We were lucky to catch up with Tiffany Orff recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tiffany, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you have any thoughts about how to create a more inclusive workplace?

I have worked in a male dominated industry for over 13 and the word inclusive has consistently been a far off idea. Now with so many companies actively championing for women these days inclusivity isn’t such a foreign concept.
However the majority of companies are still at a loss to truly embrace what it truly means to be inclusive. This means including all women & races, not just owners daughters, wives or other closely related women. Encouraging women to advance the ranks and take more senior positions in companies. Actively hiring women as new hires based on their qualifications as opposed to discounting them because they are female. Sadly I’ve had that very thing happen a few times the past few years.
With this being said having the proper gear, resources and advocates for women to utilize as an employee or partner. Yes this may be a wish list but things companies definitely need to know when being inclusive. Inclusive to me is not only including women in a male dominated industry but also acknowledge that women have different needs.
I was recently at a trades school and went into the ladies bathroom and they actually had feminine hygiene products available for the students… one of the coolest moments. Their inclusive nature also included the acknowledgement of women’s needs.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Tiffany Noel Orff and in 2020 myself, along with the support of so many women, founded the Welding Women Syndicate. We originally began as an online platform that showcased, advocated and provided resources for welding women. We held weekly online lives with women all over the world, talking about their experiences in school, the field and in business. The point was to create a normalized picture of women in the welding industry in a more diverse and inclusive atmosphere. We didn’t stop at that, we also reached out to our male allies who also actively championed for women in the industry. After our first year we gained global recognition for this grass roots initiative with views from Romania to Brazil on our social media platforms. We also won a nationally recognized WEMCO award from the American Welding Society for our work in media. Last year we pivoted and opened the doors to an official headquarters that is run by women who not only advocate for welding but actually weld! We began to offer welding classes, signature welding intro workshops and began to work with the community to bring more awareness to our industry. Typically women aren’t represented as business owners, fabricators, weldors and Instructors in the industry so that is exactly what we did. We created a welcoming atmosphere for women to come in and explore, learn and create something while welding inside a woman run program. Myself and my CFO Veronica Prado have over 20 years experience in welding, fabrication and instruction and eagerly welcome women of all ages, races and backgrounds to experience what women don’t typically have access to.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

Veronica Prado is the CFO of WWS and was actually one of my very first interviews of welding women when we began our series. We met up a short time afterwards and quickly became fast friend and now businesses partners. Veronica is not only a valuable person in this company but is also my saving grace. Ive had very few opportunities over the past 13 years to work with many welding women so this was such a treat for me. Her presence has not only helped to create a more normalized picture for welding women but also has been a huge inspiration for others.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I began to share my experiences in college when I was earning my AAS in welding technology. The welding community quickly welcomed my journey as I navigated my way through certifications, awards and the struggles associated with college. No one guided me appropriately when I originally set off to learn how to learn an advanced welding process. I end up not only learning many advanced processes but also earned a degree and learned so many valuable lessons along the way. My social media profiles were crucial in connecting with industry professionals like Jody Collier who’s videos helped me pass several welding certifications. It also opened me up to opportunities, networking with other welding women and finally creating the welding women syndicate.

Contact Info:

• Website: Weldingwomensyndicate.com
• Instagram: @welding_women_syndicate
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-noel-orff-0887a0a0
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/HDDBeQjWi7Q