In our final episode from the 2025 Women in Mining Conference, we’re joined by the passionate, bold, and trailblazing Jessica Scanlan—geological engineer, social media influencer, and founder of Mine Life Media. Jessica shares her unique path from a small-town girl in handmade dresses to becoming a respected voice in the mining industry.

We dive into her early aspirations, challenges in mining, the power of mentorship, and how she turned burnout into a bold new business rooted in storytelling and education. From internships at Stillwater Mine to building a media company that highlights the beauty and grit of mining life, Jessica’s authenticity and drive are contagious.

We talk Dwayne the Rock (yes, really), core logging confessions, college mining competitions, mental health, the power of social media, and what the future of mining communication might look like.

A massive thank you to the Women in Mining USA for inviting us to San Antonio and giving us the platform to highlight such impactful voices. We’ve been truly honored to capture and share these conversations. Brass in and Join Mining Minds as We Welcome Jessica Scanlan to the Face!

Mine Life Media:

Linkedin / Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / X

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Event Sponsors:

Arnold Machinery

Gold West Fire and Safety Services

Episode Sponsors:

GBC-NORCAT

Liebherr Mining

Gold West Fire and Safety Services

Chapters:

00:00 A Mining Dream Starts at Stillwater

11:14 Knowing early she wanted to be a geologist

15:55 Facing Fears to find what you love

29:20 Leveraging Communication Early

46:52 Support in Mining (

1:15:32 Meeting Dwayne

1:41:03 Future Miner

Recorded on-site at the 2025 Women in Mining National Conference in San Antonio, this episode brings authentic, unfiltered stories from two rising voices in the mining world—Margaret Hinton and Paige Courtney. With backgrounds as diverse as cotton farming and competitive athletics to engineering and financial investigations, Margaret and Paige dive into how they found purpose and passion in the mining industry.

Together, they share how mining became more than a career—it's a community. From their first experiences in tunnels and copper pits to working on a new Women in Mining chapter in the Midwest, they highlight the importance of visibility, storytelling, and educating the next generation. Whether it’s correcting outdated perceptions about the industry or advocating for reclamation and sustainability, their mission is clear: mining has a human face, and it's changing fast.

This episode is packed with humor, heart, and hard truths—plus, a few ghost stories, underground adventures, and a growing obsession with mining history (and a certain Leadville legend, Baby Doe Tabor).

And if you’re wondering what these women are up to after-hours? Head north to Area 31, a unique UTV park in Minocqua, Wisconsin, where the off-road spirit runs just as deep as their passion for mining.

Mining Minds Conference Sponsors:

Arnold Machinery

Gold west Fire

Episode Sponsors:

GBC-NORCAT MST

Liebherr Mining

Gold West Fire

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:42 Meet Margaret Hinton

06:28 Choosing a Geotech Firm over Selling Tacos

12:00 Meet Paige Courtney

18:17 Miners Figure it out

23:46 Meeting at the Association of Abandon Mine Land Programs

29:55 Ambitions of a Women in Mining Midwest Chapter

34:40 Uniquely positioned to tell Mining’s story

42:29 What the future miner looks like

48:36 Mining Book Club

Mining Minds is recording again from San Antionio for the Annual Women in Mining Conference—and in this powerful episode, we sit down with Jennie (Rice) Davis, a trailblazer whose mining journey redefines perseverance, grit, and growth.

Starting as a janitor at just 18, Jennie carved her way through the industry—hauling rock in 777s, navigating early-career adversity, and ultimately rising to become a respected Business Manager and Vice President of the Idaho Chapter of Women in Mining. Her story is proof that showing up, staying persistent, and saying “yes” to opportunity can transform not just a career, but a life.

Whether you're operating equipment or running numbers, Jennie’s story reminds us that the mining world is built on more than minerals—it’s built on people who never stop driving forward. Join Mining Minds as we Welcome Jennie Davis to the Face!

Sponsors:

Norcat-GBC MST

Liebherr Mining

Gold West Fire & Safety Services

Chapters:

00:00 Introducing Jennie Davis

06:39 The Beginning of Persistency

13:15 Saying yes when the moment finds you

23:54 Keep showing up & Being Authentic

30:10 Building the next generation miner

37:22 Empowering mining with finical insight

41:23 Proud career moments and event highlights

45:50 This isn’t your grandpa’s mining company anymore