and tactical training to women across industries — and it’s making a measurable difference.
From strategy to salary negotiation, burnout to boardroom presence, this episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about creating sustainable, inclusive careers in mining. Whether you’re a woman navigating the system, a leader looking to retain talent, or simply someone who believes mining can do better — this conversation is filled with insight, courage, and hope.
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: ⏱️
[0:01] – Introduction to Holly Burton and her journey from mining engineer to executive coach
[2:05] – Childhood leadership roots and early love for science leading into engineering
[3:05] – First exposure to mining at university and falling in love with haul trucks
[6:33] – Ambition to become a CEO and early challenges in career progression
[7:33] – Personality reviews vs. performance reviews: barriers women face in mining
[10:42] – Why women stay or leave: top reasons revealed through coaching conversations
[11:35] – The staggering 60% attrition rate for women in STEM by year 20
[13:05] – Underutilized talent: the #1 reason women leave mining
[14:35] – Story of biased performance feedback and systemic barriers
[18:50] – The “electric fence” metaphor: navigating patriarchal systems at work
[21:20] – Negotiating through the “zaps” and reframing setbacks
[24:58] – Holly’s breaking point: political challenges and leaving mining
[27:44] – The value of coaching as a retention tool vs. the cost of leaving
[31:28] – The rise of employee resource groups and building community
[36:01] – Founding WimD: why Holly created Women in Male-Dominated Industries
[40:32] – Actionable resources vs. unhelpful “mutual fund” talks in women’s groups
[46:25] – Holly’s favorite coaching focus: negotiation and strategy
[49:54] – Case study: shifting from soft skills to strategic thinking for promotion
[53:42] – What organizations often get wrong: overemphasis on confidence vs. business skills
Connect with us on LinkedIn and check out monthly episodes of Ore-atory: Elevating Mining Minds on Apple Podcast or Spotify, where we continue to explore the mining industry workspace.
Tune in and be part of the conversation that’s shaping the future of mining!
Are you a job seeker looking for your next opportunity or an organization looking to hire your next team member? If you have time for a quick chat about your goals MRCÂ can help connect with us.