'I was making $15,000 a month in construction. It wasn't enough for what I endured.'

Tavia Lynn has always been good with her hands. She was the child who loved to rearrange the furniture at home, much to her mum's dismay.

A career in construction felt like the obvious next step. When she threw her savings from working two serving jobs into starting her own company, she didn't realise what she'd be up against.

Sexism was rife in the male-dominated industry — she was even told to "get rid of those nails because no one will take you seriously."

But Tavia refused to compromise the feminine parts of herself to carve out the life she wanted.

"No one would give me the time of day or mentor me," she told Mamamia.

Despite the sexism she faced, Tavia persevered and at 19, she threw herself into learning everything she could about renovating, taking up painting jobs sourced through community groups.

Eventually, she landed herself a mentor, a man in his 50s who offered to take her under his wing.

"I started doing demolition projects with him," she said. "That's when the comments started."

Tavia fell in love with the construction industry. Image: Supplied.

The man who promised to train her suddenly became too interested.

"I was up on a ladder and he made a remark about my a**," she said.

"I really wanted the opportunity to learn, and I had no one else that could mentor me, so I just thought I'm going to suck it up because I've got nothing else."

He began bringing her presents. Flirting.

Soon, Tavia felt uncomfortable around him.

"It started getting to the point where he got obsessed," she recalled.

He wasn't the only one.

Tavia found herself on building sites being harassed by men double her age.

She said she regularly encountered other tradesmen who sexualised her and made crude remarks about her appearance.

"You're eye candy."

"You're just here to look pretty."

Tavia was fed up with the harassment in construction. Image: Supplied.

After just two months, Tavia was pulling in $30,000, but she no longer felt it was worth it.

When a friend asked whether she was in the right profession, Tavia started to question her future in the industry.

"I was trying to be the person I wanted to be and do something I love," she said.

"Women should not have to get to a place where they feel like they have to give up opportunities and that it's going to be hard to find other ones because they're scared they're going to get harassed or assaulted."

A realisation struck her: "If I'm going to be eye candy everywhere I go, I'd rather be making money for it."

So, Tavia decided to flip the script.

She turned to modelling and then, eventually, OnlyFans, monetising her looks to earn a living from the very crowds who once looked down on her.

"It doesn't matter what you do, if you're a woman, you're going to get treated the same way," Tavia said.

"Everyone has something to say, everyone's looking at you."

Tavia plans to learn residential remodelling and renovate her home. Image: Supplied.

Of course, this line of work isn't for everyone, and it isn't always lucrative. But Tavia says she's found freedom and independence.

"With the money I've earned through OnlyFans, last year I was finally able to buy my first triplex for $300,000," Tavia said.

"Thanks to the men who pay me for my looks, I get to pursue my actual passions."

Tavia has enrolled in trade school for residential remodelling and plans to renovate her new home.

Plus, she's invested another $200,000 in starting a shoe company.

"I'm never going to work for someone else again," she said.

Now, with financial independence secured, she's finally free to pursue construction on her own terms — nails and all.

Feature image: Supplied.