How I Took Ownership for my F$#k Ups and Kept Moving Forward.

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Amelia going to me challenging me, which is great.
I love it.
Do you want to be a builder?
And I was.
I didn't even take a second.
I was like I love the challengeand that was like I've got to
keep going with this.
I just I do love being abuilder.
I love the challenge of it andI think you know having
challenges good and grit andpushing through stuff.
And if I hadn't found you apodcast, you know I don't think

(00:23):
I would still be balanced.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Cheers, mate.
G'day guys, welcome back toanother episode of Level Up.
We are back in the shed thisafternoon for another cracking
episode with a guy that I'vebeen trying to get on here for a
very long time.
He's been pretty nervous, butwe finally locked him down and
got him sitting in the seat.
So a big warm welcome to Sully,or Michael Sully as everyone
calls you.

(00:52):
Sully from MCA Builders.
How are you, buddy?
Good, good.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
Yeah, just a little bit nervous, but we're getting
there.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
You'll get there, mate.
You've got a good story to tell, so I'm super pleased that
you've taken the time to comeand have a chat today.
So sully is another live lifebuild member.
He's part of our elevateprogram.
I believe you've got a reallygood story to tell, um, so I'm
hoping you you're keen to openup and share.
Share it, because the otherthing that I hope you're open to
sharing is how far you've comein the last two years, because I

(01:21):
was trying to.
I was thinking about today howlong it's been since I've you
signed up to live life build,and it's two years yeah, it's
like just on two years ago, afew weeks ago yeah, yeah, um,
and like your turnaround'spretty cool.
I know you're very humble, youdon't put it out there, but your
turnaround's been prettysignificant.
Still a lot of work to do yeah,we've all got.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
Every day's a school day.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
We've all got to keep learning but we'll talk about
where you come from and how yougot in the industry later.
But, like, take us back to twobit over two years ago, like,
and where you're at, where yourheadspace was at before you
reached out well, two years agoI was not in a good headspace.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
I was, yeah, I was, I was cooked, I was, I was trying
to find a way out of theindustry.
Basically, I'd just come offthe end of a job that was 10
times bigger than we'd ever donethrough COVID and that
basically lost me a lot of moneyand struggled through that and

(02:17):
then had a lot of problems withthe client at the end of that,
and that was a lot of my owndoing.
I let myself get in fairpositions, um, and then, yeah, I
was trying to sort out a masterbill was the way to get, get
through this defects with hisclients and all this client and
um, and he was just, yeah, hewas doing everything he could,

(02:38):
just not to pay us and findingeverything he could find
basically to justify why youdidn't want to pay us.
Basically, um, and that wascausing me a lot of stress and
um, I think I'd I'd reached out.
Uh, I was talking back,basically forwards with um, the
tech, tech, talk people atmaster builders and um, they,

(03:00):
they were giving me some advicehere and there and I was talking
their lawyers and then I hadengaged a lawyer and um, yeah, a
private lawyer throughMasterbills, but independent.
And then, I think, tony Mitchellfrom Masterbills, I was talking
to him one day and he just saidto me he goes oh, and how are

(03:20):
you doing for all this process?
And I just broke down, I wasjust I, I was just I don't, I
didn't know how bad I was, and Iwas, I was cooked, I was just
stressed and eyeballs and and Iwas just, yeah, I was in tears
just on the phone with Tony andyeah, it was.
It was sort of like shit, I'mnot right, and I think I was

(03:41):
just saying before to Shay thatyou know, it's just, you don't
know, I think sometimes you'renot right and I think that's.
Um, I think I was just sayingbefore to Shay that you know,
it's just, you don't know, Ithink sometimes you're not right
and I think that's.
I think I'm probably more awareof it.
I think if it happened again,but yeah, I was in a really bad
spot.

Speaker 2 (03:55):
It's a hard industry, isn't it?
Oh?

Speaker 1 (03:57):
yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:59):
When you don't know what you don't know, it really
sucks the life out of you.
Yeah, don't know it.
It really sucks the life out ofyou.
Yeah, I feel like there's somany people coming into the
space now of trying to mentorand coach and help the industry
that haven't lived it.
Yeah, and I don't know.
I like I don't know.
I've been through similar towhat you've been through.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
I think it's why I resonate with you, because
you've been there, you've beenin the dumps, you've lost almost
everything and bounced back.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
It's hard to explain, isn't it?
Unless you've actually done itand been through it and felt it.
People don't understand.
It really does suck the lifeout of you.

Speaker 1 (04:40):
That was the first time in my life I reached out to
get counselling.
Tony put me on to um mates inconstruction I didn't know tx
back then.
Actually, um, and they werereally good.
They're just on phonecounseling, uh, once a week, I
think from memory, yeah, for afew months, and that was just um
the rebuild from there, Isuppose.

(05:03):
But I but I was, yeah, I wascooked.
I was like I'd be readingthrough in the books to the kids
at bedtime and I'd be readingand I would just stop.
I didn't know I'd stopped andmy wife would be like Sally,
what are you doing?
Like I can't read him?
I was, my mind was, I was so,was so stressed yeah my mind was

(05:26):
somewhere else.
I was trying to read a book, butI couldn't even concentrate on
that.
I was.
I was absolutely fried sobecause you made.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
One reason I'm really proud of you is because you,
like I, get people every singleday reach out um, whether it's
just on instagram or um emaillike they.
They find my email through mybuilding business and send me an
email or whatever way it comesthrough Live Life Build.
There's a lot of people goingthrough what you've been through
but they do nothing about it.

(05:55):
They have a chart.
You give them some solutionsand they just don't take that
next step.
You took that next step.
You signed up to Elevate and Iremember even in the early days
of Elevate, when we first metface-to-face, you were still
struggling.
I know.
It was hard to get two words outof you.

(06:15):
You didn't really know where tostart or what to do.

Speaker 1 (06:19):
Yeah, no, I'm pretty shy generally, but I remember we
met up.
I think it was after Nathanfrom down in Sydney came up for
a podcast.
We met up and I just joined up,I think a week before, two
weeks before that.

Speaker 2 (06:36):
Oh yeah, nathan from Newfound, yeah, newfound, we
went out to dinner.

Speaker 1 (06:39):
I remember walking down there on the story bridge
there on the new area there, andI was just walking around
trying to find some faces, likeyour face, because I didn't know
.
We were roughly at this hugebarrier down there and I was
just walking around trying to go.
I was probably walking aroundfor 10-15 minutes like geez, I

(07:00):
feel like an idiot here.
I'm trying to find a face ortwo that I know.
And then I managed to see Ithink it was Nathan or Brett.
I'm trying to find a face ortwo that I know.
And then I managed to see Ithink it was Nathan or Brett in
those ones.
And yeah, and that was.
I think I talked to Nathan rightthen and there and he said, oh,
you know, he's sort ofexplained a little bit while I
was in Live, life Build and hejust said you're in the right

(07:21):
place now.
And yeah, he was 100% right.
Like you just got the communityof great humans, like just,
yeah, awesome people, like Idon't think you'll find a better
bunch of people and not justsaying it because it's my
business, but I just, I justdon't, I don't know like the
community we've created justunbelievable everyone's so

(07:42):
willing to help each other,because I think we've all been
there, we're all, we've all gotthe same stories, just on
different times and different,slightly different versions.

Speaker 2 (07:50):
Yeah, so take us back a little bit more before that
all happened.
Like why?
Because I know you've you'vetaken a lot of ownership for
what happened.
From what I've seen over thelast two years, like, how did
you end up in that position?

Speaker 1 (08:05):
I was probably trying to be the nice guy.
I was trying to please everyoneand to my detriment.
I was just trying to keepeveryone else happy.
Trying to be the nice guy inbusiness, that will kill you.
Yeah, I was try not to upsetanyone and put myself in bad

(08:29):
positions and and yeah, didn'trealize how bad it was until, I
guess, people turned the fork onme and that's when, yeah, I
found myself in trouble so itwas like a lot of things, like
not choosing the right client,not understanding your, not
understanding your numbers asgood as you.
Yeah, not executing my contracts, good enough, yeah, I was doing

(08:51):
variations and stuff, but Iwasn't doing every single
variation.
I was probably just definitely,definitely, just, you know,
kept doing this and then, yeah,hopefully get some money back
for it later on.
I probably did about 89%, so itwasn't too bad, but I was just
under the pump.
It was me, me, and then I hadfive of us and I was trying to

(09:14):
do and that was through COVID Iwas on site One day.
I was on site and it was justme and all the subbies because I
had guys out with COVID and itwas like I think back then it
was just me and my all, my allthe subbies because I had guys
out with covid and it was like Ithink back then it was like 10
days yet to disappear from work.
Yeah, it was just me trying todo a two million to two million
odd job, pretty much by myself,um, and then trying to do all

(09:38):
the office work at night timeand, yeah, just just under a lot
, and then had a very good youknow an architect who was very
good at um, working me over um,and I was just I was.
I didn't feel I was, I was aprofessional and I was.
I was getting screwed over byvery, two, very good
professional people um do youthink that had a lot to do with

(10:00):
you?

Speaker 2 (10:00):
like you said you, it was 10 times your biggest job.
Do you think you went too big?

Speaker 1 (10:05):
too quick.
Oh yeah, sure, 100.
I love a challenge, um, andI'll fight to death um for a
challenge.
But yeah, I, I definitelywasn't.
I didn't have the businessbuilt up, built to where it
needed to be, to handle that.
I needed office staff.
I needed I a supervisor.
I needed probably another twoor three chippies.

(10:26):
It was really struggling tofind people.
To be honest, I'm pretty shitat hiring people.
I'd just no, I'll be all right,I'll do it.
I'll just work Saturdays.
I'll work Sundays, I'll get thejob done.

Speaker 2 (10:43):
That's what most of the industry does.
I was just head down bum up.
Days I work, some days I haveto, I'll get the job done.

Speaker 1 (10:44):
Um, it's what most of the industry does and I was
just head down, bum up and youknow, yeah, oh, and when we
handed that job over, I was Iwas in tears because it was just
like, fuck, we did it, got theclient in the house for
christmas.
I was all I wanted to do wasget them in for christmas and
give them the christmas theywanted.
And got them in there and I wasjust like, all right, I did it.
Then I went, I took a wholemonth off.
My wife goes no, take a wholemonth off, you're buggered.

(11:06):
Usually you take two or threeweeks off and I was, like you
know, knackered and came backand the problems just grew from
there with the defects that wehad to do.
We were there and we were doingthem and we were working
through them nicely with ourtrades and stuff.
Every time we finish a defects,he'd just throw us another 20.
So it was just like, okay, soyou fix them and then throw us

(11:28):
another 20 and it was just likeokay.
After about six months of goingbackwards and forwards, it was
like, yeah, this is, this is, um, this is, this is the way it's
going to go.

Speaker 2 (11:38):
There's no, there's no end to this, because you, you
didn't have a handover processand no, yeah, yeah look, we did
have the architect did gothrough and do a defects right
before Christmas.

Speaker 1 (11:48):
So we had a good list to work through because we were
rushing.
We've been through like threedifferent painting crews because
we just couldn't get people insight, so it was just the
painting was probably one of theworst ones out of all of them
and yeah, I fully admitted thepainting was great and took
accountability for that and andwe were and fixing everything we
could, um, but yeah, it wasjust.

(12:10):
Yeah, my, my handover processwas just rushing to get into
christmas and get the clients inthere and you let him move in
without paying the final billyeah, well, it was just a bit of
him.
He was moving in, he knew wherewe were hiding the key each
night and he was, um, he was inthere with his family and and
then things were good.
Then he was, we were workingtogether, help, yeah, he was, he

(12:32):
was helping us and he was happy.
He knew the construction.
He was not in a good shape.
He knew.
He basically knows prices havegone up by 35 through through
that job.
You know, he was understanding.
But later on it just yeah,turned to shit, turned to shit,
spent a fortune on lawyers andthen I just, you know, we come

(12:58):
to a resolution, right, well, ittook me almost 12 months to
finalise that and, yeah, thatwas just through the lawyers and
QVCC, a mediation through Qb,qbcc.
My lawyer didn't want me tosettle.
He, he just said no, look,you're in a really good position
here and I was like for mymental health, I was just like I
need out I didn't I don't, Ineed, I didn't go for another
christmas without my plate.

(13:19):
So he just, he, he, he basically, um, offered to take, pay us a
certain amount of money andwe're like get this prick out of
my life and move on to Iremember you talking to me about
that and I think it was a bigmove, like sometimes you just
got to cut your losses and moveon, I just need that in my life
I was.
I was like oh yeah, I've gotyoung kids I don't want to be

(13:41):
stressed for the next six monthsand potentially going through
two years of court and spending.
You know, yeah, possibly couldhave won everything, but
possibly could have spenteverything on Lewis yeah so,
yeah, I didn't want that stressand I didn't.
I didn't need that.
I was really mentallystruggling, so it was just the

(14:01):
best thing I could do just moveon and learn from it, learn from
your stakes and try and growfrom there and, um, take
ownership, take ownership.
And yeah, but I was I.
I was talking to masterbuilders how do I get it like
the only?
I was trying to find out how Iget out of this because I was
trapped, like I had a job thatI'm still liable for seven years

(14:22):
and I I was like, and I waslike I said to master bills, if
I for seven years.
And I was like I said to myspouse, if I just close the
business down, I was just like Ijust want to close the business
down, I'm done.
And they're like you can closethe business down, but you're
still liable personally.
So I could have closed thebusiness down.
It doesn't really matter, I'mstill liable as the director.
So I felt completely trappedand it was.

(14:46):
It was a good place, it was agood position to be in, it was,
um, he can.
When you can't see a way out,it's pretty tough so it's.

Speaker 2 (14:56):
I think it's an important story to share,
because there's a lot of peoplein the industry be dealing with
this right now, like um, when werelease this podcast.
But, um, and I'm really proudof you for speaking out about it
because it'll definitely help alot of people.
Uh, before we move into all thegood stuff, like take us back
like, how'd you get in theindustry?
Like, have you always wanted tobe a chippy builder?

Speaker 1 (15:17):
um.
Straight from school I went uh,oh yeah, I grew up in new
zealand, spent first 25 years innew zealand, um, so I went to
what called tafe over there.
It was polytech, but tafe, tafeover over here.
Um did a six months coursethere.
Didn't really know what Iwanted to do, um, and yeah, just
did that.

(15:38):
And um, oh, my teacher there hesaid you know, basically he
said to me that you're mysuccess story.
You've gone from a 17-year-old,18-year-old who couldn't do
anything, couldn't read a tapetype thing, to after six months

(16:00):
was doing really well.
I was like maybe I should kick.
Yeah, I should keep gas going.

Speaker 2 (16:07):
So why did you do an apprenticeship in carpentry?
Like is that?

Speaker 1 (16:10):
Yeah, so yeah I went.

Speaker 2 (16:11):
Why yeah, like is it something you wanted to do, or
just that?

Speaker 1 (16:14):
was it?
Yeah, I think I kind of likewoodwork stuff at school and
that kind of stuff.
And, yeah, my man he's a sheepand beef farmer in New Zealand,
so we were always on the farmand fencing and doing shit on
the farm, getting up to mischief.
So, yeah, I was always lovingoutdoors.

(16:35):
I can't sit at a desk for morethan an hour, which I've always
been saying.
I'm slightly better these days,but I really struggle to sit
down.
So, yeah, no, I just just likethe outdoors and and just, yeah,
just I guess, just fell into it, I guess, and um, that was late
99, um and um, yeah, I startedmy apprenticeship I think early

(16:57):
2000, so, um, and then, um, yeah, four years, and um, that was
that was for a big change in newzealand, in the building.
That's when they brought in theleaking syndrome.
Stuff came in around that, oh,just, probably in the end of my
apprenticeship, so that was whenthey all went um the cavity
system and and bit of wraps andthat kind of stuff, like like

(17:19):
you guys are doing here now.
25 years later yeah, 20 yearslater, probably realistically,
um, which is quite interesting.

Speaker 2 (17:25):
I've, I've, I've forgotten a lot, a lot of that,
because I've been, I've beenbuilding, I've been building new
zealand for since I know, andso it's crazy, isn't it, that
they, like other, so many otherparts of the world, have been
through all the condensation,the mold, the leaky houses, and
yet australia is literally well,it's not even, it's not even in
yet.

Speaker 1 (17:43):
No, that's right, yeah, it's just.
You've just done a lot moredown south, I suppose, and
obviously you're starting to doa lot up here, which is great.
I do renovation, so I haven'tfigured out how I do that yet
it's hard when you're not doinga whole house.
Yeah, that's, that's why yeah, Imake sure we insulate properly
and I think insulation is.
I've said to clients if youwant to spend some money, spend,

(18:05):
spend on insulation, do thatproperly, because that's the
cheapest thing I think you cando a property, make it function
yeah, it's hard, but when you'reputting insulation in walls
that haven't got a proper wrap,or or even a wrap on them like
we, um, we've made a like.

Speaker 2 (18:21):
Our standard now is if we're doing a renovation or
extension, um, like a majorrenovation or extension, then we
we tell the client the only waywe'll do the job is if we strip
the house like and do itproperly like you've got to put
your wrap on, I think I thinkthey would like I.

Speaker 1 (18:38):
I was involved in that in new zealand back then,
but I think that's what theywere doing a lot of like late,
probably later on, after I wassort of left.
You see the you know.
I don't know if you've beenover there, but you'll see a
construction, yeah, aconstruction site with a huge
scaffold, but it's like a bigdome.
Yeah, it's um.
I'd even, you know, seven,eight years ago I went over so

(18:59):
in auckland I was like how'sthat?
And then I was like, oh, sothat's probably a leaky building
syndrome.
And yeah, just doing that toget the work done.

Speaker 2 (19:08):
Yeah, they put the big igloo over it, similar to
what they do in Europe, and thenthe clients can still live in
the house and they strip all theoutside and get the work done.

Speaker 1 (19:18):
I think it's a great idea, yeah, yeah, I don't know
if it works that well.
With the storms here, I'd beinterested.
It's, it's, I don't know how, Idon't know if it works that
well.
The storms, yeah, but beinginterested in someone see one of
those fly away.
I don't know how they hold themdown, but I guess it's been
things possible, isn't it?

Speaker 2 (19:30):
yeah, and then?
So what?
You finished yourapprenticeship and then you
moved over here um, yeah.

Speaker 1 (19:35):
So I finished my apprenticeship uh, what was that
?
Oh three, oh four, um wasreally dead set on doing an oe,
um and um.
Next thing I was a dad, um thenhad planned all that, um.
So I was a young dad, um, and Iwas still itching, itching to
do an oe.
Oh, yeah, my mom, what's oe?
Uh, are we or it's what?

(19:56):
Somebody's saying?
It's overseas experience.
Yeah, live overseas.
Yeah, usually uk um type thing,what we call in New Zealand an
OE.
So, yeah, my mum was born inthe UK so she was a 10-pound
pond that came to New Zealand soI had a British passport
through her.
So I actually ended up goingover to work in London.
I just really wanted to sort ofexperience working in a

(20:18):
different country as a builderand a chippy, before or after
you had your child, after, after.
I waited till his his firstbirthday and I went for about
six months.
Um, did I?
Um?
on your own yeah, yeah, I wasn't, wasn't with my partner at the
time.
It was, um, yeah, tricky one,um.

(20:39):
So, yeah, I, I just I justneeded to get out of my system.
All I wanted to do was traveland experience other countries
and whatnot.
So I did a contigy and workedin London probably only about
three or four months, buttraveled for about six months, I

(20:59):
suppose, on and off throughthat time.

Speaker 2 (21:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (21:02):
And then came back from there and, uh, what was
that?
Oh, oh, five later, five,probably six, um, seeing all
these images of, uh, the aussiesand that that I met over there
and traveling, you know, onbeaches, sunny beaches, and here
we were working in london.
It was, you know, daylight at 8am.

(21:24):
You didn't put the milk in thefridge on site, it was just it
was dark by four o'clock.
Jesus boy, yeah.
So I think sometime in DecemberI was like, yeah, I'm going
back.

Speaker 2 (21:37):
It's.
Oh mate, I've never noticed itbefore.
I'm really struggling thiswinter, like it's really.
The last three weeks has justreally hit me.
I can't.
I'm really struggling thiswinter.
The last three weeks has justreally hit me.
I'm not motivated.
I'm struggling to get up in thedark.
I'm hating that it's dark inthe afternoon.
I can't play outside with thekids and the dog.
I don't know how they do itover there.

Speaker 1 (21:54):
Yeah look, being brought up in New Zealand, we
were probably about 7 o'clock,we'd start work at 7 o'clock
usually.
Sometimes we'd have to waituntil 7.
Of it was probably about 7o'clock, we'd start work at 7
o'clock usually.
Sometimes we have to wait till7.30, sometimes till it was
light enough, and usually bysort of probably depends on
where you are in the country.
New Zealand's quite a longcountry, so you know, you could
have.

(22:14):
You know, in summertime it'slight till 10.30, down the
bottom, 10.30, 11 o'clock andthen you, um, yeah, up where
we're on from which is, um, youknow, to our south auckland in
the work today, um, it's yeah,nine o'clock, so I think it was
in the summertime, butwintertime it's probably five
ish and yeah, so june, yeah, um,but you know, I love winters.

(22:36):
I, I actually love winters here.
Obviously there's a few daysyou go, oh, she's a bit cold,
but no, I, I think you, I thinkanyone who doesn't, he's not
from queensland or from southernstates, whatever, probably live
in queensland for the wintersit's not so much the cold, it's
just, it's just it's a dark.
Yeah, it's the darkness like andnot seeing the nice bright

(22:57):
sunshine it is like you get upat yeah well, I know you get up
pretty early, about five usually, and it's just so dark at the
moment until probably 6 now,isn't it really?

Speaker 2 (23:06):
Yeah, well, this morning I pulled up at a job at
Habas 6 and it was still cloudyand dark and miserable.

Speaker 1 (23:12):
I'll be jumping my plunge pool at 6 am.

Speaker 2 (23:17):
Very good, you've got your own ice bath now.

Speaker 1 (23:20):
By plunge pool, I just mean plunge ball wind
stored up, probably up the coast.
I've been jumping there around aquarter a half-hour, five,
quarter six, usually much to myguys that I work with.
They're like, what are youdoing?
But I think I only jump on thatbad wagon.
Probably only about a month orso, a few months ago now, I

(23:43):
started doing it.
But I'll get really when I getreally cold.
My body gets really itchy whenit warms up.
I don't know if that'ssomething doing my skin or
something and I've struggledwith doing that.
But I think now it's having thecold showers, like you know you
say to do, and I'm doing itbecause I just just you wake up,
you're obviously tired still,you haven't probably slept as

(24:04):
good as you should be and youjust just that mineral tool in
the shower just wipes that allaway and you just like you feel
alive.
Good start to the day.
Yeah, it's just.
Yeah, it doesn't seem to.
I know.
I think it's maybe a mentalthing as well, maybe it's just I
don't seem to get as itchy as Iused to get.
I don't know, some reason.

Speaker 2 (24:31):
Your thing as well.
Maybe it's just I don't seem toget as itchy as I used to get,
I don't know some reason.
So your skin's getting morehydrated, mate, probably, yeah,
probably, um, hot water, warmwater, hot water, like it it
takes all the goodness out ofour skin, like cool water, like
just keeps.
Like you think about, you havea a lot of time when you have a
hot shower.
You a lot of people get itchyall the time.
It's because it's dehydratingyou.
You're probably right, yeah,but um, I'm definitely no expert
, but I do the same.
I for a lot, like if I um, I'vewell, I've hardly had hot

(24:52):
showers um, for a long time, butnow, on the odd occasion I have
a hot shower, I itch for acouple hours interesting, yeah,
well, yeah, I'll get a realitchy neck around here in
summertime.

Speaker 1 (25:04):
I don't know if it's due to the sunscreen and that
and the sweat, and I've noticeda little bit through the winter
too, which is unusual.

Speaker 2 (25:10):
But yeah, I should be an expert on that, because the
things we talk about on thispodcast ain't itchy skin yeah um
, so yeah, when did so?
When?
At what point did you end up inaustralia and becoming a
builder?

Speaker 1 (25:22):
um, so I went back to new zealand.
Um, you know I want to beobviously spend a bit more time
with my young son.
Then um and um ended up workingback for the same company I
worked, did my apprenticeshipwith yeah, I didn't really leave
them really, I just sort ofwent on a sabbatical.
I suppose um and um, we end up.
The last job I did for them was06, 07 was a pretty cool job

(25:49):
working on Mount Rupai, which isa big volcano and sort of ski
fields there in the North Islandand we actually got the
contract to build the big newHeinen Express chairlift and I
was given the bottom terminal tobuild as my job.
Um, and another, another youngguy actually who lived, actually

(26:13):
grew up down the road from mehe got to give the top job, um,
the hot the top top terminal forthe building, building for the
new chairlift.
Yeah and um, that was, uh, thatwas a helicopter to work every
day, which was pretty cool.
Um, yeah, or a cheer lift.
So it was we.

(26:33):
We got basically given, youknow, thousand dollar jackets
and pants and every day we go towork with seven layers on.
This is the middle of summerbut we were working at, we were
building the highest, which ispretty cool, and um about two, I
think it's around 2400 meters,so not not crazy high, but high

(26:57):
enough where the choppers werestruggling to get gear up yeah
everything.
everything came up pretty muchthat, pretty much by chopper, um
, a little bit on the cheerleafand a little bit diggers or
something might bring it.
But that was a very slowprocess, very, very slow process
.
And the normal choppers theycould carry about 900 kgs of

(27:21):
gear.
So any cronkering we'd dothey'd be like a big hopper and
I think I can't remember itmight be half a cube.
No, maybe half a cube, maybe alittle bit less 15 years ago now
, a bit more.

Speaker 2 (27:35):
That's a pretty cool experience it was unreal.

Speaker 1 (27:38):
Yeah, I look back and I just, yeah, it was, that was.
Yeah, that was probably thehole in my career.
I'd say, um, like we, we wereabove.
We were above the clouds a lotof time, like the clouds would
be down low below us and we'djust be like blue, blue skies.
We could see mount taranaki,which is, I know, a few hundred
kilometers away.
Probably, yeah, we could seefor blue, yeah hundreds of

(28:00):
kilometers.
It was amazing, and we, we hadbig russian hay cops that were
coming.
I think that well, they told usat the time we were the first
to lift precast like concretepanels off a chopper.
Yeah, so we were chopperingthese.
I think the maximum we could doon this big russian helicopter
was three and a half tons um allright and um, we were placing

(28:22):
those.
So the chop was coming in,placing, dropping, placing them
in position on the building, um,yeah, big steel, steel and
concrete precast building.
Um and um, that's what whatthere's, one day we're doing it
and, um, cloud comes in reallyquick.
After that, while you don'treally see the cloud coming, it

(28:44):
just comes in.
And I just look, look, liftingthis panel down, and I was
talking to the chopper on theradio, just get a position in it
.
And I look up and I couldn'tsee the chopper.
It was just going in the clouds.
I could see the chain coming outof the clouds with a big
concrete slab and, uh, I waslike, oh shit, what do we do
here?
And so, um, I only had likewalkie-talkie.

(29:06):
I got a massive chopper aboveme, the, the proper hit, the
proper headset one, the go onthe bottom of the top soon, we
had that so he could hear andtalk to them and he could hear
better.
I just had a normalwalkie-talkie, that's all he
gave me.
So I couldn't hear a thing theywere saying.
So I had to run into the siteshed and try and hear what they
wanted to do, because they werejust hovering and they can't see

(29:28):
a thing.
They wouldn't be able to seemore than a couple of meters and
they're in a massive chopper,so they wouldn't, they wouldn't
be packing it and um, and theyprobably hovered there for
probably 10 minutes or so and um, I managed to get you know,
talk to them on the radio backsand forwards, and and we just
dropped this precast panel,basically placed it on the
ground, knew we weren't going toget in position.
I thought we'll just have toget digger to sort out later on

(29:50):
or something, and luckily itwasn't a big one, it was only it
was a small size panel and um,we just unhitched the chopper
and um, basically he hoveredthere for another 10 minutes or
so and then he slowly moved, itsort of got you see the light
coming through a little bit, youknow the blue sky a little bit,
and he managed to chop her outand and get down, but it was um,
it was interesting at times thechoppers in the cloud came in

(30:12):
fast.
Another time the chopper cameup and picked me up from the
bottom terminal and we had to gopick up about 4 or 5 guys from
the top terminal and this wasjust a normal chopper and our
pilot he'd be one of the world'sbest pilots, I would say.
He'd come in the cloud land andit wasn't too thick where we

(30:36):
were at this time this day andwe just went up and it was
probably about, I think it wasanother 300 or 400 metres above
us in height and to the topterminal.
And, yeah, we just went intothe cloud.
And when you're in the cloud,you don't know which, you don't
know upside down or sidewaysYou're just like, holy shit, I'm

(30:56):
sitting in this chopper and I'mjust I'm talking to Pete going,
do you use your instruments?
Like how do you know?
Like you were using instrumentsand you knew your altitude,
because we couldn't see like twometers in front of us and we
were a chopper, and he's like,oh no, instruments don't really
help you too much aroundmountains, too much.
Um, you're too close, so youjust gotta.
He just went up and he justknew you had to go up so high
and you had to go forward so farand we just like, probably

(31:20):
about 50 meters out, thisbuilding just opens out in front
of us in this rock face and wejust drop onto this rock and the
guys just jump aboard and thenwe just went up real high to get
it sort of and then just tryand get out of the cloud and
yeah, it was.
It was crazy.
He was, he was an exceptionallygood pilot, he was really good.

(31:41):
And another time he was, um, itwas thick, thick cloud.
There's another day and I couldhear this chopper and there was
a I could hear it probablyabout 100 meters away and I was
like and I radioed.
I radioed, I said pete, I thinkyou're just out from us here at
the bottom terminal, and hesaid, oh, awesome, thanks, sally

(32:02):
.
I knew I knew roughly where Iwas, but didn't know where I was
exactly.
So that's great.
So he was.
He was on one of the other.
He was just falling down thecheerlift, so he had the foot of
his chopper about a couple feetoff the chairlift cable and he
was just going so slow, likelike real slow.
Yeah, because he was justobviously real cautious, he

(32:23):
couldn't see a thing and he wasjust made his way and weighing
his way down real slow.
That was like the stuff that hedid was he was a very
experienced pilot he was.
He was probably the best in thecountry, in the world, I'd say
um.
But you know a lot of thoseparts.
They don't live forever because, as you know, choppers um go
down.
He actually, funny enough, myold man actually, um, he used to

(32:47):
trap deer um with it would whenit was mates back in the day,
because he started his matestarted deer farm by trapping
deer in the middle of the bushand he'll bring a chopper in and
they trap and make up a trap,basically like a sort of system,
a fence system I suppose, andtrap them in there and then
they'd don't really know howthey got them out, but they'd,

(33:07):
they'd get them out in some sortof nets or something, fly them
out, but pete, pete flew for him, like my, my dad, and that
probably about 20, 20 yearsbefore yeah, right it might,
yeah, actually, so it wasinteresting I know what you mean
with the cloud cover.

Speaker 2 (33:22):
When I went to everest, that um, we got stuck
in um I think I forget the nameslookla, the um, yeah, that
world's dangerous airport.
So we flew to cut fromKathmandu to there in a chopper
and then did the walk and thenflew back to Kathmandu in a
chopper, because it was quicker,because the chopper will fly as

(33:42):
long as it can see the ground,but as soon as the cloud comes
in, the planes won't fly so youcan get stuck there for six
weeks in the cloud and the bigwalk.
Yeah, it's a long walk, but uh,yeah, when we first got back to
look after doing the walk, um,they were saying the clouds
coming, like we got to hurry,and only half of our group got

(34:02):
out and the other other halfjust got stuck there for another
two nights.
Oh, wow and um, yeah, we comedown in the morning or the next.
They said make sure you're here5 30 in the morning and if like
, we'll go.
And we couldn't then the nextday.
But, um, when we got on theplane they're like, yeah, no,
the cloud's coming, like we needto get out of here so they had
three choppers.

(34:23):
They're ready to pick us all upand it was the scariest thing
I've ever done in my life, mate,like they.
Um, we literally just took offand fell down into the valley in
the chopperper In the chopper.
Yeah, yeah yeah.
And you could see the cloud justcoming in.
Oh, and then so this pilot, sowe I don't know what it works
out to Ks or whatever, but theonly way I explain it is from

(34:44):
Kathmandu to Lukla, on the waythere.
I think, off the top of my head, it was around 40 minutes or
something.
No, it might have been about 30,35, it was around 40 minutes or
something.
Um, I might be not 30, 35minutes.
You're going uphill, a long wayuphill, yeah, but um, on the
way back, like the cloud justkept coming in, like we'd be
flying along, so they just sortof skim across the tops of the
mountains.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and like we'dliterally come across the top

(35:07):
of another ridge and it'd justbe white out like you could not
see a thing.
And he, a couple of times hedove down into the valley and
like he would literally get downas low as he could go, turn the
chopper on its hard on itsslide and like do circles.
And he was looking up to seegaps in the cloud far out.
And then when he, when he wouldsee a gap, he'd just shoot for

(35:30):
it and go and like you'dliterally shoot through this gap
in the cloud, get acrossanother ridge, and it'd do the
same thing again.
And so, yeah, went 30, 35minute trip there on the way
back, I think it was over anhour and a half or an hour and
40, oh, wow, and mate, like Idon't know how many k's, but
maybe five k's, out from theairport alarms and shit start

(35:50):
going off and we're all goingwhat the fuck's going on here.
Yeah, it was low on fuel.

Speaker 1 (35:54):
He's like no, no, I've done this all the time,
mate, we'll make it like, but Iknow, like that when they when
they wore it out, like it's likewe were shitting ourselves,
like you, you don't you yourselfdon't know which way up or down
.
It's, yeah, like you, justreally surround by white it's.
It's crazy like if we stillhave a lot of whitewater
kayaking and you'd be underthese waterfalls, basically

(36:16):
bailing out of your kayak, andyou were going down and you just
saw white water around you andyou were down pretty deep and
you're trying to swim but youdon't even know which way up is
and it's just everything.
And then eventually, obviously,your life jacket would start
pulling you up, but it was justwater, so aerated that it
wouldn't happen for a while.

Speaker 2 (36:35):
It was a few tense times for that, yeah, so let's
get going, but yeah back back toum.

Speaker 1 (36:41):
Yeah, so that that was.
That was my last job at a newzealand.
Um, well, for this, for thecompany, I did my apprenticeship
with um.
I worked for them about eightyears up to I've sure had a
basic project management withthem.
And then um, I went to I justit wasn't a good headspace and
me and a mate we decided to goto Perth for a bit and we were

(37:02):
going to get into the mines.
We went to Perth and I met agood bunch of Aussies overseas
that lived in Perth and stuff.
So I had some sort ofconnections there and um got out
, got my truck license and I wasgoing to go on the mines
actually, um, and try and makesome good money, um, but we
ended up just loving perth and I, you know well, basically was

(37:25):
doing form work over therecarpentry, which was basically
butcher work.
Really it was they.
They actually hated uscarpenters because we would do
things too neat.
So basically most of the guyswe're working with weren't
carpenters our ex mechanics,bloody it guys, or whatever,
just just anyone that waslaboring or hacking up form blow

(37:46):
.
Yeah, it was like they actuallythe former hated us carpenters.
We were too neat, we would dostuff to the nearest mill and
they were just the nearest 10 or20 mill, you know.
And yeah, it was over Perth forabout a year or so and then
moved back to New Zealand tobuild a house for me, and me and

(38:06):
my brother built a house on theold man's beach property in
Wombatara, new, zealand, whichis a beautiful spot, beautiful
area.
And then that was GFC.
So GFC hit New Zealand prettyhard.
It was really bad over thereand I think we finished that
about June 2009,.

(38:28):
And there was just no workaround and I sort of wasn't
hugely interested in going backto working with the company I
worked with and even they saidthey just had no work for me.
They said they would alwaystake me with a heartbeat, but
they just said, oh, we've got nowork for even our guys.
Yeah, and that was just.
There was bad, bad times in theindustry.

Speaker 2 (38:48):
I think it was bad times everywhere, mate.
There was a lot of buildersstruggling in Australia too,
2008, 2009.

Speaker 1 (38:54):
Yeah, I think there was quite a few that took their
lives, I think from what I heard.
And then I ended up coming toBrisbane because I still have my
son there in New Zealand.
So I really wanted to go backto Perth.
It was just too far, it wasjust too far away.
So I thought, well, I couldlive in the South Island or
basically East side of NewZealand.
So Australia was it's two hoursor an hour and a half to South

(39:18):
Island, so it's like two and ahalf hours, so it's an extra
hour more.
So I was like had a few matesor had two mates here, didn't
know anyone in the industry inBrisbane.
So that was interesting becauseobviously it was a bit skint
then for work and I was just, Iwas just door knocking,
basically I'll just go tobuilding sites and um just say,

(39:39):
look, I'm a carpenter just movedover from new zealand and um
just tried and I ended uptalking to a couple of people at
, uh, some hardware stores andstuff and I think a couple
people took my number and thenhe said, oh, this guy might be
looking for a guy and um justdid a bit of work for one local
builder down there in um southside of brisbane and then um a

(39:59):
few months for him and then um,he sort of ran out of work for
me and then um ended up gettinga job out of, out of the uh
newspaper, basically um, like ajob advertisement, and um, funny
enough, the guy that actuallyemployed me.
He used to work for the companyI worked for in new zealand and
he's seen like job advertisementand, funny enough, the guy that
actually employed me.
He used to work for the companyI worked for in New Zealand and
he's seen, I worked for astanding construction.

(40:21):
He said if he's worked for themhe'll be well trained he'll
know shit, because they were agood company.
they would always have three orfour, so, um that I mean they
had like 200 acclimates for thisjob and most of them were just
labor hire guys, and so they, Iguess they just see me and and I
guess my foot was half in thedoor with that.

(40:42):
So, um, that worked out.
And then, yeah, worked for thisguy doing and that was mainly
just sending out slabs.
Um, he was actually the boss,was actually a mania steel
fixing company, but we were justI was just sending out slabs
for them and stuff, and he kindof worked under the concrete
crew and I was, yeah, and thenso you'll do whatever it takes,
eh, yeah then I end up basicallyrenovating it.

(41:05):
He knew I was a good chippy so Iended up renovating his house
on the side in between jobs andstuff and he was based in
Clayfield so I was renovatingthere and um, yeah, and then I
eventually he kind of had a full.
I think he had a big run inwith the unions on his jobs, um,
with the steel fixing company,so I think he had the unions

(41:26):
after him super work cover yeah,I don't know what it was, but
the heavies came around to hishouse when I was working there
one day and, um, it was aninteresting conversation.
Um, because he just turned upand they're like, oh, he's, he's
not paying these, whoever he'snot paying.
And I didn't know, I didn'tknow what's going on.
I was just working on his houseand he was like they were like

(41:48):
well, he's, he's renovating hishouse, he's got money.
And then he turned up and theseguys are at the front, these
heavies.
And um, I was like, oh, jesus,it's gonna go down here.
Introduction to australia.
Yeah, and then yeah, and then Iended up, um, um, sort of
finished up with them because hehe'd sort of he had to move
back to melbourne because that'swhere he's from and I think he

(42:10):
got pushed out of workingbrisbane because the unions are
basically I think so, he thinkso he went bankrupt on that
business and then he got out ofthe state for his life and, yeah
, I ended up working just for asort of high, semi-high-end
residential builder, because I'dnever done any residential.
I didn't even do much in NewZealand, really Built my own
house over there, me and mybrother, but I didn't really do

(42:33):
a lot of residential.

Speaker 2 (42:34):
It was mainly light commercial, um and uh so you got
like you've had a lot, you'vedone a lot of variety of work,
like yeah um having your ownbuilding business.

Speaker 1 (42:45):
All that helps like yeah, new zealand, as you will
back then.
I might have changed now, butback then I was a very good
apprenticeship.
You, you would basically startsending out the job on.
You'd have you and your, yoursupervisor, or you and your
carver, and you be as apprentice.
You start, you'd be on that job, the whole job, right to the
end, you know.
So it'd be like, yeah, two,three, four, you're up, and

(43:06):
obviously more in differentperiods, but you'd be like that
crew of two or three, yeah, yeah, we start to finish.
Um, it was.

Speaker 2 (43:13):
Yeah, you'd learn everything yeah, so having all
that experience and like um, Iguess, picking up all that extra
knowledge from the differentpeople you're working for, like,
has that influenced the typesof jobs you do now?

Speaker 1 (43:29):
um well, I never.
I never worked on anyrenovations, and that seems to
be what I've fallen into.

Speaker 2 (43:36):
So how long after that?
How long after that, becausethey're still trying to get to
how you become a builder.

Speaker 1 (43:41):
So basically, yeah, I basically 2009,.
Brisbane by I think probably2010,.
I think maybe 2011,.
I probably got my buildinglicense maybe 2011 or somewhere
around there late 2011,.
I got my building license maybe2011 or somewhere around there
late 2011,.
I got my building license andthen I wasn't really going to
work for myself.

(44:02):
I was just I ended up doingcarpentry for this company,
doing the residential stuff,high-end stuff, and then they
basically put me on as asupervisor and then they got a
bit low on work and I was, youknow, a small crew and I was
last one on.
So I was like, oh, the bosssort of said, oh look, I haven't
got much work for the moment.
Um, so I was like I'll renovatemy own house, so I'll just go

(44:23):
back and do that.
So I just was renovating my ownhouse and then, um, I really, I
really wanted to lay timberflooring.
Um, because I queensland timberflooring, be doing jobs on our
um jobs and I'd really love tosee natural timber floors.
I think it's bloody amazing.
So I want to learn how to dothat and I need I think there's
a reason money in it.
But I'm gonna work hard,fucking hard.

(44:44):
So I did I ended up sort of uhyou know, um, yeah, like
concrete floor, lay your ply,your plastic, your ply, and then
, yeah, yeah, your spotted gumor your black butt or whatever
you know, glue it and staple itall down, stick it in there at
all.
So I end up just going frombeing a carpenter to
subcontracting and just doingmaybe one or two jobs a month.

Speaker 2 (45:06):
For flooring.

Speaker 1 (45:07):
Yeah, for Queensland timber flooring.
It's basically a subbie.

Speaker 2 (45:12):
What time frame was that?
Because I'm sure I've met yousomewhere before.
Mate you might.
We used to call you the sameteam at Flooring for a long time
.
Maybe you played at Flooring onsome of our games.

Speaker 1 (45:19):
That would have been for 20, maybe 2011 or 2012.
No, it must have been more 2012, 2013, I reckon.
Yeah.
I only did about probably 15jobs then and I was only doing
one or two a month.
I was just doing a bit of aside well as a bit of a thing to
keep funding me, and then Ikind of I never I never really
planned on being a builder, um,but I was, I got my build

(45:41):
license and I was like, well,I'm awesome, and then I just
started picking up smallrenovations decks you know
basically just decks andmaintenance work and you know
that kind of stuff and thenobviously doing doing the
subbing to Queensland TimberForum just to get a bit of cash
flow coming in.

Speaker 2 (45:56):
Yeah, I think it's important.
It's been a long road to getthrough all your story, but I
think it's important to shareyour story because that's our
industry.
That's how it is.
Most people just keep goingfrom this to that, to that to
that and before you know it,you're running a business, all
right you've all sleep andyou're in trouble, um, but yeah,

(46:20):
I, yeah, and yeah, I wasn'tready, I definitely wasn't real.

Speaker 1 (46:24):
I I probably should have worked supervising longer
and I probably then should havemoved into, I guess, some sort
of management in the office of acompany to learn the business
side of things.
I think I could definitelybuild a house and do everything
on site, but I didn't knowanything about quoting.

Speaker 2 (46:44):
I didn't know anything about the rest of it.
So how were you doing it allJust?

Speaker 1 (46:48):
wing it Like everyone does, isn't it?
Yeah, I was just.
I don't know.
I know I just started.
Basically I'll just hand writeout all my quotes, basically
hand write out.
You know, sometimes the plansoften depends on what I was
doing.
It'll just be a small deck orsomething, or you know a lot of
it was.
I guess it was deck.
It was um all certified thatkind of stuff.

(47:09):
So I had to be drawn up bysomeone, um I would even draw up
some of my own stuff, um, forclients.
Sometimes, um, I didn't likethat because I had to be drawn
up by someone.
I would even draw up some of myown stuff for clients.
Sometimes I didn't like thatbecause I had to sit down in the
office too long.

Speaker 2 (47:21):
So you were drawing plans for decks.

Speaker 1 (47:24):
Yeah, I would draw some.
When I renovated my first housein 2011,.
I bought it in 2011, so 2012probably I drew all the plans,
just hand-drawn all the plansfor the renovation and that that
was quite a good way to learn.
I guess Building in Queenslandis quite a bit different, with
all the cycling rods and bracingand termites.

(47:46):
We didn't have any termites inNew Zealand.

Speaker 2 (47:47):
We don't have any really New Zealand's got nobody
to be predators, mate?

Speaker 1 (47:51):
No, that's right.
There's nothing in Newalandthat can kill you, or is there
really?
There have to?

Speaker 2 (47:56):
be things that can, I guess, infect you or make you
sick, but there's nothing thatcan kill you new zealand's a
bird island.

Speaker 1 (48:02):
There's nothing.
There's nothing but birds there.
Before I guess the maoris cameapparently.
So, um, yeah, it's yeah, so, um, yeah, so that takes it
probably took me a good coupleof years to learn and it was
good working for a residentialbuilder to learn all that
bracing, hold downs, all thecyclone stuff.

(48:23):
Otherwise, yeah, you couldn'tjust come from, you probably
couldn't even come in the state.
It would take you a few.
But I reckon, yeah, I thinkeven people from Melbourne that
come up that kind of stuff wouldtake a bit to learn all that.

Speaker 2 (48:36):
Um, there's a lot to it.
We've recently had a um, a guyworking with us from mckay and
he he's telling us we don't doenough, like because you get up
there and it's obviously full-oncycling.
But um, there is a lot to itand and I think that's another
reason why it's important thatbuilders do continual learning
because, like our tight endbracing, changes all the time.

Speaker 1 (48:59):
Yeah, yeah, I think, like I've learned, live, life,
build.
You've got to be open tolearning.
Like you say, every day is aschool day.
I think there's so much you canlearn and with the changes that
have been coming in and comingin, it's just um, it's
relentless.
Really.
It's yeah, yeah and yeah, I dostruggle with it because I'm

(49:19):
trying to do so much um and yeah, and I don't do new homes, so
it's, you know, um, justrenovations.
So for us, it's yeah, it's alittle bit different to a point
I guess.

Speaker 2 (49:31):
So no wonder it was.
It was so hard on you, mate,when you went through your
challenging time, because you'dwork your ass off and you'd
renovated some houses foryourself, so you'd build up a
bit of equity behind you.

Speaker 1 (49:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (49:45):
But what made you think that you could go from
doing the jobs you were doing tolike doing a $2 million job?

Speaker 1 (49:53):
I was doing lots of decks, carports, small
renovations up to sort of two,three, really, from 20 to two,
three hundred thousand max.
But I was just I think I wasjust bored and I just I think I
just done some some pretty coolwork in new zealand.
I just, and this, this job gotoffered to me.
I did know this client.

(50:13):
I knew her for about five yearsplaying touch footy and yeah, I
just, I think I just wanted achallenge and I didn't realize
how much of a challenge it wasand, yeah, I had a few staff
problems then and that was thestart of COVID.
And so, yeah, it was definitely.
If it wasn't COVID, it probablywouldn't have been.

(50:34):
It would have been a challengebut it would have been, would
have been all right and I wouldhave probably done all right of
it.
But I, I didn't, yeah, I didn't, didn't pay myself a wage for
two years and I've been business.
I was just had to keepeverything in the business to
try and keep paying everyone didyou quote the job or was it?
yeah, no, it was actually I was,for we actually, um, I had had
a little bit of businesscoaching before that and I had

(50:57):
had jumped on the whole pay forquotes.
So I actually had charged Ithink two and a half grand for
um, a company to price it up, um, and because I wasn't really
that, I didn't trust myself toquote that something that size
up because it's a fullarchitectural renovation, a very
italian style home, um, so itwas a lot different to what I

(51:17):
worked on and it was all brickand concrete and yeah a little
bit of framing.
We, we put a new level on thetop of it and stuff, um.
So, yeah, it was, yeah,definitely, definitely, um, it
was definitely reasonably well,but there was definitely things
missed as well.
And I I was picking up things,looking for the plans as they
were, as they had priced it,because I found things as well

(51:39):
they missed.
But there was just we weregoing for the job and I'm like
there's a curved, there's acurved ceiling in this room.

Speaker 2 (51:46):
I didn't laugh at that.

Speaker 1 (51:47):
Yeah, I didn't laugh at that, you know, because you
just it was just because Ihadn't done a lot of
architectural work actually aswell, so that kind of.
You know I'd just been doingstandard, you know drafts and
top stuff.
So the layers of architecturalplans were just I was well over
my head, I guess, and you justyou've got to go through so many

(52:08):
pages, as you know, to find theinformation out.
You're looking at one or twoplans.
You've got to go for this you'vegot to have engineering your
backwards and forwards betweenso much to then figure out steep
learning curve mate.
Oh yeah, she was.
Uh, she was a big one, she wasinteresting, but um and again.

Speaker 2 (52:25):
All this stuff I think it's very important to
talk about, because you see somany young guys these days that
just want to shoot for theclouds, like in this game.

Speaker 1 (52:32):
Like you need experience 100, yeah yeah, oh,
like good young guy that'sworking for me and he really
great bloke and um, he, he wantsto be a builder and um, but I
just said to mate, you need towork for someone with 10 years,
you really need to.
You need, like you've just, youknow, six months out of your

(52:52):
time.
You need to work, you need towork your way.
You just finish your print,yeah, you finish your printer.
You think you know everything.
You haven't even started.
Yeah, you've got probablyanother four years of being a
chippy leading hand and thenwork into supervision and then
you know, ultimately, I think ifyou can work into a business

(53:14):
and probably do a bit of projectmanagement and learn the office
side of things before youreally go and be a builder, I
think is probably beneficial.

Speaker 2 (53:24):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (53:26):
And yeah, probably not as well, probably not too
big a company.
Maybe it depends on what youwant to do, I guess, but if you
can learn how the actualbusiness runs, because, yeah,
we're none of us taught thatwell, it's well.

Speaker 2 (53:39):
It's not on our radar , isn't it because you know like
you're getting the industry?

Speaker 1 (53:42):
you just want to swing a hammer and shoot some
nail guns yeah, and get on site,crank the chains with the boys.

Speaker 2 (53:48):
Have a good day like yeah um the business side and,
like you've mentioned a lot oftimes, you still don't like
sitting in the office.
But no struggle, a differentstruggle yeah, but you've like,
since you're on a live lifebuild, you've implemented a lot
of stuff.
So let's start talking aboutthe good stuff because, like,
like I said before, you're avery humble bloke.
Like you've to come from thatposition where you basically had

(54:09):
a breakdown you lost money on ajob to now being in a position
where you've got good qualitywork, good clients, and you
recently bought an investmentproperty.
You're going to Airbnb, you'rekicking gulls.

Speaker 1 (54:24):
Yeah, look, it's definitely been a good last
couple of years or last year orso, and that's nothing to think,
but you and your podcast tothen find Live Life, build and
then start implementing somestuff.
And I've still got so much job.
I've definitely not run thebusiness anywhere near I want to
yet.
I've got so much I want to do.

(54:45):
I'm just struggling to find thetime to knuckle down and get
that kind of stuff done.
But yeah, the pack process hasbeen great.
I think I've done about 8 packprocesses.
I think the only one thathasn't stuff done, um, but yeah,
the pack process has been great.
You know, I think I've doneabout eight pack process.
I think the only only one thathasn't really ventured because,
like, the cost was just, I justjust as they just weren't ready
for that kind of job, um, that'swhat we didn't even really, we

(55:06):
didn't haven't continued muchwithout the moment.
They probably will come back tous in a couple years they said
yeah and finish off fully doingplans and stuff.
But every other pack processI've done has gone ahead and
I've only been doing it probablya year.
Yeah, got a couple that arecoming up that are pretty keen

(55:27):
to get going, just got toformalise a whole lot of stuff,
so yeah, that's definitelyhelped.

Speaker 2 (55:32):
Your confidence is definitely, definitely back, but
, like you, compared to whereyou were when I first met you oh
, going on, uh, what drive 23?

Speaker 1 (55:42):
um, that was like I definitely quite taking a week
off to go and do that was a big,big call.
Um, but just having you knowthe small group of us and have
so much time with you and ameliawas, yeah, ellis world, it was.
That was life-changing.
Um, you know, I was still very,really new to live life build

(56:03):
then, um, some of the other guyshave been there for a while and
that you know, just to get toknow brett and eric and you know
the lukes and yeah, it wasbloody.
You know everyone sort ofbonded.
They're amazing and um, you got.

Speaker 2 (56:17):
You went pretty hard after that, didn't you like?

Speaker 1 (56:19):
you got stuck into things and yeah, well, I
remember sitting in the hot seaton the bus and and I sort of
remember looking back now,amelia going to me, challenging
me which is great, I love it um,like, do you want to be a
builder?
And I was.
I didn't even take a second.
I was like I love the fuckingchallenge and that was like I've

(56:40):
got to keep going with this.
I just I do love being abuilder.
I love the challenge of it andI think you know, having
challenges, good and grit andpushing through stuff, and
that's that's probably what'skept me going is, yeah, just,
you just got to find your waythrough it and yeah, otherwise I
probably would have given it.
If I hadn't, if I hadn't foundyou a podcast, you know, I don't

(57:03):
think I would still be building, to be honest.

Speaker 2 (57:06):
I was.

Speaker 1 (57:06):
I was like, yeah, there's so much I got out of
that podcast.
Just that resonated and I Ithink I was saying shade um the
other night, um that I, you know, I really started this podcast
probably around 2019 and justyou can get so much growth,
listen to podcasts.
And I was had been hunting,looking for an australian
building podcast for so long,because obviously you found some

(57:30):
american ones and it didn'treally you know, really sort of
resonate with, I guess, the waywe've been in australia and that
kind of stuff.
So I think I just come acrossmaybe amelia's undercover
podcasts through a facebookgroup someone mentioned
something about it and then Ithink I found you on through
that.
I think you don't mean doingthem, maybe six months before,

(57:50):
maybe I'm not sure yeah, thepodcast.

Speaker 2 (57:52):
I mean, was it two and a half years, I think?

Speaker 1 (57:56):
um, so that was, and then I don't, you know, it's
quite funny looking back at allyour podcasts and then I've
obviously met you and and now alot of the guys I've met that
you've done, probably back thenI probably met half the ones
back then yeah um, ryan brownand a number of guys.
It's like I've sort and it'squite funny.
Yeah, probably helps me beingBrisbane based and 10 or 15

(58:19):
minutes down the road from you.
It's, I think, a lot of thetown players you held there the
Steel Razor, all sort of hadtalking with a lot of them over
the years.
It's just, it's a small town.

Speaker 2 (58:32):
Yeah, well, mate, the world's a small space.
You've got gotta look aftereverybody, do the right thing by
everybody.
But, um, I appreciate thefeedback, mate, and definitely,
um, oh, it's changed my worldlike I would.

Speaker 1 (58:42):
Yeah, I would still be running a shit show and yeah,
I still am to a certain point,but um, yeah, I've still got so
much work to do, but just yeah,I think just well you're.

Speaker 2 (58:53):
You're part of it now , mate, you're sitting here
telling your story, so you're apart of the journey now for this
way.

Speaker 1 (58:58):
I was, you've, I think you've asked me a number
of times and I was like you know, I don't think I'm ready yet, I
don't think I've done enough.
And then I think I'm talking tothe boys the other night at
dinner and um, that just came up, um from melbourne and sydney
and stuff, and I was like shaywas hitting me up again and I
was like, and I think you justmissed me out of the blue the

(59:20):
other monday and I was like youknow what, fuck it, let's do it.
It's just um, I'm sure we'llhelp someone somewhere that
might be going through hell atthe moment.

Speaker 2 (59:29):
And um, yeah, if that it's crazy the power of a
podcast mate like we.
Um I, I get a lot out of it nowlike I like I look forward to
the days we're going to record II think it's a.
I just love chatting to peoplein the industry that are willing
to share their stories, becauseI stories are what helps other
people oh well, it's raw andit's it's well people connect

(59:54):
with it.

Speaker 1 (59:54):
I don't, I think, I don't think, I think there's a
lot of this bullshit.
I think, you know there'sobviously a lot of bullshit, but
, um, I think, I think when youtalk to someone for an hour or
two, it's, it's pretty raw andemotional sometimes and yeah, I
think the people connect becausethey can hear the emotion and
um, but I think by tellingstories you get to like you

(01:00:15):
resonate with people like youcan
you can go oh shit, I've beenthrough that shit, I've done
that, oh yeah, um, oh yeahthat's that's why I listen to
your ones was like you know, Ithink um brett's podcasts, um,
that's what pretty much like hewas talking about getting out of
the industry and he pretty muchfound jobs for all those guys
and and, yeah, he was, he wasdone, he was cooked, he was, he

(01:00:36):
was out, and that.
That was like.
That was exactly how I felt atthe time and I was like I need
to do something here.
And then, I think that's when Ijoined up to elevator no, sorry
, launch pad and um, yeah, thenI was like, as soon as I, I
think you talked to me on thephone, um, as you do with, and I
was like, yeah, I'm 100% joinedup with all that.
I think that would help memassively.

(01:00:57):
I just think you know just whatyou guys are putting out.
There was just exactly what Ineeded to hear and there's a way
through it.

Speaker 2 (01:01:05):
Oh, mate, and look, I don't want to keep banging on,
but you've got to.
I tell people all the time likeit's just an Aussie thing, I
think it's good to be humble,but you've got to celebrate your
wins.

Speaker 1 (01:01:16):
Yeah, look, I've been a lot of reflecting over the
last year or so, and Apple'sbeen great for that in the
platform.
I look back 25 years ago when Istarted I thought I'd be a
chippy and that was it.
I never even thought I'd be achippy and that was it.
I never even thought I'd be aleading hand.
I never thought I'd be a fullbuilder.

(01:01:40):
I just was happy just to be acarpenter one day.
That'd be me.
I'd work for someone for 40years or whatever.
I wouldn't change anything now.
I love running a business.
If you set it up once.
You do set it up properly, andI'll still want to go like I say

(01:02:01):
, but I can actually pick thekids up from school.
I can work my days aroundthings.
If you've got a half-decentteam, you can work around.
You can catch up the hoursafter.
You might need to do a coupleof hours in the office here and
there, but that's the kind ofstuff you can do.
It needs to be done, but itdoesn't need to be done right

(01:02:21):
now.
So I think it's something thatyou can just work.
You can do that after the kidsgo to bed and you know I try not
to do too much of that thesedays, but I do find myself
always trying to catch up onoff-shoot at night time because
I still am on the tools,probably about 8% of the time.

Speaker 2 (01:02:35):
I was going to say so .
What's the structure at themoment?
What's your team look like?

Speaker 1 (01:02:38):
It's only me and a couple of guys.
So, yeah, just me and a coupleof guys.
And yeah, we try not to use ahell of a lot of subbies.
I think that going through thatperiod of covid, I got burned
by a lot of subbies and it waslike I just was like that's why
I scaled right back from youknow four to five blokes down to
just it was just me and one guy, um.

(01:03:01):
After that period for about ayear or so, I mean, I mean matt
rowan, um, he was yeah, it's acracking dude, um, and he was an
adult apprentice and he justfinished up with me in the year.
So, and then actually one of myguys is actually a plumber by
trade, so that's quite handy.
And yeah, we're just a smallteam.

(01:03:23):
I pretty much do everything inthe office.

Speaker 2 (01:03:25):
So do you do own plumbing?

Speaker 1 (01:03:27):
No, I'm not.
We do do a little bit, maybestormwater and stuff on site,
but no, we're too busy doingthat carpentry side of things
and and I'm sort of teachingwhat he's my plumber he's
actually come becoming a prettygood handy.
Um, he's been a really good ta.
He's actually starting to pickit up pretty good now.
Um, he's worked on enough forus doing plumbing.

(01:03:48):
He was our plumber as well.
We were two plumbers and he wasone of them for years.
So he always done a bit ofplumbing on site for us as a
subcontractor and then alwaysand he was picking up a bit of
laboring work with us as wellfrom time to time as a business.
Um, so yeah, no, just just asmall crew.
Um, and I don't want to, I'mnot really interested in getting
too big.
I probably would love to havesomeone in the office helping me

(01:04:11):
.
Got to put in theover-the-cackel out of it, yeah
that's it.
I have been thinking of, youknow, trying to get some
part-time help from like youknow, like a mum or something
like that that needs a few hoursor half a day here and there,
you know, working around schoolkids and that, or a VA.
I just haven't taken that diveyet.

(01:04:32):
I think I'm still.
I've still got to define therole, I suppose.

Speaker 2 (01:04:39):
The overhead, understanding your numbers, your
overheads.
Has that been it?

Speaker 1 (01:04:43):
That's something I've never done, luckily.
I'd always done at least a 20%,as the master contract was
always well.
The ones done at least a 20% asa master builder's contract was
always well.
The ones I use is always 20%,so I was never doing 10%.
I think early on I probably diddo a few at 15% just because I
was trying to get work.

Speaker 2 (01:05:03):
Doing work for free mate.

Speaker 1 (01:05:04):
Yeah, that was it, and I was like I don't have any
overheads.

Speaker 2 (01:05:08):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:05:08):
I don't have overheads, it's just me.
That was it, um, and I was likeI don't have any overheads.
Um, yeah, I don't haveoverheads, I'm just just me.
But until you actually do thatcalculating, you're like, oh,
and she has quite a lot ofoverheads, um, yeah, everybody's
good, and not yeah, I don'thave any other stuff.
It's like yeah, I think I'mabout eight, eighteen percent
overheads, um.
So you know it's um, yes,interesting when you like it.
You know insurances and peopledo not understand.

Speaker 2 (01:05:31):
It's so much.
There's so much there you don'teven think of that's an
overhead and you knoweverything's so bloody expensive
at the moment and that's allgot to get built in somewhere
yeah, that's right it's a bigone, but I know you spent a fair
bit of time on that, figuringthat out and working oh the yeah
, the over here calculator isprobably great.

Speaker 1 (01:05:45):
The 6p wheel that we do in an elevator is, I think
that's just.
That's probably the first thingto do to to isolate where you
start what you start doing, tolook at um, because, um, you
just I guess you want to do somuch you don't know where to
start sometimes.
So I guess, do that 6p wheel,gives you an idea what you're

(01:06:06):
going to work on and it's justyou still do that regularly
probably your last one did wasthree or four months ago, so I'm
definitely overdue for anotherone.
Yeah, definitely need to doanother one.
I probably don't do enough andI probably don't do my OV
calculator enough.
I need to sit down and do thatagain.

Speaker 2 (01:06:23):
Are you a visual person?
Do you get more out of seeingthings?

Speaker 1 (01:06:27):
Yeah, oh, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:06:28):
Yeah, definitely.
But those 6P wheels I've got aheap of them in the drawer on
the side of my desk, butgenerally when I do one, the
most recent one is blue-tackedon the wall and it's where I can
see it all the time.

Speaker 1 (01:06:46):
It was interesting doing the call a few weeks ago
on your launchpad and just whileyou guys were talking, I was
like I found.
I went to the filing cabinet Ifound, um, my first six-speed
wheel and I showed it and shewas very jagged but that was,
that was quite good to like.
I hadn't got, I hadn't lookedthat far back, um, so that was
that was good to look back andthat was something else came up
two years around that time.

(01:07:07):
So, um, yeah, like I know, Ijust I think I think people just
gotta, I think people look atthe money.
You know this coaching typestuff that's.
I think if you find the rightcoaching, you just I think money
, the money you spend on it,you're going to give out.
Yeah, how many years going tobe a builder?
Yeah, think about that.

(01:07:28):
Oh, you're going to be able tohave next 20, 30, maybe 40 years
.
You know, if you can startsetting yourself up that 10, 20
grand over a couple years,whatever you spend, that's going
to be nothing like yourbusiness you'll get.
You'll get that back in well,it should be so many jobs it
should like.

Speaker 2 (01:07:44):
I think I believe now that, like everybody should
have a coach constantly, youmight move on from Live Life
Building and go somewhere elseto another specialist in
something else.
But, like I, I've dropped backto at the moment.
But, like, for the last 18months or so, I've had 5 coaches
.
I've got 3 at the moment.

Speaker 1 (01:08:05):
I think you need to be accountable, don't you?

Speaker 2 (01:08:07):
you've got to be accountable one thing that's
really, I just think, been ahuge part of my um, everything
like my wealth, my businesses,everything just really growing
rapidly the last couple of yearsis I'm making sure that I'm
using coaches that are achievingwhat I want to achieve To me.

(01:08:30):
I'm big for it myself.
I make sure I practice what Ipreach.
If I tell someone to dosomething or talk to someone
about something, I've done it.

Speaker 1 (01:08:40):
Yeah, that's reasonable.

Speaker 2 (01:08:42):
And so for me the proof's got to be in the pudding
.
So there is no way that I wouldwork with a coach that hadn't
achieved the things that he orshe was telling me to do.
That's right, and I thinkthere's a lot of.
It does worry me a bit.
You see so much shit on socialmedia with all these influencers
trying to sell courses andstuff, but they haven't actually

(01:09:06):
had made money from doing whatthey're saying.
They're making the money frompeople, paying them to be told
something, yep.
So I think it's something thatpeople need to be aware of, like
you've got to.

Speaker 1 (01:09:19):
I think, yeah, like I've only done one coaching
before this and definitely itwas just all about sales and
this and that I didn't the guyhad never been a builder, this
and that, but it was just just.
It was just there was no real,it just got got so far and it
was like I spent a few months onit.
So it was wasn't.
I wasn't in a deep hole, but,yeah, definitely got something

(01:09:40):
out of it.
Um, and I think you know youget something out of everything.
Like I said, I think, I think,talking to other people, even
you know one of our neighbors.
She's she's high up in amining-type company and she's
got a coach.
You know it's just.
I think it's just, you just needto push in the right direction
sometimes, I guess, like apersonal trainer type does to

(01:10:04):
you, makes you accountable, getsyou out of bed in the morning
type thing, I think, becausewhen you're the boss, there's no
one.
There's no, really, apart fromyour client.
There's no one there to kickyour ass, really, is there?

Speaker 2 (01:10:18):
yeah, and you've got to.
There has to be accountability.
Like you can't.
So many more people would be somuch more better off if they
had some form of coach, like you, just setting goals or having
goals in your head and meetingwith your accountant once or
twice a year.
And like you, you, you can'tjust rely on cruising through

(01:10:40):
life and making a bit of moneyat the end of financial year.

Speaker 1 (01:10:43):
Like you, you need people to help guide you yeah,
well, even even through, um, themates of construction and
counseling, they put me onto afinancial advisor type person.
Just it was just an on-callthing for half an hour an hour
every couple weeks, whatever itwas.
But even that I got out of.
That was just you know, thesehigh interest savings account
that you know you put money tothose and it was you know making

(01:11:07):
money in the background thathelped us buy our investment
because we were looking foranother property to uh, to up
and you know buy and um, thatdefinitely kicked us on, um,
just just by one conversation.

Speaker 2 (01:11:19):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:11:19):
Unless you're looking for that stuff.

Speaker 2 (01:11:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:11:21):
You won't find it yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:11:23):
Well shit, does something happen.
If how you're living your lifenow is not how you want to be
living, you have to do somethingabout it.
It's not just going to all of asudden one day change or get
better.
You've got to make it happen.

Speaker 1 (01:11:35):
And you've got to, I think.
And one thing you can't justlisten to it, you've actually
got to like, for me, I'mprobably pretty stubborn and
probably very slow to pick up ondoing things, because I'm
pretty stubborn Most blokes are,but you know, it's just there,
we are, mate, but you, I think,I think I could.

(01:11:56):
I could hear this thing in theback of my head and I'll hear it
again a few months later andthen it might take me three,
some of six months to startgoing in that direction properly
.
But it's probably like thestuff we learned if I build it's
, it's a slow.
The stuff we learn to live bybuild it's, it's a slow, gradual
.
I think I can't changeovernight, you know, but I think
, um, I think if you just slowly, you know, you just in the back

(01:12:19):
of your mind, that's probablywhat I want to need to do, and
then you slowly figure out, Isuppose you find the right path
to get to there but do you get alot out of?

Speaker 2 (01:12:26):
because I like, a lot of people come to live, life,
build because they want oursystems or they want our
overhead calculator or something, but then it becomes all about
the community.
So when you've got access to allthose things, but then you've
also got a community that'ssupporting you.
But it's funny talking about.
Like you've got to make shithappen.
I was having a goodconversation with a good mate of

(01:12:47):
mine today, um, and he wastelling me a story that he's
great.
Um, his grandfather told himbefore he passed away and it it
was so true.
Like you, like everyone thinksthe milk comes from the cow,
yeah, but like it doesn't, yeah,but you've got, you've got to
make it happen.
That's right.
Like you've got to look afterthe cow.
You've got to support the cowyou've got to make sure it gets
fed and watered, and and thendoesn't grow into trees yeah,

(01:13:10):
but then even after all that,like the milk just doesn't come
like you physically got to getthe milk?
Yeah, that's right so it's not,it's just like life, yeah
there's a process to it and toget something you've got to put
in the effort to get the results.
So milk just doesn't come froma cow.

Speaker 1 (01:13:25):
There's a process and there's effort that has to be
put in to get the milk, that's Ithink it's what's forgotten
about.
Sometimes it's yeah, you've gotto move in that right direction
now.
You've got to put things inplace to make you accountable to
go in that direction yeah Ithink it just takes.
It does take time for meespecially.
You know a lot of people willbe way faster than me.

Speaker 2 (01:13:45):
Um, but that's okay yeah, that's right.

Speaker 1 (01:13:47):
Everyone, even I think we're, we're probably a
similar age.
I think, um, but you'll, youprobably started building a bit
before me and and you build upand I'm similar age to you but
we're doing similar stuff.

Speaker 2 (01:13:57):
But you've got a pretty big team where I'm just
got a small team and like, well,it's just, we're just different
people, but well, that'ssomething as you can, would
attest to, like that's somethingwe're huge at live life, build
on like, but you've, like,you've got to figure out what
success looks like for youthat's right everybody's got a
different level of stress andanxiety and like all that type

(01:14:18):
of stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:14:19):
Don't worry about what's on scram and everything
else.
It's just I think, yeah, likeyou gotta, you gotta run your
race, so you gotta.
There's no point looking atsomeone going, oh, he's doing
well, and like you said, becausehe's maybe doing well but he
may not be.

Speaker 2 (01:14:32):
Yeah, he may just be up to his eyeballs and yeah,
well, and that's the thing younever, ever know.
But, um, maybe we'll start towrap it up.
But I really, like I said,you're very humble, we've talked
about a lot of stuff, but, um,I I like your new venture.
Like you've, you've reached out.
The building business is nowsort of cruising along.

Speaker 1 (01:14:54):
There's always going to be things to improve on, I'm
sure, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:14:56):
But yourself and your wife have now taken the leap
and you're doing something thatis worthwhile doing for your
future family.
Do you want to tell us a littlebit about that?
I'm excited I see your post onInstagram.
I think it's bloody awesome.

Speaker 1 (01:15:14):
Yeah, well, we always wanted acreage somewhere I'm a
country boy, um.
So we managed to to get sixacres up the sunny coasts, um up
yandina ways, and it's got a150 year old queenslander on
there, so it's bloody.
I love it.
I've been up there everyweekend, apart from about three
for the last six months.

Speaker 2 (01:15:30):
Well, mate, every time I speak to you, that's
where you are, and so that's theproof's in the pudding.
Your business is obviouslyrunning well because you get to
duck off up there and do whatyou want to do and renovate that
so you can turn it into this.

Speaker 1 (01:15:46):
Yeah, like yeah, we're just the kids.
Yeah, my kids my youngest twoare 6 and 8, so I want them to
be able to enjoy country, not bein the city.
We live in a good place inBrisbane.
We've got a big block and we'reback on the Kedron Brook and
we've got acres around.
I don't feel like we're in themiddle of the city, to be honest
, where we are, but I'm havingthe six acres up there and I see

(01:16:08):
a rainforest and it's magic.
It doesn't.
I don't feel like I'm.
I feel de-stressed every time Igo there.
I feel it's even though I'mdoing some work there.
Most of the times I'm there andcutting trees and yeah, but
you're doing work for adifferent reason.

Speaker 2 (01:16:23):
Yeah, that's right.
It's just, You've got to runthis as a business, aren't you?
Airbnb?

Speaker 1 (01:16:27):
Yeah, we're building it up.
Just, you know, airbnb out umover time, um, we want to be
able to.
You know, we want investment.
Probably we want to be able touse it too.
So we want to be able tothought airbnb is a good way to
go to block it out yeah forourselves to to utilize it.
Um, and then to you know, wecould block out if we want to do
different work to it atdifferent times.

(01:16:48):
If we got to a point where weneed to do some more stuff to it
, we can just block out time forthat.
So I think airbnb gives you abit of flexibility yeah,
definitely definitely gonna be alearning curve, but you know
it's, it's.
Yeah, it's just been.
Yeah, it's been.

Speaker 2 (01:17:01):
I love it um where can people uh find the airbnb
mate, what's it called?

Speaker 1 (01:17:05):
um well, it's not on airbnb, yet it's but on
instagram instagram it's umcalled fairburn.
Fairburn cottage um airbnb.
I think it's called fairburncottage airbnb, I think, on
instagram, um, but if you if yousearch fairburn, underscore
fair, under burn, underscoreburn, you'll find it.
So you know it's just yeah, wewant to have somewhere where you

(01:17:29):
know we can go, kids people cango, and just you know what a
nice fire, put a plunge ballputting in um, you know, just
just to go and chill or want to,I like to put a sauna or
something in one day, you knowthat kind of stuff, just to be
able to go.
And it's just surrounded by,you know, rainforest and trees,
it's on sort of mountain indory,so it's.
It's, yeah, 20 minutes from thebeach, you know, an hour from

(01:17:52):
brisbane, an hour and five frommy own house, so it's yeah, it's
awesome you should be reallyproud like.
It's a massive turnaround in twoyears 15 years ago when it came
to brissy, all the wonder wasacreage up there and it probably
took a bit of a hit therethrough the covid period when I
lost a lot of money and, um,yeah, a lot of work for nothing,
um, and I'll you know.

(01:18:13):
I guess now we're realize thedream and you know eventually,
yeah, eventually we'll probablymove out there eventually.
I just it might be afterschooling the kids and that kind
of stuff.
But, um, yeah, just, yeah, justso happy we're found and
finding our feet again.
And our wife, she runs her ownbusiness too, a photography

(01:18:34):
business.
So she's, you know, we're bothself-employed, so it's, you know
, we can sort of be flexiblearound there to a certain point.
So, yeah, um, try and structurethat around and we're both, and
my wife she's, she's, she'sdoing the kids mostly, and I'm,
but I'm just trying to take on alot more these days, picking up
from school once or twice aweek these days, and that's

(01:18:56):
stuff I wouldn't have dreamed of.
I was just working from 6 to5.30 on site and going back and
doing the office work.
It was all about.
Someone once told me you'reyoung, you've got to go for it.
So I think me like, you'reyoung, you've got to go for it.
So I think I had that in mymind that you've got to go for
it.
But I think you've got to gofor it in the right way.
Yeah, definitely.

(01:19:16):
Otherwise you just, yeah, youjust, there's so much work.
Yeah, I think there's so muchwork out there for us builders.
But I think your young guysprobably want to jump on the
builder bandwagon pretty, prettyearly on.
But I think you, just you needto make your way there in the
right process.
You gotta get an experience,otherwise you're gonna go
through hell and yeah, there area lot of like tx and mates in

(01:19:39):
construction, that kind of stuffdoing wonderful jobs these days
and helping out.
So I think that's reallyimportant because, yeah, the
suicide stuff is bad.
I've lost a, a really good mate, so the use of suicide that
fucking hurts.

Speaker 2 (01:19:51):
Yeah, that's not good .
No, mate, look, I reallyappreciate you coming on and
sharing your story because, yeah, as we said, stories is what's
going to resonate and help withother people, and I think it's
really important that, like,people are a bit vulnerable and
they share the hard times andthe troubles and the stress and
all the stuff they've beenthrough.

(01:20:12):
So, mate, take my hat off toyou for coming in and sharing
with us today.
I really appreciate it.
Um, where can people find youon with your building?

Speaker 1 (01:20:19):
business um instagram .
We mco builders um my website,mc.
My website is still my oldbusiness name, mco building
services, but I'm but I'mterrible with updating my
website, updating photos.
I'm very, very slack atFacebook and Instagram my

(01:20:40):
business but I'm slowly gettingbetter.
But I just spend so much timeworking the business to actually
provide all our works word ofmouth, so I just try and keep
doing a good job for my clientsand you know, 95% of our work
just comes to us through word ofmouth, so try and keep doing a
good job.
But yeah, I know I need tofocus more on social media and

(01:21:04):
update my website, which isabout eight years old.

Speaker 2 (01:21:07):
Once you get this Airbnb business up and running,
you need to get in yourscheduling and smash it out, Yep
that's it.

Speaker 1 (01:21:15):
Schedule thing, scheduling has been a big change
for me.
I'm using my phone and diary alot more than the schedule and
that's definitely up.
I'll definitely listen to whatyou say there.
Scheduling days are a lotbetter meetings and everything.
I think that's key.
It's just taking that time tothe start of the day to do that.

Speaker 2 (01:21:32):
Follow it up, mate.
No, look, keep smashing it out.
Really appreciate your timethis afternoon.
Look for everybody that'slistening.
Don't forget to go toduanepeircecom.
Check out all of our merch.
Now it's running out the door,so get yours now so you can help
support my mission to improvethe construction industry.
Yeah, like, subscribe, commentall those things so that we can
continue to be Australia'snumber one construction podcast.

(01:21:54):
See you on the next one.

Speaker 3 (01:21:55):
Are you ready to build smarter, live better and
enjoy life?
Then head over tolivelikebuildcom.
Forward, slash, elevate to getstarted.
Everything discussed during thelevel up podcast with me, duane

(01:22:19):
pierce, is based solely on myown personal experiences 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
respect to the topics discussedduring this podcast.

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