February 10, 2025 • 59 mins
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#127 Sam’s journey from teacher to builder reveals the transformative power of pursuing passion and embracing community. The episode discusses his evolution into a businessman, the significance of mentorship, and a fulfilling work-life balance.
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D Pearce Constructions
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
And then he mentioned overheads and I clearly
(00:03):
remember saying to him we don'thave any.
I was like we're sorted, wedon't have any.
I'll laugh at that now.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Yeah, no idea.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
No idea man.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
G'day guys.
Welcome back to another episodeof Level Up.
We are back in the shed thisafternoon for another cracking
episode and definitely ready tosmash it out.
Sam, how are you buddy?
Good thanks, mate.
Mate, I can never pronounceyour company's name.
It happens all the time.
What is the company?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
name Samadhi, samadhi , samadhi Builds, yep.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
So Sam's a local Brizzy builder, yep.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Want to tell us about your name, mate.
How'd you come up with that?
There's a story behind it.
So I started the business witha really good mate of mine about
a decade ago and his name wasRowdy.
I had to come up with a name.
Rowdy was into yoga heavily atthe time and we're searching for
a name.
And Rowdy goes what aboutSamadhi?
And I said what's that?
And he goes it's a state ofenlightenment you get to when
you meditate.
And I said it's got Sam in it.
I'm happy, let's keep it.
(01:08):
We stuck with it.
And then that was a partnership.
We already left a couple ofyears later and we rebranded.
And he said what are you goingto do with the name?
And I said, yeah, I like it,I'm going to keep it.
And it stuck.
The short answer to people thatask is I had a business partner
.
My name's Sam, His name isArtie.
We put it together, that's theshort answer which most people
(01:29):
nod at, and off we go.
So do you use that in yourmarketing?
Because that's a good no, wedon't.
So we interesting story.
We won a small business grantmaybe six years ago which was
called Digital Champions, whichhad 20 grand to spend.
Deloitte came in and consultedand obviously dove into the
business and figured out howwe're going to spend the grant.
At that point I identified thatI wanted to get into
(01:52):
architectural work and duringthe rebrand they discussed
changing names.
I wanted to keep it becausethat's where it started and a
nod to the start of it.
But I also liked the fact thatit was.
It has that architectural kindof ring to it as well.
I thought it suited that nicheas well.
But the backstory to it thewhole reason behind it, the
state you get to, yeah, andthat's important for me.
(02:14):
That's why I wanted to keep it.
He's a great mate of mine andwe started together and he
taught me a lot right from thestart, so I definitely wanted to
keep it for that, like I alwayswant to be reminded, and the
yoga thing.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, Because that's what you're getting your clients
to now like by building them abeautiful home.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Yeah, Getting to that comfortable state yeah, exactly
mate.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, it's good.
So a little bit of backstoryabout Sam.
Sam is a Live Like Bill member.
I wanted to get him on the seatfor a little while because he
has.
I love what you do, mate.
Like you sat on the fence forlike you signed up to Live Life
Build and then you sat on thefence for probably over 12
months and I don't know what itwas.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Did you notice?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
that.
But something clicked and likenow you're just, you're taken
off.
Yeah, I have, yeah, becausethat's something I try and get
out of guests that come on thepodcast is like what's that
thing?
Like what's that point?
You have to get to where yourealize what you're doing now is
not getting you where you wantto go.
You're not achieving what youthink you might be able to
achieve.
(03:13):
So what's that turning point?
Speaker 1 (03:15):
There's so many parts to that.
There's so many parts to that,I think.
For me, community people when Isurrounded myself with people
that were succeeding and I couldsee why they were succeeding
without putting an effort arecommitted.
They love what they did.
(03:35):
It's infectious and it's withinreach.
It's there and it's there forthe taking, and you know better
than anyone that the industry ishard to break out of.
It's hard to tell a differentstory.
I feel it's hard to evensometimes surround yourself with
(03:57):
people that think the same wayas you or want something
different.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
That's one of the most valuable things, I think
live life build and somethingamelia and I are incredibly
proud of because you get, so youcatch.
Even when you do catch up withbuilders and even like you're in
our local builders breakfastgroup, like there's still
bullshit, yeah, like it's notvulnerability, it's not just
(04:21):
being honest and in with, butwhen in live life build, like
our community just tells it howit is it does, and that's not
the norm.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah, do you know what I mean?
Not only do you have to gosearching for that, when you do
find it, you'll pull your fingerout and do something.
Yeah, because I did sit on thefence for quite a time.
I sat on the fence and chippedaway at modules and chipped away
at home, chipped away by myself, and that's hard to do.
Yeah, when you actually meetpeople, if you go to a live
(04:52):
event and you, you meet peopleand it's infectious what's going
on yeah, that's when shit getsreal and when you you say that
was your turning point, when youcome to a kingscliff event and
you got to like whatever.
there was 60 odd builders thereand some partners and you got to
mingle with them Absolutelymate Absolutely, and
(05:12):
vulnerability, getting up,feeling like you can tell your
story and people are going tolisten.
People are probably going torelate to it.
You know what I mean.
People are going to, they'regoing to be your people, and
that's pretty rare.
I feel that's pretty rareBecause you're right, I think
there's two types of builders.
There's the builders, and I'vegot mates that are builders that
are in that that's fucked, thisis shit, and they don't even
(05:34):
actually they haven't evenconsidered.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
I don't think it's just builders, it's the whole
industry.
There's so much perception,everyone, much perception.
Yeah, everyone thinks thateveryone's doing well and
everyone just sees what theywant to see.
And whether, whether you're atrader or a builder, an
architect, designer, we all showthe good shit.
And then people, even when you,when you do go to events and
you catch up with people, noone's gonna go.
Oh fuck, I've had a shit year.
(05:57):
Geez, I had a bad client.
Fuck, I lost money on the lasttwo jobs.
Everyone, no, it's fuckinggreat.
We're kicking girls gotaps ofwork.
We're booked in the next year.
Team's fantastic.
Yeah, when really they'redriving home that night going.
Fuck, I don't want to go towork tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Well, I'll tell you what another big realisation for
me was the difference between abuilder and a businessman
Because I knew that somethingwasn't right, like I was
building shit, yeah, but I'mlooking going.
Why does this not feel like abusiness?
There should be some other shitgoing on here.
There should be something goingon and you'd hear someone say
(06:31):
something yeah, and it might bea phrase or it might be a term,
it might be an offset account orit might be a fucking overdraft
facility, just a word you'venever heard before and you're
like that sounds fuckingimportant.
What's that?
And making the switch from abuilder the mentality of a
builder to a businessman, whichI think suits me, I think was a
(06:51):
big driver.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
You wouldn't think you're right you wouldn't.
So I was giving sam shit whenhe turned up, because every time
he comes to a building event orsomething like, he's in
pluggers and boardies.
But you got the building shirton like you're representing the
brand, but I I think it'sawesome, mate, because it shows
you're very comfortable withinyourself and, as you said before
, we started recording todaylike the proof's in the pudding.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Yeah, it doesn't matter what the fuck you wear,
you can build a great home yeah,and give her, deliver a good
experience and run a goodbusiness and have good subbies
and have good employees and allthat sort of stuff.
I think and that's aninteresting point too, because
I've I think I've struggledwhich we touched on before about
my personalities, because I'm Ican be very relaxed and when I
(07:36):
switch off, I definitely switchoff and I want to have a good
time.
I want to have a good time andI find it.
I found it hard for a long timeto merge that into a
professional, that role of beinga professional.
I don't have to wear this to becomfortable, but I just I am
comfortable, I'm verycomfortable and I'm very low
maintenance and I'm very easy.
I think, yeah, I think ofanother thing too.
I think of I like to beunderestimated and I think that
(08:00):
was probably to my detriment fora long time as well.
What do you mean by that?
I don't want to big-note myself.
Do you know what I mean?
I don't want to act like I'mbetter than anyone.
I don't want to tell everyonewhat I'm doing.
I'd rather someone who wasn'tinterested in me or wasn't
interested in spending time withme to go on their merry way and
(08:21):
not really know what I am, andI feel that was a crux for a
long time because I think itheld me back a bit, I think the
fear of failure thing.
I think it was in a safe spotbecause I was like, if I can
just relax and if I can justslip under the radar, looking
back now, I'll always be underthe radar, you know.
So I think that was getcomfortable being like you.
(08:42):
Gotta get comfortable beinguncomfortable yeah, which is
something that I do.
I am working on now.
Do you know when?
Now that I am improving?
Yeah, you know, and I am seeingresults.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
So, before we get, too far into it, like I want to
go back a bit.
So because you weren't abuilder?
No, like builder, it was notyour first preference?
Speaker 1 (09:00):
no, not at all.
Tell us a little bit about howdid it start.
Yeah, I finished grade 12 andwent.
I'm going to be a PE teacherbecause I get 12 weeks holiday a
year and I'll kick the footy onthe oval.
That'll be so easy.
Me and a really good mate wentto uni together so we did the
same course.
So what we'll do is we'llswitch assignments.
We'll have to do half theassignments.
(09:21):
It'll be so easy.
So I went to uni so I did PE.
I was a high school PE teacherwith a really good mate so I did
that for four years.
I got posted out west for myfirst post.
You were running around on dirt.
It was amazing.
I think my biggest class had 10kids in it.
It was all PE.
(09:41):
But I went out there and Ipretty much finished my last
exam, went out west with an EdQueensland contract and then two
weeks into the contract foundout that I failed the last
semester of uni so I wasn't evenqualified.
So I had to finish the lastsemester of uni while I was
(10:02):
teaching and then, so to thisday, I don't.
I was actually thinking about itbefore I came here.
Who fucked that up Like how did?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
But there's actually I heard a really interesting
story on this on a podcast Ilistened to the other day and
they've gone and done all thesestudies on it but there was a
bloke that was completelyfailing at school and then
someone fucked up and told himhe got like an a plus on
something and for the rest ofhis schooling he's like, oh god,
(10:32):
I don't know what I'm doing,but and he's the whole life
changed.
And just from that one oneperson making that stuff up and
grading him wrong, holy shit, hewent on to smash all his
schooling get a high-paid job.
And then it wasn't.
He got some letter in the maillike years later, like 10, 12
years later, let it go, sayingthat yeah, we actually graded
(10:53):
you wrong, and the whole storywas around.
Imagine what his life may havebeen if he had a disorder that
he'd kept failing.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
They made me do the last subject and the actual
teachers at the school werehelping me do the assignment to
get over the line.
So that was only a short stintand then I left.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
But you were pumped, you would have been pumped
because you thought you'd passedit.
If they'd have said, oh look,you failed the last subject, it
would have been a completelydifferent outcome.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Yeah, but it was only a short contract, I think it
was.
Only it was tiny, I don't knowif it was 10 weeks or something.
And then I went overseas.
So I went to I was about fouryears with my girlfriend and her
wife and we were both teaching.
So I taught for two years in PEin England, which is wild how
was that?
(11:36):
It's wild, like it's wild Cold.
What's it all about indoors?
Yeah, mate, the funny thing isthe English.
They're stubborn, they thinkthey're, so they've got to grit
their teeth.
They send them out for PE inthe middle of winter in shorts
and a shirt.
It's practically snowing andthey go out in shorts and shirts
just because that's whatEnglish people have to do.
(11:58):
So that was pretty crazy.
Let's deal with that.
I had all the jackets on.
I had all the jackets on.
I had five the jackets on.
I had all the jackets on.
I have five layers and theymake them run around in like
short shirt.
So I did that.
I did that for two years andthat's when I decided it wasn't
for me.
Yeah, I had.
I enjoyed.
I tell you what I do enjoyCoaching.
You know what I mean.
I enjoy coaching kids Like I.
(12:18):
The most enjoyment I ever gotout of that teaching was the
sports groups, because I wantedto make sure that every kid had
a crack.
The best kids were the bestkids.
That's great.
You can help them get better.
But the kids that aren'tinterested, you can help them
get interested.
And even better if you can getthe good kids helping the kids
(12:38):
that aren't.
And I thrived on that.
I loved that coaching.
That's the one part I did.
Unfortunately, teaching is alot more than that, which I
figured out pretty quickly.
So I decided when I wasoverseas that I did not want to
do that.
Yeah, and made some sort of rangout some mates and stuff while
I was still overseas and cameback and started a mature age
carpentry apprenticeship.
Yeah, so what made you go forcarpentry?
(12:59):
I wanted to do landscaping forsome reason.
I'd done a bit of work forbuilders growing up so I always
loved the outdoor stuff.
I always loved the banter andall that sort of shit which
everyone loves.
So I always loved that.
Landscaping, I just thought, wasI liked the design and that in
it I liked putting it together,I liked designing it and
(13:19):
building it, that type of stuff.
And then I looked atlandscaping and thought it's not
really didn't know anythingback then but I was like I think
it's limited, I don't know ifit's always the same thing.
And then mates that werechippies and mates that had
trades, and then met a familycontact who could get me a job
with a builder mature ageapprentice at that time it
wasn't real common, I think.
(13:40):
I don't know how old I wouldhave been, maybe 25.
I'm 43 now, so it was a fairwhile ago.
So I wouldn't say I fell into it, but definitely wanted to do
something like that.
And then I started that and gotinto it there.
So yeah, and you're glad youmade the change 100% and it's
funny.
People still ask me now wouldyou ever go back to teaching?
It just blows my mind thatpeople I still remember me for
(14:02):
the small amount of teachingthat I did, or know that I even
did it.
Yeah, but it's funny.
Would you ever go back toteaching?
And it's just no, it's a hardno and so what was the
progression to become a builder?
Speaker 2 (14:12):
is that something you just kept working towards or
you just wanted?
Speaker 1 (14:15):
to keep progressing.
But I was so green withconstruction when I started that
apprenticeship like I just gotinto it, just start putting,
thingsiked it, and it was afairly big company.
He had probably 50 people.
And I just overheard him oneday talking about me and he said
oh, sam will be a builder.
And I was like huh, builder,righto, at that stage in my life
(14:37):
.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
What do you think that was for?
Were you good at managing thepeople on site?
Speaker 1 (14:41):
I'd say leadership.
Yeah, I think there were a lotof young guys in the team.
Yeah, there are a lot of youngfellas in the team and I
definitely probably stood outwith just being older, a little
bit older.
Probably that, probably, yeah,I'd say it'd be that.
And then I heard that and forme, from this day, when I
(15:03):
started getting my head aroundthe builder thing, I wanted a
job.
I wanted to have a job that Icould live the life I wanted to
live, and for me that was dowhat I wanted to do.
When I wanted to do it, at thatpoint it wasn't financial,
because I didn't know whatfucking finances were.
How do you know?
And when you start off, youjust don't know.
So for me it was like, if Istart my own business, I can do
(15:27):
this.
Young family, young kids, likewant to go on holiday.
So that it was always.
Did it go like that, bart?
Yeah, it definitely did.
I was.
I know what it was.
Maturity Started.
I don't know if I was 28, maybe29.
And I knew from the startthat's what it was.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
I worked hard, but when you first started your
building business, did you getto do what you wanted to do or
did you have all the normalstruggles with cash flow?
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Yeah, struggles with cash flow.
For sure, and that's what Isaid before about that was the
tweaking of this in the business.
Something's not right.
This should be happening.
Why isn't that happening?
So the business side was neverthere from the start never.
But.
So I was never there from thestart never.
But what was there was I wasvery good at.
If I wanted to do something, Iwould do it.
If I had to want to dosomething with the kids, I would
do it.
I work fucking hard.
(16:12):
It's funny when you start off,when you are on the tools right
and you are doing the businessthing, and every night you are.
I was working until midnight inthe office.
You know what I mean whenyou're doing both roles, but
what I mean by doing what Iwanted to do if we wanted to
take a week off and go on theholidays, I'd take that.
If I wanted to just go and dothat with the kids, I'd go and
do it.
So I never felt guilty andalways did that, no idea about
(16:35):
the finances, like nonewhatsoever Did that bite you in
the ass.
No, not badly.
That's one thing I'm lucky with.
I remember when Randy and I setup Samadhi like at the very
beginning, we had one of ourmates' dads who was an
accountant who we've knownforever, and we went and saw
Crick and we sat down and wewere like Crick, randy and I are
(16:56):
going to start building company.
He goes, oh fuck, he goes.
I'd suggest a partnership foryou two.
What's a partnership?
And he goes.
Really cheap to set up, reallyeasy to fucking rip apart when
you screw up.
And I was like hey, and then hementioned overheads and I
clearly remember saying to himwe don't have any, we're sorted,
(17:17):
we don't have any.
I'll laugh at that now.
Yeah, no idea, no idea, man, noidea.
But you don't do you?
You're not taught this shit?
No, you're not.
And, as it goes, you actuallydon't know that you don't have
any idea.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
And then the whole thing we would always pay
ourselves a wage.
It was very tiny and we hadsome basic things that we
thought were good enough.
Yeah, but when you switch torunning a proper business, that
evolution of growth is neverending.
Yeah, and it's just yeah, we'reway off the mark.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
So there's a bit of a common thread there, mate, with
your coaching.
Obviously you liked helping thekids out when you were doing
the PE and then working for thatbuilder and the leadership and
stuff, and I know that'ssomething you're really
passionate about now and you'vegot a bit of a thing, haven't
you, with apprentices, makingsure they're getting taught
properly and putting good timeinto them.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Yeah, I think apprentices are massive mate.
I actually think that they'reprobably the most important part
of my business for many reasons.
Very simply, I think there's ahierarchy for tradesmen and the
guys.
We have a couple of guys 50plus in the team and they've
fucking earned everything thatthey've got and they've given us
(18:34):
massive value, right?
And I say to the apprenticesit's as simple as you respecting
that, getting out of your carbefore everyone else, getting
this site set up so thateveryone can get flowing,
because if you're dragging yourfeet and if you're setting that
(18:56):
tone, you've got that grumpy andthat grumpy and it won't get
better.
That's a very simple thing,right?
Just respect the hierarchy,right?
It's an important message, it'svery important, and the other
thing about that is that's whatyou earn.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Same in the afternoon .
It should be the same thing100%.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
And it's respect and they've earned that right they
will give you.
If you give these older guys abit of that, the knowledge that
they will give you is whatyou're in this for.
Yeah, do you know and I thinkthat's important because I hate
it we've sacked and had a lot of22, 23, 24, 25 year old
(19:35):
chippies, right, who just see itas a job and they bullshit and
they come on, they expecteverything and it doesn't last
and they, you sack them and thenthey just go chase the next
builder.
And these apprentices that wehave the on-site stuff, that
they're training them in thephysical carpentry I don't have
much to do with, okay, I don't,I don't work on site.
(19:56):
I'm in the office, right, so Idon't get to see them.
I talk to the guys about whatthey're doing.
I speak to the apprentices andsay, hey, gang, what do you like
?
What don't you like?
Is there anything that you'remissing?
What do you feel like youhaven't done much of?
And then the next part ofthat's carpentry.
But I, the big thing I love isprogression.
Yeah, so when they get to thirdor fourth year and there's a
(20:16):
small section of a job that youknow is going to put them out of
their comfort zone and if theyfuck it, it's going to cost you
this amount but it's going toget.
They're going to get that muchout of them, yeah, or that that
is.
I love those opportunities.
I think it's so important forthem.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
It's another important message.
Like.
It took me a long time to getmy head around that, but so many
builders and trades are alwaysworried.
They're they't know theirnumbers, so they're living on
the edge all the time.
They freak out if they lose 10cents.
But you've got to have lossesto learn 100%, and so you have
to be comfortable with youryounger team members making
(20:54):
fuck-ups.
Obviously you don't want themdoing it every single day, but
sometimes your biggest learningsare from your biggest mistakes.
It's horses for courses.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
I look for the opportunities in our jobs and I
know that it's a calculated riskand they're petrified.
Yeah, they're like, oh, fucking, what if I cut this?
And that it's okay, you can dothis.
You've got all these peoplehere that you lean on every day.
I said you just have a crackand, man, the growth they get
out of that is massive.
(21:24):
And I think it's so importantbecause, yeah, it's super
important, mate, it's the future, it's the future.
And someone said to me a whileago which I've really run with,
that hierarchy thing like I'veseen an apprentice carpenter and
then he's put tradesman andhe's put tradesman and he's the
(21:45):
tradesman, is the one that candirect everything.
He knows a bit of everything,he's a tradesman, he knows that,
he looks after that, he can dothat, he can do all the
carpentry.
And what a place to aspire.
Go, yeah, like a lot ofcarpenters floating around
wanting fucking heaps of moneyand doing shit work.
They're guaranteed they're acarpenter, but to be a tradesman
, that'd be a pretty goodachievement and a craftsman,
(22:05):
then yeah, it probably goes.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Tradesman craftsman like yep, you've got a, like our
mate, craig stewart says likeyou've got.
There's very few people thataspire to get to that.
Craftsman.
Yeah, position like every, itis a real penthouse of mine.
Like, I can't stand these youngguys that come through and you
put a lot of work and effortinto them and then the day they
finish their time they thinkthey're a tradesman.
(22:26):
They don't know half the shitthey need to know.
I really like what you saidabout respect.
I'm just sitting here thinking,as you were saying that If all
young people that got theirapprenticeship just thought like
that man, job sites would be ahell of a lot happier.
Yeah, and it's so true, that'sall it is.
You're just showing respect forpeople that have put the time
(22:47):
in, they've been where you are,they've worked their way through
, they've got theirqualifications.
Now they're the leader and ifyou just respect that, that's
huge, it is massive and it'slife too.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
the kids don't get it , the young guys don't get it.
You get a first year apprenticefirst day and they are
petrified and they have no ideawhat they're getting into.
And it's exciting for both.
And if they can make routinesbig, if they can start making
their own lunch, packing offwater, eat healthy, get to work
on time, it's massive, it's lifeman, and the improvements that
(23:20):
you see in young, young men isit's inspiring, it's amazing
seeing him come through.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
We've got a young guy at the moment which I've been
given had a few sort of toughconversations in the last week
and he, like he tells me onething, but then he tells the
guys on site another thing.
And I ended up only two daysago.
I had a word to him.
I said, mate, stop fuckingaround.
You're only causing yourselfmore problems.
And I said it's actually nowgetting to a point where it's
(23:47):
coming across that you're eitherlying to the side team or
you're lying to me.
Stop.
I said I actually believe thatwhat you're telling me is
correct and I believe that whatyou're telling the site team is
because you're just trying tobig note yourself and you're
trying you want to be higherthan what you actually are.
Just stop fucking around withall of us.
Just be honest with yourselfand just come to work and do as
you're told, put in the effortand you will get rewarded.
(24:09):
And I feel like that's coming.
I don't know.
I feel like he's had maybe alittle bit of a tough upbringing
, like he spent some time inboarding school, and so it's
like he's trying to provesomething and I feel like
there's a lot of yeah, not evenjust young people.
A lot of people like that like,just be yourself.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Yeah, and they need someone like you to say that.
You know, I mean someone thatlikely they would respect.
But when?
If, if that's the fact and youand just and that's it.
They'll get it.
Yeah, you know, I mean, that'swhat it is.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
You know, this guy's a good kid like I, I think he's
got a lot of potential, but he,yeah.
I see it a lot in youngerpeople, but I do feel that a lot
of young people in our industrythese days really lack they
lack confidence.
They really lack communicationskills because all they're used
to doing is flicking on theirphone yeah, scrolling for the
(25:06):
next thing that's going to givethem some enjoyment.
Yep, yeah.
Community, yeah, respect,definitely.
Everyone wants to be.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Yeah at the end too quickly, yep that's exactly
right and I we had a guy comethrough who was a classic 25 who
wanted the top rate off me, oneof those guys who's trying to
hold the bill to ransom.
They got him negotiated, gothim down a couple of bucks but
put him on.
We explained my side of thestory.
This is what it is.
If you're any good, you'll getpaid more.
That's completely fine.
(25:35):
But he was no good and we gotrid of him.
And then I pulled all theapprentices in and said I'm so
glad you've been exposed to thatshit, because that's what you
do not want to be.
I said no shit.
What he's doing is he's goingaround trying to get top dollar
off everyone.
Everyone's finding him outwithin three months.
He leaves, has to do it allover again, but he thinks he's
(25:57):
on the top rate.
If you knuckle down, get yourshit together if you want to do
it, if you do all the thingswe're talking about, your pay
will only go up and you willnever be able to work.
So you might start here, butyou'll go up yearly if you
dedicate yourself to this andyou'll never be able to work.
And, to be honest, you nameyour price when you're a
(26:18):
tradesman.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
I think it's hilarious, mate.
I still know people that I'veknown for 20, look, I've known
for 20, 25 years and their wholelife is chasing the dollar.
Even people that I've startedin the industry with and I think
I got caught in it Well, yeah,maybe not.
I was brought up I've talkedabout it on this podcast before
(26:42):
I knew I had to earn my way likeI was pissed when I first
started subcontracting and I wason site and like I was doing
far more work and bigger daysand getting more done than what
the other tradesmen andcraftsmen were on my site.
And it did bug me.
But knowing what I know now andthinking back like that, that
(27:02):
doesn't matter.
They had the experience, they'ddone the hard yards, they'd
been in the game for 10, 15, 20years.
They had the knowledge.
It was fine that I was smashingit out, I was doing quality
work and I was getting shit done, but then every second day I'd
have to go to them and go ohlook, how do I need to do this?
Even though I was a tradesman,I didn't have all that.
(27:23):
I had to earn my keep.
But you see it so often, likeacross every single trade, and I
find it hilarious now because,like you see, these people that
just are always chasing thedollar and at the end of the day
they haven't got anything toshow for it They'll spend more
time chasing that higher dollarand they will knock back.
(27:45):
They'll chase whatever it is$45, $50, $60, $70 an hour and
they'll knock back a goodquality job with a good quality
employer for $5 an hour andthree months later they'll be in
the same position.
That's the story.
And then they'll spend a week,two weeks, a month out of work
and then they'll start againExactly, and so they think
(28:06):
they're fucking killing itbecause they've got this job,
they're paying $70 an hour andthen they're going to get their
tax out at the end of the yearand they've earned less than the
guy that's taken the good jobat $50 or $55 an hour gets, gets
paid every single week, has agreat environment, good boss,
good, healthy lifestyle theydon't see it.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
It's crazy.
They don't see it, man, theydon't see it.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
But it even flows right through to contractors,
like you see, contractors thatare always chasing, like they're
trying to put these high pricein and win jobs and they spend
more time out of work or yeah,yeah, or getting shit jobs,
because they're more focused onchasing the dollar all the time
than what actually adds value.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
It's a grind, isn't it the industry?
It's a grind, it's a long game.
Yeah, you've got to build.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
I'm also keen to know more, mate, because you're a
bit of a black sheep in thefamily, aren't you?
Because you didn't go down thepath of what's your family A
couple of brothers Did you go to?
Speaker 1 (28:56):
uni.
Very briefly, yes, I've got twoolder brothers who are absolute
legends.
We're very different.
We're very different.
So I'm the youngest.
The eldest brother is aprofessor of neuroscience.
He's a smart cookie, yeah, heis super intelligent.
And David, my middle brother,is also super intelligent.
(29:16):
He works in a management role.
He's let us change a bit fromCOO to BDM business development
manager.
So he works for a decentcompany in business there.
Yeah, and what's your oldies do?
So both started as teachers.
So mum was a career teacher,Dad started off as a teacher and
(29:39):
he went into a few differentroles state government type
education type staff, then intoprivate education.
But both in education, mum anddad, yeah, they never shaped or
forced me to do anything Likethat's a big thing.
I was never pressured to to godown an academic route at all.
So that's, that was like.
I look back on that and think Ididn't have to do what I did.
(30:00):
But there's certainly.
You know, we're very different,me and my brothers.
And the black sheep thing isnot, it's completely fine.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
Yeah, you did struggle with it, didn't you?
For a little bit.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Yeah, I did.
I feel like I live in theshadows because it's a success
thing, and my brothers nevermade me feel like that and my
family never makes me feel likethat.
I love the boys.
It's a story you're tellingyourself 100% and that's what it
was.
I feel every time, especiallywhen we're all together,
everyone slips into their roles.
Even now, as grown men, we allslip into our roles, and I am
the shit-stirrer.
(30:32):
I'll just instantly turn into atwo-year-old and just start
carrying on and it it justbrings back memories of when we
were kids.
So you're the practical giant?
Yeah, I am, and that's the roleI play.
And I think yeah, I think Inever felt pressure.
Yeah, I know, it's never been anegative thing, but I'm just
(30:54):
different.
I'm very different to them.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
And that's okay, it is.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
And the best thing about them is we are all
different.
So I think we all would feelthat I would describe them to
them, which, and that's okay, itis, and the best thing about
them is we are all different.
So I think we all would feelthat I would describe them Tim
and David.
I would say one's got a head ofgranite and the other one's got
a heart of gold.
They're amazing blokes, butthey're very different.
And me, in the pitch as well,is different again.
Yeah, it's good, I wouldn'thave it any other way, but yeah,
(31:21):
I guess I took a long time tofind myself.
I guess that's probably thefirst key, do you?
Speaker 2 (31:27):
know what do you mean by?
Speaker 1 (31:28):
that.
Well, you look, I look back onwhen I was younger, when you
think, yes, you're sorted.
So when I was like 20, 19, 20,21, 22, 23, when I was living in
overseas, travelling for fouryears, you think that's being an
adult and you think that's whoyou are and you think you're in
control.
And I was so lost.
(31:49):
At that point I got to have agreat time and just didn't know
what I was doing.
I just didn't know who I was.
I didn't really know how tolive my life.
I didn't know what made me tick.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
I didn't know what type of person I was.
Yeah to live my life.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
I didn't know what made me tick.
I didn't know what type ofperson I was.
Yeah, it's important to know,man isn't it?
Because there's a lot of peoplethat live their whole life like
that.
It is important to know, andit's a good feeling when you
feel like you're happy Do youknow Like you're doing things
because you just do Because youwant to do it.
Yeah, you just do Like you justdo.
I have been very independent.
I do what I want to do and I'vealways had that.
But I think I've had I'vementioned this to you before
like a fear of failure hasdefinitely been a thing that
(32:27):
I've realised, Like I've livedin a comfort zone for a very
long time because it is safe andit's easier and people can't
underestimate me because I'm notgoing to break anything, I'm
not going to go through.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
It's just as easy to be uncomfortable as well.
It's just you've got to changethat mindset?
Speaker 1 (32:46):
Yeah, it is, and when you make a small step it's not
that hard.
And that's the thing.
It's not one step's going toend it, it's just a little act
or a moment or a decision orsome progress that gets you on a
roll.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
What do you think made you have that fear, because
I believe that's a massivecontributor to a lot of people
not being successful, that fearof failure.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
To be brutally honest , if I could turn into a story
like analogy, I'd say I would gosomething like this let's just
say you're in a race right, arunning race.
There's 10 divisions.
I'd rather go in Division 5 andwin it comfortably than go in
(33:35):
Division 1 and come eighth,because then someone would look
at me and go we came eighth,whereas if I was in Division 5
and 1, they'd say one, does thatmake sense?
I cared that maybe peoplethought I was this good when I
really wasn't that good in theireyes, do you know?
So that was what it was.
Yeah, I think I cared too muchabout what people would think,
(33:59):
because I wanted people to thinkthat I was a certain person.
I love for people to go ohSam's such a good bloke, but
then if you fuck up, maybe theythink you're not such a good
bloke and it's not about being agood bloke, it's about whatever
it is.
So I feel that was big when Irealized that.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
But so we did a you were on it yesterday like we did
a session with the little groupyesterday about we've created
what we believe is a successfulbuilder solution.
It's three codes and nine sortof values and like that
conversation was a lot aroundlike what is success to you?
(34:35):
And I do think it's a reallyimportant conversation because I
truly believe that most peopleon this planet these days are
not their true self and they'rechasing success through other
people's eyes or other people'sviews or opinions or thoughts.
And you've obviously got tothat point Like when you're
(34:56):
truly successful to yourself,that's freedom, that's what it
is.
Well, that is absolute freedom.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
It's life and I can honestly say look, I said at the
start I started a business forlifestyle.
The money thing I had no ideaabout and thankfully I've put
time and effort into learningabout that and now that is a
part of success.
But life has always been hugehaving a lifestyle, and that's
my lifestyle and that'sdifferent for everyone.
Yeah, that that's my lifestyleand that's different for
everyone.
Yeah, but but that's because you, you want that exactly, you've
(35:25):
chosen that's what you want todo exactly because it makes me
happy yeah, and it makes myfamily happy and it's everything
I like.
It's everything, it's your wife, it's your kids, it's
everything.
And that's a huge part.
Of success is for me, and Iwould say it and growth like if
you're, if you're working onyourself, that's success.
Like having the having that,having the realization to do
(35:46):
that and and to and to want todo it, that's success.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
It is like yeah, there's a lot of a lot to be
said in there for just the waythe world's gone and people just
having this perception oneverything and just feeling like
I don't know.
I laugh about it.
Now you see so much on socialmedia, it seems to me like the
Lamborghinis become the thingYou've got to have a Lamborghini
(36:11):
.
I can give a fuck if you have aLamborghini or not and, to be
honest, I could go and buy onetomorrow but it wouldn't make me
happy.
It might make me look good andeveryone would think that I'm
doing better than I am but is ita generation thing though?
Speaker 1 (36:25):
is our generation a bit past?
That?
Is this young?
Is this new?
This shit do you think?
Yeah, I do.
Yeah, I'm not sure I've got afeeling.
You spoke to most people in ourage, in our generation.
I think a lot of them would besimilar.
I would feel, to what we feel,I feel, but I look at that stuff
and I see it as a younger thing.
(36:46):
You know, I feel like it's a.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
Yeah, I don't know if it's a younger thing or not.
I feel it's just a.
It's a status thing, likepeople.
Yeah, I've never bought intothat.
I yeah, I just, it's like you'vegot to be true to yourself,
yeah, and whether like successis different.
To be like success is differentto everyone, and that's
perfectly okay.
Like success might be that youwant to have a hundred thousand
(37:10):
dollars in the bank and you wantto be able to go on a holiday
whenever and wherever you wantto do when you want to do it.
Success to another person mightbe that they they want to have
a million dollars in the bankand never go on a holiday.
It's it's different toeverybody, but it's-.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
And you get real.
And when you yeah, when youwanna get real human about it,
success could be walking again.
Yeah, do you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (37:29):
it can be like real shit as well but I honestly to
me, like I, one of my bestmoments of every day is when I
get up and I walk downstairs andthe first thing I do every
morning is walk to the back door, open the door and fucking
walter, my dog, is there and hejust fucking loves me and just
(37:50):
it's the first thing I do everysingle day.
And the way our house facesopen the door, sit there with
him, pat him, and you see thesun come up, yep, and I'm like
how fucking good's life, yep,yep.
And so you can, I could beanywhere doing that.
Like I could be sitting livingin a tent on a block of land
(38:10):
somewhere, like that, just beingable to have that moment to
chill out.
I, I personally think likeanyone that doesn't love dogs I
think it's fucking got somethingwrong with them but like just
animals and the girls got ahorse now like just to me, that
is success.
Like the love and affectionthat an animal gives you.
And like they teach you becausethey don't, they don't want
(38:33):
anything, they don't wantanything in return.
Like no, they just want you tobe there and give them a pat and
give them a hug.
Like yeah, there's no, there'sno intention in anything, it's
important like those.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
Yeah, wanted some gratitude and those moments,
that little things that make youglad you're around or happy
that you've done that orwhatever.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
They're obviously precious yeah, because you're
obviously a pretty special humanbeing.
You don't just have your kidseither.
You've taken on board one ofyour nieces.
Is it a niece?
Speaker 1 (39:03):
It's a nephew?
Yeah, I have.
Yeah, so Ollie's mum passedaway about four years ago from
cancer, quite young.
Yeah, so we've taken him in.
So is that your sister?
No, my wife's sister, and he'sgot four sisters too, so there's
five kids and Ollie's theyoungest.
Yeah, I think everyone'sspecial in that circumstance.
Everyone that contributes tolooking after Ollie is special,
(39:27):
yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
No, I think it's awesome, mate, when I heard that
you did that and he lives withyou and you look after him,
treat him like your own.
That's huge.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
And I can imagine the life you're given that.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
He's an amazing kid and he's got a massive amount of
potential.
Yeah, I guess we've got a longway to go with it, but I'm proud
that we're in the position todo it.
And yeah, it's like I said,there's a lot of people that
play part in that situation andwe're very thankful for every
(39:58):
one of them, and it's very mucha village.
You've got three of them, threeyeah we've got three, two girls
and a son and Ollie, so yeah,four's in the house.
He's busy and we're trying toteach him shit to make it less
busy.
So we're trying to get him tocook and do dishes and clean and
stuff and get all that routinehappening, which is a long game,
I'm sure.
So, matt, how do you?
Speaker 2 (40:19):
get the time to do this.
It's the question that everyonesays Sorry, it's an excuse that
everyone uses I don't haveenough time.
You've got time to do what youwant to do with your family.
I know you put a lot of timeinto your kids and You've got
time to do what you want to dowith your family.
I know you put a lot of timeinto your kids and you're
putting a lot of time into yourbusiness and your personal
development stuff.
Speaker 1 (40:36):
How do?
Speaker 2 (40:36):
you make the time.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
Right back to the start.
I was always, before Ollie cometo live with us, I was always
out the door at six.
That was me thing, had to beout the door and left the pieces
of the school runs to Danielle.
So I was like, nah, I've got tobe on site.
Six range will be meetings forsix, and just at the door.
And when we took Ollie in Dee's,like ah, I can't, I can't do
(40:59):
all this Capacity of three, Icame up with the idea that I
wouldn't start work till nine,which was pretty big, because I
was like I've just lost threehours in a day and I just put in
the calendar I just blocked offuntil it's 8.30 now, but I just
block off until 8.30 everysingle day.
I can't do it, and the thoughtof doing it was actually worse
(41:20):
than doing it.
And as soon as I blocked it allout this is four years ago,
it's done, I don't do it.
There's no meetings.
I don't go anywhere.
The odd one does slip through,maybe, I can't remember, I don't
.
Okay, I've done it twice thisweek.
Apart from that, very rarelyand and when I did it it just
happened.
I do schedule a lot.
It's important because you'repersonal.
(41:41):
Yeah, we do the personal stuff.
We do have a different system.
I don't lock it all togetherbecause it is too much.
Yeah, but d does the google oneand I do a work one.
Yeah, we do.
We don't follow it religiously,but you've got some structure
there.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
I do yeah, which gives you your time.
Speaker 1 (41:57):
I do.
I actually do have structureand it does give me my time.
I think people freak out.
The thought of doing it isharder than actually doing it.
But when you block it out it'sdone.
And I struggled with it for awhile because if I couldn't do
what I needed to do I'd get theshits.
But now I'm a bit more flexiblewith just rearranging the
things.
In the start I found it a bitdifficult, but I do schedule.
(42:21):
Yeah, I definitely schedule.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
And do you find, now that you've scheduled, you
actually fit a shitload more in?
Yeah, but you're doing more ofthe things you want to be doing.
Yeah, but you're doing more ofthe things you want to be doing.
Yeah, but you're actuallygetting more done.
Speaker 1 (42:33):
Yeah, 100% In your personal, in your business.
Yeah, and when you arescheduling and I know you've
touched on this before is youare taking control of your time
and you are.
The batching thing is huge, notreacting to people that want to
see you.
You can plan that and you canbatch it and you can get to a
point in time and knock a fewthings off.
So when you're, when you startbeing organized, it's quite easy
(42:55):
to keep going.
I think, yeah, but yeah, I'mnot religious to to it, but I do
have structure.
I do and I do follow it and Ithink it did.
Yeah, I do get a lot donebecause of it and I'll go right
back to start.
I've always, if there's anoffer to go and do something, I
will do it.
Do you know what I mean?
If someone says it's a personalstuff?
(43:15):
Yeah, if someone says, hey,next Friday we're all going to
the pub at 12, would you like tocome?
I will be there.
Do you know what I mean?
If someone says we're going toplay golf on Tuesday, I will be
there nine times out of 10.
Going right back to the startwas why I started a business.
It was a lifestyle thing for me.
Work hard, I do, and I put alot of time in, but I don't feel
(43:36):
guilty for accepting that timeoff and making sure it happens.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
But I would imagine you put in the hours where the
hours are needed If you've gotto do a few hours in the office
one night to get ahead of thingsyou've got to get it done.
Speaker 1 (43:56):
If you've got to do a few hours on a Saturday, you
get it done.
But, yep, absolutely mate.
Yeah, and I wake up to get itdone.
Yeah, do you know?
I mean, look, I wake up at 4 30to get it done, just because I
know I'll get it done.
And yeah, I know what I have toget done.
And fuck, sometimes you don'tget it right, but it's still
there and you get it the nexttime and whatever.
But yeah, yeah, all right, yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
I think what you said about it's harder thinking
about than is to do it likethat's what's holding most
people back, like they think soin depth about it that they hold
themselves back from actuallydoing it.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
I don't have that anymore.
It's not like I fucking doeverything first go because it's
all so easy, but I don't.
I don't.
Actually, now, if I'minterested in something, I'll
say I'll do it.
I won't go, oh yeah, but that,yeah, the thing won't work
because of or, oh fuck, I've gotto move that.
Then, oh, if I want to do it,I'll just do it.
You know, yeah, and it works,it just works.
(44:40):
It's simple.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
It doesn't just work.
Mate your mindset you'vechanged your mindset like in a
few years.
You've really just taken offand taking it all on board and
yeah, like another, I think,turning point that you I
remember.
I remember exactly where I wasI'm not sure why, but I was
driving back from the case, fromhim off a beach job and I think
you called me and you'd hadthis light bulb moment where
you'd figured out your numbers.
(45:05):
Yeah, it was like I hear youbanging on about this all the
time, but I just, I've literallyjust got it.
I've just reviewed all my, I'vereviewed all my overheads and I
know what you're talking aboutnow, and that's a simple thing.
Speaker 1 (45:15):
That is such a simple exercise, that is such a
foundation, so simple to do.
And once you understand thatfoundation, you can then build
on a forecast.
You know what I mean.
You can then start to work outwhat you need to turn over.
You can then start to pick jobsthat can see to that.
Speaker 2 (45:33):
Yeah, you've taken it next level again just recently,
haven't you?
So you've now worked out howmany jobs you have to have in
pre-construction to be able todo the turnover you need to do
to be able to earn the incomeyou want to earn Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
And then what was actually interesting about that
is when I went back and lookedat it, it worked out Like where
we were sitting, the amountsthat we had in pre-construction
pack process, the amounts thatwe had, were flowing through to
jobs, which was making therevenue where it needed to be,
which was at the correct markup,and it just it starts to work.
(46:08):
But it helps you make decisions.
We've had situations where jobshave taken longer or we've been
delayed and things like that,and we can go to a forecast
sheet and look at it and gowhat's where?
Speaker 2 (46:21):
What do we need to pull and poke and move around?
Speaker 1 (46:23):
Yeah, which one's further ahead, which one's more
likely, which one's closer,which one's less.
Work to get to that point andit's all there and that's
massive.
But the very first tip of thatis overheads, which we told
crick, we don't have any 10years ago.
We're sorted, mate.
We're sweet.
No, I think I said no, we don'thave an office, so we got no
(46:46):
overheads.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
We're sweet, but that's what it is.
Hey, like I was the I was thesame mate Growing up I thought
an overhead meant that you, yeah, you had an office space, you
had admin staff, you had bloodycomputers and shit.
Yeah, man, I just thought,because I wore a nail bag, I
didn't have overheads.
Yeah, it's all my money.
Speaker 1 (47:06):
I'll just take everything.
Eh, I'll just keep it's all,surely?
Speaker 2 (47:09):
Yeah, I'll just keep it short.
Surely it's such a simplemistake.
Even the most basic contractorstill has phone fuel, car
repayments, clothing materials,tools.
It's incredible how much cancome out.
When you start looking intothings, it adds up very quickly.
(47:29):
Yeah.
But, mate, I'll take my hat offto you.
You're absolutely king goals.
I love that you're so chilledout and I love your purpose,
like the reason you do things isto allow you more time with the
people you love to do what youwant to do, and ultimately,
that's pretty much what we alldo it for, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (47:45):
yep, it is.
I mean, it needs to be abalance.
I was all that with no money,and some people are all money
and no life, and a healthybalance is what I would like and
what I'm getting.
So it's yeah, it's huge, andI'm enjoying where I'm at and
I'm addicted to getting moreinformation and improving.
(48:07):
What do you mean by that?
You start making little stepsand you start to get a little
bit better than what you wereand things start to work.
And when it starts to work andyou look back or it seems easy,
do you know?
Speaker 2 (48:20):
and it actually you've grown as well yeah, yeah,
I have, and that's key to itbut I think I think that's what
happens, like people feel likelike you tell me if you're at
this point, but you get to apoint where you're like fuck,
fuck, something's going to gowrong.
Bank account's building up yes,the team's going well.
Like fuck, is there a camerahere?
Like something's going to fuckup.
I have had that.
But it's because, withoutrealizing it, every improvement
(48:43):
you make, your mindset's growing, your attitude's changing your
opinion of things is changing.
Speaker 1 (48:50):
I think this is it in a nutshell.
I'll tell you so.
I don't know if you remember atI think it was gold coast that
would have been.
It would have been started thisyear, so it was like 10,
whatever 10 months ago.
So one of my goals there was Iwanted to volunteer with
homeless people.
Right, yeah, I was like, yeah,I need that's really.
I want to do that.
I've always wanted to do it.
(49:11):
So I got out of that live event.
High End Life made the inquiry.
I started doing the paperwork.
They needed my license, which Ilost in France like three
months earlier and didn'treplace because they were like
it's only a license, what do youneed that for?
So I didn't have my licenseDriver's license- yeah, I didn't
have my license and you needthat for the blue card.
(49:32):
So then that stopped the wholeapplication because I couldn't
be asked and I had to replace it.
So then that dropped off andthen that went three months.
I said I really want to do this.
I went back to it so I searchedmy email for the organization's
names Rosie's.
I searched Rosie's on my emailto try and find the trail of
where I was at with theapplication.
The first email that came upwas from 2015, me asking my old
(49:57):
man for the details of Rosie'sso that I could go and help
volunteer with these homelesspeople.
Nine years ago I'd started andnever did anything about it, and
I do it now.
Do you know what I know?
I mean, I've done it, I go anddo it and it's, that's change
yeah, and that's it.
Speaker 2 (50:17):
That's a progression, because that's most people
think.
Yep, most people makethemselves feel good by sending
the email exactly like fuck,I've done something and that's
exactly like I said.
Speaker 1 (50:27):
I came higher life out of that thing, sent the
email, I've done it, I'll bedoing this next week and you get
one little roadblock.
Speaker 2 (50:32):
You haven't got a license, nah whatever, yeah, so
what did you do?
What have you done with that?
Speaker 1 (50:38):
Oh, so I go to Musco Park and they give refreshments
and chat, basically.
Yeah, it's pretty good.
I actually I really enjoy itand you just go there three
hours.
It's only once a month.
I'm in at the moment, yeah andmate.
Amazing people down there,honestly amazing people.
Speaker 2 (50:54):
It's frigging awesome .
Speaker 1 (50:55):
I love it mate, I love it.
And the other good thing thathas been a side part to it is my
kids ask me about it.
So before I go I say to them doyou want me to ask you any
questions?
And Sonny's like, yeah, ask himif Messi's Messi the goat.
Who's better, messi or Ronaldo?
But I forgot to ask that.
(51:16):
So then I come home the nextmorning and Sonny will be like
did you ask him about Messi andRonaldo?
I was like no, I didn't shit.
But then the kids want to know.
The kids are like so what arethey like?
Or who do you see and who doyou talk to and what happens,
and so on.
I feel like that's.
Speaker 2 (51:31):
So a lot of growth happens when you follow through.
We see a lot with Live.
Like Bill, we've got thatlittle launchpad program.
So many people purchasesomething, and I know I've done
it before as well.
You purchase a $99 course or a$199 course and you're like fuck
yeah, I'm going to change theworld and you never even fucking
open the emails when you getthem.
That was me.
Live life to the middle for 12months.
(51:51):
But yeah, like taking that nextstep and just following through
it gives you confidence yeah,it just gives you confidence.
Speaker 1 (52:00):
No one else made me do what I did.
I wanted to do it, yeah.
So if I can do it, you do it.
If you want to do something,you do it, yeah, and then that's
what it is, that's what youwant, it's how you want to live.
Speaker 2 (52:15):
So, mate, where to from here?
What's some goals?
Speaker 1 (52:17):
Some goals, mate Family time, holidays.
So I definitely want to striveto some good family holidays and
put them in.
I want to do a yearly nicefamily holiday.
That's important.
I've got to.
I'm building a good, reallygood team.
I've got to.
I'm building a good, reallygood team.
Start and understand exactlywhat the business needs, and I
(52:40):
think that's the simplest waythat I can make sense.
To me, which took a while tofigure out too, is that the
business is its own thing.
It's not me Like.
It needs certain things for itto grow.
So we're building a team whichis working and then I want to
consolidate that.
You know what I mean.
I want to.
We'll get into some good jobs.
(53:00):
I want to deliver them andthat's about it for now.
Speaker 2 (53:04):
Like I don't, I haven't got any written out no,
but oh, mate, I think you'reabsolutely king goals.
Your, your holiday thing willbe achievable.
Like I know, you've jumped onthe Amex thing there.
Speaker 1 (53:15):
Yeah, that's been awesome yeah.
Speaker 2 (53:17):
Amex is unreal.
I'll need to get Amex on hereand do the deal, mate because,
fuck, there's a good deal outthere, isn't there when you use
it when you take advantage of it.
Speaker 1 (53:25):
There is yeah, there is.
That's a simple step as well.
Speaker 2 (53:28):
That was something else From that Gold Coast event,
mate you obviously went homeand did a lot after that.
Speaker 1 (53:34):
Yeah, mate, and that's what I said about it,
it's the people.
It's when you're surroundedwith a group of people who are
going hard, who are great people, who you want to be around and
are successful.
Speaker 2 (53:48):
The community is unbelievable the last event down
in Adelaide, just after theevent on the Sunday, wrapping it
up, and then I'm not sure howit all happened.
I think you were the instigator, but whatever it was, 20
something of us, 26 of us allended up at that restaurant we
did, having a great time.
It's just.
Speaker 1 (54:08):
It just makes you feel like you want to keep doing
better, doesn't it?
And support people as well?
Do you know what I mean?
That's the next thing you knowthat you can offer some value
and that people are going to dothe same to you for sure.
Yeah, it's amazing, mate.
I think community is huge ifyou can surround yourself with
those right people and yourmindset.
If you, if you're comfortablein yourself and you know what
you want to do, you do it yeah,no, mate, I really appreciate
(54:28):
you coming on.
Speaker 2 (54:29):
We'll wrap it up, but before we go, what's level up
mean to you?
Speaker 1 (54:34):
Level up, pretty obvious.
Strive for it.
Yeah, go Test yourself.
Strive for something better.
Hit some goals.
Have a crack, definitely have acrack, like I think everyone's
got it in them.
Yeah, everyone can level up.
Everyone's got it in them forsure everyone's got it.
Speaker 2 (54:49):
Yeah, that's definitely a good message to
wrap it up on them.
I believe too, man.
I believe everybody on thisplanet has it in them.
Speaker 1 (54:55):
They've just got to fucking get out of their comfort
zone.
I heard something that reallyresonated with me the other day.
I don't remember who said it,but the phrase is people matter,
things don't, and everyone'sgot a shot, mate.
Everyone deserves a shot,absolutely everyone, and I think
a lot of people would besurprised, and I think the level
(55:17):
up is in them.
Everyone can have a crack, yeah, and everyone deserves it.
Speaker 2 (55:20):
Yeah, no, awesome mate.
Look.
Thanks everybody for listeningand watching this podcast.
Please help us continue to makethis Australia's number one
construction podcast Share.
Tell all your friends about it.
And, yeah, we look forward toseeing you on the next one.
Are you ready to build smarter?
live better and enjoy life, thenhead over to live like buildcom
forward slash elevate to getstarted everything discussed
(55:51):
during the level up podcast withme, duane pierce, is based
solely on my own personalexperiences and those
experiences of my guests.
The information, opinions andrecommendations presented in
this podcast are for generalinformation only, and any
reliance on the informationprovided in this podcast is done
at your own risk.
We recommend that you obtainyour own professional advice in
(56:13):
respect to the topics discussedduring this podcast.
And then he mentioned overheads and I clearly
(00:03):
remember saying to him we don'thave any.
I was like we're sorted, wedon't have any.
I'll laugh at that now.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Yeah, no idea.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
No idea man.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
G'day guys.
Welcome back to another episodeof Level Up.
We are back in the shed thisafternoon for another cracking
episode and definitely ready tosmash it out.
Sam, how are you buddy?
Good thanks, mate.
Mate, I can never pronounceyour company's name.
It happens all the time.
What is the company?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
name Samadhi, samadhi , samadhi Builds, yep.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
So Sam's a local Brizzy builder, yep.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Want to tell us about your name, mate.
How'd you come up with that?
There's a story behind it.
So I started the business witha really good mate of mine about
a decade ago and his name wasRowdy.
I had to come up with a name.
Rowdy was into yoga heavily atthe time and we're searching for
a name.
And Rowdy goes what aboutSamadhi?
And I said what's that?
And he goes it's a state ofenlightenment you get to when
you meditate.
And I said it's got Sam in it.
I'm happy, let's keep it.
(01:08):
We stuck with it.
And then that was a partnership.
We already left a couple ofyears later and we rebranded.
And he said what are you goingto do with the name?
And I said, yeah, I like it,I'm going to keep it.
And it stuck.
The short answer to people thatask is I had a business partner
.
My name's Sam, His name isArtie.
We put it together, that's theshort answer which most people
(01:29):
nod at, and off we go.
So do you use that in yourmarketing?
Because that's a good no, wedon't.
So we interesting story.
We won a small business grantmaybe six years ago which was
called Digital Champions, whichhad 20 grand to spend.
Deloitte came in and consultedand obviously dove into the
business and figured out howwe're going to spend the grant.
At that point I identified thatI wanted to get into
(01:52):
architectural work and duringthe rebrand they discussed
changing names.
I wanted to keep it becausethat's where it started and a
nod to the start of it.
But I also liked the fact thatit was.
It has that architectural kindof ring to it as well.
I thought it suited that nicheas well.
But the backstory to it thewhole reason behind it, the
state you get to, yeah, andthat's important for me.
(02:14):
That's why I wanted to keep it.
He's a great mate of mine andwe started together and he
taught me a lot right from thestart, so I definitely wanted to
keep it for that, like I alwayswant to be reminded, and the
yoga thing.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, Because that's what you're getting your clients
to now like by building them abeautiful home.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Yeah, Getting to that comfortable state yeah, exactly
mate.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, it's good.
So a little bit of backstoryabout Sam.
Sam is a Live Like Bill member.
I wanted to get him on the seatfor a little while because he
has.
I love what you do, mate.
Like you sat on the fence forlike you signed up to Live Life
Build and then you sat on thefence for probably over 12
months and I don't know what itwas.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Did you notice?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
that.
But something clicked and likenow you're just, you're taken
off.
Yeah, I have, yeah, becausethat's something I try and get
out of guests that come on thepodcast is like what's that
thing?
Like what's that point?
You have to get to where yourealize what you're doing now is
not getting you where you wantto go.
You're not achieving what youthink you might be able to
achieve.
(03:13):
So what's that turning point?
Speaker 1 (03:15):
There's so many parts to that.
There's so many parts to that,I think.
For me, community people when Isurrounded myself with people
that were succeeding and I couldsee why they were succeeding
without putting an effort arecommitted.
They love what they did.
(03:35):
It's infectious and it's withinreach.
It's there and it's there forthe taking, and you know better
than anyone that the industry ishard to break out of.
It's hard to tell a differentstory.
I feel it's hard to evensometimes surround yourself with
(03:57):
people that think the same wayas you or want something
different.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
That's one of the most valuable things, I think
live life build and somethingamelia and I are incredibly
proud of because you get, so youcatch.
Even when you do catch up withbuilders and even like you're in
our local builders breakfastgroup, like there's still
bullshit, yeah, like it's notvulnerability, it's not just
(04:21):
being honest and in with, butwhen in live life build, like
our community just tells it howit is it does, and that's not
the norm.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah, do you know what I mean?
Not only do you have to gosearching for that, when you do
find it, you'll pull your fingerout and do something.
Yeah, because I did sit on thefence for quite a time.
I sat on the fence and chippedaway at modules and chipped away
at home, chipped away by myself, and that's hard to do.
Yeah, when you actually meetpeople, if you go to a live
(04:52):
event and you, you meet peopleand it's infectious what's going
on yeah, that's when shit getsreal and when you you say that
was your turning point, when youcome to a kingscliff event and
you got to like whatever.
there was 60 odd builders thereand some partners and you got to
mingle with them Absolutelymate Absolutely, and
(05:12):
vulnerability, getting up,feeling like you can tell your
story and people are going tolisten.
People are probably going torelate to it.
You know what I mean.
People are going to, they'regoing to be your people, and
that's pretty rare.
I feel that's pretty rareBecause you're right, I think
there's two types of builders.
There's the builders, and I'vegot mates that are builders that
are in that that's fucked, thisis shit, and they don't even
(05:34):
actually they haven't evenconsidered.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
I don't think it's just builders, it's the whole
industry.
There's so much perception,everyone, much perception.
Yeah, everyone thinks thateveryone's doing well and
everyone just sees what theywant to see.
And whether, whether you're atrader or a builder, an
architect, designer, we all showthe good shit.
And then people, even when you,when you do go to events and
you catch up with people, noone's gonna go.
Oh fuck, I've had a shit year.
(05:57):
Geez, I had a bad client.
Fuck, I lost money on the lasttwo jobs.
Everyone, no, it's fuckinggreat.
We're kicking girls gotaps ofwork.
We're booked in the next year.
Team's fantastic.
Yeah, when really they'redriving home that night going.
Fuck, I don't want to go towork tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Well, I'll tell you what another big realisation for
me was the difference between abuilder and a businessman
Because I knew that somethingwasn't right, like I was
building shit, yeah, but I'mlooking going.
Why does this not feel like abusiness?
There should be some other shitgoing on here.
There should be something goingon and you'd hear someone say
(06:31):
something yeah, and it might bea phrase or it might be a term,
it might be an offset account orit might be a fucking overdraft
facility, just a word you'venever heard before and you're
like that sounds fuckingimportant.
What's that?
And making the switch from abuilder the mentality of a
builder to a businessman, whichI think suits me, I think was a
(06:51):
big driver.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
You wouldn't think you're right you wouldn't.
So I was giving sam shit whenhe turned up, because every time
he comes to a building event orsomething like, he's in
pluggers and boardies.
But you got the building shirton like you're representing the
brand, but I I think it'sawesome, mate, because it shows
you're very comfortable withinyourself and, as you said before
, we started recording todaylike the proof's in the pudding.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Yeah, it doesn't matter what the fuck you wear,
you can build a great home yeah,and give her, deliver a good
experience and run a goodbusiness and have good subbies
and have good employees and allthat sort of stuff.
I think and that's aninteresting point too, because
I've I think I've struggledwhich we touched on before about
my personalities, because I'm Ican be very relaxed and when I
(07:36):
switch off, I definitely switchoff and I want to have a good
time.
I want to have a good time andI find it.
I found it hard for a long timeto merge that into a
professional, that role of beinga professional.
I don't have to wear this to becomfortable, but I just I am
comfortable, I'm verycomfortable and I'm very low
maintenance and I'm very easy.
I think, yeah, I think ofanother thing too.
I think of I like to beunderestimated and I think that
(08:00):
was probably to my detriment fora long time as well.
What do you mean by that?
I don't want to big-note myself.
Do you know what I mean?
I don't want to act like I'mbetter than anyone.
I don't want to tell everyonewhat I'm doing.
I'd rather someone who wasn'tinterested in me or wasn't
interested in spending time withme to go on their merry way and
(08:21):
not really know what I am, andI feel that was a crux for a
long time because I think itheld me back a bit, I think the
fear of failure thing.
I think it was in a safe spotbecause I was like, if I can
just relax and if I can justslip under the radar, looking
back now, I'll always be underthe radar, you know.
So I think that was getcomfortable being like you.
(08:42):
Gotta get comfortable beinguncomfortable yeah, which is
something that I do.
I am working on now.
Do you know when?
Now that I am improving?
Yeah, you know, and I am seeingresults.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
So, before we get, too far into it, like I want to
go back a bit.
So because you weren't abuilder?
No, like builder, it was notyour first preference?
Speaker 1 (09:00):
no, not at all.
Tell us a little bit about howdid it start.
Yeah, I finished grade 12 andwent.
I'm going to be a PE teacherbecause I get 12 weeks holiday a
year and I'll kick the footy onthe oval.
That'll be so easy.
Me and a really good mate wentto uni together so we did the
same course.
So what we'll do is we'llswitch assignments.
We'll have to do half theassignments.
(09:21):
It'll be so easy.
So I went to uni so I did PE.
I was a high school PE teacherwith a really good mate so I did
that for four years.
I got posted out west for myfirst post.
You were running around on dirt.
It was amazing.
I think my biggest class had 10kids in it.
It was all PE.
(09:41):
But I went out there and Ipretty much finished my last
exam, went out west with an EdQueensland contract and then two
weeks into the contract foundout that I failed the last
semester of uni so I wasn't evenqualified.
So I had to finish the lastsemester of uni while I was
(10:02):
teaching and then, so to thisday, I don't.
I was actually thinking about itbefore I came here.
Who fucked that up Like how did?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
But there's actually I heard a really interesting
story on this on a podcast Ilistened to the other day and
they've gone and done all thesestudies on it but there was a
bloke that was completelyfailing at school and then
someone fucked up and told himhe got like an a plus on
something and for the rest ofhis schooling he's like, oh god,
(10:32):
I don't know what I'm doing,but and he's the whole life
changed.
And just from that one oneperson making that stuff up and
grading him wrong, holy shit, hewent on to smash all his
schooling get a high-paid job.
And then it wasn't.
He got some letter in the maillike years later, like 10, 12
years later, let it go, sayingthat yeah, we actually graded
(10:53):
you wrong, and the whole storywas around.
Imagine what his life may havebeen if he had a disorder that
he'd kept failing.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
They made me do the last subject and the actual
teachers at the school werehelping me do the assignment to
get over the line.
So that was only a short stintand then I left.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
But you were pumped, you would have been pumped
because you thought you'd passedit.
If they'd have said, oh look,you failed the last subject, it
would have been a completelydifferent outcome.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Yeah, but it was only a short contract, I think it
was.
Only it was tiny, I don't knowif it was 10 weeks or something.
And then I went overseas.
So I went to I was about fouryears with my girlfriend and her
wife and we were both teaching.
So I taught for two years in PEin England, which is wild how
was that?
(11:36):
It's wild, like it's wild Cold.
What's it all about indoors?
Yeah, mate, the funny thing isthe English.
They're stubborn, they thinkthey're, so they've got to grit
their teeth.
They send them out for PE inthe middle of winter in shorts
and a shirt.
It's practically snowing andthey go out in shorts and shirts
just because that's whatEnglish people have to do.
(11:58):
So that was pretty crazy.
Let's deal with that.
I had all the jackets on.
I had all the jackets on.
I had five the jackets on.
I had all the jackets on.
I have five layers and theymake them run around in like
short shirt.
So I did that.
I did that for two years andthat's when I decided it wasn't
for me.
Yeah, I had.
I enjoyed.
I tell you what I do enjoyCoaching.
You know what I mean.
I enjoy coaching kids Like I.
(12:18):
The most enjoyment I ever gotout of that teaching was the
sports groups, because I wantedto make sure that every kid had
a crack.
The best kids were the bestkids.
That's great.
You can help them get better.
But the kids that aren'tinterested, you can help them
get interested.
And even better if you can getthe good kids helping the kids
(12:38):
that aren't.
And I thrived on that.
I loved that coaching.
That's the one part I did.
Unfortunately, teaching is alot more than that, which I
figured out pretty quickly.
So I decided when I wasoverseas that I did not want to
do that.
Yeah, and made some sort of rangout some mates and stuff while
I was still overseas and cameback and started a mature age
carpentry apprenticeship.
Yeah, so what made you go forcarpentry?
(12:59):
I wanted to do landscaping forsome reason.
I'd done a bit of work forbuilders growing up so I always
loved the outdoor stuff.
I always loved the banter andall that sort of shit which
everyone loves.
So I always loved that.
Landscaping, I just thought, wasI liked the design and that in
it I liked putting it together,I liked designing it and
(13:19):
building it, that type of stuff.
And then I looked atlandscaping and thought it's not
really didn't know anythingback then but I was like I think
it's limited, I don't know ifit's always the same thing.
And then mates that werechippies and mates that had
trades, and then met a familycontact who could get me a job
with a builder mature ageapprentice at that time it
wasn't real common, I think.
(13:40):
I don't know how old I wouldhave been, maybe 25.
I'm 43 now, so it was a fairwhile ago.
So I wouldn't say I fell into it, but definitely wanted to do
something like that.
And then I started that and gotinto it there.
So yeah, and you're glad youmade the change 100% and it's
funny.
People still ask me now wouldyou ever go back to teaching?
It just blows my mind thatpeople I still remember me for
(14:02):
the small amount of teachingthat I did, or know that I even
did it.
Yeah, but it's funny.
Would you ever go back toteaching?
And it's just no, it's a hardno and so what was the
progression to become a builder?
Speaker 2 (14:12):
is that something you just kept working towards or
you just wanted?
Speaker 1 (14:15):
to keep progressing.
But I was so green withconstruction when I started that
apprenticeship like I just gotinto it, just start putting,
thingsiked it, and it was afairly big company.
He had probably 50 people.
And I just overheard him oneday talking about me and he said
oh, sam will be a builder.
And I was like huh, builder,righto, at that stage in my life
(14:37):
.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
What do you think that was for?
Were you good at managing thepeople on site?
Speaker 1 (14:41):
I'd say leadership.
Yeah, I think there were a lotof young guys in the team.
Yeah, there are a lot of youngfellas in the team and I
definitely probably stood outwith just being older, a little
bit older.
Probably that, probably, yeah,I'd say it'd be that.
And then I heard that and forme, from this day, when I
(15:03):
started getting my head aroundthe builder thing, I wanted a
job.
I wanted to have a job that Icould live the life I wanted to
live, and for me that was dowhat I wanted to do.
When I wanted to do it, at thatpoint it wasn't financial,
because I didn't know whatfucking finances were.
How do you know?
And when you start off, youjust don't know.
So for me it was like, if Istart my own business, I can do
(15:27):
this.
Young family, young kids, likewant to go on holiday.
So that it was always.
Did it go like that, bart?
Yeah, it definitely did.
I was.
I know what it was.
Maturity Started.
I don't know if I was 28, maybe29.
And I knew from the startthat's what it was.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
I worked hard, but when you first started your
building business, did you getto do what you wanted to do or
did you have all the normalstruggles with cash flow?
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Yeah, struggles with cash flow.
For sure, and that's what Isaid before about that was the
tweaking of this in the business.
Something's not right.
This should be happening.
Why isn't that happening?
So the business side was neverthere from the start never.
But.
So I was never there from thestart never.
But what was there was I wasvery good at.
If I wanted to do something, Iwould do it.
If I had to want to dosomething with the kids, I would
do it.
I work fucking hard.
(16:12):
It's funny when you start off,when you are on the tools right
and you are doing the businessthing, and every night you are.
I was working until midnight inthe office.
You know what I mean whenyou're doing both roles, but
what I mean by doing what Iwanted to do if we wanted to
take a week off and go on theholidays, I'd take that.
If I wanted to just go and dothat with the kids, I'd go and
do it.
So I never felt guilty andalways did that, no idea about
(16:35):
the finances, like nonewhatsoever Did that bite you in
the ass.
No, not badly.
That's one thing I'm lucky with.
I remember when Randy and I setup Samadhi like at the very
beginning, we had one of ourmates' dads who was an
accountant who we've knownforever, and we went and saw
Crick and we sat down and wewere like Crick, randy and I are
(16:56):
going to start building company.
He goes, oh fuck, he goes.
I'd suggest a partnership foryou two.
What's a partnership?
And he goes.
Really cheap to set up, reallyeasy to fucking rip apart when
you screw up.
And I was like hey, and then hementioned overheads and I
clearly remember saying to himwe don't have any, we're sorted,
(17:17):
we don't have any.
I'll laugh at that now.
Yeah, no idea, no idea, man, noidea.
But you don't do you?
You're not taught this shit?
No, you're not.
And, as it goes, you actuallydon't know that you don't have
any idea.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
And then the whole thing we would always pay
ourselves a wage.
It was very tiny and we hadsome basic things that we
thought were good enough.
Yeah, but when you switch torunning a proper business, that
evolution of growth is neverending.
Yeah, and it's just yeah, we'reway off the mark.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
So there's a bit of a common thread there, mate, with
your coaching.
Obviously you liked helping thekids out when you were doing
the PE and then working for thatbuilder and the leadership and
stuff, and I know that'ssomething you're really
passionate about now and you'vegot a bit of a thing, haven't
you, with apprentices, makingsure they're getting taught
properly and putting good timeinto them.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Yeah, I think apprentices are massive mate.
I actually think that they'reprobably the most important part
of my business for many reasons.
Very simply, I think there's ahierarchy for tradesmen and the
guys.
We have a couple of guys 50plus in the team and they've
fucking earned everything thatthey've got and they've given us
(18:34):
massive value, right?
And I say to the apprenticesit's as simple as you respecting
that, getting out of your carbefore everyone else, getting
this site set up so thateveryone can get flowing,
because if you're dragging yourfeet and if you're setting that
(18:56):
tone, you've got that grumpy andthat grumpy and it won't get
better.
That's a very simple thing,right?
Just respect the hierarchy,right?
It's an important message, it'svery important, and the other
thing about that is that's whatyou earn.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Same in the afternoon .
It should be the same thing100%.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
And it's respect and they've earned that right they
will give you.
If you give these older guys abit of that, the knowledge that
they will give you is whatyou're in this for.
Yeah, do you know and I thinkthat's important because I hate
it we've sacked and had a lot of22, 23, 24, 25 year old
(19:35):
chippies, right, who just see itas a job and they bullshit and
they come on, they expecteverything and it doesn't last
and they, you sack them and thenthey just go chase the next
builder.
And these apprentices that wehave the on-site stuff, that
they're training them in thephysical carpentry I don't have
much to do with, okay, I don't,I don't work on site.
(19:56):
I'm in the office, right, so Idon't get to see them.
I talk to the guys about whatthey're doing.
I speak to the apprentices andsay, hey, gang, what do you like
?
What don't you like?
Is there anything that you'remissing?
What do you feel like youhaven't done much of?
And then the next part ofthat's carpentry.
But I, the big thing I love isprogression.
Yeah, so when they get to thirdor fourth year and there's a
(20:16):
small section of a job that youknow is going to put them out of
their comfort zone and if theyfuck it, it's going to cost you
this amount but it's going toget.
They're going to get that muchout of them, yeah, or that that
is.
I love those opportunities.
I think it's so important forthem.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
It's another important message.
Like.
It took me a long time to getmy head around that, but so many
builders and trades are alwaysworried.
They're they't know theirnumbers, so they're living on
the edge all the time.
They freak out if they lose 10cents.
But you've got to have lossesto learn 100%, and so you have
to be comfortable with youryounger team members making
(20:54):
fuck-ups.
Obviously you don't want themdoing it every single day, but
sometimes your biggest learningsare from your biggest mistakes.
It's horses for courses.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
I look for the opportunities in our jobs and I
know that it's a calculated riskand they're petrified.
Yeah, they're like, oh, fucking, what if I cut this?
And that it's okay, you can dothis.
You've got all these peoplehere that you lean on every day.
I said you just have a crackand, man, the growth they get
out of that is massive.
(21:24):
And I think it's so importantbecause, yeah, it's super
important, mate, it's the future, it's the future.
And someone said to me a whileago which I've really run with,
that hierarchy thing like I'veseen an apprentice carpenter and
then he's put tradesman andhe's put tradesman and he's the
(21:45):
tradesman, is the one that candirect everything.
He knows a bit of everything,he's a tradesman, he knows that,
he looks after that, he can dothat, he can do all the
carpentry.
And what a place to aspire.
Go, yeah, like a lot ofcarpenters floating around
wanting fucking heaps of moneyand doing shit work.
They're guaranteed they're acarpenter, but to be a tradesman
, that'd be a pretty goodachievement and a craftsman,
(22:05):
then yeah, it probably goes.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Tradesman craftsman like yep, you've got a, like our
mate, craig stewart says likeyou've got.
There's very few people thataspire to get to that.
Craftsman.
Yeah, position like every, itis a real penthouse of mine.
Like, I can't stand these youngguys that come through and you
put a lot of work and effortinto them and then the day they
finish their time they thinkthey're a tradesman.
(22:26):
They don't know half the shitthey need to know.
I really like what you saidabout respect.
I'm just sitting here thinking,as you were saying that If all
young people that got theirapprenticeship just thought like
that man, job sites would be ahell of a lot happier.
Yeah, and it's so true, that'sall it is.
You're just showing respect forpeople that have put the time
(22:47):
in, they've been where you are,they've worked their way through
, they've got theirqualifications.
Now they're the leader and ifyou just respect that, that's
huge, it is massive and it'slife too.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
the kids don't get it , the young guys don't get it.
You get a first year apprenticefirst day and they are
petrified and they have no ideawhat they're getting into.
And it's exciting for both.
And if they can make routinesbig, if they can start making
their own lunch, packing offwater, eat healthy, get to work
on time, it's massive, it's lifeman, and the improvements that
(23:20):
you see in young, young men isit's inspiring, it's amazing
seeing him come through.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
We've got a young guy at the moment which I've been
given had a few sort of toughconversations in the last week
and he, like he tells me onething, but then he tells the
guys on site another thing.
And I ended up only two daysago.
I had a word to him.
I said, mate, stop fuckingaround.
You're only causing yourselfmore problems.
And I said it's actually nowgetting to a point where it's
(23:47):
coming across that you're eitherlying to the side team or
you're lying to me.
Stop.
I said I actually believe thatwhat you're telling me is
correct and I believe that whatyou're telling the site team is
because you're just trying tobig note yourself and you're
trying you want to be higherthan what you actually are.
Just stop fucking around withall of us.
Just be honest with yourselfand just come to work and do as
you're told, put in the effortand you will get rewarded.
(24:09):
And I feel like that's coming.
I don't know.
I feel like he's had maybe alittle bit of a tough upbringing
, like he spent some time inboarding school, and so it's
like he's trying to provesomething and I feel like
there's a lot of yeah, not evenjust young people.
A lot of people like that like,just be yourself.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Yeah, and they need someone like you to say that.
You know, I mean someone thatlikely they would respect.
But when?
If, if that's the fact and youand just and that's it.
They'll get it.
Yeah, you know, I mean, that'swhat it is.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
You know, this guy's a good kid like I, I think he's
got a lot of potential, but he,yeah.
I see it a lot in youngerpeople, but I do feel that a lot
of young people in our industrythese days really lack they
lack confidence.
They really lack communicationskills because all they're used
to doing is flicking on theirphone yeah, scrolling for the
(25:06):
next thing that's going to givethem some enjoyment.
Yep, yeah.
Community, yeah, respect,definitely.
Everyone wants to be.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Yeah at the end too quickly, yep that's exactly
right and I we had a guy comethrough who was a classic 25 who
wanted the top rate off me, oneof those guys who's trying to
hold the bill to ransom.
They got him negotiated, gothim down a couple of bucks but
put him on.
We explained my side of thestory.
This is what it is.
If you're any good, you'll getpaid more.
That's completely fine.
(25:35):
But he was no good and we gotrid of him.
And then I pulled all theapprentices in and said I'm so
glad you've been exposed to thatshit, because that's what you
do not want to be.
I said no shit.
What he's doing is he's goingaround trying to get top dollar
off everyone.
Everyone's finding him outwithin three months.
He leaves, has to do it allover again, but he thinks he's
(25:57):
on the top rate.
If you knuckle down, get yourshit together if you want to do
it, if you do all the thingswe're talking about, your pay
will only go up and you willnever be able to work.
So you might start here, butyou'll go up yearly if you
dedicate yourself to this andyou'll never be able to work.
And, to be honest, you nameyour price when you're a
(26:18):
tradesman.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
I think it's hilarious, mate.
I still know people that I'veknown for 20, look, I've known
for 20, 25 years and their wholelife is chasing the dollar.
Even people that I've startedin the industry with and I think
I got caught in it Well, yeah,maybe not.
I was brought up I've talkedabout it on this podcast before
(26:42):
I knew I had to earn my way likeI was pissed when I first
started subcontracting and I wason site and like I was doing
far more work and bigger daysand getting more done than what
the other tradesmen andcraftsmen were on my site.
And it did bug me.
But knowing what I know now andthinking back like that, that
(27:02):
doesn't matter.
They had the experience, they'ddone the hard yards, they'd
been in the game for 10, 15, 20years.
They had the knowledge.
It was fine that I was smashingit out, I was doing quality
work and I was getting shit done, but then every second day I'd
have to go to them and go ohlook, how do I need to do this?
Even though I was a tradesman,I didn't have all that.
(27:23):
I had to earn my keep.
But you see it so often, likeacross every single trade, and I
find it hilarious now because,like you see, these people that
just are always chasing thedollar and at the end of the day
they haven't got anything toshow for it They'll spend more
time chasing that higher dollarand they will knock back.
(27:45):
They'll chase whatever it is$45, $50, $60, $70 an hour and
they'll knock back a goodquality job with a good quality
employer for $5 an hour andthree months later they'll be in
the same position.
That's the story.
And then they'll spend a week,two weeks, a month out of work
and then they'll start againExactly, and so they think
(28:06):
they're fucking killing itbecause they've got this job,
they're paying $70 an hour andthen they're going to get their
tax out at the end of the yearand they've earned less than the
guy that's taken the good jobat $50 or $55 an hour gets, gets
paid every single week, has agreat environment, good boss,
good, healthy lifestyle theydon't see it.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
It's crazy.
They don't see it, man, theydon't see it.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
But it even flows right through to contractors,
like you see, contractors thatare always chasing, like they're
trying to put these high pricein and win jobs and they spend
more time out of work or yeah,yeah, or getting shit jobs,
because they're more focused onchasing the dollar all the time
than what actually adds value.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
It's a grind, isn't it the industry?
It's a grind, it's a long game.
Yeah, you've got to build.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
I'm also keen to know more, mate, because you're a
bit of a black sheep in thefamily, aren't you?
Because you didn't go down thepath of what's your family A
couple of brothers Did you go to?
Speaker 1 (28:56):
uni.
Very briefly, yes, I've got twoolder brothers who are absolute
legends.
We're very different.
We're very different.
So I'm the youngest.
The eldest brother is aprofessor of neuroscience.
He's a smart cookie, yeah, heis super intelligent.
And David, my middle brother,is also super intelligent.
(29:16):
He works in a management role.
He's let us change a bit fromCOO to BDM business development
manager.
So he works for a decentcompany in business there.
Yeah, and what's your oldies do?
So both started as teachers.
So mum was a career teacher,Dad started off as a teacher and
(29:39):
he went into a few differentroles state government type
education type staff, then intoprivate education.
But both in education, mum anddad, yeah, they never shaped or
forced me to do anything Likethat's a big thing.
I was never pressured to to godown an academic route at all.
So that's, that was like.
I look back on that and think Ididn't have to do what I did.
(30:00):
But there's certainly.
You know, we're very different,me and my brothers.
And the black sheep thing isnot, it's completely fine.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
Yeah, you did struggle with it, didn't you?
For a little bit.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Yeah, I did.
I feel like I live in theshadows because it's a success
thing, and my brothers nevermade me feel like that and my
family never makes me feel likethat.
I love the boys.
It's a story you're tellingyourself 100% and that's what it
was.
I feel every time, especiallywhen we're all together,
everyone slips into their roles.
Even now, as grown men, we allslip into our roles, and I am
the shit-stirrer.
(30:32):
I'll just instantly turn into atwo-year-old and just start
carrying on and it it justbrings back memories of when we
were kids.
So you're the practical giant?
Yeah, I am, and that's the roleI play.
And I think yeah, I think Inever felt pressure.
Yeah, I know, it's never been anegative thing, but I'm just
(30:54):
different.
I'm very different to them.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
And that's okay, it is.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
And the best thing about them is we are all
different.
So I think we all would feelthat I would describe them to
them, which, and that's okay, itis, and the best thing about
them is we are all different.
So I think we all would feelthat I would describe them Tim
and David.
I would say one's got a head ofgranite and the other one's got
a heart of gold.
They're amazing blokes, butthey're very different.
And me, in the pitch as well,is different again.
Yeah, it's good, I wouldn'thave it any other way, but yeah,
(31:21):
I guess I took a long time tofind myself.
I guess that's probably thefirst key, do you?
Speaker 2 (31:27):
know what do you mean by?
Speaker 1 (31:28):
that.
Well, you look, I look back onwhen I was younger, when you
think, yes, you're sorted.
So when I was like 20, 19, 20,21, 22, 23, when I was living in
overseas, travelling for fouryears, you think that's being an
adult and you think that's whoyou are and you think you're in
control.
And I was so lost.
(31:49):
At that point I got to have agreat time and just didn't know
what I was doing.
I just didn't know who I was.
I didn't really know how tolive my life.
I didn't know what made me tick.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
I didn't know what type of person I was.
Yeah to live my life.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
I didn't know what made me tick.
I didn't know what type ofperson I was.
Yeah, it's important to know,man isn't it?
Because there's a lot of peoplethat live their whole life like
that.
It is important to know, andit's a good feeling when you
feel like you're happy Do youknow Like you're doing things
because you just do Because youwant to do it.
Yeah, you just do Like you justdo.
I have been very independent.
I do what I want to do and I'vealways had that.
But I think I've had I'vementioned this to you before
like a fear of failure hasdefinitely been a thing that
(32:27):
I've realised, Like I've livedin a comfort zone for a very
long time because it is safe andit's easier and people can't
underestimate me because I'm notgoing to break anything, I'm
not going to go through.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
It's just as easy to be uncomfortable as well.
It's just you've got to changethat mindset?
Speaker 1 (32:46):
Yeah, it is, and when you make a small step it's not
that hard.
And that's the thing.
It's not one step's going toend it, it's just a little act
or a moment or a decision orsome progress that gets you on a
roll.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
What do you think made you have that fear, because
I believe that's a massivecontributor to a lot of people
not being successful, that fearof failure.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
To be brutally honest , if I could turn into a story
like analogy, I'd say I would gosomething like this let's just
say you're in a race right, arunning race.
There's 10 divisions.
I'd rather go in Division 5 andwin it comfortably than go in
(33:35):
Division 1 and come eighth,because then someone would look
at me and go we came eighth,whereas if I was in Division 5
and 1, they'd say one, does thatmake sense?
I cared that maybe peoplethought I was this good when I
really wasn't that good in theireyes, do you know?
So that was what it was.
Yeah, I think I cared too muchabout what people would think,
(33:59):
because I wanted people to thinkthat I was a certain person.
I love for people to go ohSam's such a good bloke, but
then if you fuck up, maybe theythink you're not such a good
bloke and it's not about being agood bloke, it's about whatever
it is.
So I feel that was big when Irealized that.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
But so we did a you were on it yesterday like we did
a session with the little groupyesterday about we've created
what we believe is a successfulbuilder solution.
It's three codes and nine sortof values and like that
conversation was a lot aroundlike what is success to you?
(34:35):
And I do think it's a reallyimportant conversation because I
truly believe that most peopleon this planet these days are
not their true self and they'rechasing success through other
people's eyes or other people'sviews or opinions or thoughts.
And you've obviously got tothat point Like when you're
(34:56):
truly successful to yourself,that's freedom, that's what it
is.
Well, that is absolute freedom.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
It's life and I can honestly say look, I said at the
start I started a business forlifestyle.
The money thing I had no ideaabout and thankfully I've put
time and effort into learningabout that and now that is a
part of success.
But life has always been hugehaving a lifestyle, and that's
my lifestyle and that'sdifferent for everyone.
Yeah, that that's my lifestyleand that's different for
everyone.
Yeah, but but that's because you, you want that exactly, you've
(35:25):
chosen that's what you want todo exactly because it makes me
happy yeah, and it makes myfamily happy and it's everything
I like.
It's everything, it's your wife, it's your kids, it's
everything.
And that's a huge part.
Of success is for me, and Iwould say it and growth like if
you're, if you're working onyourself, that's success.
Like having the having that,having the realization to do
(35:46):
that and and to and to want todo it, that's success.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
It is like yeah, there's a lot of a lot to be
said in there for just the waythe world's gone and people just
having this perception oneverything and just feeling like
I don't know.
I laugh about it.
Now you see so much on socialmedia, it seems to me like the
Lamborghinis become the thingYou've got to have a Lamborghini
(36:11):
.
I can give a fuck if you have aLamborghini or not and, to be
honest, I could go and buy onetomorrow but it wouldn't make me
happy.
It might make me look good andeveryone would think that I'm
doing better than I am but is ita generation thing though?
Speaker 1 (36:25):
is our generation a bit past?
That?
Is this young?
Is this new?
This shit do you think?
Yeah, I do.
Yeah, I'm not sure I've got afeeling.
You spoke to most people in ourage, in our generation.
I think a lot of them would besimilar.
I would feel, to what we feel,I feel, but I look at that stuff
and I see it as a younger thing.
(36:46):
You know, I feel like it's a.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
Yeah, I don't know if it's a younger thing or not.
I feel it's just a.
It's a status thing, likepeople.
Yeah, I've never bought intothat.
I yeah, I just, it's like you'vegot to be true to yourself,
yeah, and whether like successis different.
To be like success is differentto everyone, and that's
perfectly okay.
Like success might be that youwant to have a hundred thousand
(37:10):
dollars in the bank and you wantto be able to go on a holiday
whenever and wherever you wantto do when you want to do it.
Success to another person mightbe that they they want to have
a million dollars in the bankand never go on a holiday.
It's it's different toeverybody, but it's-.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
And you get real.
And when you yeah, when youwanna get real human about it,
success could be walking again.
Yeah, do you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (37:29):
it can be like real shit as well but I honestly to
me, like I, one of my bestmoments of every day is when I
get up and I walk downstairs andthe first thing I do every
morning is walk to the back door, open the door and fucking
walter, my dog, is there and hejust fucking loves me and just
(37:50):
it's the first thing I do everysingle day.
And the way our house facesopen the door, sit there with
him, pat him, and you see thesun come up, yep, and I'm like
how fucking good's life, yep,yep.
And so you can, I could beanywhere doing that.
Like I could be sitting livingin a tent on a block of land
(38:10):
somewhere, like that, just beingable to have that moment to
chill out.
I, I personally think likeanyone that doesn't love dogs I
think it's fucking got somethingwrong with them but like just
animals and the girls got ahorse now like just to me, that
is success.
Like the love and affectionthat an animal gives you.
And like they teach you becausethey don't, they don't want
(38:33):
anything, they don't wantanything in return.
Like no, they just want you tobe there and give them a pat and
give them a hug.
Like yeah, there's no, there'sno intention in anything, it's
important like those.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
Yeah, wanted some gratitude and those moments,
that little things that make youglad you're around or happy
that you've done that orwhatever.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
They're obviously precious yeah, because you're
obviously a pretty special humanbeing.
You don't just have your kidseither.
You've taken on board one ofyour nieces.
Is it a niece?
Speaker 1 (39:03):
It's a nephew?
Yeah, I have.
Yeah, so Ollie's mum passedaway about four years ago from
cancer, quite young.
Yeah, so we've taken him in.
So is that your sister?
No, my wife's sister, and he'sgot four sisters too, so there's
five kids and Ollie's theyoungest.
Yeah, I think everyone'sspecial in that circumstance.
Everyone that contributes tolooking after Ollie is special,
(39:27):
yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
No, I think it's awesome, mate, when I heard that
you did that and he lives withyou and you look after him,
treat him like your own.
That's huge.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
And I can imagine the life you're given that.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
He's an amazing kid and he's got a massive amount of
potential.
Yeah, I guess we've got a longway to go with it, but I'm proud
that we're in the position todo it.
And yeah, it's like I said,there's a lot of people that
play part in that situation andwe're very thankful for every
(39:58):
one of them, and it's very mucha village.
You've got three of them, threeyeah we've got three, two girls
and a son and Ollie, so yeah,four's in the house.
He's busy and we're trying toteach him shit to make it less
busy.
So we're trying to get him tocook and do dishes and clean and
stuff and get all that routinehappening, which is a long game,
I'm sure.
So, matt, how do you?
Speaker 2 (40:19):
get the time to do this.
It's the question that everyonesays Sorry, it's an excuse that
everyone uses I don't haveenough time.
You've got time to do what youwant to do with your family.
I know you put a lot of timeinto your kids and You've got
time to do what you want to dowith your family.
I know you put a lot of timeinto your kids and you're
putting a lot of time into yourbusiness and your personal
development stuff.
Speaker 1 (40:36):
How do?
Speaker 2 (40:36):
you make the time.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
Right back to the start.
I was always, before Ollie cometo live with us, I was always
out the door at six.
That was me thing, had to beout the door and left the pieces
of the school runs to Danielle.
So I was like, nah, I've got tobe on site.
Six range will be meetings forsix, and just at the door.
And when we took Ollie in Dee's,like ah, I can't, I can't do
(40:59):
all this Capacity of three, Icame up with the idea that I
wouldn't start work till nine,which was pretty big, because I
was like I've just lost threehours in a day and I just put in
the calendar I just blocked offuntil it's 8.30 now, but I just
block off until 8.30 everysingle day.
I can't do it, and the thoughtof doing it was actually worse
(41:20):
than doing it.
And as soon as I blocked it allout this is four years ago,
it's done, I don't do it.
There's no meetings.
I don't go anywhere.
The odd one does slip through,maybe, I can't remember, I don't
.
Okay, I've done it twice thisweek.
Apart from that, very rarelyand and when I did it it just
happened.
I do schedule a lot.
It's important because you'repersonal.
(41:41):
Yeah, we do the personal stuff.
We do have a different system.
I don't lock it all togetherbecause it is too much.
Yeah, but d does the google oneand I do a work one.
Yeah, we do.
We don't follow it religiously,but you've got some structure
there.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
I do yeah, which gives you your time.
Speaker 1 (41:57):
I do.
I actually do have structureand it does give me my time.
I think people freak out.
The thought of doing it isharder than actually doing it.
But when you block it out it'sdone.
And I struggled with it for awhile because if I couldn't do
what I needed to do I'd get theshits.
But now I'm a bit more flexiblewith just rearranging the
things.
In the start I found it a bitdifficult, but I do schedule.
(42:21):
Yeah, I definitely schedule.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
And do you find, now that you've scheduled, you
actually fit a shitload more in?
Yeah, but you're doing more ofthe things you want to be doing.
Yeah, but you're doing more ofthe things you want to be doing.
Yeah, but you're actuallygetting more done.
Speaker 1 (42:33):
Yeah, 100% In your personal, in your business.
Yeah, and when you arescheduling and I know you've
touched on this before is youare taking control of your time
and you are.
The batching thing is huge, notreacting to people that want to
see you.
You can plan that and you canbatch it and you can get to a
point in time and knock a fewthings off.
So when you're, when you startbeing organized, it's quite easy
(42:55):
to keep going.
I think, yeah, but yeah, I'mnot religious to to it, but I do
have structure.
I do and I do follow it and Ithink it did.
Yeah, I do get a lot donebecause of it and I'll go right
back to start.
I've always, if there's anoffer to go and do something, I
will do it.
Do you know what I mean?
If someone says it's a personalstuff?
(43:15):
Yeah, if someone says, hey,next Friday we're all going to
the pub at 12, would you like tocome?
I will be there.
Do you know what I mean?
If someone says we're going toplay golf on Tuesday, I will be
there nine times out of 10.
Going right back to the startwas why I started a business.
It was a lifestyle thing for me.
Work hard, I do, and I put alot of time in, but I don't feel
(43:36):
guilty for accepting that timeoff and making sure it happens.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
But I would imagine you put in the hours where the
hours are needed If you've gotto do a few hours in the office
one night to get ahead of thingsyou've got to get it done.
Speaker 1 (43:56):
If you've got to do a few hours on a Saturday, you
get it done.
But, yep, absolutely mate.
Yeah, and I wake up to get itdone.
Yeah, do you know?
I mean, look, I wake up at 4 30to get it done, just because I
know I'll get it done.
And yeah, I know what I have toget done.
And fuck, sometimes you don'tget it right, but it's still
there and you get it the nexttime and whatever.
But yeah, yeah, all right, yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
I think what you said about it's harder thinking
about than is to do it likethat's what's holding most
people back, like they think soin depth about it that they hold
themselves back from actuallydoing it.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
I don't have that anymore.
It's not like I fucking doeverything first go because it's
all so easy, but I don't.
I don't.
Actually, now, if I'minterested in something, I'll
say I'll do it.
I won't go, oh yeah, but that,yeah, the thing won't work
because of or, oh fuck, I've gotto move that.
Then, oh, if I want to do it,I'll just do it.
You know, yeah, and it works,it just works.
(44:40):
It's simple.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
It doesn't just work.
Mate your mindset you'vechanged your mindset like in a
few years.
You've really just taken offand taking it all on board and
yeah, like another, I think,turning point that you I
remember.
I remember exactly where I wasI'm not sure why, but I was
driving back from the case, fromhim off a beach job and I think
you called me and you'd hadthis light bulb moment where
you'd figured out your numbers.
(45:05):
Yeah, it was like I hear youbanging on about this all the
time, but I just, I've literallyjust got it.
I've just reviewed all my, I'vereviewed all my overheads and I
know what you're talking aboutnow, and that's a simple thing.
Speaker 1 (45:15):
That is such a simple exercise, that is such a
foundation, so simple to do.
And once you understand thatfoundation, you can then build
on a forecast.
You know what I mean.
You can then start to work outwhat you need to turn over.
You can then start to pick jobsthat can see to that.
Speaker 2 (45:33):
Yeah, you've taken it next level again just recently,
haven't you?
So you've now worked out howmany jobs you have to have in
pre-construction to be able todo the turnover you need to do
to be able to earn the incomeyou want to earn Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
And then what was actually interesting about that
is when I went back and lookedat it, it worked out Like where
we were sitting, the amountsthat we had in pre-construction
pack process, the amounts thatwe had, were flowing through to
jobs, which was making therevenue where it needed to be,
which was at the correct markup,and it just it starts to work.
(46:08):
But it helps you make decisions.
We've had situations where jobshave taken longer or we've been
delayed and things like that,and we can go to a forecast
sheet and look at it and gowhat's where?
Speaker 2 (46:21):
What do we need to pull and poke and move around?
Speaker 1 (46:23):
Yeah, which one's further ahead, which one's more
likely, which one's closer,which one's less.
Work to get to that point andit's all there and that's
massive.
But the very first tip of thatis overheads, which we told
crick, we don't have any 10years ago.
We're sorted, mate.
We're sweet.
No, I think I said no, we don'thave an office, so we got no
(46:46):
overheads.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
We're sweet, but that's what it is.
Hey, like I was the I was thesame mate Growing up I thought
an overhead meant that you, yeah, you had an office space, you
had admin staff, you had bloodycomputers and shit.
Yeah, man, I just thought,because I wore a nail bag, I
didn't have overheads.
Yeah, it's all my money.
Speaker 1 (47:06):
I'll just take everything.
Eh, I'll just keep it's all,surely?
Speaker 2 (47:09):
Yeah, I'll just keep it short.
Surely it's such a simplemistake.
Even the most basic contractorstill has phone fuel, car
repayments, clothing materials,tools.
It's incredible how much cancome out.
When you start looking intothings, it adds up very quickly.
(47:29):
Yeah.
But, mate, I'll take my hat offto you.
You're absolutely king goals.
I love that you're so chilledout and I love your purpose,
like the reason you do things isto allow you more time with the
people you love to do what youwant to do, and ultimately,
that's pretty much what we alldo it for, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (47:45):
yep, it is.
I mean, it needs to be abalance.
I was all that with no money,and some people are all money
and no life, and a healthybalance is what I would like and
what I'm getting.
So it's yeah, it's huge, andI'm enjoying where I'm at and
I'm addicted to getting moreinformation and improving.
(48:07):
What do you mean by that?
You start making little stepsand you start to get a little
bit better than what you wereand things start to work.
And when it starts to work andyou look back or it seems easy,
do you know?
Speaker 2 (48:20):
and it actually you've grown as well yeah, yeah,
I have, and that's key to itbut I think I think that's what
happens, like people feel likelike you tell me if you're at
this point, but you get to apoint where you're like fuck,
fuck, something's going to gowrong.
Bank account's building up yes,the team's going well.
Like fuck, is there a camerahere?
Like something's going to fuckup.
I have had that.
But it's because, withoutrealizing it, every improvement
(48:43):
you make, your mindset's growing, your attitude's changing your
opinion of things is changing.
Speaker 1 (48:50):
I think this is it in a nutshell.
I'll tell you so.
I don't know if you remember atI think it was gold coast that
would have been.
It would have been started thisyear, so it was like 10,
whatever 10 months ago.
So one of my goals there was Iwanted to volunteer with
homeless people.
Right, yeah, I was like, yeah,I need that's really.
I want to do that.
I've always wanted to do it.
(49:11):
So I got out of that live event.
High End Life made the inquiry.
I started doing the paperwork.
They needed my license, which Ilost in France like three
months earlier and didn'treplace because they were like
it's only a license, what do youneed that for?
So I didn't have my licenseDriver's license- yeah, I didn't
have my license and you needthat for the blue card.
(49:32):
So then that stopped the wholeapplication because I couldn't
be asked and I had to replace it.
So then that dropped off andthen that went three months.
I said I really want to do this.
I went back to it so I searchedmy email for the organization's
names Rosie's.
I searched Rosie's on my emailto try and find the trail of
where I was at with theapplication.
The first email that came upwas from 2015, me asking my old
(49:57):
man for the details of Rosie'sso that I could go and help
volunteer with these homelesspeople.
Nine years ago I'd started andnever did anything about it, and
I do it now.
Do you know what I know?
I mean, I've done it, I go anddo it and it's, that's change
yeah, and that's it.
Speaker 2 (50:17):
That's a progression, because that's most people
think.
Yep, most people makethemselves feel good by sending
the email exactly like fuck,I've done something and that's
exactly like I said.
Speaker 1 (50:27):
I came higher life out of that thing, sent the
email, I've done it, I'll bedoing this next week and you get
one little roadblock.
Speaker 2 (50:32):
You haven't got a license, nah whatever, yeah, so
what did you do?
What have you done with that?
Speaker 1 (50:38):
Oh, so I go to Musco Park and they give refreshments
and chat, basically.
Yeah, it's pretty good.
I actually I really enjoy itand you just go there three
hours.
It's only once a month.
I'm in at the moment, yeah andmate.
Amazing people down there,honestly amazing people.
Speaker 2 (50:54):
It's frigging awesome .
Speaker 1 (50:55):
I love it mate, I love it.
And the other good thing thathas been a side part to it is my
kids ask me about it.
So before I go I say to them doyou want me to ask you any
questions?
And Sonny's like, yeah, ask himif Messi's Messi the goat.
Who's better, messi or Ronaldo?
But I forgot to ask that.
(51:16):
So then I come home the nextmorning and Sonny will be like
did you ask him about Messi andRonaldo?
I was like no, I didn't shit.
But then the kids want to know.
The kids are like so what arethey like?
Or who do you see and who doyou talk to and what happens,
and so on.
I feel like that's.
Speaker 2 (51:31):
So a lot of growth happens when you follow through.
We see a lot with Live.
Like Bill, we've got thatlittle launchpad program.
So many people purchasesomething, and I know I've done
it before as well.
You purchase a $99 course or a$199 course and you're like fuck
yeah, I'm going to change theworld and you never even fucking
open the emails when you getthem.
That was me.
Live life to the middle for 12months.
(51:51):
But yeah, like taking that nextstep and just following through
it gives you confidence yeah,it just gives you confidence.
Speaker 1 (52:00):
No one else made me do what I did.
I wanted to do it, yeah.
So if I can do it, you do it.
If you want to do something,you do it, yeah, and then that's
what it is, that's what youwant, it's how you want to live.
Speaker 2 (52:15):
So, mate, where to from here?
What's some goals?
Speaker 1 (52:17):
Some goals, mate Family time, holidays.
So I definitely want to striveto some good family holidays and
put them in.
I want to do a yearly nicefamily holiday.
That's important.
I've got to.
I'm building a good, reallygood team.
I've got to.
I'm building a good, reallygood team.
Start and understand exactlywhat the business needs, and I
(52:40):
think that's the simplest waythat I can make sense.
To me, which took a while tofigure out too, is that the
business is its own thing.
It's not me Like.
It needs certain things for itto grow.
So we're building a team whichis working and then I want to
consolidate that.
You know what I mean.
I want to.
We'll get into some good jobs.
(53:00):
I want to deliver them andthat's about it for now.
Speaker 2 (53:04):
Like I don't, I haven't got any written out no,
but oh, mate, I think you'reabsolutely king goals.
Your, your holiday thing willbe achievable.
Like I know, you've jumped onthe Amex thing there.
Speaker 1 (53:15):
Yeah, that's been awesome yeah.
Speaker 2 (53:17):
Amex is unreal.
I'll need to get Amex on hereand do the deal, mate because,
fuck, there's a good deal outthere, isn't there when you use
it when you take advantage of it.
Speaker 1 (53:25):
There is yeah, there is.
That's a simple step as well.
Speaker 2 (53:28):
That was something else From that Gold Coast event,
mate you obviously went homeand did a lot after that.
Speaker 1 (53:34):
Yeah, mate, and that's what I said about it,
it's the people.
It's when you're surroundedwith a group of people who are
going hard, who are great people, who you want to be around and
are successful.
Speaker 2 (53:48):
The community is unbelievable the last event down
in Adelaide, just after theevent on the Sunday, wrapping it
up, and then I'm not sure howit all happened.
I think you were the instigator, but whatever it was, 20
something of us, 26 of us allended up at that restaurant we
did, having a great time.
It's just.
Speaker 1 (54:08):
It just makes you feel like you want to keep doing
better, doesn't it?
And support people as well?
Do you know what I mean?
That's the next thing you knowthat you can offer some value
and that people are going to dothe same to you for sure.
Yeah, it's amazing, mate.
I think community is huge ifyou can surround yourself with
those right people and yourmindset.
If you, if you're comfortablein yourself and you know what
you want to do, you do it yeah,no, mate, I really appreciate
(54:28):
you coming on.
Speaker 2 (54:29):
We'll wrap it up, but before we go, what's level up
mean to you?
Speaker 1 (54:34):
Level up, pretty obvious.
Strive for it.
Yeah, go Test yourself.
Strive for something better.
Hit some goals.
Have a crack, definitely have acrack, like I think everyone's
got it in them.
Yeah, everyone can level up.
Everyone's got it in them forsure everyone's got it.
Speaker 2 (54:49):
Yeah, that's definitely a good message to
wrap it up on them.
I believe too, man.
I believe everybody on thisplanet has it in them.
Speaker 1 (54:55):
They've just got to fucking get out of their comfort
zone.
I heard something that reallyresonated with me the other day.
I don't remember who said it,but the phrase is people matter,
things don't, and everyone'sgot a shot, mate.
Everyone deserves a shot,absolutely everyone, and I think
a lot of people would besurprised, and I think the level
(55:17):
up is in them.
Everyone can have a crack, yeah, and everyone deserves it.
Speaker 2 (55:20):
Yeah, no, awesome mate.
Look.
Thanks everybody for listeningand watching this podcast.
Please help us continue to makethis Australia's number one
construction podcast Share.
Tell all your friends about it.
And, yeah, we look forward toseeing you on the next one.
Are you ready to build smarter?
live better and enjoy life, thenhead over to live like buildcom
forward slash elevate to getstarted everything discussed
(55:51):
during the level up podcast withme, duane pierce, is based
solely on my own personalexperiences and those
experiences of my guests.
The information, opinions andrecommendations presented in
this podcast are for generalinformation only, and any
reliance on the informationprovided in this podcast is done
at your own risk.
We recommend that you obtainyour own professional advice in
(56:13):
respect to the topics discussedduring this podcast.
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