Marti sits down with Kylie Gardner from Gardner Homes, a new build specialist on the Kapiti Coast. Kylie shares her journey from a finance background to running the business side of a 12-person building company with her husband.
They discuss the dangerous trap of feeling like you have to "win them all" to keep the crew busy, and how that mindset kills profitability. Kylie reveals the "stay in your lanes" rule that saved their working relationship, how she stopped seeing herself as "just the admin" to become the Business Development Manager, and the systems they used to stop competing on price. This is a blueprint for couples in construction who want to build a business, not just a job.
🕒 Timestamped Key Points
- [01:38] Falling into the family business from finance
- [02:47] The golden rule for husband/wife teams: "Stay in your lanes"
- [04:12] Separating business talk from family time
- [05:39] Keeping a team of 12 busy through economic ups and downs
- [06:58] Using Rapid QS for accurate estimating
- [11:24] The trap of trying to "win every job"
- [13:06] The power of environment: Being around "millionaires"
- [18:20] Point of difference: Customer experience & testimonials
- [20:39] Changing her email signature to "Business Development Manager"
- [25:09] Advice: "You're not a tree, you're not stuck"
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