Best Tradie in Tassie nominee Zabreena Manjerovic winning with her Tazzy Tradie Lady business
It’s tough out there as a woman. Especially as a woman doing one of the toughest jobs there is. But for Tassie’s tradie lady Zabreena Manjerovic, it’s all just part of a day’s work. HAVE YOU VOTED FOR TASSIE’S BEST TRADIE YET >>
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IT’S tough out there as a woman.
Especially as a woman doing one of the toughest jobs there is. But Zabreena Manjerovic makes it look easy.
The 22-year-old qualified carpenter owns her own business Tazzy Tradie Lady and wouldn’t change a thing in the world.
Zab, as she likes to be known, first fell in love with the job site when her dad, who was a painter, took her to work on the school holidays.
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“Getting into high school you had the woodwork classes and pretty much just fell in love with it, everything became about woodwork,” she said.
Testament to her skills Zab netted an apprenticeship straight out of school and cut her teeth on big commercial jobs in town like the Royal Hobart Hospital and the new UTAS building.
“At the time that ended I went to look at a few other jobs in the residential sector. But that girl factor came in,” she said.
“I was always told ‘You’re a girl, we’re not sure … there’s a lot of heavy lifting stuff on board’.
“I offered a few weeks for free and they didn’t even want to give me a shot. It was really bad.”
After being hit on by bosses, mansplained to, intimidated, and even having her qualifications questioned, Zab’s figured out how to handle it – and come out the other end with a successful business.
She opened Tazzy Tradie Lady in June 2018 servicing a mostly an older clientele, who are comfortable having her in her home.
“To start with coming out of the apprenticeship I was really self-conscious, I didn’t have any confidence in my work.
“I thought it was such a big thing to do so early on in life … I took the risk and it’s turned out to be amazing.
“It’s good to know they trust me, I get a cup of tea every so often and some bickies,” she laughed.
“(Now) I’m booked up two-three months ahead of schedule, it’s all good news.”
As a keen footballer in her younger days, Zab acquired a little-know brain injury from taking too many tackles.
She manages to work with the condition every day, but it still has its drawbacks.
“My actual injury is called post-concussion syndrome. Your brain isn’t swollen anymore, but all the symptoms of concussion you live with on a daily basis,” she said.
In her spare time, Tassie’s tradie lady likes to go off-roading in her 75 Series Landcruiser, and is active in the ‘Yeah The Girls’ four-wheel driving group throughout the country, as well as work with high school students in the Packages of Learning program, helping funnel them into trades.
Originally published as Best Tradie in Tassie nominee Zabreena Manjerovic winning with her Tazzy Tradie Lady business