We had the good fortune of connecting with Tiffany Noel Orff and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tiffany Noel, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I was not happy with the current options available as far as the environments and attitudes were concerned when teaching women and youth welding, so that was my sole concern when I opened the doors

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Welding Women Syndicate began as an online platform that celebrated, showcased and advocated for women in the welding industry. We held weekly online live interviews via Instagram, showcasing welding women of all walks of life. We’ve quickly evolved and grown over the Pst 2 years. We now are based in a 5000 sq ft shop which is not only the official headquarters for the syndicate but also the new chapter which is the exploratory academy, which focuses on the introduction of welding to women and youth locally in a more mindful space. What set us apart was the personal aspect of holding a live as opposed to a printed interview. We were able to see welding women up close and personal. You could feel the passion behind their stories as they told them and shared in their tears if they shed them, celebrated in their wins as they conveyed them. Some of these personal touches that are lost in storytelling when not written well or by someone who has not walked a mile in a welders shoe.
Our online platform as well as our facility literally shows up everyday as a welding woman, and that’s exactly what I was looking for when I first started in this industry, almost 13 years ago.
I started off working my ass off since day 1, always striving to know more, immersing myself in the business and expanding my knowledge with formal as well as informal education. I went from girlfriend to hand me that wrench to co-owner very quickly.
Ownership after a year and a half and I just dug into the Industry as much as possible even with the world against me. I loved it so much, no one was going to scare me off.
I decided to attend college and that was where life started to change a bit. I entered a political side that I had no idea existed on the scale that it does and things evolved quickly.
I thought after school I was going to build custom metal furniture and suspension components for one off builds and I end up taking on a building contract with a refinery expansion out of louisiana instead. This lead to private contract work out of my own home shop and eventually teaching. I didn’t realize how poorly represented women were in the welding/ automotive trade and that was the ultimate catalyst to forming the syndicate about 2 years ago.

Lessons learned would be that people come and go with their own agendas when working with the welding women syndicate and to not take it personally.

At the end of the day I want people to know that we’re women at the end of the day and just want the basic rights any others human being has and to stop treating welding women like they are a novelty or some trending hashtag they can utilize whenever their agendas requires them to do so.
Welding Women Syndicate has not only showcased women, but men and organizations as well. who actively champion for women in the welding industry. We’re creating a normal dialogue over here that has created a ripple effect all over the world.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In my world… you’re definitely going to come to my shop. Get a tour of the welding facility, hear about what we’re building and probably get a hands on demo with one of the welders we have. Plus, one of my favorite spots to eat is the local taqueria down the street, Las Gruellenses and then a trip to the beach to check out all the wildlife. If youre here on the weekends a visit to the Sunday local hangout called cars and coffee and then a trip to Lucy’s in pacific grove for lunch.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Thank God first and foremost plus. all the gratitude goes to my original mentor/ biz partner, James Wilson. Without his gracious inclusion of me into his custom welding/ fabrication business almost 13 years ago, I would never have had that introduction to welding that changed my life forever.

Also a humbling amount of gratitude to the American Welding Society who just awarded my company the prestigious WEMCO Excellence in Welding award, last week, at Fabtech Expo 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Website: https://www.weldingwomensyndicate.com/product/gift-certificates

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ck8oFBNJYRR/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-noel-orff-0887a0a0

Youtube: https://youtube.com/shorts/1APldFlsGmA?feature=share

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