March 25, 2025 • 39 mins
Guest: Mike “Mugsy” Mugglestone – Director, Full Power Electrical (Warkworth)
This week on The Puzzle Factory, we’re joined by Mike “Mugsy” Mugglestone, the man behind Full Power Electrical in Warkworth. After relocating and starting his business in the area 8 years ago, Mugsy has steadily grown it into a well-known name in the trade.
We dig into what it takes to establish yourself in a new town, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and how to navigate the day-to-day mental challenges that come with running a trade business. Oh—and we chat about that viral moment when a dolphin launched itself onto Mugsy’s boat during a fishing competition, which made international headlines.
Inside this episode:
⚡️ How to build and grow a trade business in a new area
⚡️ Lessons from 8 years in business—what worked, what didn’t
⚡️ Managing mental health in the trades, realistically
⚡️ The wild dolphin story that went global
⚡️ Worksite yarns that’ll have you laughing out loud
Why listen?
Whether you’re building your own business, looking for trade insights, or just keen for a good story, Mugsy brings the goods—real talk, hard-earned wisdom, and plenty of laughs.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:10):
All right, mate. Episode 9, yeah.
Episode 9, yeah, there's a cracker.
I think this is going to be, this is going to be a baller
one, this one. Yeah, I get another guy.
A lot of people know him. He's a character.
So yeah, this week we've got Mugsy on from Full Power
Electrical in Warkworth. Yeah, been a member of ours at
trade group here for I think maybe since early to 2023
(00:33):
attended our conference. He was an award winner as as
sort of one of the most promising members to come
through. Definitely a hard doer.
He's he's sort of, you know, he's one of these sort of guys
that quite selfless. You know, he's, he's been
through the motions as well as in terms of being a business
owner. Yeah, but definitely as as
(00:53):
someone that's reached out to support and help a lot of
others. Totally.
He's he's just a lovely guy mugsy, but he's got you know,
but he's good fun as well for sure and and runs a great
business up there. So just yeah, really interesting
to hear his perspectives. Also, he sort of went a bit
viral recently from going on theJay Russell's fishing trip.
(01:14):
Yeah, where Dolphin actually flew into the boat.
Oh wow, hope you cover that. Yeah, we'll hear a bit more
about that. Then they even got that on.
Didn't they get that? Yeah.
Some footage of that, if I can, I'm going to try and interject a
clip into here. I'll see, see if my
technological knowledge allows me to do that.
So we'll say. But yeah, I think let's get him
(01:35):
on. Yep, he's a typical work hard,
play hard character. Can't wait to hear it.
Let's go all. Right, sweet mugsy, How's that?
Yeah, bloody good, mate. Thanks for coming on.
No worries. How are you?
Bloody good. Although I was doing a bit of
market research yesterday and I feel like you might have said in
your layer last podcast, I watched it, you, you'd run out
of a few people to come on to this podcast.
(01:57):
So yeah, when I got your call, Iwas sweet.
I'm like one of the first ones. I'm now I'm thinking I'm
probably like maybe 2530. You were top of the list, man.
Yeah, yeah. I was like, I'm humbled,
Humbled. No, we had a bit of a hiccup
last week. I had a couple buck 10 and they
both for different reasons couldn't make it so it ended up
just being me. So I'm bloody glad to see you
(02:19):
here today mate, because it's quite hard to talk to a camera
on your own for 25 minutes, especially when you've got
nothing to say. Now you've got all the good
things. All the good things, hey?
All right, mate. So do you just want to let these
guys know who you are, where you're from, what you do?
So I'm Mike from Full Power Electrical.
(02:39):
We are based in Warkworth, do a little bit of commercial, a
little bit of rezi between service work, our housing, you
know, it's a little bit bland and boring really.
Isn't it whatever comes? Through the door.
Yeah, yeah. Shit.
Yeah, yeah. It doesn't really matter.
It's just whatever comes in, really.
No, we've got a good, good client base.
(03:00):
A lot of it's repeat business. Yeah.
Got a couple of leads on Lady inthe Office.
Who's magic? Yeah, Which makes the world go
round. And so you can.
Yeah, All good. Bloody beautiful.
And just just before we RIP right into this, you went a bit
viral. Oh yeah.
Just recently, yeah. Yeah.
With a Flipper movie or. That's right, Yeah, we've got
(03:22):
Flipper and Dolphin Boy. What's the arm there mate?
Well, we were on the real awesome fishing comp up in the
Bay of Islands. Oh, with Russells.
With Russells, Sorry. Yeah.
And we were two boats, so there were six of us, 2 boats, and one
of the boat decided to go and chase some Kingfish on a bit of
a workout past Cape Brett. Yeah, yeah.
(03:45):
And fortunately or unfortunatelyhad a dolphin jump out sort of,
we're not even sure how quite sure it happened, but it's sort
of the dolphins come out of the water as the boat was going,
landed on the bow and then endedup in the boat almost squashing
the three legs in there. Yeah, because it would have
weighed a bloody tongue on. That 400 kilos, I think, yeah,
yeah. Yeah.
(04:05):
So you won the comp? Well, yeah, in our minds, I
suppose we did, yeah. I've never ever heard of.
That, oh, it was unreal. Like the fact that it actually
didn't kill anyone is like is is.
I think it grazed Millie's shoulder and sort of gave Austin
a bit of a bitch slap with a tail.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which would have been like being
hit by a baseball. Bat Yeah.
(04:26):
On steroids. Pleasant.
Yeah, yeah. Jesus.
So that because you were saying that video has kind of gone all
over the show, made the news andstuff.
International News They had a interview with Paddy Gower.
Yeah, I think there was a. Few like supplies that Kumar, I
think, came to the party and replaced all their rods because
when the dolphin came down, it snapped all the rods.
Yeah, that it did. Sort of demoed half of the boat
(04:48):
a bit of damage to be fair eh? But yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, that's one for the box. Yeah.
Jesus Christ. I don't think it's it'll be a
question mark whether we go nextyear, eh, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Because I think they were hopingto get a few followers and
things on their fishing pages and content creating.
So that's worked, eh? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
(05:10):
Bloody good, bloody good so. It's been a, yeah, an an
experience in itself, yeah. Yeah, I can imagine.
I would. I'm kind of gutted because I was
supposed to go on that trip, butI couldn't make it.
Yeah, at a prior engagement at awedding.
Those are important. But yeah, that would have been
bloody good. Yeah, yeah.
All right, cool. So first thing I sort of just
(05:31):
wanted to talk to you about is so you're up in Warkworth, but
you're not from Warkworth, right?
No. So how long ago did you move up
there? About eight years ago, I think.
Yeah, yeah. And it was a bit of a data to
map really. Yeah, that looks all right.
Yeah, that looks. Sweet.
That'll do. Yeah.
Moved up there and I think, yeah, had the great ambition of,
(05:55):
of starting my own electrical company.
Yeah. I look back on it.
I think it was real naive. Well, I think we all go, Oh
yeah, that'll be a good idea. And then when you're like 2
years into it, you're like, whatthe.
Yeah, have I done? Yeah.
Yeah, two or three years and it was just hidden hands, like what
have I done? Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's quite a lot because it's
(06:17):
alright being a good Sparky, butbeing a business owner, there's
quite a lot to that. Yeah, yeah.
I think it's definitely been like that baptism of fire,
right? Just yeah.
It's just been a it's been an experience.
It's been a journey. Yeah, it's good.
I enjoy it now, but I definitelydidn't.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You've got to go through that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a, it's been a yeah, it's
(06:38):
been a journey. So a journey because obviously
there's a lot of guys who, you know, they live in a town, they
do their apprenticeship in that town.
Yeah, they know every bugger in town and then they go out on
their own and it kind of makes sense.
They've got all the contacts. Keep rolling, hey?
How do you go moving into a new town and, and actually, you
(06:59):
know, establishing, establishingyourself as a business and
getting work? Was it just sort of down the
boozer trying to make mates every night or what?
Pretty well, pretty well, prettywell.
I'm surprised and get divorced in the process.
To be fair. It's yeah, yeah, it was.
There was a lot of puss and a few kicks put on.
Eh, it was like, yeah, that was,yeah, that was the start of it.
That was the. You sort of recognise how much,
(07:21):
you know, in the, in the smallertowns, how much everyone loves
their puss. Yeah, totally.
And that suits me fine, to be fair.
But it's like shared passion. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Oh, shitty. I found the right spot here.
So, yeah, it was pretty much just.
Yeah. I was thinking back at it like,
there was a lot of driving, likewe knew people around, like, you
know, yeah. There's, you know, someone in
(07:41):
every part of New Zealand almost.
But yeah. So you were like driving an hour
and a half of work here and driving an hour and an hour and
a half for work there, but it took a long time to get just
locally based. So much easier to manage that
way too. Yeah.
I mean, I I lived up the coast when we had our business and I
don't think we had, I think we had one job on the shore and
(08:04):
everything else was Mount Wellington or further.
We were in manure work for two years.
Yeah, it was good work, but it was like why is it 2 hours away?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So 4 hours a day in the week and
it's fucking texting. A and then you're watching
apartment buildings go up in Silverdale and shit and we just
win this. One.
Yeah, Yeah, totally. Yeah.
(08:25):
But it was, you know, you're right.
You bang on the money, man. It was pretty much down the
boozer. Yeah.
Anyone that would listen, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Just right into it kids. Actually, kids was another big.
All through schools and yeah. And just kind of getting like
into the community that way, that's been a, that's been a big
thing for us is sort of like ourcase where they're not just
transient people just coming andtrying to take away local
(08:47):
business. The setting up shop here,
they're putting down routes. Right.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because yeah, it's, I mean, I've
talked to you about this in the past, but I think we have a
pretty similar take on sort of sales marketing.
Like, yeah, for me, it's totallyrelationship based.
I understand that there's businesses out there where they
(09:08):
might put a lot into advertisinga certain product or service on
social media and it's a very transactional marketing driven
business. But I think investing in
relationships with people, companies, your customers,
that's where it is. I think so, yeah, I'd agree with
you, handyman. It's like you can probably like
(09:28):
in an opinion, it's probably that stuff works for people that
aren't established in the area. So like you've got your digital
marketing that might pick up those yeah customers.
But for the poor stuff, the business owners, you've got to
have the relationships with them.
I. Totally, because the way I, and
again, I'm not an expert as suchin digital marketing and stuff,
but I see it like a treadmill. While you're on a, you'll be
(09:50):
getting the leads, you'll be getting the jobs.
The minute you stop, the whole wheel stops.
Whereas when you're investing inrelationships that's repeat
work, you're probably going to be working with people you like
and you trust and, you know, and, and, and I think when you
start work doing job after job with the same builder or
construction company, yeah, again, you become a well oiled
(10:13):
machine. Totally.
You know what their expectationsare.
They know what you're capable of.
Yeah. You know, and it's the way to
go. 100% men and it's takes a long time to build trust that
way too as well. You've got to go and prove your
worth. And I think it's not like a,
it's not a week or two, that's probably a few years of repeat
delivering, standing up, making sure that you go back and fix
(10:36):
your fuck ups because they haven't, and standing up to what
you've delivered and making sureand you've got to treat them.
You've got to sort of push them up higher up the list and
totally do all of those sorts ofthings.
But it's about taking responsibility for what you've
signed up to do, you know, because I think as well when,
when you're building them relationships, it's a bit of a
balancing act as well, because you can't just be a yes man.
(10:58):
And it makes you kind of look desperate for the work almost.
You've got to have your lines inthe sand.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Being unreasonable.
I will still come tomorrow or you know, but you've got to have
some boundaries with them, mate.Totally.
Yeah, You know, especially like as a savvy, like a lot of the
old school bank contractors are just like, yeah, we need you
here now. You're like, fuck.
(11:18):
Well, yeah, that's cool mate. But I'm booked out for two 3-4
weeks, whatever it is. Yeah, but they don't give a
shit, right? They're just showing the next.
One now yeah that's like so you're kind of like Oh well
you're way up in your head are they a good payer yeah how much
work do they give you you know it's kind of like that whole.
Totally. Whole thing and you kind of
like, yeah, the most of the ladsare pretty good locally, yeah.
(11:40):
Yeah, everyone. Small town as well.
It's reputation based. Right, I think so.
Everyone's just into it, man. They just everyone just wants to
do a good job and just have thatrepeat word coming through a
yeah. And it's a good, honest policy.
It's not like it's just not sit and forget where you just come
and RIP shit and bust and you'regone.
Yeah, you get handled the shit that someone's like Jay.
That's that and 11 small towns as well.
(12:00):
If you got, you know, if you've maybe got a company coming
knocking on your door, Yeah, first thing you've got to do is
go. Where's your current spark?
Yeah, because is it you or him? Yeah, back down the boozer.
Who's the dickhead? Back down the boozer.
Who's that? Yeah, I don't wait for him.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like a knit.
It's just a web over there. It's totally.
I was, I was. I played it with, at least for
years. It was.
(12:20):
It was networking. It was everything.
It was like the local Barber shop.
Yeah. She didn't believe me.
I think she's coming to see it now, but.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can just that to sort of get
it done and beg for forgiveness later.
Yeah, yeah, totally. Yeah, Yeah, yeah.
She understands. Absolute weapon.
Yeah, bloody good. Yeah.
All right. So I think another thing that
(12:41):
you kind of wanted to talk aboutand, and it's something that's
close to my heart as well, is sorunning an electrical business
can be very chaotic. It's got ups and downs and it
can be really isolating. Yeah.
And it can certainly play havoc with your head.
Yeah, yeah, 100% it's yeah. Yeah.
(13:04):
So what are you, what have what is your experience with that and
just struggling with kind of forfor me, it was like not just in
your personal life, but in your business life, you're kind of
evaluating yourself on how the business is going and it affects
your self esteem, yourself worthand it can drive you into a hole
(13:24):
and you've got to kind of separate the toe.
Very, Yeah, yeah, bang on. Yep, I agree with you there.
It's you definitely measure on how well you're doing, you know,
like yeah, it's, I think back, Ithink that three-year period was
probably the hardest. I think that's probably when we
came into those dreaded words ofCOVID.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And everyone went right.
(13:46):
You can't go and see your mates.You can't go.
And whatever else I can, we can always go on about all this
stuff. But that was definitely the the
start of it. And how I I mean, you look back
now in hindsight and go, oh, I should have managed that better.
But it's only now, I guess it takes experience.
But I'm with you. I'm with like, it's hard.
There's a lot of pressures. You know, you've got to put a
(14:07):
roof over the head. You've got to feed a family.
Work dries up, whatever else is happening, and it just kind of
slowly piles up and piles up andpiles up and you go, Nah, we'll
be right, we'll be right. And you'll stand up for so long
and then all of a sudden it justfalls apart and you go, how do
you deal with this? Because you know, a lot of the
(14:28):
guys listening to this if the business owners, they'll know
this exact feeling. But you have this crippling
anxiety every night when you go to bed about, oh shit, we've got
not got very much coming up. Yeah, like what's gonna happen
'cause you can, you can't force people to give you work.
You can just put the. Feelers out.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then the other side is you
solve that problem, you get the work, and then you go, how the
(14:50):
fuck are we gonna get all this done?
Yeah, you know, Yeah, yeah. Just never.
You're like, shit, we've got to do this now.
Yeah, yeah. And it's just like I'm, I'm
much, it's much. I find it easier to deal with
when you're busy. And I think most people would
agree. Yeah, it's like a different,
it's a different stress as to when you're quiet and the cash
flow slows up and you're going. I've got four other families to
feed off here. Yeah, totally.
(15:12):
Cash flow's slow enough or whatever's happening, I just
start going. I used to just go down the
boozer and try and drink the problems away, but I've I've
actually, I've found that for methat doesn't, that doesn't help
it actually. Pounds it up.
Yeah, yeah, it makes it way worse.
And that's just me personally. Probably just like and the
boozer wait for the ambulance atthe bottom of the hill, wait for
(15:33):
them to fit me up. But I think that's really
common. Yeah, You know what I mean?
And I'm not going to get into the cliches of like, oh, you
should go and talk to somebody and, you know, speak to your
mates and look out for your mates and all that stuff.
But it is pretty ingrained in male tradesman in particular.
Like shut up, get on with that. And I think even if you're
(15:54):
having those feelings of being abit down or not respecting
yourself, it it compounds again because you feel guilty that
you're having them feelings and like just get on with it.
You're toughest critic. I think for me, it's, it's
recognizing it. Yeah.
As opposed to like, it's not about talking to someone, like
you said, with all the cliches and stuff.
Yeah. It's recognizing and figuring
(16:15):
out what you can do to help yourself.
Yeah, to be better. Because if you got like, my
thing is is I go away. Yeah, you would say.
It's fucking weird, but I go away, turn my phone off.
Yeah, they're not. You know, the problems aren't
going anywhere. We just come back to them.
But at least you've had a break and you've gone and done
something that you wanted to do.I come back and go, right?
Sweet, let's solve that. We can do that.
(16:36):
And you come back and it doesn'tseem like as big a problem.
It's really strange and that's just how I cope with it.
But it's like a recognizing likelast week we were going away to
Aussie and it's just like there's so much going on leading
up to it and it was just stuff. It was done 12 hours a day just
running around, running around just flat out and you're like
fucking getting it in days, likeinto days and going even
(16:58):
achieved anything. Yeah, yeah, totally.
I. Haven't done half of what I
needed to do. You don't tend to operate very
well when you're totally over the top busy because you're not
organized, you're being very reactive and it just makes it
all worse, right? And I'm like, I don't sit still
at the best of times. Yeah, I can't even sit at the
office. Like ADHD is buggery.
It's like. Half an hour in the office chair
(17:18):
and you're like. Energizer Bunny.
But yeah, I think heaps of people really struggle with
that. And we had Craig hating on
earlier on on the podcast and hehe had a basically a breakdown
right throughout. And he said one of the biggest
things was he went on a online course teaching him how to say
(17:41):
no. So when you're already up to
here, yeah. And you know, more and more
stuffs coming in, you've just got to go.
I'm at capacity. I'm done.
No. Yeah, not I can't do that job.
You know, bears in mind next time we're just booked out,
whatever it may be. And I think there's never a
point where we, you know, peoplelike us sort of go, I've done
(18:02):
enough, Yeah. It just never ends.
But you don't see what you have accomplished.
You always say, oh, I could havedone that.
Yeah, Yeah. Or I could have done that.
And I think, you know, without wanking yourself off, sometimes
you just got to take a snapshot and go.
We actually achieved a heat. Yeah.
Well done. Yeah.
You know, yeah, pick yourself onthe back and take it.
Have some gratitude, eh? Yeah, totally.
(18:22):
Because there's that thing as well, like, you know, I don't
know, maybe 10 years ago before you started your business,
you're probably right where you wanted to be.
Yeah. Right now, 100.
Percent. But you can't see it now you
just see the next. You just go.
Oh, yeah, That's where I want tobe.
Yeah. Yeah.
And now you look back and go, no, not enough.
That way, that way, that way. Absolutely, yeah.
But it is. It's super important just to
(18:45):
take them snapshots and. I think so, you know, I think
so. It's not easy, eh?
It's like everyone everyone wants to view but doesn't want
the climb, eh? Yeah, exactly.
It's like, and it's not easy. It's well, sometimes it's sweet,
sometimes it's not. And you just got to roll with
the punches. But yeah, I think definitely
your mental state, you know, thethe better your mental state is,
the better you are for everyone and your team and your family
(19:05):
and everything. And I, that's probably my only
cliche. You know, you can do as much
reading or as much podcasting asyou want to listen to all the
stuff to help. But, I mean, it's recognizing
where you're at and if you're having a tough time, OK, go
fishing. Go and do something.
Yeah. Just a bit of time.
Out. Even if it's the boozer.
Yeah, like. A bit of a reset.
Yeah, yeah. Going to a few tins, whatever it
(19:26):
is, whatever you like doing now,yeah.
Because I mean, everybody loves a bit of tin smashing.
Yeah, I'd say. I'd say that's probably our
fucking target market. Tin Smashers Union.
Fucking let the valve go away, yeah, 100% man, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
The the the. Television Union.
I like it. I'll be there.
(19:46):
Yeah. Yeah, to do cocaine on tap as
well. That said, I.
Shouldn't have said that. Anyway, moving swiftly on this
business acquisition when you when you expanded your.
(20:10):
Business. Oh yeah, Steph.
Oh yeah. Yeah.
How did that go there? So give us the an what?
What happened there? How do you go about it?
What? What did it do for?
You, it was, it was great. It was an opportunity.
And like all opportunities are not always presented at great
times. I yeah, yeah.
I've got vivid memories of beinggetting a phone call from
Stephen, being like, hey, mate, I'm just calling around.
(20:32):
I'm out, I'm done. Yeah.
I was like, what do you mean? He's like, I'm I'm just done,
man. Over it.
Can't do it. Yeah, I've had enough.
My knees are fucking, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah.
I'm old. Good on you, Steve.
And we just said look, pretty much it's I'm not I'm closing
down shop, but I've still got a few jobs going, got a few
(20:53):
clients that I'd still would like to be looked after.
I think you'd be a good fit. So yeah, it wasn't like we, we
didn't buy his business as per SE.
We just sort of acquired a few clients and.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I paid him out probably what he
was due for the jobs that were still in completion.
But the stitch up was that it was December, me and Millie were
(21:14):
already doing six days a week and he loaded us with like 2
newbles that needed to be filledup before Christmas.
And I still Steph if you'd listen to this bud.
And we pulled that switchboard cover off and he told us the
switchboard was done. Like, you know, like it wasn't
like any other time. It wouldn't have been a big
deal. It was just a sixty way domestic
board. Not the end of the world.
(21:36):
But it was Sunday at 3:00. We've been doing 7 days all of
December. And I pulled the switchboard off
to live in circuits and it was just tails bro and Breakers
slapped into the board. I was like, we've got another.
It's going to be like, you know,that was just another.
Couple of. Hours.
Yeah, it was just love. We were just wanting to get out
of there, right. It was just like and that, but
(21:57):
it was good. We developed from that.
We've got some really cool relationships with some other
guy, like locals in town, and managed to build on those.
Didn't like. We didn't end up with a whole
lot of clients, but we definitely ended up with a pick
of the bunch. Yeah, good, because obviously
Steph's a lovely lad as well, sohe would have had some bloody
good. Yeah, good.
You know he would have had some good buggers that would have
(22:19):
worked for them all. As that yeah, yeah, totally.
And it's it's interesting we've had a few phone calls like that
in the last six months. Like we probably haven't moved
on it as per SE, but it's just, it's, I find it sad as well
because it's these guys have worked hard to build a business
and they just go and close shop.It's like, you know, and not
that nothing's for free, but it's like kind of like, fuck,
(22:40):
man, you've worked hard to buildup a business.
No matter what you've done, it'sstill like it's going to be
worth something. Hey.
Trying to value a trade businessis very difficult because you've
got the relationships, are they going to pass on totally.
You know there's a cliche of you're only worth what basically
your vans are worth. Yeah, yeah.
And stuff, you know, and if you've got any Slas or
(23:00):
repetitive maintenance jobs, stuff like that, it's tricky.
It's tricky. I've seen it in my career where,
you know, a lot of a lot of companies that sell fail
depending on who the people are,you know what I mean?
And the clients don't get handedover properly, and they go,
who's this guy? Yeah, I like dealing with you.
Yeah. Not the name of the company, you
(23:21):
know. Yeah.
So it's tricky. So it's good to hear that you at
least got some success. Yeah, it was good, man.
It was. It probably enabled us to be
able to go and look for like a third, another guy to help sort
of with work, with workflow and like the load of work.
So yeah, it definitely worked. It was good.
It was just a great opportunity of the time.
Yeah, we got it done. But I think because of the
(23:42):
December and the hours that we had to put in to get over the
line, the builder went fuck on you later.
I don't think you want to get that done.
Really proved yourself? Yeah, that's bloody awesome,
mate. So it did.
It did work out well. Would I do it again?
Oh no, not at that time of year.Well, you've done it now.
So it's a positive, yeah. Yeah, would you want to do it
again? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
(24:03):
Put you on the spot here about go take your pencil no.
One coffee. Oh, no, it's not quite midday.
Yeah. Yeah.
Just just one question that I always find interesting to hear
from guys like yourself. If you could go back to Mugsy 8
(24:23):
years ago setting up the business, any tips you'd give
yourself? Buy into an existing company.
Rather than setting up from scratch.
Just way easier. Don't learn it like the people
that have been doing it as whereyou get your knowledge from.
I yeah, I think like, I mean insane that some people like the
challenge, but I think I would go in and buy them to an
(24:47):
existing company and go and partner up.
So it's set up, it's structured,but you've also got a mentor
there because it's learning the business side.
How did you go about that trial and error?
Yeah, man, trial and error, asking like I'm, you know me.
I'm not afraid. Afraid to ask?
Any shy mate? Yeah I know I've got no pants on
(25:08):
it's yeah just going and asking people like in all sorts of
different industries having a crack Oh yeah.
What's at the end of the day, what do you got to lose?
Yeah, but hat goes off to anyonethat wants to start.
But I think if you if I had the opportunity again on and I got
presented, hey, look these are and there's growth for you in
this. Yeah, 100% be involved with
(25:29):
that. Yeah, No, that's, that's solid
because it, you know, it's funny, I see these guys out
there good sparkies and they've got good workflow maybe because
they've set up in the hometown, as I was saying earlier and
stuff and they're making money. But I go and look at how they're
operating the business. Sounds like just a little bit of
(25:50):
knowledge and a few tweaks and you'd be earning way more would
streamline your business. You're not spending six hours
every week doing manual paperwork to to run your.
Business. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
And I'm like and they just don'tknow.
Yeah, because the the buyer of entry to start a business in New
Zealand is if you got 300 bucks and half an hour and Wi-Fi
(26:13):
connection basically, you know what I mean?
Like you don't do that in Aussie, you've got to do a
foundation business course. And I, I cannot understand for
the life of me why we don't do that here.
Well, I mean, it's like everything in New Zealand's a
little bit backward say, but it's like AI think like on
there. I think the only restricting
like and the only restriction inour trades is, is because of
(26:35):
that. Yeah.
So guys come in, we start, we go, oh look, we don't have any
overheads. We charge 75 bucks an hour or
whatever it is, 70 bucks an hour.
You know, guys who got overheadsare charging 8590, a hundred,
whatever they're charging. But the restricting factor is
young blood coming through. And that's that's our only
restricting factor. Because you go and go, we'll win
(26:55):
90. Because I'm 75.
They go. We'll take you.
Yeah, totally. And and God bless them for
giving a go. They just don't know.
Totally. And it's like all the young
fellas coming through. I'm like make sure you start off
on good rates, man. You want to work 20 hours a
week? Or do you want to work 40?
Yeah, well, it's not just that, but it undermines the value of
our. Industry.
But as a young fella, if someonetold me I could work 20 hours a
week and instead of 40 and I could go fishing two days a week
(27:18):
or whatever, it was like, yeah, why wouldn't you charge more?
100%. That's that's our only
restricting factor, I think is like, yeah, not being banded
together. Everyone else seems to have it,
the plumbers and that again, this is just an opinion, but
that's our restricting factor, yeah, around around our pricing
and how we charge. And you bang on like no one, no
(27:39):
one's got the knowledge to know how to do it, eh?
So. No, and I think as it's a double
edged sword because you you've got these guys, young fellas
that only go, I'm going to give it a crack where I'm like, that
is fantastic. Like I think it's more prevalent
in New Zealand than anywhere else where you've got young
tradies going setting up their own businesses.
Awesome. But I think we're also quite
(28:02):
chronic for kind of imposter syndrome and undervaluing
ourselves when we first start. You know, when you first started
the business, you would have puta quote or an invoice scanning
can't. Charge him is that is that
sweet? Can't charge him that.
Yeah, but that is what it was worth.
Yeah. You know, and you kind of second
guess yourself. You get discounts.
Yeah. Yeah.
(28:23):
And it's bullshit. Yeah.
You know so. It's still and people are still
kicking back, still kick back every week.
Oh, you charge me this for that.And it's just like that's what
it is. Yeah, well, but I I think we're
in the same boat. Like with all materials
increases and then wage increases and dah dah dah, we
still put together an invoice for a little job and you go.
(28:44):
How much? Yeah, yeah.
It's it's it's mind blowing, Yeah.
You know, and it's not like our margins have gone up or
anything. It's just what shit costs.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, it's wild and it's
same the world over, right? Groceries, everything.
You know, like. You had like you had more guys
coming in under companies and bringing, you know, maybe their
(29:06):
two ICS or the GMs and and guys that have been doing a good
graft. Yeah, you can help teach them
that. Yeah.
And bring them through. Yeah.
So they're not second guessing that yeah, as well, you know.
So you're going No, no, that's sweet.
That's just how it was five years ago.
Absolutely. I, I, any guys who do and I'll,
I'll say this to everyone who's listening or watching as well.
(29:26):
Any guys who have got visions ofgoing out on their own in the
future. I always recommend that you
should go and work for like a reasonable size company and see
if you can get that role as a project manager, a foreman, an
estimator and Start learning howthe business runs before you go
on your own. Yeah, it's the Wild West out
(29:46):
there. Yeah.
I mean, I was lucky enough to gothrough all them stages and
still I got into business and I learned so much in the first
year, in the second year. Now being in the position I'm in
now and here in everyone's collected experiences, I've
learned heaps in the last 12 months.
As well, Yeah, yeah. And this is cool 'cause you get
(30:06):
to pump it out to everyone else to give the knowledge to go.
This is where it's at. That's we're trying to demystify
the industry 'cause there's no road map, it's all smoke and
mirrors. Oh, totally.
We're just trying to share that advice and I.
Kind of like operating in smoke and mirrors, though I yeah a bit
of the out of bullshit. Goddamn deviant mate.
When I'm. No, no, I'm not gonna say that,
but you almost had me say it. Yeah, no, yeah, we can all say
(30:34):
things though, but that's yeah. Bang on bro, bang on.
Good question. Real good question.
That'll stomp him. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Absolutely nothing. No.
(30:55):
Pretty good at going home, yeah?Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I, I think for, for me, I'm, I think I'm good at picking the
people that suit us. They're like bringing the right
people together. The team together.
It works for you. Yeah.
So like everyone's solid. Everyone's, you know, they're
they're all solid, real trustworthy, but proud of who
our team is. You know, like you, you know,
(31:15):
you never judge anyone else's crew.
Don't know them. But like, for how we operate,
it's a good level of, you know, there's a good mix of social.
We all work hard. Yeah.
We're a small crew. Everyone gets after.
Everyone stands up when they need to, you know?
You can see because even from the outside I can see you've got
pride in your company and you look after you.
Yeah, you know what? I.
Mean and you make them feel valued, which is rarer and
(31:39):
rarer. Yeah.
And it's, and well, it's gettingharder and harder to do so
because everyone wants so much more for nothing as well.
So it's kind of like this, this weird scale.
Totally. Yeah, yeah, Yeah.
So that's tricky. Probably the only thing.
Like I'm a pretty average bloodysparky to be fair, but.
Preaching to the choir there. The art of bullshit.
Yeah, fake it till you make it. Like an oath, right?
(32:02):
Nice, right? I've got one last one for you.
Let's finish this on a nice positive note.
Like it? Give me your You're gonna need
funny yams from off site. There must be some characters up
in Walk With there. What's the weirdest shit you've
ever seen? What's what's what's been going
on? The weirdest shit, to be fair,
we stay out of the traps. To be fair, it's like as much as
(32:25):
I go down and dip my feet and wesort of stay out of the traps,
It's kind of like it gets a bit weirder when you move out of
walk with, to be fair. Yeah, yeah, yeah, the weirdest.
And it is absolutely on the spot.
It's probably the hardest question of the day.
Yeah, well look, I'll give you an example.
So I was working in a guy's house once in England, council
house, rough area. And anyway, firstly there's a
(32:51):
lady downstairs smoking a crack pipe and feeding a baby.
Fantastic. So that was a good sign.
And then I had to go in the roofobviously to wire the lights and
sort of like put put the steps up like the thing out and the
partners like the fuck are you going up there for?
It's like that's where the cables are for the lights.
(33:12):
Might like OK, anyway, I go up there, there's a wheelie bin up
there. Open it up.
Probably had half as a half a dozen Saw enough shotguns in
there. So I just wired the light shut
that anyway, I'd come back down the ladder and he stood at the
bottom of the ladder like eyeball and me.
He's like, do you see anything up there?
(33:33):
I was like couple of cables, What's that?
And then he was like, sweet, get, you know, get the fuck out
of my. House, Yeah, yeah, I was like,
fuck. Totally.
All right, So that is now we have any.
Oh, I'd say there'd be a few grooms around, but it's like,
you know, ask no questions here.No, Liza, I'm.
Talking about your house. And the banana plant.
(33:56):
No, I'm retired, mate, I'm retired.
That's now I always find like the the weirdest shit is like
that. I went to AI went to a call out
a couple of months ago on a Saturday trying to find out why
she had, you know, no power in half her kitchen.
So I went into the switchboard and of course there's the the
(34:18):
smallest little washing line with the skimpiest set of
bangers. Like hanging.
Off it. Yeah, and she's kind of standing
there. Skiddies in them.
Now they're pretty tidy, yeah. I've got them at home, yeah.
But my mind straight away I was like, this is fucking target.
Yeah, someone's called me out here.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
(34:39):
So I'm. Like just trying to open the
switchboard, you know like clickthe switchboard, open.
And have a look at your face on.My shoulder and then she didn't
even move them the first time. It was the second time I went
out there to take the lid off itto go and test the power or
whatever I was doing and she wassorry about that.
I was just, you know, it happensall the time.
I was thinking, looking around, going where the fuck is the
camera? Yeah, everyone's waiting for it
(35:00):
as you walk past them or something weird.
I like yeah, yeah, that was just.
I was like, this is it was. It was too.
I mean, you do know electrical burning smells like fish, right?
(35:21):
So good. So I just thought it was too
much of A setup to be real to befair.
Yeah, yeah, it sounds about. Right, it's like that now
there's no I haven't seen the sonar shotguns in the in the
ladies. Yeah, just the once for me.
I saw that. Yeah, it's heavy.
Yeah, not good. It's heavy, I'm sure.
Yeah, it's about it's, you know,look, there's some strange,
there's some strange cats about every year.
(35:42):
Hero. Yeah.
They are, and they all seem to want electrical work.
All right, so last thing, have you got anything you want to say
to the people out there listening?
You got you got any? Got any gems?
Like something real inspirational?
Real inspirational. Or just whatever you want.
(36:05):
Nah, Nah, Nah, no. They're all too cliche, man.
All right, Sounds. They're all too cliche.
All right, we'll just bloody wrap it up then.
Yeah, fantastic. Thanks for coming on mate,
Pleasure. Appreciate it.
Cheers. Right Mugsy.
Little adopt A billing. Yeah, really enjoyed that chat
with them. Bloody good.
(36:27):
And you know, I've said this before and I'll say it again, it
surprises me with some of these guys when they start going deep,
you know? Ohh, yeah, it's such a it's a
common theme. Hey, yeah.
And, and The thing is what, you know, I'm, I'm just so stoked
that you've you provide this sort of this platform and this
sort of environment that they can be really honest.
Yeah, he's always been that way anyway.
(36:47):
But I think, you know, when you start talking about mental
health and you start talking about the journey and, and we're
starting to see him being reallysuccessful.
He's got bigger plans for the business down the track.
Totally. But Jesus, he's had to go
through the motions to get to where he's at.
As as a lot of them have. Oh, he's yeah, the, the common
themes and the stories are so similar.
I'm just so stoked that we've got an environment and A and a
(37:08):
network where people feel reallycomfortable to reach out and and
communicate with each other. Totally.
I mean, what the cool thing thatI found in that conversation was
we didn't just do the old like, yes, you know, mental health's a
big issue in the trades, big issue with business owners.
We actually went down to like, how did you cope with it?
Like practically on the day today, not just like speak to
(37:31):
your mates, you know? No, no, no, no.
You know, he really got down to this is how I deal with it, deal
with it. I I spoke about some of my own
experiences with that as well. So yeah, really good.
But top lad? Yeah, yeah, it's hard to.
Yeah. Like I said, you know, like he's
just the sort of guy you want togo and have a beer with, break
it down with. He's about.
(37:52):
A few beers within. My yeah, so have I.
And he left his mark in Christchurch when we went down
to the conference in 2023. But again, people just related
to the guy and he's he's, you know, easily, easily to be
attracted to. Yeah.
And just for the record, I wouldlike to clarify that he is not a
panties sundnefer. I won't have that.
I will not have that said about.It no fickle.
(38:13):
It was not his. He's got to stop telling that
story. It was it was the placement of
the panties. So, yeah.
All right. Well, I think without further
ado, all that remains to be saidis keep puzzling out there.
I've fucked that up, Hannah. It's all right, it's our last
one. Why wouldn't?
We so the whole thing. I've totally fucked it up so.
(38:34):
Well, let's just leave it in. So yeah, without further ado,
without. What is this?
Stay safe, keep puzzling, keep puzzling, and we'll see you
buggers next week for another. Gal Yeah, we will.
Thanks. Mate, Yeah.
All right, mate. Episode 9, yeah.
Episode 9, yeah, there's a cracker.
I think this is going to be, this is going to be a baller
one, this one. Yeah, I get another guy.
A lot of people know him. He's a character.
So yeah, this week we've got Mugsy on from Full Power
Electrical in Warkworth. Yeah, been a member of ours at
trade group here for I think maybe since early to 2023
(00:33):
attended our conference. He was an award winner as as
sort of one of the most promising members to come
through. Definitely a hard doer.
He's he's sort of, you know, he's one of these sort of guys
that quite selfless. You know, he's, he's been
through the motions as well as in terms of being a business
owner. Yeah, but definitely as as
(00:53):
someone that's reached out to support and help a lot of
others. Totally.
He's he's just a lovely guy mugsy, but he's got you know,
but he's good fun as well for sure and and runs a great
business up there. So just yeah, really interesting
to hear his perspectives. Also, he sort of went a bit
viral recently from going on theJay Russell's fishing trip.
(01:14):
Yeah, where Dolphin actually flew into the boat.
Oh wow, hope you cover that. Yeah, we'll hear a bit more
about that. Then they even got that on.
Didn't they get that? Yeah.
Some footage of that, if I can, I'm going to try and interject a
clip into here. I'll see, see if my
technological knowledge allows me to do that.
So we'll say. But yeah, I think let's get him
(01:35):
on. Yep, he's a typical work hard,
play hard character. Can't wait to hear it.
Let's go all. Right, sweet mugsy, How's that?
Yeah, bloody good, mate. Thanks for coming on.
No worries. How are you?
Bloody good. Although I was doing a bit of
market research yesterday and I feel like you might have said in
your layer last podcast, I watched it, you, you'd run out
of a few people to come on to this podcast.
(01:57):
So yeah, when I got your call, Iwas sweet.
I'm like one of the first ones. I'm now I'm thinking I'm
probably like maybe 2530. You were top of the list, man.
Yeah, yeah. I was like, I'm humbled,
Humbled. No, we had a bit of a hiccup
last week. I had a couple buck 10 and they
both for different reasons couldn't make it so it ended up
just being me. So I'm bloody glad to see you
(02:19):
here today mate, because it's quite hard to talk to a camera
on your own for 25 minutes, especially when you've got
nothing to say. Now you've got all the good
things. All the good things, hey?
All right, mate. So do you just want to let these
guys know who you are, where you're from, what you do?
So I'm Mike from Full Power Electrical.
(02:39):
We are based in Warkworth, do a little bit of commercial, a
little bit of rezi between service work, our housing, you
know, it's a little bit bland and boring really.
Isn't it whatever comes? Through the door.
Yeah, yeah. Shit.
Yeah, yeah. It doesn't really matter.
It's just whatever comes in, really.
No, we've got a good, good client base.
(03:00):
A lot of it's repeat business. Yeah.
Got a couple of leads on Lady inthe Office.
Who's magic? Yeah, Which makes the world go
round. And so you can.
Yeah, All good. Bloody beautiful.
And just just before we RIP right into this, you went a bit
viral. Oh yeah.
Just recently, yeah. Yeah.
With a Flipper movie or. That's right, Yeah, we've got
(03:22):
Flipper and Dolphin Boy. What's the arm there mate?
Well, we were on the real awesome fishing comp up in the
Bay of Islands. Oh, with Russells.
With Russells, Sorry. Yeah.
And we were two boats, so there were six of us, 2 boats, and one
of the boat decided to go and chase some Kingfish on a bit of
a workout past Cape Brett. Yeah, yeah.
(03:45):
And fortunately or unfortunatelyhad a dolphin jump out sort of,
we're not even sure how quite sure it happened, but it's sort
of the dolphins come out of the water as the boat was going,
landed on the bow and then endedup in the boat almost squashing
the three legs in there. Yeah, because it would have
weighed a bloody tongue on. That 400 kilos, I think, yeah,
yeah. Yeah.
(04:05):
So you won the comp? Well, yeah, in our minds, I
suppose we did, yeah. I've never ever heard of.
That, oh, it was unreal. Like the fact that it actually
didn't kill anyone is like is is.
I think it grazed Millie's shoulder and sort of gave Austin
a bit of a bitch slap with a tail.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which would have been like being
hit by a baseball. Bat Yeah.
(04:26):
On steroids. Pleasant.
Yeah, yeah. Jesus.
So that because you were saying that video has kind of gone all
over the show, made the news andstuff.
International News They had a interview with Paddy Gower.
Yeah, I think there was a. Few like supplies that Kumar, I
think, came to the party and replaced all their rods because
when the dolphin came down, it snapped all the rods.
Yeah, that it did. Sort of demoed half of the boat
(04:48):
a bit of damage to be fair eh? But yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, that's one for the box. Yeah.
Jesus Christ. I don't think it's it'll be a
question mark whether we go nextyear, eh, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Because I think they were hopingto get a few followers and
things on their fishing pages and content creating.
So that's worked, eh? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
(05:10):
Bloody good, bloody good so. It's been a, yeah, an an
experience in itself, yeah. Yeah, I can imagine.
I would. I'm kind of gutted because I was
supposed to go on that trip, butI couldn't make it.
Yeah, at a prior engagement at awedding.
Those are important. But yeah, that would have been
bloody good. Yeah, yeah.
All right, cool. So first thing I sort of just
(05:31):
wanted to talk to you about is so you're up in Warkworth, but
you're not from Warkworth, right?
No. So how long ago did you move up
there? About eight years ago, I think.
Yeah, yeah. And it was a bit of a data to
map really. Yeah, that looks all right.
Yeah, that looks. Sweet.
That'll do. Yeah.
Moved up there and I think, yeah, had the great ambition of,
(05:55):
of starting my own electrical company.
Yeah. I look back on it.
I think it was real naive. Well, I think we all go, Oh
yeah, that'll be a good idea. And then when you're like 2
years into it, you're like, whatthe.
Yeah, have I done? Yeah.
Yeah, two or three years and it was just hidden hands, like what
have I done? Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's quite a lot because it's
(06:17):
alright being a good Sparky, butbeing a business owner, there's
quite a lot to that. Yeah, yeah.
I think it's definitely been like that baptism of fire,
right? Just yeah.
It's just been a it's been an experience.
It's been a journey. Yeah, it's good.
I enjoy it now, but I definitelydidn't.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You've got to go through that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a, it's been a yeah, it's
(06:38):
been a journey. So a journey because obviously
there's a lot of guys who, you know, they live in a town, they
do their apprenticeship in that town.
Yeah, they know every bugger in town and then they go out on
their own and it kind of makes sense.
They've got all the contacts. Keep rolling, hey?
How do you go moving into a new town and, and actually, you
(06:59):
know, establishing, establishingyourself as a business and
getting work? Was it just sort of down the
boozer trying to make mates every night or what?
Pretty well, pretty well, prettywell.
I'm surprised and get divorced in the process.
To be fair. It's yeah, yeah, it was.
There was a lot of puss and a few kicks put on.
Eh, it was like, yeah, that was,yeah, that was the start of it.
That was the. You sort of recognise how much,
(07:21):
you know, in the, in the smallertowns, how much everyone loves
their puss. Yeah, totally.
And that suits me fine, to be fair.
But it's like shared passion. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Oh, shitty. I found the right spot here.
So, yeah, it was pretty much just.
Yeah. I was thinking back at it like,
there was a lot of driving, likewe knew people around, like, you
know, yeah. There's, you know, someone in
(07:41):
every part of New Zealand almost.
But yeah. So you were like driving an hour
and a half of work here and driving an hour and an hour and
a half for work there, but it took a long time to get just
locally based. So much easier to manage that
way too. Yeah.
I mean, I I lived up the coast when we had our business and I
don't think we had, I think we had one job on the shore and
(08:04):
everything else was Mount Wellington or further.
We were in manure work for two years.
Yeah, it was good work, but it was like why is it 2 hours away?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So 4 hours a day in the week and
it's fucking texting. A and then you're watching
apartment buildings go up in Silverdale and shit and we just
win this. One.
Yeah, Yeah, totally. Yeah.
(08:25):
But it was, you know, you're right.
You bang on the money, man. It was pretty much down the
boozer. Yeah.
Anyone that would listen, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Just right into it kids. Actually, kids was another big.
All through schools and yeah. And just kind of getting like
into the community that way, that's been a, that's been a big
thing for us is sort of like ourcase where they're not just
transient people just coming andtrying to take away local
(08:47):
business. The setting up shop here,
they're putting down routes. Right.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because yeah, it's, I mean, I've
talked to you about this in the past, but I think we have a
pretty similar take on sort of sales marketing.
Like, yeah, for me, it's totallyrelationship based.
I understand that there's businesses out there where they
(09:08):
might put a lot into advertisinga certain product or service on
social media and it's a very transactional marketing driven
business. But I think investing in
relationships with people, companies, your customers,
that's where it is. I think so, yeah, I'd agree with
you, handyman. It's like you can probably like
(09:28):
in an opinion, it's probably that stuff works for people that
aren't established in the area. So like you've got your digital
marketing that might pick up those yeah customers.
But for the poor stuff, the business owners, you've got to
have the relationships with them.
I. Totally, because the way I, and
again, I'm not an expert as suchin digital marketing and stuff,
but I see it like a treadmill. While you're on a, you'll be
(09:50):
getting the leads, you'll be getting the jobs.
The minute you stop, the whole wheel stops.
Whereas when you're investing inrelationships that's repeat
work, you're probably going to be working with people you like
and you trust and, you know, and, and, and I think when you
start work doing job after job with the same builder or
construction company, yeah, again, you become a well oiled
(10:13):
machine. Totally.
You know what their expectationsare.
They know what you're capable of.
Yeah. You know, and it's the way to
go. 100% men and it's takes a long time to build trust that
way too as well. You've got to go and prove your
worth. And I think it's not like a,
it's not a week or two, that's probably a few years of repeat
delivering, standing up, making sure that you go back and fix
(10:36):
your fuck ups because they haven't, and standing up to what
you've delivered and making sureand you've got to treat them.
You've got to sort of push them up higher up the list and
totally do all of those sorts ofthings.
But it's about taking responsibility for what you've
signed up to do, you know, because I think as well when,
when you're building them relationships, it's a bit of a
balancing act as well, because you can't just be a yes man.
(10:58):
And it makes you kind of look desperate for the work almost.
You've got to have your lines inthe sand.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Being unreasonable.
I will still come tomorrow or you know, but you've got to have
some boundaries with them, mate.Totally.
Yeah, You know, especially like as a savvy, like a lot of the
old school bank contractors are just like, yeah, we need you
here now. You're like, fuck.
(11:18):
Well, yeah, that's cool mate. But I'm booked out for two 3-4
weeks, whatever it is. Yeah, but they don't give a
shit, right? They're just showing the next.
One now yeah that's like so you're kind of like Oh well
you're way up in your head are they a good payer yeah how much
work do they give you you know it's kind of like that whole.
Totally. Whole thing and you kind of
like, yeah, the most of the ladsare pretty good locally, yeah.
(11:40):
Yeah, everyone. Small town as well.
It's reputation based. Right, I think so.
Everyone's just into it, man. They just everyone just wants to
do a good job and just have thatrepeat word coming through a
yeah. And it's a good, honest policy.
It's not like it's just not sit and forget where you just come
and RIP shit and bust and you'regone.
Yeah, you get handled the shit that someone's like Jay.
That's that and 11 small towns as well.
(12:00):
If you got, you know, if you've maybe got a company coming
knocking on your door, Yeah, first thing you've got to do is
go. Where's your current spark?
Yeah, because is it you or him? Yeah, back down the boozer.
Who's the dickhead? Back down the boozer.
Who's that? Yeah, I don't wait for him.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like a knit.
It's just a web over there. It's totally.
I was, I was. I played it with, at least for
years. It was.
(12:20):
It was networking. It was everything.
It was like the local Barber shop.
Yeah. She didn't believe me.
I think she's coming to see it now, but.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can just that to sort of get
it done and beg for forgiveness later.
Yeah, yeah, totally. Yeah, Yeah, yeah.
She understands. Absolute weapon.
Yeah, bloody good. Yeah.
All right. So I think another thing that
(12:41):
you kind of wanted to talk aboutand, and it's something that's
close to my heart as well, is sorunning an electrical business
can be very chaotic. It's got ups and downs and it
can be really isolating. Yeah.
And it can certainly play havoc with your head.
Yeah, yeah, 100% it's yeah. Yeah.
(13:04):
So what are you, what have what is your experience with that and
just struggling with kind of forfor me, it was like not just in
your personal life, but in your business life, you're kind of
evaluating yourself on how the business is going and it affects
your self esteem, yourself worthand it can drive you into a hole
(13:24):
and you've got to kind of separate the toe.
Very, Yeah, yeah, bang on. Yep, I agree with you there.
It's you definitely measure on how well you're doing, you know,
like yeah, it's, I think back, Ithink that three-year period was
probably the hardest. I think that's probably when we
came into those dreaded words ofCOVID.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And everyone went right.
(13:46):
You can't go and see your mates.You can't go.
And whatever else I can, we can always go on about all this
stuff. But that was definitely the the
start of it. And how I I mean, you look back
now in hindsight and go, oh, I should have managed that better.
But it's only now, I guess it takes experience.
But I'm with you. I'm with like, it's hard.
There's a lot of pressures. You know, you've got to put a
(14:07):
roof over the head. You've got to feed a family.
Work dries up, whatever else is happening, and it just kind of
slowly piles up and piles up andpiles up and you go, Nah, we'll
be right, we'll be right. And you'll stand up for so long
and then all of a sudden it justfalls apart and you go, how do
you deal with this? Because you know, a lot of the
(14:28):
guys listening to this if the business owners, they'll know
this exact feeling. But you have this crippling
anxiety every night when you go to bed about, oh shit, we've got
not got very much coming up. Yeah, like what's gonna happen
'cause you can, you can't force people to give you work.
You can just put the. Feelers out.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then the other side is you
solve that problem, you get the work, and then you go, how the
(14:50):
fuck are we gonna get all this done?
Yeah, you know, Yeah, yeah. Just never.
You're like, shit, we've got to do this now.
Yeah, yeah. And it's just like I'm, I'm
much, it's much. I find it easier to deal with
when you're busy. And I think most people would
agree. Yeah, it's like a different,
it's a different stress as to when you're quiet and the cash
flow slows up and you're going. I've got four other families to
feed off here. Yeah, totally.
(15:12):
Cash flow's slow enough or whatever's happening, I just
start going. I used to just go down the
boozer and try and drink the problems away, but I've I've
actually, I've found that for methat doesn't, that doesn't help
it actually. Pounds it up.
Yeah, yeah, it makes it way worse.
And that's just me personally. Probably just like and the
boozer wait for the ambulance atthe bottom of the hill, wait for
(15:33):
them to fit me up. But I think that's really
common. Yeah, You know what I mean?
And I'm not going to get into the cliches of like, oh, you
should go and talk to somebody and, you know, speak to your
mates and look out for your mates and all that stuff.
But it is pretty ingrained in male tradesman in particular.
Like shut up, get on with that. And I think even if you're
(15:54):
having those feelings of being abit down or not respecting
yourself, it it compounds again because you feel guilty that
you're having them feelings and like just get on with it.
You're toughest critic. I think for me, it's, it's
recognizing it. Yeah.
As opposed to like, it's not about talking to someone, like
you said, with all the cliches and stuff.
Yeah. It's recognizing and figuring
(16:15):
out what you can do to help yourself.
Yeah, to be better. Because if you got like, my
thing is is I go away. Yeah, you would say.
It's fucking weird, but I go away, turn my phone off.
Yeah, they're not. You know, the problems aren't
going anywhere. We just come back to them.
But at least you've had a break and you've gone and done
something that you wanted to do.I come back and go, right?
Sweet, let's solve that. We can do that.
(16:36):
And you come back and it doesn'tseem like as big a problem.
It's really strange and that's just how I cope with it.
But it's like a recognizing likelast week we were going away to
Aussie and it's just like there's so much going on leading
up to it and it was just stuff. It was done 12 hours a day just
running around, running around just flat out and you're like
fucking getting it in days, likeinto days and going even
(16:58):
achieved anything. Yeah, yeah, totally.
I. Haven't done half of what I
needed to do. You don't tend to operate very
well when you're totally over the top busy because you're not
organized, you're being very reactive and it just makes it
all worse, right? And I'm like, I don't sit still
at the best of times. Yeah, I can't even sit at the
office. Like ADHD is buggery.
It's like. Half an hour in the office chair
(17:18):
and you're like. Energizer Bunny.
But yeah, I think heaps of people really struggle with
that. And we had Craig hating on
earlier on on the podcast and hehe had a basically a breakdown
right throughout. And he said one of the biggest
things was he went on a online course teaching him how to say
(17:41):
no. So when you're already up to
here, yeah. And you know, more and more
stuffs coming in, you've just got to go.
I'm at capacity. I'm done.
No. Yeah, not I can't do that job.
You know, bears in mind next time we're just booked out,
whatever it may be. And I think there's never a
point where we, you know, peoplelike us sort of go, I've done
(18:02):
enough, Yeah. It just never ends.
But you don't see what you have accomplished.
You always say, oh, I could havedone that.
Yeah, Yeah. Or I could have done that.
And I think, you know, without wanking yourself off, sometimes
you just got to take a snapshot and go.
We actually achieved a heat. Yeah.
Well done. Yeah.
You know, yeah, pick yourself onthe back and take it.
Have some gratitude, eh? Yeah, totally.
(18:22):
Because there's that thing as well, like, you know, I don't
know, maybe 10 years ago before you started your business,
you're probably right where you wanted to be.
Yeah. Right now, 100.
Percent. But you can't see it now you
just see the next. You just go.
Oh, yeah, That's where I want tobe.
Yeah. Yeah.
And now you look back and go, no, not enough.
That way, that way, that way. Absolutely, yeah.
But it is. It's super important just to
(18:45):
take them snapshots and. I think so, you know, I think
so. It's not easy, eh?
It's like everyone everyone wants to view but doesn't want
the climb, eh? Yeah, exactly.
It's like, and it's not easy. It's well, sometimes it's sweet,
sometimes it's not. And you just got to roll with
the punches. But yeah, I think definitely
your mental state, you know, thethe better your mental state is,
the better you are for everyone and your team and your family
(19:05):
and everything. And I, that's probably my only
cliche. You know, you can do as much
reading or as much podcasting asyou want to listen to all the
stuff to help. But, I mean, it's recognizing
where you're at and if you're having a tough time, OK, go
fishing. Go and do something.
Yeah. Just a bit of time.
Out. Even if it's the boozer.
Yeah, like. A bit of a reset.
Yeah, yeah. Going to a few tins, whatever it
(19:26):
is, whatever you like doing now,yeah.
Because I mean, everybody loves a bit of tin smashing.
Yeah, I'd say. I'd say that's probably our
fucking target market. Tin Smashers Union.
Fucking let the valve go away, yeah, 100% man, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
The the the. Television Union.
I like it. I'll be there.
(19:46):
Yeah. Yeah, to do cocaine on tap as
well. That said, I.
Shouldn't have said that. Anyway, moving swiftly on this
business acquisition when you when you expanded your.
(20:10):
Business. Oh yeah, Steph.
Oh yeah. Yeah.
How did that go there? So give us the an what?
What happened there? How do you go about it?
What? What did it do for?
You, it was, it was great. It was an opportunity.
And like all opportunities are not always presented at great
times. I yeah, yeah.
I've got vivid memories of beinggetting a phone call from
Stephen, being like, hey, mate, I'm just calling around.
(20:32):
I'm out, I'm done. Yeah.
I was like, what do you mean? He's like, I'm I'm just done,
man. Over it.
Can't do it. Yeah, I've had enough.
My knees are fucking, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah.
I'm old. Good on you, Steve.
And we just said look, pretty much it's I'm not I'm closing
down shop, but I've still got a few jobs going, got a few
(20:53):
clients that I'd still would like to be looked after.
I think you'd be a good fit. So yeah, it wasn't like we, we
didn't buy his business as per SE.
We just sort of acquired a few clients and.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I paid him out probably what he
was due for the jobs that were still in completion.
But the stitch up was that it was December, me and Millie were
(21:14):
already doing six days a week and he loaded us with like 2
newbles that needed to be filledup before Christmas.
And I still Steph if you'd listen to this bud.
And we pulled that switchboard cover off and he told us the
switchboard was done. Like, you know, like it wasn't
like any other time. It wouldn't have been a big
deal. It was just a sixty way domestic
board. Not the end of the world.
(21:36):
But it was Sunday at 3:00. We've been doing 7 days all of
December. And I pulled the switchboard off
to live in circuits and it was just tails bro and Breakers
slapped into the board. I was like, we've got another.
It's going to be like, you know,that was just another.
Couple of. Hours.
Yeah, it was just love. We were just wanting to get out
of there, right. It was just like and that, but
(21:57):
it was good. We developed from that.
We've got some really cool relationships with some other
guy, like locals in town, and managed to build on those.
Didn't like. We didn't end up with a whole
lot of clients, but we definitely ended up with a pick
of the bunch. Yeah, good, because obviously
Steph's a lovely lad as well, sohe would have had some bloody
good. Yeah, good.
You know he would have had some good buggers that would have
(22:19):
worked for them all. As that yeah, yeah, totally.
And it's it's interesting we've had a few phone calls like that
in the last six months. Like we probably haven't moved
on it as per SE, but it's just, it's, I find it sad as well
because it's these guys have worked hard to build a business
and they just go and close shop.It's like, you know, and not
that nothing's for free, but it's like kind of like, fuck,
(22:40):
man, you've worked hard to buildup a business.
No matter what you've done, it'sstill like it's going to be
worth something. Hey.
Trying to value a trade businessis very difficult because you've
got the relationships, are they going to pass on totally.
You know there's a cliche of you're only worth what basically
your vans are worth. Yeah, yeah.
And stuff, you know, and if you've got any Slas or
(23:00):
repetitive maintenance jobs, stuff like that, it's tricky.
It's tricky. I've seen it in my career where,
you know, a lot of a lot of companies that sell fail
depending on who the people are,you know what I mean?
And the clients don't get handedover properly, and they go,
who's this guy? Yeah, I like dealing with you.
Yeah. Not the name of the company, you
(23:21):
know. Yeah.
So it's tricky. So it's good to hear that you at
least got some success. Yeah, it was good, man.
It was. It probably enabled us to be
able to go and look for like a third, another guy to help sort
of with work, with workflow and like the load of work.
So yeah, it definitely worked. It was good.
It was just a great opportunity of the time.
Yeah, we got it done. But I think because of the
(23:42):
December and the hours that we had to put in to get over the
line, the builder went fuck on you later.
I don't think you want to get that done.
Really proved yourself? Yeah, that's bloody awesome,
mate. So it did.
It did work out well. Would I do it again?
Oh no, not at that time of year.Well, you've done it now.
So it's a positive, yeah. Yeah, would you want to do it
again? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
(24:03):
Put you on the spot here about go take your pencil no.
One coffee. Oh, no, it's not quite midday.
Yeah. Yeah.
Just just one question that I always find interesting to hear
from guys like yourself. If you could go back to Mugsy 8
(24:23):
years ago setting up the business, any tips you'd give
yourself? Buy into an existing company.
Rather than setting up from scratch.
Just way easier. Don't learn it like the people
that have been doing it as whereyou get your knowledge from.
I yeah, I think like, I mean insane that some people like the
challenge, but I think I would go in and buy them to an
(24:47):
existing company and go and partner up.
So it's set up, it's structured,but you've also got a mentor
there because it's learning the business side.
How did you go about that trial and error?
Yeah, man, trial and error, asking like I'm, you know me.
I'm not afraid. Afraid to ask?
Any shy mate? Yeah I know I've got no pants on
(25:08):
it's yeah just going and asking people like in all sorts of
different industries having a crack Oh yeah.
What's at the end of the day, what do you got to lose?
Yeah, but hat goes off to anyonethat wants to start.
But I think if you if I had the opportunity again on and I got
presented, hey, look these are and there's growth for you in
this. Yeah, 100% be involved with
(25:29):
that. Yeah, No, that's, that's solid
because it, you know, it's funny, I see these guys out
there good sparkies and they've got good workflow maybe because
they've set up in the hometown, as I was saying earlier and
stuff and they're making money. But I go and look at how they're
operating the business. Sounds like just a little bit of
(25:50):
knowledge and a few tweaks and you'd be earning way more would
streamline your business. You're not spending six hours
every week doing manual paperwork to to run your.
Business. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
And I'm like and they just don'tknow.
Yeah, because the the buyer of entry to start a business in New
Zealand is if you got 300 bucks and half an hour and Wi-Fi
(26:13):
connection basically, you know what I mean?
Like you don't do that in Aussie, you've got to do a
foundation business course. And I, I cannot understand for
the life of me why we don't do that here.
Well, I mean, it's like everything in New Zealand's a
little bit backward say, but it's like AI think like on
there. I think the only restricting
like and the only restriction inour trades is, is because of
(26:35):
that. Yeah.
So guys come in, we start, we go, oh look, we don't have any
overheads. We charge 75 bucks an hour or
whatever it is, 70 bucks an hour.
You know, guys who got overheadsare charging 8590, a hundred,
whatever they're charging. But the restricting factor is
young blood coming through. And that's that's our only
restricting factor. Because you go and go, we'll win
(26:55):
90. Because I'm 75.
They go. We'll take you.
Yeah, totally. And and God bless them for
giving a go. They just don't know.
Totally. And it's like all the young
fellas coming through. I'm like make sure you start off
on good rates, man. You want to work 20 hours a
week? Or do you want to work 40?
Yeah, well, it's not just that, but it undermines the value of
our. Industry.
But as a young fella, if someonetold me I could work 20 hours a
week and instead of 40 and I could go fishing two days a week
(27:18):
or whatever, it was like, yeah, why wouldn't you charge more?
100%. That's that's our only
restricting factor, I think is like, yeah, not being banded
together. Everyone else seems to have it,
the plumbers and that again, this is just an opinion, but
that's our restricting factor, yeah, around around our pricing
and how we charge. And you bang on like no one, no
(27:39):
one's got the knowledge to know how to do it, eh?
So. No, and I think as it's a double
edged sword because you you've got these guys, young fellas
that only go, I'm going to give it a crack where I'm like, that
is fantastic. Like I think it's more prevalent
in New Zealand than anywhere else where you've got young
tradies going setting up their own businesses.
Awesome. But I think we're also quite
(28:02):
chronic for kind of imposter syndrome and undervaluing
ourselves when we first start. You know, when you first started
the business, you would have puta quote or an invoice scanning
can't. Charge him is that is that
sweet? Can't charge him that.
Yeah, but that is what it was worth.
Yeah. You know, and you kind of second
guess yourself. You get discounts.
Yeah. Yeah.
(28:23):
And it's bullshit. Yeah.
You know so. It's still and people are still
kicking back, still kick back every week.
Oh, you charge me this for that.And it's just like that's what
it is. Yeah, well, but I I think we're
in the same boat. Like with all materials
increases and then wage increases and dah dah dah, we
still put together an invoice for a little job and you go.
(28:44):
How much? Yeah, yeah.
It's it's it's mind blowing, Yeah.
You know, and it's not like our margins have gone up or
anything. It's just what shit costs.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, it's wild and it's
same the world over, right? Groceries, everything.
You know, like. You had like you had more guys
coming in under companies and bringing, you know, maybe their
(29:06):
two ICS or the GMs and and guys that have been doing a good
graft. Yeah, you can help teach them
that. Yeah.
And bring them through. Yeah.
So they're not second guessing that yeah, as well, you know.
So you're going No, no, that's sweet.
That's just how it was five years ago.
Absolutely. I, I, any guys who do and I'll,
I'll say this to everyone who's listening or watching as well.
(29:26):
Any guys who have got visions ofgoing out on their own in the
future. I always recommend that you
should go and work for like a reasonable size company and see
if you can get that role as a project manager, a foreman, an
estimator and Start learning howthe business runs before you go
on your own. Yeah, it's the Wild West out
(29:46):
there. Yeah.
I mean, I was lucky enough to gothrough all them stages and
still I got into business and I learned so much in the first
year, in the second year. Now being in the position I'm in
now and here in everyone's collected experiences, I've
learned heaps in the last 12 months.
As well, Yeah, yeah. And this is cool 'cause you get
(30:06):
to pump it out to everyone else to give the knowledge to go.
This is where it's at. That's we're trying to demystify
the industry 'cause there's no road map, it's all smoke and
mirrors. Oh, totally.
We're just trying to share that advice and I.
Kind of like operating in smoke and mirrors, though I yeah a bit
of the out of bullshit. Goddamn deviant mate.
When I'm. No, no, I'm not gonna say that,
but you almost had me say it. Yeah, no, yeah, we can all say
(30:34):
things though, but that's yeah. Bang on bro, bang on.
Good question. Real good question.
That'll stomp him. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Absolutely nothing. No.
(30:55):
Pretty good at going home, yeah?Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I, I think for, for me, I'm, I think I'm good at picking the
people that suit us. They're like bringing the right
people together. The team together.
It works for you. Yeah.
So like everyone's solid. Everyone's, you know, they're
they're all solid, real trustworthy, but proud of who
our team is. You know, like you, you know,
(31:15):
you never judge anyone else's crew.
Don't know them. But like, for how we operate,
it's a good level of, you know, there's a good mix of social.
We all work hard. Yeah.
We're a small crew. Everyone gets after.
Everyone stands up when they need to, you know?
You can see because even from the outside I can see you've got
pride in your company and you look after you.
Yeah, you know what? I.
Mean and you make them feel valued, which is rarer and
(31:39):
rarer. Yeah.
And it's, and well, it's gettingharder and harder to do so
because everyone wants so much more for nothing as well.
So it's kind of like this, this weird scale.
Totally. Yeah, yeah, Yeah.
So that's tricky. Probably the only thing.
Like I'm a pretty average bloodysparky to be fair, but.
Preaching to the choir there. The art of bullshit.
Yeah, fake it till you make it. Like an oath, right?
(32:02):
Nice, right? I've got one last one for you.
Let's finish this on a nice positive note.
Like it? Give me your You're gonna need
funny yams from off site. There must be some characters up
in Walk With there. What's the weirdest shit you've
ever seen? What's what's what's been going
on? The weirdest shit, to be fair,
we stay out of the traps. To be fair, it's like as much as
(32:25):
I go down and dip my feet and wesort of stay out of the traps,
It's kind of like it gets a bit weirder when you move out of
walk with, to be fair. Yeah, yeah, yeah, the weirdest.
And it is absolutely on the spot.
It's probably the hardest question of the day.
Yeah, well look, I'll give you an example.
So I was working in a guy's house once in England, council
house, rough area. And anyway, firstly there's a
(32:51):
lady downstairs smoking a crack pipe and feeding a baby.
Fantastic. So that was a good sign.
And then I had to go in the roofobviously to wire the lights and
sort of like put put the steps up like the thing out and the
partners like the fuck are you going up there for?
It's like that's where the cables are for the lights.
(33:12):
Might like OK, anyway, I go up there, there's a wheelie bin up
there. Open it up.
Probably had half as a half a dozen Saw enough shotguns in
there. So I just wired the light shut
that anyway, I'd come back down the ladder and he stood at the
bottom of the ladder like eyeball and me.
He's like, do you see anything up there?
(33:33):
I was like couple of cables, What's that?
And then he was like, sweet, get, you know, get the fuck out
of my. House, Yeah, yeah, I was like,
fuck. Totally.
All right, So that is now we have any.
Oh, I'd say there'd be a few grooms around, but it's like,
you know, ask no questions here.No, Liza, I'm.
Talking about your house. And the banana plant.
(33:56):
No, I'm retired, mate, I'm retired.
That's now I always find like the the weirdest shit is like
that. I went to AI went to a call out
a couple of months ago on a Saturday trying to find out why
she had, you know, no power in half her kitchen.
So I went into the switchboard and of course there's the the
(34:18):
smallest little washing line with the skimpiest set of
bangers. Like hanging.
Off it. Yeah, and she's kind of standing
there. Skiddies in them.
Now they're pretty tidy, yeah. I've got them at home, yeah.
But my mind straight away I was like, this is fucking target.
Yeah, someone's called me out here.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
(34:39):
So I'm. Like just trying to open the
switchboard, you know like clickthe switchboard, open.
And have a look at your face on.My shoulder and then she didn't
even move them the first time. It was the second time I went
out there to take the lid off itto go and test the power or
whatever I was doing and she wassorry about that.
I was just, you know, it happensall the time.
I was thinking, looking around, going where the fuck is the
camera? Yeah, everyone's waiting for it
(35:00):
as you walk past them or something weird.
I like yeah, yeah, that was just.
I was like, this is it was. It was too.
I mean, you do know electrical burning smells like fish, right?
(35:21):
So good. So I just thought it was too
much of A setup to be real to befair.
Yeah, yeah, it sounds about. Right, it's like that now
there's no I haven't seen the sonar shotguns in the in the
ladies. Yeah, just the once for me.
I saw that. Yeah, it's heavy.
Yeah, not good. It's heavy, I'm sure.
Yeah, it's about it's, you know,look, there's some strange,
there's some strange cats about every year.
(35:42):
Hero. Yeah.
They are, and they all seem to want electrical work.
All right, so last thing, have you got anything you want to say
to the people out there listening?
You got you got any? Got any gems?
Like something real inspirational?
Real inspirational. Or just whatever you want.
(36:05):
Nah, Nah, Nah, no. They're all too cliche, man.
All right, Sounds. They're all too cliche.
All right, we'll just bloody wrap it up then.
Yeah, fantastic. Thanks for coming on mate,
Pleasure. Appreciate it.
Cheers. Right Mugsy.
Little adopt A billing. Yeah, really enjoyed that chat
with them. Bloody good.
(36:27):
And you know, I've said this before and I'll say it again, it
surprises me with some of these guys when they start going deep,
you know? Ohh, yeah, it's such a it's a
common theme. Hey, yeah.
And, and The thing is what, you know, I'm, I'm just so stoked
that you've you provide this sort of this platform and this
sort of environment that they can be really honest.
Yeah, he's always been that way anyway.
(36:47):
But I think, you know, when you start talking about mental
health and you start talking about the journey and, and we're
starting to see him being reallysuccessful.
He's got bigger plans for the business down the track.
Totally. But Jesus, he's had to go
through the motions to get to where he's at.
As as a lot of them have. Oh, he's yeah, the, the common
themes and the stories are so similar.
I'm just so stoked that we've got an environment and A and a
(37:08):
network where people feel reallycomfortable to reach out and and
communicate with each other. Totally.
I mean, what the cool thing thatI found in that conversation was
we didn't just do the old like, yes, you know, mental health's a
big issue in the trades, big issue with business owners.
We actually went down to like, how did you cope with it?
Like practically on the day today, not just like speak to
(37:31):
your mates, you know? No, no, no, no.
You know, he really got down to this is how I deal with it, deal
with it. I I spoke about some of my own
experiences with that as well. So yeah, really good.
But top lad? Yeah, yeah, it's hard to.
Yeah. Like I said, you know, like he's
just the sort of guy you want togo and have a beer with, break
it down with. He's about.
(37:52):
A few beers within. My yeah, so have I.
And he left his mark in Christchurch when we went down
to the conference in 2023. But again, people just related
to the guy and he's he's, you know, easily, easily to be
attracted to. Yeah.
And just for the record, I wouldlike to clarify that he is not a
panties sundnefer. I won't have that.
I will not have that said about.It no fickle.
(38:13):
It was not his. He's got to stop telling that
story. It was it was the placement of
the panties. So, yeah.
All right. Well, I think without further
ado, all that remains to be saidis keep puzzling out there.
I've fucked that up, Hannah. It's all right, it's our last
one. Why wouldn't?
We so the whole thing. I've totally fucked it up so.
(38:34):
Well, let's just leave it in. So yeah, without further ado,
without. What is this?
Stay safe, keep puzzling, keep puzzling, and we'll see you
buggers next week for another. Gal Yeah, we will.
Thanks. Mate, Yeah.
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