A Road Less Traveled Podcast · Hilary Haron

Building a Legacy with Paula De Young and Ashley De Young-Seibert | A Road Less Traveled Podcast

·30 min·1 clip

Paula says the family has built and donated 17 St. Jude Dream Homes and raised $16.5 million.

Hilary Herron welcomes Paula DeYoung and Ashley DeYoung-Siebert for a conversation about work in building, construction, land development, real estate, and the mortgage business. It starts with what it means to work in a male-dominated field, and Paula says the company started in 1974. That puts the business at a half century this year, and she says the team has built 8,000 homes over that stretch. She looks back to the mid-70s and remembers how few women were in the industry, while also pointing to a few who encouraged her, including people in real estate and on the mortgage side. Ashley adds her own perspective on the same work. The St. Jude dream home effort becomes a major thread. Paula talks about their 17th St. Jude dream home and says the giveaway programs have raised $16.5 million for the hospital through community support. That support feels very real in their telling, because people buy tickets and keep the project moving. They are getting ready in September to break ground on number 18. The guests also explain how the community can take part. People can buy tickets, volunteer for open houses, donate construction material, or offer other help. Paula mentions a woman named Sandy Kors, who has donated artistic work on several homes. She also shares a few examples of small requests that turned into quick help, like a surfboard for a California beach house theme. In one case, someone delivered that surfboard to the office within 20 minutes. The conversation settles into a story about staying committed, making room for others, and letting a community help carry a project forward.

As heard by us

A long-running building business and St. Jude work, shaped by women holding their place in male-dominant fields.

The piece keeps its focus on women working in male-dominant fields and lets Paula DeYoung and Ashley DeYoung-Siebert carry the scale of the story with direct, concrete detail.

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Why you'd press play

You get a family-business story from women in construction, land development, real estate, and mortgages, plus a St. Jude Dream Home effort powered by community tickets and volunteers.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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