Name : Dr. Danielle Lester
Your business/company name : HerStory Productions
Job title/role : Tiny House Builder, Filmmaker, and Academic.
If we had to step into your (she wear) shoes (pun intended), what could we expect a day in your life to feel like? :
Right now, a bit of everything. I can generally be found writing my next blog and meeting with other creatives to work on collaborations involving my house build, and other storytelling opportunities. However, I can still be found coordinating and working with trades to come and work on the next phase of the house. I’ve just finished the inside so now it’s time to turn my attention to the outside.
What do you enjoy about your role? What is the favourite part of your job? :
Freedom and flexibility. I’ve created a vision for myself to work on and explore my favourite things to do: building, creating, and storytelling.
How did you get into your trade/industry/role? What did you study or how did you learn your skills? :
I started my career as a quantity surveyor on civil engineering projects after studying surveying in the UK straight out of school. After 10 years in industry, I became an academic after getting my PhD in civil engineering at UQ, and started teaching in the built environment at universities in Australia, UK and USA.
I’ve now found a new way to share experiences and research through storytelling. After joining short creative writing courses and immersing myself in creative spaces, I have developed the confidence to share my stories, and those of others, in more impactful ways.
Have you won any awards, earned any special recognition or been involved in something “out of the box”? :
My first film, Tiny Solution to a Big Problem, has been selected as part of the 2025 Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, which is wild! It’s a 20-minute narrative documentary, shot mainly on my iPhone, of me building my own tiny house in response to the current housing crisis. I wanted to highlight the impact the housing crisis was having, specifically on women.
My film project was made possible after winning the NAWIC (National Association of Women in Construction) Bright Ideas Grant in 2023. I won the grant based on my proposal for HerStory Productions, a female led production company focusing on storytelling and showcasing women in STEM. The success of my first film has led me to follow this new career path and has given me the motivation to really explore this space.
When I was studying and working towards my academic career, I lived and worked in New York City while attending New York University. While I was there, I was awarded a couple of industry scholarships, which really helped me expand my network. I was also named in the Top 20 Under 40 Women in Construction in NYC, which was amazing based on the short time I had been involved in the industry over there.
What advice would you give to other women? What are some tips you’d give to other people in the industry?:
There are so many ways in which you can thrive within this industry. The construction industry, and the education system that can help you get into it, are both so structured that it can sometimes feel like there is only one path, which is absolutely not true!
Seeing some of the amazing small businesses (like she wear) break into the industry then develop in to established, women-lead, thriving companies, has inspired me to allow myself to “not just think but step outside of the box”.
Do you have a favourite saying or quote, or mantra that you live by? :
I do live by “anything is possible”. It’s something I tell all my students and anyone else I work with, because it truly is!
Tell us a funny story about your role or an amusing experience you’ve had :
There are a number of things that happened during the build and filming that almost pushed me over the edge at the time, but I can laugh about now. The day before my first day of the build I went and tested some spots for the camera and tripod and while casually talking to the camera, a big gust of wind blew the tripod over and my phone landed in a pile of reasonably fresh horse manure.
Or the day the free roaming horse on the property refused point blank to go into the gated paddock while filming, leading to her rummaging around in the carpenter’s van while we weren’t looking.
Or the day I had to make eight trips up and down the fairly long driveway because the Bunnings delivery guy refused to come on to the property with my insulation and I could only fit one roll in the car at a time!
Have you ever encountered any negative experiences that, although difficult at the time, may have helped shape who you are today? :
Let’s just say my next project is a comedy/drama TV series that I’ve written about mine and some of my amazing construction industry friends’ experiences during our careers, both personal and professional. Plenty of laughs, tears, cringe, and any other emotion you can imagine possible when talking about life in fast lane!
How do you feel about your she wear boots? Any comments you’d like to make.
After YEARS trying to find comfortable and fun work boots, I was so happy when I finally purchased my purple boots for my special project. It was like putting on my cape every morning before chaos ensued on site!
They’re a very special pair of boots that still feel like superhero shoes. When I put them on, anything is possible!
And don’t get me started one the socks, they’re like a warm hug for your feet.
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You can follow Danielle's journey on Instagram (click here) and you can watch Danielle's documentary here.
Danielle's wears our purple Achieves and thick organic bamboo work socks.