How Alanna Staffel Built a Career in Glass | Cutting Edge Install Podcast Ep 11
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Welcome to another episode of the Cutting Edge Install Podcast — brought to you by Omni Cubed, where innovation meets installation and everything in between.
In this episode, host Merv Campbell sits down with Alana Staffel, a rising voice in the glazing world whose journey into glass is anything but ordinary. From managing electricians and plumbers, to being “poached” at a trade show, to suddenly cutting mirrors the day before a booth install — her story is full of unexpected twists, hands-on learning, and a whole lot of grit.
Together, Merv and Alana dive into:
• Falling into the trades (and loving it): how one weekend at a trade show changed her entire career path
• Life in glass as a woman in the trades: the challenges, the misconceptions, and why she encourages more women to join
• Craftsmanship that can’t hide: why she loves a trade where the quality is always visible
• Lessons from companies that didn’t survive: cash flow, communication, staffing, culture, and red flags owners should watch for
• Best practices for staying profitable: business development, follow-up, value-engineering conversations, and building trust with contractors
• Where the industry is heading: energy efficiency, retrofits, and a return to architectural character
• Faith, family, and attitude: how she stays upbeat in tough markets
• Her newest passion project: combining mirrors and stained glass (and learning it from YouTube)
This one is packed with humor, honesty, industry insight, and encouragement — for shop owners, installers, estimators, and anyone who’s ever been “thrown in” and had to figure it out on the fly.
Learn more about Omni Cubed: https://omnicubed.com/
Chapters
- (00:00:02) - Cutting Edge Install Podcast
- (00:00:58) - How a Glass Trained Woman Went From Plumbing to Glass
- (00:02:35) - Tom Cruise on Being Unrecognizable
- (00:03:24) - Coming soon: The Glass Industry
- (00:05:49) - How to Get Your First Glass Job at 15
- (00:10:05) - How to Cut and Fabricate Glass
- (00:11:34) - Glass Business Owners: How to Survive a Recession
- (00:15:42) - Communication and Fun
- (00:19:04) - Glass Business Continues to Grow
- (00:21:05) - Irish Glass Industry: The Aesthetic
- (00:25:30) - Bring Back the Old Things
- (00:26:50) - Glass Repairs: The Most Interesting Projects
- (00:29:38) - 5 C's of Good Customer Service
- (00:31:37) - Glass Workers Keeps a Positive Mind
- (00:35:12) - TEXAS Glass Girl
- (00:38:15) - Bookworms and Podcasts
- (00:39:59) - C.S. Lewis at his home in Ireland
- (00:40:57) - Daily HABITS
- (00:45:22) - Teacher on Women in the Trades
- (00:48:30) - 15 Year Old Me
- (00:50:52) - Cutting Edge Installs
