WOMANufacturing

Ep. 19 - John Webster: From Intern to Industry in a Startup World

In this episode of Womanufacturing, we sit down with John Webster, an old colleague, former intern, and now seasoned startup engineer, to talk about what it really means to grow up in a startup world. John shares his journey from graduating during COVID, moving countries for an internship, and being thrown into high-pressure manufacturing environments where learning happened fast, documentation was optional, and teamwork was everything. Together, we talk candidly about internships that actually teach you something, sink-or-swim startup culture, mentorship done right (and wrong), and how asking the right questions can change the trajectory of your career. We also dig into: * Why internships are one of the most underrated career tools * The realities of working at startups vs large companies * How culture shifts as organizations scale * What it’s like to go from mentee to mentor * Staying mission-driven in clean tech and manufacturing * And why “figuring it out together” matters more than having all the answers This conversation is honest, funny, and deeply relatable for anyone early in their career, mentoring young engineers, or navigating the chaos of fast-growing companies. If you’ve ever learned the hard way, grown through pressure, or bonded over keeping equipment alive, this one’s for you.

Ep. 18 - Thriving in Chaos: An Adult ADHD Diagnosis

What if the thing you’ve been fighting your whole life… finally has a name? In this deeply personal episode of Womanufacturing, Alicia opens up about receiving an ADHD diagnosis as an adult, and how it reframed decades of anxiety, burnout, overachievement, people-pleasing, and thriving in chaos. Joined by Justine, this conversation isn’t about checklists or stereotypes. It’s about what ADHD can actually look like in high-performing women, engineers, founders, and leaders who were never “bouncing off the walls” — just constantly thinking, constantly caring, constantly pushing. They talk about: • Late-in-life diagnosis and why it’s more common than we think • ADHD, anxiety, and depression — symptoms vs. root causes • Why some brains need pressure, deadlines, and complexity to function • Startup chaos, systems-level thinking, and the myth of “attention deficit” • Rebuilding self-trust, confidence, and self-compassion after naming the pattern • Learning when ADHD is a superpower — and when it needs support This episode is for anyone who’s ever thought: “Why can’t I just be normal?” “Why do I work best when everything is on fire?” “Why am I exhausted even when I’m successful?” If you’ve ever felt misunderstood by your own brain, you’re not alone. Naming it is the first step toward healing.

Ep. 17 - Mentorship Without the Corporate Weirdness

Internships get a lot of airtime, but what happens after you’re hired? In this episode, Alicia and Justine talk candidly about mentorship, the kind that actually works. Not the clunky HR programs or forced pairings, but real, human mentorship built on trust, curiosity, and mutual respect. They dig into what makes a good mentor, why one-size-fits-all management fails, how mentoring others sharpens your own skills, and why so many engineers end up figuring things out alone. From pairing junior engineers with senior staff, to seeking mentors outside your department, to simply asking “where do you want to go?”, this conversation is about paying it forward without sucking the soul out of it. If you’ve ever wished you had better guidance, or wondered how to support the next generation without turning it into a checkbox exercise, this one’s for you.

Ep. 16 - Girl, Don’t Go to Med School — Pick Automation (Swetha)

Swetha is Queen This week on Womanufacturing, Alicia and Justine sit down with someone very special: former coworker, naming-genius of the podcast, recent UCLA grad, and now automation powerhouse — Swetha. Swetha shares her journey from confused high-school STEM kid to mechanical engineering major to discovering her love for automation and systems-level thinking. We talk internships, owning entire systems as a new grad, what healthy mentorship looks like, the magic of scrappy dev work, and the thrill of bringing machines to life. She also gives an honest look at stepping into her first full-time role in automation at SpaceX — the culture, the mentors, the “fail safe and fail fast” mindset, and the responsibility of building things that will live far beyond the intern era. This episode is packed with wisdom from a fresh engineer who’s already thinking like a seasoned systems lead. Swetha is insightful, humble, hilarious — and absolutely a queen. If you're early in your career, mentoring someone, or just love hearing women take up space in engineering, this one will light you up.

Ep. 15 - How Internships Build Confidence, Careers, and Connection

In this episode, Alicia and Justine get real about the power of internships, the good, the awkward, and the transformative. From Alicia’s wild summer on a remote Alaskan island to Justine’s first taste of engineering in a polymer lab, they unpack how early experiences shape who we become as professionals. They also explore what makes a great mentor, why “try before you buy” is the best career advice, and how building relationships during internships can pay off years (or decades) later. Whether you’re a student wondering where to start or a manager thinking about hiring interns, this one’s for you.